I am not sure whether this is a tutorial or not, but I will put it on that page later, so we all can find it again.
I have two other zipper tab information pages, which you can find on the Tutorials page. For the moment, this new technique is my favorite because it reduces more bulk int he zipper tab area than the other techniques.
Instagram has been showing me zipper techniques lately. I found one that I decided to try a few months ago. The other day when I was working on an Enigma pouch, I decided to try it again. Then I had to go hunting for the video.
3 finished zipper tabs
In many of the Sew Sweetness and other patterns, I have to fold a strip into a zipper tab, which adds bulk to the edge and is a little hard through which to sew. This technique adds less bulk and there aren’t bits from the folds sticking out and making the project look unprofessional.
Supplies
Zipper
Zipper tab fabric – the tabs look better if they match your zipper pocket fabric
First, cut some zipper tabs. I often use the exact size indicated in the pattern, which is why I am not giving you sizes. The zipper tab should be long enough to go past the cut end of the zipper on both sides when folded back and wide enough to match the width of the zipper, at least.
Fold both fabric zipper tabs in half and press them so the crease is firm.
Clip the fabric strip
Clip the fabric strip in half to cover one end of the zipper. You’ll need to do both.
Sew the fabric strip
Using a quarter inch seam allowance, sew across each end of the zipper.
Press tabs WST
Press the zipper tabs back wrong sides together.
Topstitch
Topstitch using a eighth inch seam allowance.
Sew the exterior according to the directions on your pattern. In this case, my exterior and lining fabrics are the same.
Sew lining
Sew lining with the zipper sandwiched in between.
Sew fabricPress all fabric away from zipper WST
Press fabric away from zipper.
Extra zipper tab fabric
Get ready to trim zipper tabs even with the top of the zipper and the sizes of the fabric.
Trimmed
Trimmed zipper tabs.
Now finish your bag or pouch according to the directions.
After my adventures with waves the other day, I tried again and this version is great. I still wouldn’t put a driver’s license or credit card in the wave pockets, but some receipts or a photo would be ok.
I think the non-pocket side of this pouch is a little boring, though I guess it wouldn’t be if I fussy cut some cool fabric for that side. I think extra pockets is better, though.
Metro Double Zip #2 with wave pockets – back
I made the vertical measurement of the pouch a half inch taller as well, because I thought everything at the top was a little squished. I am pleased with the way this version came out. I plan to make a few more of these. I had one special request for it, so I’ll see what I can do.
BTW, the way Sara told me to make the strap is genius! I didn’t understand the directions at first, but when I got it, it was one of those AHA moments I wish I had known years ago.
I posted about my progress on the guild UFO challenge. What I forgot to mention is that I started cutting out the Chickadee Backpack as well. I didn’t cut it all out, but I did start cutting from the large piece of quilted foam I had Colleen longarm for me months (years?) ago.
This month’s UFO project hasn’t been chosen yet, but making a little progress will be helpful when the Chickadee is chosen.
MaryC’s Chickadee
I was also inspired by MaryC churning one out for a baby gift. She is amazing.
I was also pleased that she tried out a Sew Sweetness pattern! Many of my bag making friends don’t try Sew Sweetness patterns, despite my best efforts. Maybe she will try some of the others.
I made these Zip It Ups for the guild board. They are working so hard and I wanted to thank them. I know it wasn’t necessary, but I did it anyway. I consulted with MaryM when I visited her. As mentioned, I told her my plan and after some discussion, I ended up making this pattern instead of my original idea.
Bonnie’s Zip It Up – open
Sue’s Zip It Up – open
Deb’s Zip It Up – open
This pattern has been updated to v.2, but I used Mary’s copy of the original. The v.1 ByAnnie patterns are not as detailed, but I was able to make them with no problem.
I thought they could use these portfolios for their guild work, but they are welcome to use them however they like, obviously.
Deb’s Zip It Up -detail
Bonnie’s Zip It Up -detail
Sue’s Zip It Up -detail
I used ribbon to cover the zipper tape. I decided I was wasting the beautiful Renaissance Ribbon I have purchased by not using it, so I chose some very lush patterns to cover the zipper tape and vinyl edge. I need to use these ribbons more. They are wonderful.
