A Purse And Camera Bag….All In One

My large camera takes such good photos but carrying such a large camera bag everywhere is sometimes not always convenient.  When I want to carry my camera the large bag with all my gear can get a little heavy as well.  I decided to make a bag that could be used as a purse and a smaller camera bag when needed, especially when I am carrying it for several hours at a time.I started out with this basic messenger bag pattern that I have made and altered before into two other purses.  I changed the flap design on the first bag I made from this pattern (the one on the right.)  The second one I made smaller and also altered the flap, changed the strap and changed some of the pockets (the black and lime green one.)I did another remodel of the basic messenger bag pattern for this bag.  The new bag is again smaller than the original design and I designed a different flap.  It is not as wide across the width and the sides taper some plus I changed the strap construction on this one.  I kept checking it to make sure my camera was easy to access and fit the bag as I made the changes.I drew up the basic shape of the flap and chose the fabrics I wanted to use in this bag.  The batik sea turtle fabric was my first choice and the rest of the fabrics were chosen to coordinate with it.  I purchased this fat quarter of the turtle fabric when we were in Hawaii a few years ago and have been waiting for the perfect project for it.I wasn’t sure how I wanted to construct the flap so started with wedges of the different fabrics and seamed them together with corded bias strips between each section.  I added the turtle fabric to the top as an appliqued triangle and cut out the flap shape (I altered the shape later to make it better fit the bag.)I did cut out the corded seamed section under the turtle triangle to eliminate bulk and as it was sitting on my sewing table I got the idea to use it in the purse somewhere – hated to waste all that work so designed the back panel using the cut out from the front.  Here is the beginnings of the back in the photo below.I used headliner fabric to interface the body of the bag to help keep it’s shape.  I almost always use this in my bags as my bags sure hold their shape and don’t get all saggy after using for a while.  It is similar to Soft and Stable but is available at JoAnn Fabrics and more convenient for me to purchase.  I do some simple quilting to hold it in place and trim it out of the seam allowances to reduce bulk.  Trimming it out of the seam allowances really helps as it can get pretty bulky when several seams come together.   As you can see I used plastic needlepoint canvas in the bottom of the bag to help it hold it’s shape and make a firm base for the bag plus this time I added a strip near the top to help keep the bag from collapsing.  You know how when you close the flap the front and back just colapse in together?  This keeps those sides squared up to the front and back.  So far that top strip is working really well.  I machine stitched the plastic to the inside with no problem as the plastic is soft enough that a needle goes right through easily. I will use this idea again when I have a boxy bag that I want to stay boxy looking.I did quilt the lining to a light weight fleece and added the pockets.  On one side I made a patch pocket but instead of stitching the entire bottom closed I left one section open.  This works great to carry my wallet.  It doesn’t flop out of the pocket and is easy to access and the bottom of my wallet rests on the bottom of the bag.  I have done this on a couple of bags now since one of my sisters told me that is what she has done.  Works great!  You could also carry a checkbook like this or any other long item you don't want lost in the recesses of your bag.Trimmed the flap down to a better size for the bag before adding the lining and binding the edge.One thing that always bothers me when carrying a heavy bag is how it cuts into your shoulder after a while.  I noticed that my camera bag had an extra padded piece that the strap is threaded through and it fits over your shoulder as you are carrying the bag.  I thought why couldn’t I make something like this for my bag too.  I used 3 gradated layers of the headliner fabric stitched together to make it padded enough then cut a front fabric and back fabric the same size to cover the shape.  I first was going to add another strip a little shorter to make a channel for the strap to slide through like the one on my camera bag.  A bolt of lightening hit me and I saw the piece of the excess strap that was laying on my table and decided why not use that instead and then this extra padded strip could be easily removed when I just want to use it as a purse.  Threading the bag strap through these smaller strips is so much easier than threading it through a long tunnel like the camera bag one had.   Last step was to add binding to hold the strips of the strap to the cover fabrics to finish it off.
After carrying this as a camera bag while in Paducah I am really happy with this extra strap padding – best idea ever!  If you have a strap that unhooks on one side you can make a padded piece for any of your bags too.  Here is the finished bag all done and I love it.
A flap covered pocket on the front, zippered pocket on the back, zippered pocket in the lining and the patch pocket in the lining will hold lots of things plus the large space that my camera will fit into.To finish off the zipper pulls I made a “puller” from a bead and some wire.  These make opening and closing the zipper a little easier and it dresses up the bag a bit more too.Will enjoy using this bag for a regular purse or to carry my camera and look pretty while it is doing it!

