Bag Makers - Please help!!
 

I made these twin quilted purses. One is for me, one for a friend. I devised the pattern to fit all my items exactly. That's probably the problem. I have no real instructions, I'm winging it. I had such a hard time finishing these - sewing the lining and handles on. I could use advice.

For both bags, I made the exterior quilted box and hemmed the top. Then I made the zipper, handles and the lining with pockets. When it came time to assemble it, I actually did it two ways.

On the blue bag I layered the outer shell, zipper, lining and handle. I pinned it all together then struggled to sew it on my flat bed cabinet machine. The bag is quite narrow plus I had to sew through the zipper hole and it was really difficult.

On the brown bag I had found a tute that showed me how to sew the zipper and lining together before doing the rest of the assembly. That was a little easier to manipulate.

Are there any special feet I should be using for the final step in these bags? Maybe I should use my free arm portable for this? Is there some simpler method that I am unaware of? I love having a bag specially designed to hold my particular items, but I hate making them. Thanks!!

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I can't help you. I can not even get a duffle finnished using directions. These purse look amazing and I wanted to tell you.

Thanks! Nice of you to say that.

I also think the bags look great. If you have a walking foot, you can try that. Also, I have found that if you are sewing around the top of the bag and the stitching is on the outside, it's easier to turn the bag inside out. If the stitching is going to be from the inside, then sew with the bag right side out. It's much easier to sew it this way on a flat bed.

Many patterns leave an opening in the lining while sewing it for turning. Then when both outside and inside are finished, you stack the two together right sides together, sew them together at the top while they are inside out, turn them through the opening and hand sew the bottom of the lining together. Make sense?

Yes, I have seen that. I'll have to consider if I can work that into the way I make bags. (Oh, I hate to hand sew!!! Hate it!)

Thanks. I understand but I think the zippers prevent me from doing this. Correct??

You don't have to hand sew the opening you leave in the lining for turning - you can usually pull it to the outside of the purse, pinch a small seam in it and sew it together that way - it's so small it doesn't really show, and it's usually either in a side seam or bottom region - where no one but you would see it anyway.
Another way to do it is to pinch the seam together and then sew from the outside - kind of like a stitch in the ditch sort of thing.

I would check out Sara Lawson's website - www.sewsweetness.com - she has excellent bag patterns - she has two books out and has published a couple of free patterns on the web too - she is an excellent handbag teacher. I learned by making bags from her patterns. Also, check out videos on youtube - you can see almost any technique that you need on there - I have learned everything on the internet - I had no sewing experience and am self taught - I think you did a wonderful job just winging it.

I think you can open the zipper halfway and be able to turn it to the right sides. I think the feet go on before you put the bag together don't they? I might be thinking of other kind of foot for luggage or big bags.

I found top stitching around the top of bag is easier with the zipper foot and gets in close. Love the bags are you writing or doing a tute with the pattern?

I wish!! I have learned so much from online tutes that it would be nice to be able to contribute one. But my directions are so messed up, even I can't completely remember what they say. So far I've made one new bag every 9 months or so. I think a total of 4. That's just enough time to totally forget how I did it the last time.

Thanks for the zipper foot idea too.

Thanks for the compliment and the referral to Sara Lawson's website. I was recently there because someone here had linked to the site. But at the time I was not planning to make a new bag so didn't pay attention to the zipper part. Now I'll read her tutes very very carefully!

Just wanted to say I really like your bags...and your taste in fabrics! I've also got a tote (partially) made with the teal and brown...you are motivating to finish mine!

Debbie Shore has some of the best bag tutorials I've found. She is on YouTube. She has one where the zipper is inserted like you want it. It's called a zippered lines tote bag. Here other bags are great as well. If you go to YouTube and search for her lots will come up. She uses a stripe material for the bag with the zippered top. She left a part out of the video and has a link when you reach that point for the missing part.

Thanks citruscounyquilter. That was an excellent video! I loved her accent too.

Here's one issue. Her bag was just fabric, no batting. What I made was a purse for myself and I like a really structured purse, one that stands on it's own like a little soldier. So I use felt as my batting. I wonder if I will be able to successfully turn the bag inside out with a stiff batting like that?? Otherwise, her method made perfect sense and seemed very easy to make.

Edited to add - Sorry! I replied before she was totally done. The last bit she did was sew a seam at the very top. That's the part that gave me such trouble. It seemed pretty easy for her. Maybe because her zipper was a bit lower in the bag then mine was, because she attached the zipper down in the lining, not the top of the bag. I'll study the video more. It's possible I can adapt just that part of her method to my bag and not even worry about turning it inside out. Maybe if I just have the zipper a little lower in the bag....(thinking aloud here)

Someone else suggested to sew the lining seam together on the inside after it has been turned right side out. That's a good idea, making the seam as close to the edge as you can get it without falling off.
I would do that with a very small zig-zag stitch. Do it very slowly with one stitch on the fabric and the next stitch off the fabric. After that has been sewn, a little tug will make the seam open up almost as if it were stitched flat.

Thanks maviskw. I can do that!!

Your bags look fantastic. I would advise looking at bag tutorials on MSQC or You Tube.

I agree. The opening is in the bottom of the lining so no one will ever see if it has the tiniest "bubble" in the seam. It will definitely give you nicer results without all the struggle. Beautiful job on the bags!

they look great. If I want to make a bag, I have to have the instructions and video.

you will find the top of the bag and lining easier to sew thru if you take the time to trim the batting all around the edge. It does become very thick when you are trying to sew handles and have seams with batting. I have found this works well.

Thanks for all the nice words and helpful suggestions. I devised a solution that worked for me. I'll try to explain it below. It's a combo of a little of everything I was advised.

What I did is to finish all the edges of the fabric that goes on the side of the zipper. Then instead of putting this fabric at the top of the bag, I sewed it to the lining, 3/4" from the top. When it was time to finish the top seam of the bag, I just tucked the zipper inside the bag and it was out of my way. Here's some pictures of the finished bag and the zipper. I used white thread for good visibility.

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Free arm does work better than flatbed. I usually have everything turn right side out through an open seam in the lining of the bag, then hand or machine zigzag stitch that seam closed.