We had our Board meeting at a restaurant in July and I handed them out. It was really fun and we got our work done as well. I am really pleased.
**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I made Sue a Tadpole. I think I made it at the same time I made Gerre’s and Carrie’Sus, but I can’t really remember.
The Tadpole is a double pouch that is designed to hold your scissors and rotary cutter. I am not sure how one could prevent the various cutters from cutting the fabric, even with the included scissor sheath pattern, but it is still a cool and interesting pouch.
I just gifted it to her last week. She had to supply photos since, apparently, I forgot to take any.
Sue’s Tadpole – top
I shortchanged Sue by not making the Scissor Sheath, which I didn’t like making and thought wasn’t that useful since making it out of fabric wouldn’t protect anything. I still want to try making a scissor sheath from the Diamond vinyl I bought from Sewfisticated. That is on the “I’ll try that someday list.”
Sue’s Tadpole – open compartment
The pouch has a similar shape to the Hackney pouch, but is a little different as it has independent sections that you open from the top and the bottom.
One of the compartments has an interior zipper pocket. More pockets are better, but I am not sure how I would use this one. It is very compact, which is nice.
Sue gave me good feedback on this pouch, so I am happy.
I like this one a lot. I think it is the fabric, which is one I wouldn’t normally choose for piecing, but is perfect for this bag. The print size shows off the motifs of the fabric very well for this size of bag.
I still want to make more of these, possibly for a guild retreat. I have so many other projects to make, however. We’ll see. They are a good palate cleanser project.
I finally finished the EPPic Bag after 3 years of it being in process.
“In Process” means that it was just cut out, but I hadn’t done any sewing. The guild UFO challenge got me going.
The best part of this whole project is the cover. I am not excited about the rest of it, though I used great fabrics and it looks good. I found the pattern required quite a bit of knowledge of bagmaking. I was very glad I found the videos she made to assist. One thing I learned is that I am allowed to decide to finish a step using a technique I know rather than trying to figure out what someone else is trying to describe.
Inside of EPPic with pleated vinyl pocketEPPic pleated vinyl pocket detail
This bag also has a lot of firsts. This is the first time I have ever made a pleated vinyl pocket. Making the pleats was one of the tasks I didn’t understand and didn’t know how to make from other projects. I clipped them rather than sewing them wrong and let my mind process how to accomplish what I wanted to do/was supposed to do. I finally figured out a way – sewing the pleat parallel to the edge of the vinyl – and was able to to move forward. It is possible that the pattern said that exactly and my brain couldn’t take it in.
EPPic 2 vinyl pockets
A lot of the pockets were made from fabric in the pattern. I decided to use vinyl for all of them because if I can’t see something, it doesn’t exist. The way this bag opens and closes lends itself to being able to see everything when the bag is opened.
I chose to make two horizontal pockets on one of the ‘pages’ as I thought it would be more useful. Each pocket shown is divided into 2 parts. I am not sure how I would use them, but we will see.
That brings up a point I need to address: Pockets. I need to figure out what I plan to put in pockets so I can plan the layout of pockets in the bags I make. Usually, I make a bag because I want to try it. That was the case with this bag and I am not sure how I will use it, or if I will use it. It is cute, uses good fabrics and is pretty. Not sure if I will use it.
EPPic base
I really customized the base of the bag. I really like what I did. The whole base came out well except the pockets at the top. They shifted or moved or something when I was putting the whole bag together and now look terrible.
I also did the zipper like I have done them on ByAnnie patterns, such as the Zip It Up portfolios. I left it hanging off a bit with a little tail, because I didn’t have a separating zipper long enough in the right color for this project.
Two other patterns were included in the bundle, but I am not sure I will make them. I have a lot of Sew Sweetness patterns and I like them better.
I decided to enlarge the I Spy pattern to accommodate the Joni Tote templates I bought from Sew Hungry Hippie. I know I am mixing pattern companies, but I don’t care.
I have only made one other enlarged I Spy. The pouch came out ok, but was just a bit short for holding the Joni templates. 🙁 Part of the reason is that I had already cut the lining for some reason. I think it might have been leftover and I was trying to use it up.
This is part of the reason I buy bag patterns. Still, I have plenty of large templates and will use this pouch for the Mistflower Water bottle carrier (Minikins Season 4) templates.