Until later,

Another New Fabric Bag–Barbados Bag

Found time recently to make another bag using a Pink Sand Beach Designs pattern called Barbados Bag.  I chose the coordinating brown and teal fabrics I already had in my stash for the bag.  I love the large poke-a-dot fabric!  The poke-a-dot, stripe and brown were for the outside an the light teal for the lining.  Important thing I have learned from experience is to keep the lining to purses/bags light colored as it is so hard to see what is in the bag with dark lining.   Did that once and never again as I can never find what I want in the black fabric lined bag.  Below are photos of the outside of the finished bag.

 

I pretty much followed the directions from the pattern for the making of this bag, just making a few deviations as far as interfacing and changing and adding pockets to the lining.  I changed to a lighter weight interfacing as the one recommended was way too stiff for my fabric.

At first I thought the bag might be a bit too deep but after carrying it for a while I have found it to work great the way it is.  I did find that the deep pocket on the outside (behind the stripe) is just the right depth to carry my Kindle or Samsung Note 8.  I added the zippered pocket on the inside of the bag.  There is always something I want to keep more secure on the inside of a bag so if a pattern doesn’t have a zippered pocket on the inside I add one.  I turned the bag inside out to get a better photo than the first one.  It is just hard to get a good photo of the inside of a bag no matter how hard I try to get the camera at the right angle.The other side of the lining called for a long patch type pocket and I made a few changes to it too.  This idea came from my sister Jeannine and it is brilliant.  Instead of stitching the entire bottom of this long patchwork pocket down you leave the bottom of one section open.  This works great to slip my wallet into or can be used to hold a check book too.  The bottom of the wallet rests on the bottom of the bag and the top is easy to reach and very accessible when I need it.  This is an idea I will definitely use again.  The last thing I did differently than the pattern was to make a bag bottom stiffener.  I started with a piece of plastic needlepoint canvas cut to the size of the bag bottom.  Covered it with fabric and stitched through it to secure.  Just put in the bag and press to fit the bottom – it stays put and the plastic is easy to stitch and this makes a flatter bottom for the bag.
Until Later,
Lynn

Necktie Bag Tutorial

Last fall I made a small bag to carry either my iPod or my cell phone.  It has a long strap to wear cross body to keep my hands free to do other things.  I can also carry a little cash by dropping it down the tip of the bag where it collects in the bottom.What a bunch of pretty neckties and they are destined to become more small purses.  When looking for neckties to make these small bags choose neckties as wide as you can find.  These ties measured around 4” wide at the largest end.  I would not choose any smaller ones or the bag will not be large enough to hold an iPod or cell phone.  The first step is to cut off the length needed to make the bag.  Measure and cut the necktie 15” from the tip.  Save the rest of the tie to make the strap so set it aside.The first step is to unstitch the seam on the necktie and press the seams open.  The seams in the original tie are large and can be pressed to a narrower width – one pressed under and the other left flat.  The reason I do this is to make the narrower end of this tie piece wider so you can get the widest pocket possible.  I cut a 1/4” piece of fusible and press it to the underside of the folded seam.  Fold the other side over the interfacing as wide as possible then the side with the fusible and press (paper removed of course.)  I do hand stitch this seam closed even though it is fused shut as I found it can loosen with folding and unfolding the flap on the bag.  Leave the interfacing inside this section so the purse/bag has enough body to hold it’s shape.

