So, today I have a DIY on how to make a padded bag. I was helping a friend make some bags a while ago when I learned this technique to make bags seamless. I quite like how it turned out, especially the seamless corners.
Materials:
- One rectangle of fabric for the outside of the bag
- One rectangle of fabric for the lining
- One rectangle of batting
- All of these should be the same dimensions, twice the height of the bag.
- Bias tape for hem
- Bias tape for straps
- Strong ribbon to put inside strap
- Piece of fabric for pocket.
- Thin lace (optional)
Directions:
Start by folding the lining piece in half with the right sides together. Then, lay the batting on top of the outer piece of fabric with the edges lining up and fold in half with the batting on the outside of the fold. Lay the lining on top of the bating and outer fabric with the lining folded separately. Pin and sew along the edges of the fabric pieces.
Unfold and refold the lining to where it is now covering both sides of the bag with the right side facing out and the seams hidden between the lining and batting. Turn the bag from inside out to right side out with the lining on the inside now and examine the bag for mistakes and such. I actually had to patch a piece after this step because there was a piece missing from my outer fabric. Machine stitch along the top edge of the bag to keep all three layers together.
Now, turn the bag inside out again. Decide how wide you will want your bag. Pin the corner flat with the seams lining up. Trim off almost as wide as you want your bag from the corners. Sew the outer fabric together by hand. Do a blind stitch to close the corner without leaving an open seam. Use a whip stitch to reinforce the corner. This step could be made more simple by machine sewing the corner and leaving it but I like the lack of seams.
Hem the edge of the fabric for the pocket. Fold the edges over and iron them. Pin the pocket to the inside (or outside if you prefer) of the bag. The pocket should be one third of the width of the bag. Sew two lines down the bag. The stitches should line up on the edges of the pocket. Now, use a whip stitch sew the bottom seam of the pocket by hand (the stitches should not be visible on the outside of the bag).
Next is the straps. I used bias tape with a thick ribbon sewn in the middle to reinforce it. This step is optional: Sew a piece of lace down the middle of the straps. Now, sew on the straps (I found that sewing them on upside down and then flipping them up after the bias tape has been added works quite well). Sew on the bias tape to cover the top of the bag. The bag is now finished!
As always, I encourage you guys to make this project and experiment with different techniques. Please tell me how it turns out if you make this bag, I would love to hear about it. Also, as a small bit of rare politics from me, everyone should be voting for actual witnesses to save the blockchain.
Thanks For Reading!!