Large Fairytale I Spy with templates
After realizing my error, I wondered if I put the sizes from the pattern into a spreadsheet if I could figure out different sizes by some calculation. I haven’t tried it yet, but am undeterred.
I used some measurements for the handle from another handle and must have forgotten how to measure. It works, but is a little small.
I haven’t worked on the Pandora Charisma for a few days, but I did make some progress.
I finished the mesh pocket, as you can see. I picked the foldover elastic and zipper especially to match the background fabric.
I can’t believe how much easier this bag is to make the second time around!
I haven’t made the gusset yet, but that is coming up. So far I have some of the pockets made as well as the front and back panels. I have a fair bit to go, but am making progress intermittently between other projects.
I came home from Sew Day the other day and made another Mini One Handle Tote. It has been awhile since I have made one, but it has been on my mind to make another, so I did. It really didn’t take me very long even though I had to search through everything to find the project folder. I still haven’t found it, but I had the tutorial, which made it easy. The worst part was that I had to make another handle template and I don’t like it as well. I think I need to adjust it a little, but it worked out fine in general.
Mini One Handle Tote #4
I haven’t tried a pocket yet, but I think I will on the next one. Fingers crossed I can figure that out.
I do want to make more. It would be great to find my original template. I am wondering if I didn’t make a project folder for this tote?
After posting about the free patterns, I started looking at the Kokka website multiple times. The site has really good bag shapes, both free and for sale. For some reason, the Round Bottom Bucket Bag got stuck in my mind. I think it is unique in that I haven’t made such a bag before. I make the Desktop Cube, which is kind of round. I can’t think of any other bags I have made that are round. I am sure the fabric also had something to do with it.
I printed the pattern and took it with me to Mary’s, but didn’t work on it. Then I took it to Sew Day and translated the metric into US customary measurements. Something seemed wrong or off to me, so I put it aside. After that I decided to make it using the metric measurements. That meant that I needed a metric rotary cutting ruler**. Do you know how hard it is to buy a metric ruler? The various sites kept insisting that US customary measurements were more usual in my location. DUH!
Round Bottom Bucket Bag- top
Finally, at a Sew Day with Tim and Cyndi, I cut it out. The pattern is a Japanese pattern and those patterns are much more basic than American patterns. A lot of knowledge is implied. I consulted with Tim and he said that when making the Japanese pattern he sewed he, basically, made up most of the steps. With that, I went for broke.
Round Bottom Bucket Bag- top, hardware
Part of going for broke meant diving down a rabbit hole of round bags to understand how they are put together. One problem I had was that most bucket bags have some sort of drawstring top. One of the things I like about the design of the Kokka bag is that it does NOT have a drawstring top.
Round Bottom Bucket Bag
The bag did not come out as expected. Mine looks more like a bottle bag than a bucket bag. I guess it could be used for a picnic for a bottle (wine or water or juice) and silverware in the pockets.
The short answer is that it is still usable and I plan to try again. I emailed with the support team at Kokka and they said to convert the measurements to inches. I am a bit confused as to how that would help, but I’ll think about it.
Round Bottom Bucket Bag- pockets
My current plan is 2 Pi r. That means Quilt Math. Finally, I am understanding all of those stupid 8th grade math concepts that I never understood. Let’s teach kids math by teaching them to make bags!
My plan is to create my own dimensions with what I think will make the bag come out like the Kokka was supposed to look, at least in my mind. I know how to do all the steps and can use the directions provided as a guide. I haven’t done it yet, but this the current plan.
I am giving myself permission to play a little. I don’t see the above bag as a complete fail, but it isn’t really a success either. I want to try again and see if I can make it better.
Resources/Some sites I looked at in my deep dive:
Jellyfish Report has a lot of sizes for round bags so you don’t have to do math.
Circle bag tutorial – this breezy looking tutorial shows you how to make a bag (handbag) in the shape of a circle.
Drafting a rounded rectangular base comment/tip – scroll down to find this tip. It’s not just all math; pictures are included to give you a good idea of what you are doing.
Drafting Manual: How to Draft Circular Bags. If you want to skip all the nonsense, this for-purchase manual ($10) tells you everything you need to know about drafting round bags. According to the site “When you purchase this interactive pdf, you will receive all of the tutorials and information needed to draft two styles of bag to your custom size and preferences.”
