Thread For ease of use and to make long-lasting bags, use good quality all-purpose polyester thread. It might be tempting to buy cheaper thread but this breaks more easily, which makes it unsuitable for bag making.
Loop turner This simple tool is used for turning fabric tubes the right way out for speedy fabric strap making.
Hammer and pliers Use a small hammer when you are working with rivets and eyelets (see Eyelets and Rivets). Use two pairs of pliers for opening and closing metal rings and links in purse chains. Jewellery pliers are especially suited to those with small hands.
Tailors awl An awl is useful for making holes in fabric for rivets, poking out corners in fine straps (when turning out), or even coaxing small parts of your bag underneath the sewing machine foot (to help the feed dogs grab the fabric). Two types are available; one with a sharp point; the other with a ballpoint tip.
Hole punch Use a hole punch to cut neat holes in fabric for eyelets or popper snaps. This hole punch has various sized hole-cutter attachments and a smaller grip, which is great for small hands.
The Sewing Machine
A sewing machine is the most important tool in making bags (and sewing in general) but it doesn’t need to be a grand or costly affair. There are only two features that I insist on: a powerful motor and a free arm (see below). The others listed here, while not essential, are useful to have. If buying a sewing machine and you want unbiased reviews and advice there are lots of good resources on the Internet. There are also numerous books available on getting the most of out of your machine, which are well worth investigating.
• Powerful motor – a must for coping with all of those fabric (and interfacing) layers.
• Good stability – when sewing at breakneck speeds or working with thick layers the last thing you want is your machine to shake and judder. Choose a machine that has a good weight and a wide stable base. Ask to see or test the machine in action at maximum speed.
• Build quality – how solid does the machine feel? I prefer heavy machines (the more metal the better) because they will last longer (with fewer machine services) and they will vibrate less.
• Instruction manual – I am a stickler for a good manual because no matter how experienced you are there will be plenty of occasions when you’ll need to turn to it for help. Don’t be shy in the shop; ask to have a flick through the machine manual. Also look on the Internet for support and user manuals for your machine.
• Bobbin winding system – different sewing machines have different systems for bobbin winding. While in the shop, ask to see how the bobbin is wound and check you are happy with the method.
• Dual feed system – this is a feature on some machines that makes working with several and/or thick layers much easier because this system feeds the layers through the machine evenly and at the same speed. In normal sewing the bottom layer gets fed through the machine just before the top layer and this results in the top layer creeping forwards, which can be a real pain.
Machine feet
There are various feet required for different kinds of stitches and applications, so you need to think about the stitches you want to use and research to see which types of feet are appropriate for your needs. If you are about to purchase a sewing machine, see which feet are supplied with the machine, then ask the dealer if they will throw in some extra feet for free (and ask about any other freebies too!).
• Standard presser foot – this is the foot that you will make the most use of. With this versatile foot you can sew straight and zigzag stitch, and the majority of the more decorative stitches too.
• Clear presser foot – this is a standard presser foot, but instead of being metal, it’s made from transparent plastic, which makes seeing things like notches and markings on your fabric so much easier.
• Piping foot – if you’re going to sew with any amount of piping, a piping foot is a must, see Piped Edges.
• Zipper foot – makes sewing very close to the edge of an item much easier, and is also essential for sewing zips.
• Non-stick foot – this foot is brilliant for ‘sticky’ fabric such as oilcloth, vinyl and leather (see Fabric Types).
• Seam allowance guide – this is not a foot, but is a handy metal edge that screws to the bed of the machine and is very useful for professional-looking topstitching. Set your desired seam allowance on the guide, then butt the edge of your work to the seam allowance guide and away you go.
Machine stitches
I’ve been making bags for over six years and in that time I’ve only ever used two machine stitches.
Straight stitch This is basically the only stitch I ever really use.
Zigzag stitch Every now and again I use zigzag to stitch over the raw edges of fabric to prevent it from fraying (The Versatile Book Bag, step 2).
Anatomy of a Bag
All bag designs vary in size, shape and purpose, but the bag part names are always the same, and the techniques used to create the various parts will be similar across different bag designs too. Bags can be as simple or as feature-packed as you want them to be. Have fun working through the techniques and projects in this book and you’ll soon gain the confidence to design and make your own gorgeous arm-candy.
First impressions
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