Center Seam VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The next step is to zig zag the edges of the narrow end together then fold over about a 3/8”, press and stitch down with a straight stitch.  As you can see this hem is pressed to the seam side of the necktie.Fold up the narrow end and fit your cell phone or iPod into the pocket and stitch the sides.  I do have one bag I made for a friend that I need to make the pocket wider and longer.  Her cell phone would not fit this pocket so I plan to stitch some extra fabric to the sides of the pocket so I can make a pocket to hold the wider cell phone.  I will add some length to the pocket too to accommodate the longer cell phone.  It is a good idea to pin the pocket and fit the phone before stitching – save yourself some ripping that way.Making the strap - Take the interfacing out of the left over necktie section and press it flat.  I trimmed the seams to 1/4” and added fusible to the seam allowances and pressed them flat to the body of the necktie.  I found the the fused seams were easier to deal with and stopped the fabric from fraying too.

 

Fold the fabric in half and cut two strips the length of the fabric that are 1 3/4” wide. Seam the lengths together to make one long strip.  Treat the seam the same as the others in this strip.

I used cording I purchased in the drapery department of JoAnn Fabrics for the inside of my strap.  It is just a twisted cotton cording.  I chose a size that is approximately 3/8” in diameter.  That is the size I chose to fill the strap but make yours thicker or thinner – your choice.  Cut a piece of cording a couple of inches longer than your fabric strip.

I like using the cording foot #59 for my Bernina sewing machine to stitch the strap or you could use a zipper foot or what ever foot you find with your machine to do this job.  Before starting to stitch I took a piece of clear packing tape and taped one end forming a point (check out the photos.)  This will come in handy to thread the cording back into the tube after stitching.  Lay the cording (un-taped end at this end) along the center of the right side of the fabric strip and  bring the raw edges together.  Straight stitch across the end of the cording inside the tie fabric to secure.  Now start stitching the length of the strap by enclosing the cording as you stitch along the length.  This is where the #59 foot really comes in handy as the cording just moves along under the foot.  I moved the needle position to stitch a little closer to the cord. 

One thing to check is to make sure you are not catching the cording in the stitching and need the stitching not right next to the cording either.  Give yourself a little slack to make turning the tube and inserting the cording back inside much easier.  If the stitching is too close to the cording it will be tough to thread the cording inside after it is turned.  You may want to experiment with a scrap of tie fabric and scrap of cording to figure out the best seam allowance.  As you can see from the photos below the seam allowance is trimmed down to 1/4” before it is turned so I don't worry too much about the width of the seam allowance but just try to keep the tube width the same as I stitch with the cording inside it.  Tie fabric is pretty slippery so if the seams slip apart it is no big deal since they are trimmed down afterward anyway.

Stitching the Strap VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Turn the strap right side out by pulling the cording.  After the strap is turned inside out cut off the cording where it was seamed to the end.  Insert thet taped pointed end inside the tube and work it to the other end filling the tube with the cording. Next step is to cut a piece of the tie fabric 2” wide and about 4” long.  Press 1/2” in on both sides.  At this point you need to figure out how long a strap you need.  As I mentioned earlier I make my straps long enough to carry the bag cross body so they are pretty long – 57”.   I pin the strap to the bag in a position where the flap will fold over.  This strap is stitched together in a circle so take that into account too.  Stitch the two ends to the sides of the little strip then wrap it around the corded strap trimming off the excess if not needed.  The end is turned under and stitched down to secure the join in the corded strap.  I hope this is not too hard to understand – check out the photos to help.

Join The Ends Of The Strap VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

Fold the flap over so the point meets the end and mark with pins.  This is the place where the strap will be stitched.  Stitch across the strap on each end, positioning the joined ends on the inside of the flap.  It is important not to stitch across from one side to the other end as the end of the bag will be open from the tip down and extra “stuff” can be carried in this pocket too.

The last step is to stitch a large snap to the tip and base of the outside pocket.  Ta – Da….it’s done!

 

Here are the 13 bags I made from neckties.  One thing I didn’t say was I purchased most of these ties from Goodwill or thrift stores.  I do believe most of them were brand new ties so I didn’t have to worry about stains.

 

Well – this is certainly a long post and photo heavy but I needed the photos to help tell the story since my explanations are not always clear.  I believe in the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Until Later,
Lynn