Advice please on using velcro
 

I'd like to put pieces of velcro on the top of some of my tote bags. I haven't used velcro in a while. The last times I used it, I had difficulty. I found that when I used enough stitches to securely hold the velcro onto the fabric, the sheer amount of stitches cut down on the available hook/loops which secure the velcro.

Last night as I lay in bed I thought perhaps a better alternative to sitching the velcro through the middle (through the hooks and loops) would be to do a zig zag on the edges. Is that better?

I am not going to ruin a perfectly good tote bag by putting velcro on wrong so any and all advice will be appreciated. Thanks!

I stitch along the edge of the velcro - where there are no hooks or loops. I did stitch around the velcro twice. I also used a 2.5 stitch length setting.

Thanks Bear. Good advice. I just went and looked at the velcro I have and I had never noticed that very tiny area on the edges where there were no hooks or loops.

I could understand your problem with trying to sew Velcro when a tote bag has been completed (especially if there is batting inside) I used a walking foot, my tote was not very thick and I used ONLY the sewing type, not the kind with sticky residue. It might be something to sew on at the beginning of a tote.

When I sew on Velcro, I sew along the very outer edges of the strip on all four sides. Never have sewn through the loops. There is just enough flat outer edge to catch your machine needle.

Thanks Maniac and Jeanne. I am going to use the sew on type velcro too, not the sticky kind.

So Maniac, if the bag is to be quilted and probably lined, in which stage of the bag making would you add the velcro? To the lining before it's attached to the bag maybe? Gosh, what if the lining does not "line" up properly when all is said and done? Why is it difficult to sew onto a completed bag? Because of the bulk? I am going to try and add this to my latest laptop bag before I give it away tomorrow. I don't have a walking foot. I only do FMQ.

I sewed the final Velcro on after the bag was done for the top closure. The stitching shows - but i try to sew nicely! I take the threads to the back and then knot and bury them like when hand quilting.

For the side pockets - I put the Velcro on the quilted bag part first - and then I attach it to the pocket. Then I sew the pocket down.

If I have pockets on the lilning - I either back the lining with an interfacing or reinforce the areas where the velcro will go with iron on tape. I sew the velcro to the back/inside first - and then sew the matching part to the pocket next.

I try to do it while it's still relatively easy to get at.

Thanks everyone. I successfully added velcro to the top of the 2 laptop bags I made recently. I did my personal bag first (in case I did it wrong) but it came out ok so I did the gift bag too. Like Bear said, the stiching shows, but I also was very neat and I don't think it looks bad - it just shows.

So thanks again. Knowing how to properly attach velcro opens up a whole new world of possibilities for me. Such a simple thing really, but it totally confounded me!

Glad it worked out for you. When I've used velcro on anything (but bags particularly) I sew both pieces to the lining of the bag prior to doing any further construction. I measure (repeatedly) and check the unsewn pieces for accurate lining up of the velcro. Once that stage is correct, I follow along with the balance of the construction.

I also clip off a tiny bit of the corners Of the velcro before sewing it in. Those sharp corners are scratchy!