School is starting in two and a half weeks here in The South. August 5, to be exact. I can't quite believe it, I feel like it should still be a month away, or at the very least it should be the END of August! Anyway, school is coming and Roo has been on a sewing bender recently so we decided to make lunch bags.
Of course, I didn't have a pattern so I had to make one up. This one is really simple and has just enough room for one of those nifty lunch cubes and a water bottle.
You will need:
1/2 yard exterior fabric
1/2 yard lining
About a 10" square scrap of canvas
1/2 yard Insulbright
1 yard med-weight fusible interfacing
6" sew-on Velcro
Plus the usual:
Sewing Machine
Thread
Scissors
Rotary Cutter/Cutting Mat/Acrylic Ruler
Iron/Ironing Board
Pins
Fabric Pen
Cut the Following
Exterior Fabric:
2 Front/Back 10.5"x13"
2 Handles 4"x18"
1 Pocket 7"x14"
1 Bottom 7"x9"
From Lining:
2 Front/Back 10.5"x13"
1 Bottom 7"x9"
From Insulbright:
2 Front/Back 10.5"x13"
1 Bottom 9"x7"
From Interfacing:
2 Front/Back 10.5"x13"
2 Handles 4"x18"
1 Pocket 7"x14"
1 Bottom 7"x9"
From Canvas:
1 Bottom 7"x9"
**Seam Allowance is 1/2", unless noted otherwise
**Following manufacturer's instructions, fuse interfacing to the wrong side of coordinating exterior pieces.
For the handles, fold the length of each handle in half, wrong sides together; press. Unfold, then turn each long edge into this center fold line; press. Fold again on the center line, making sure edges are nicely tucked in to the center; press. Edge stitch long edges of both handles, starting with the edge with two folds. This will prevent twisting and bunching during stitching.
For the pocket: fold in half, wrong sides together, to create a 7" square. Pin along the bottom and sides, leaving a 3"-4" space for turning; stitch, making sure to back stitch on each side of the opening and at the top edge. DO NOT sew the top (folded) edge. Clip corners; turn and press.
Topstitch 1/2" from folded edge.
Fold the pocket in half from side to side; finger press. Fold the front piece in half, side to side; finger press and/or mark center lines with a pin.
Place a ruler 2" down from too edge of bag front. Align the finished edge of pocket along the ruler, matching centers of pocket and front. Pin in place; edge stitch 1/8" from edge of pocket.
Match up the edges of Insulbright to the wrong side of front/back; baste inside the seam line to keep everything in place. Repeat for the bottom, but sandwich the canvas with the Insulbright as well.
Place right side of bag back fo the front; stitch. Finger press seams open; from the right side of the bag, stitch the seam down using 1/4" seam allowance on both sides of the seam.
Find the center of the front and back by matching up side seams and making a small 1/4" snip inside the seam line. Fold the bag bottom in half both ways, snip each time.
With right sides together, pin side seam of bag to center mark of the 7" side of bag bottom. Pin the remaining center marks of the bag bottom to the front/back. Carefully "walk" and pin the pieces together. You will notice the bottom piece is wider and the front/back will have a tendency to curve in front of the corner. Do your best to evenly distribute the front/back around the corner; trim. It should look something like this:
Repeat for all three remaining corner; stitch. Trim seam allowance with pinking shears, or snip notches into the corners with regular scissors.
Repeat process for lining.
Place edge of handle on either side of pocket; baste. Match front/back together for easiest handle placement guide; pin handle and baste in place.
Turn exterior right side out. Leave interior wrong side out. Insert bag into lining, right sides together, matching side seams. Pin around the edge, leaving a 4"-5" gap for turning; stitch making sure to backstitch on both sides of opening.
Carefully pull the bag out through the opening of the lining; press. Edgestitch all the way around the bag, keeping handles out of the stitching line.
Place the wrong side of Velcro on the lining, about 1/2" down from the top, centered between the straps. Use Liquid Stitch glue to hold Velcro in place.
Wait about 15-20 minutes before stitching in place.
That's it! Feel free to use a coordinating fabric for the pocket and handles, or go crazy and make it patchwork! Tag me in Instagram if you decide to make one.
Happy Sewing!
-Kristi
Great bag. I am looking forward to trying it!
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