Belt Bag

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• 1/2 yard Light-midweight woven fabric: outer fabric
• 1/4 yard Light-midweight woven fabric: lining fabric
• 1/4 yard Cushion wrap
• 1 pack SF101 Shape-Flex fusible interfacing
• Sewing Machine
• Iron
• Basic sewing supplies


• FOR LARGE SIZE BAG:
• Two 9" All-purpose zippers
• 1 Buckle for a 2" strap


• FOR SMALL SIZE BAG:
• One 7" All-purpose zipper
• One 9" All-purpose zipper
• 1 Buckle for a 1" strap


• MEASUREMENTS:
• Large bag: 7 1/2" wide x 5" high x 2" deep with a 2" wide belt
• Small bag: 6 1/2" wide x 4" high x 1 5/8" deep with a 1" wide belt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cutting:
• Use printed patterns to cut the Front/Back and Pocket pieces, referencing the quantity written on the pattern.


• Additionally, use a ruler to measure and cut the following rectangular pieces:
• Sides/Bottom Panel: cut 1 each from outer fabric, lining fabric, cushion wrap and interfacing.
• 18"x 2 3/4" (large)
• 14 1/2"x 2 1/4" (small)


• Belt: Cut 1 each from interfacing and outer fabric. Maximum finished circumference for the belt is 36" (large) and 26" (small). Cut 2 strips and join for a longer belt, trimming excess width to size.
• 42"x 4 3/4" (large)
• 30"x 2 3/4" (small)


• Zipper Panels:
• 10"x 1 5/8" (large)
• 9 1/4"x 1 1/2" (small)


• Fuse interfacing to the wrong side of all corresponding outer fabric pieces.
• Baste the layers of the parts with cushion wrap:
• Stack the lining panels of the front, back & pocket, wrong side up with the corresponding cushion wrap then the print outer fabric right side up. Align all the edges.
• Baste close to the edges.


2. Construct the belt:
• Fold both short ends back 3/8" and press.
• Fold both long sides back 3/8" and press.
• Fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together and press.
• Topstitch around the perimeter of the belt, close to the edges.
• See the manufacturer's directions for adding the buckle to the ends of the belt.
• Overlap the end of the belt a minimal length (just enough to secure with stitching).


3. Sew the belt to the back panel:
• Lay the back panel print outer fabric side up.
• Place the right side of the belt on top of the panel with the stationary side of the buckle 2"– 3" to the right of the back panel and 1 3/8" down from the top edge of the back panel.
• Sew the belt to the back starting and stopping 1" from either side of the back panel.
• Sew around the edges and short ends then diagonal lines to each corner of the stitching or a third line of stitching centered side-to-side within the outer stitching.


4. Sew zipper to the pocket:
• Set the zipper right side down on the right side of the pocket. Align the edge of the zipper with the top edge of the pocket.
• Set the stop at the pull end of the zipper 5/8" from the left side of the pocket.
• Use a zipper foot to sew close to the zipper teeth.
• Trim seam allowance on the pocket only to 1/4".
• Fold the seam down to the back of the pocket.
• Topstitch 3/8" from the folded edge, enclosing the raw edge of the pocket inside the zipper tape.


5. Sew the pocket to the front panel:
• Mark a line, side-to-side, on the right side of the front panel to locate the bottom edge of the zipper length. For the large size 3 3/4" and the small size 2 1/2" up from the bottom edge of the front panel.
• Set the pocket right sides together with the front panel and the bottom edge of the zipper aligned with the mark. The pocket will be flipped up over the top of the front panel. Align the side edges.
• Use a zipper foot to sew close to the zipper teeth. Sew an additional line of stitching close to the edge of the zipper tape.
• Fold the pocket down so the bottom edge of the pocket lines up with the bottom edge of the front panel.
• Baste close to the edges of the sides and bottom of the pocket.


6. Sew the zipper into the zipper panel:
• Center the zipper, right side down on the right side of one outer zipper panel. The edge of the zipper tape should be even with the long edge of the panel. Ends of the zipper tape will extend past the zipper panel.
• Place the lining right side down on top of the zipper and outer panel, lining up the edges.
• Use pins or clips to hold layers together.
• Sew through all layers at 3/8" seam allowance, starting at the end of the zipper without the pull.
• A few inches from the end of the panel, stop stitching with the needle down. Lift the presser foot and move the zipper pull up past the needle to the opposite end of the zipper.
• Lower the presser foot and continue sewing the rest of the length.
• Fold back the lining and outer fabric along the stitching line. Finger press the seams flat.
• Topstitch through all layers 1/4" from the zipper coils.
• Repeat steps for the other side of the zipper, making sure the panel is centered at the same place as the other side of the zipper.
• Trim zipper tape edges even with the zipper panel. For the small size bag, if the zipper ends extend past the panel, shorten by whip stitching 8-10 stitches tightly across the zipper coil, 5/8" from each edge of the zipper panel. Trim the excess zipper and tape.


7. Attach zipper panel to the sides/bottom panel:
• Place the outer sides/bottom panel right side up. Match the short end of the zipper panel right sides together with the short end of the sides/bottom panel.
• Layer the lining right side down, followed by the cushion wrap, on top of the zipper panel.
• Sew across all layers at 1/2" seam allowance.
• Fold outer fabric, lining and cushion wrap back away from the zipper panel. All pieces of the sides/bottom panel should line up together with right side facing out and the cushion wrap between the outer and lining fabrics.
• Topstitch 3/8" from the fold.
• Repeat on the opposite end of the zipper panel, joining the 2 panels into a loop.


8. Attach side loop to the front and back panels:
• The front and back panels can be attached in the same step, or one at a time. The following describes both together.
• Baste around both sides of the side loop with a long stitch length, 1/4" from the edge. Do not backstitch and leave long thread tails. Baste a second line of stitches at 1/2" seam allowance.
• These basting stitches hold the multiple layers together and can be gathered slightly to help ease the side loop around the front/back panels.
• Open the zipper so the bag can be turned right side out at the end.
• Find and mark the center of the zipper panel, sides/bottom panel, front and back panels. Match the marks on the side loop to the front and back panel right sides together, and pin in place.
• Pin zipper panel portion of the side loop to the front and back panel. Zipper portion will not be gathered to ease the panel in.


• Finish pinning the side loop to the front and back panel, pulling gently on the basting stitches to help ease any excess length around the panels.
• Once panels are pinned together, sew around using 3/8" seam allowance.
• Finish raw edges with a wide and short zigzag stitch, overlock/serger, or with double fold bias tape.
• Turn bag right side out through the zipper opening.