pairing paring a velvet, wool, corduroy or suede bag exterior with a shimmery satin lining.
Try appliquéing fluffy felt patches onto linen, denim or canvas.
Try plaiting strips of silk to make bag handles for a real or faux leather or suede bag.
Try adding silk or satin piping to a cotton or linen bag.
Playing with pattern
Patterned fabrics can be the hardest to know how to combine. There is no right or wrong – go with whatever you like, but here are some quick ideas to try.
Clashing patterns Provided the colours ‘go’ with each other you can have fun clashing different patterned fabrics together. This floral print works well with this stripe as the colours of the two fabrics tie in with each other.
Sizing patterns Don’t be afraid to use fabrics with large-scale patterns. You don’t always need to have the whole part of a pattern showing on your bag. Try cropping off an interesting section of a large pattern to make smaller sized bags or use it for a trim on a larger bag for a different look.
Matching patterns If you’d like both of your exterior and lining fabrics to be patterned, try putting the smaller patterned fabric on the inside of your bag. The smaller pattern inside the bag will be easier on the eye when your bag is full of your bits and bobs.
Sourcing fabrics for bag making
There are lots of ways to get your mitts on bag-making fabric and not all of them require you to part with any cash. Here are some fabric sourcing ideas and shopping suggestions.
Upcycling/repurposing old fabrics Besides being good for our planet and kind to the wallet, repurposing is a way to elongate the life of items that we still love but can no longer use in their original capacity. Less-than-perfect items such as tablecloths, silk scarves, vintage dresses and curtains can be all reincarnated as original, creative and fun bags. Also hunt around for old bags and purses that can be taken apart for spares like bag handles, clasps, and other hardware – some of the vintage components are truly beautiful. Items for repurposing can be found everywhere, from your relative’s attics to charity shops and jumble sales, to auction websites and even in newspaper adverts.
Shopping for new fabrics It’s a sad fact that local haberdashery and fabric shops are shutting down at faster rate than they are opening up. I believe in supporting these shops whenever possible because they are often a wonderful source of inspiration and advice, and also there are times when you want to touch before you buy. However, many towns don’t have them so thankfully there are loads of online stores stocked to the rafters with luscious fabrics. As long as you have a letterbox and a credit card you can feed your fabric addiction in just a few clicks … oooh dangerous! Turn to the back of the book for my recommended fabric suppliers.
Interfacing and Interlining
Available off the roll in different weights and strengths, interfacing and interlining do look fairly boring, but hidden underneath that dull exterior lie some pretty amazing powers. Interfacing and interlining strengthen and reinforce fabrics and provide invisible support and structure to your bags, making them essential ingredients in bag making. This support makes bags more durable and therefore longer lasting and better quality. Without it most bags will look floppy and feel thin and unsubstantial.
From reinforcing soft silk to making cotton fabric stiff and boxy (for when you want bags to stand up by themselves) interfacing and interlining change the nature of fabrics giving you the flexibility to use nearly any fabrics you like to make bags.
What’s the difference between interfacing and interlining?
Interfacings are typically fused to the back of fabrics. Most interfacings are fusible (also known as iron-on). Fusible interfacing has a layer of heat-activated adhesive on one side. The adhesive is activated by a combination of heat and steam from an iron. Simply lay it onto the wrong side of your fabric and iron it into place. Interfacing is particularly good for reinforcing fabrics, in other words making fabrics stiffer and stronger.
Interlinings are usually layered between the exterior and the lining of bags. Interlining is soft and is typically sew-in (as opposed to fusible) and it is cut to the same shape as the fabric pattern piece(s). The interlining piece is paired with the fabric piece and both are treated as one layer during stitching, thus the interlining is applied by sewing it into the seams of your bag. Interlining is particularly good for adding support to bags by adding a layer of padding – perfect if fabrics are on the thin side and/or you want your bag to feel soft, plump and padded.
Label logic …
It’s easy to muddle the interfacing and interlining after they’ve been in your stash for a bit! To take the guesswork out of identifying which is which, pin a scrap of paper to the corner of each and make a note of what it is for next time.
Need to know
When using fusible interfacing always choose an interfacing that is lighter in weight than your fabric. If you use interfacing that is too stiff for your fabric, the fabric will lose its natural drape and will become paper-like and therefore prone to creasing (just like paper).
With sew-in interlining the weight-to-fabric ratio isn’t nearly as important because creases in the interlining will not show up on your fabric.
Product names for interfacing and interlinings differ from country to country. If you tell shop assistants that you are looking for a ‘medium weight fusible interfacing’, for example, that should be enough information for them to direct you to the product.
Ironing on interfacing
1 Place the interfacing pattern piece shiny (adhesive) side down onto the WS of your fabric pattern piece, smooth down and carefully match up all edges. Place a clean damp cloth on top of the interfacing and set your iron to the interfacing manufacturer’s recommended heat setting. See Fig a.
Fig a The steam generated by the damp cloth (here I’ve used a checked tea towel) ensures a strong bond between the interfacing and the fabric.
2 Applying moderate pressure to the interfacing and fabric, press the iron onto the interfacing through the damp cloth. Working from the centre to the outer edges, press each part of the interfacing for the manufacturer’s recommend time until the interfacing is completely bonded to the fabric. See Fig b.
Fig