The Hexi Tote Project has the right exterior height compared to the height of the pockets.
How to sew a rounded bottom post – provides tips and tricks for sewing a circle.
The lined round basket project was the right ‘fatness’ for the bag I am envisioning. I thought I could use the same ratios.
Round Bag Calculator post – the site provides a list of sizes of circles and how big you would need to make the associated rectangle.
2 Pi R
9″ circle base, 10.5″ x desired height rectangle, Project example
**Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I love seeing bags I have made in use and not staged for my benefit.
This was the case with the Cosquilla I made for my SIL#4 for Christmas last year. We visited them for dinner one evening and I saw the bag on a side table when I went to stash my handbag.
This also reminded me that I need to make sure I do a good job when I sew bags. They need to not fall apart as people will actually used them.
I struggled with the curve on this bag and am curious to see how the new machine will handle the curve.
After finishing the back panel, I started on the gussets. Before starting them, I looked through versions of this bag on the Sewfisticated FB group. I noticed one maker had made the back panel open wider by using the same instructions.
It is super helpful to see the different fabrics and modifications other bagmakers think up. I forget that I can do things differently. Although I have made a lot of bags and pouches, every new bag project feels unfamiliar.
Pandora Charisma #2: front panel lining
One of the changes I am making on this one is a clear slip pocket instead of a fabric slip pocket. I thought about the utility of it and whether the vinyl would be a problem. I couldn’t think of one and I wanted to show off the lining fabric. In future I will use a plain fabric for the lining and a featured or printed fabric for the slip pocket.
Part of this step is the key leash. That is done as well. I love the way the flowers show through the glitter vinyl.
I am still having fun with this and the steps are going faster than I expected. Next is to make the mesh pocket. I have cut everything. I just haven’t sewed the zipper in.
Amazingly I have recently continued to work on the Pandora Charisma #2. I didn’t have a Pandora Charisma #2, really, but decided I would make another one with the front panel I sewed when testing the Elna.
It wasn’t a done deal that I would make another one as all I could remember was the struggles I had with the binding on #1. The win really made me excited about the project. Another reason I want to work on this project again (despite the hair ripping during the first one) is I want to see how the Elna does. I also think winning Best in Show made me want to try another one.
On Sunday, when I was done beavering away on other non-sewing chores, I really thought about the project I wanted to work on. Since I am sort of in between quilts, I am working on tidying up little tasks. I made a binding for the Warm Four Patch Fun, I processed a bunch of scraps and did a few other fabric related tasks. I wasn’t ready to start a new quilt or revisit a WIP yet, so the Pandora Charisma settled into my mind. I did really want to work on it. So I did.
Pandora Charisma #2: back panel
I made the back panel. I didn’t scream through it like I did on the front panel, but I did make it. I found it didn’t take long at all.
So far so good. This piece uses the Diamond Quilted Vinyl that looks like pleather. I always refer to it as pleather as I think of vinyl as clear. Anyway, this stuff acts like vinyl, so I after 1 stitch put on the Teflon foot and needle plate. What a dream! Those two are a powerhouse combo! No issues with pulling or sticking.
This time I used regular (#3??) zippers for the hidden zippers in the front and back panels. So far so good, though it was a challenge to get the zipper surround to lay flat.
The next step is to make the gussets for the inside. It was a good stopping point. Stay tuned!
Mary and I talked about this pattern when I visited her. She had the pattern it was on her list to make. I saw it at Picking Daisies, as mentioned, and decided to buy it. Noodlehead patterns are pretty good and I was interested to see how the divided lining was created.
Continuing with the Picking Daisies theme, I used the roses fabric I bought during my visit. The front pocket fabric is an Alison Glass, I think. It was in my fabric closet.
Divided Basket – back
I was surprised at how large this basket is. I did look at the dimensions, but I can never visualize them until I see the actual bag made. It would be good temporary storage for a bag project.
I thought, after I made it that I could place a pocket on the back as well for even more storage.
Divided Basket – interior
I was pleased to learn the technique for a divider.
I sewed the whole thing together, then realized I really should have anchored the lining, so I took the basket apart and anchored the lining. I was much happier after I did that.
I sent the basket off to its new home and hope the recipient likes it.
