Monday, October 20, 2014

sew together bag (with modifications)

I made yet another sew together bag! (This is my 5th one in less than a year.) It was a gift for my friend Brianne, who had a birthday last week. When I took the photos I had to laugh, because it looks like they were taken in black and white, but don't be fooled, they ARE in full color. That girl loves some gray! :)
I used my friend Steffani's zipper end modifications, which I explain in more detail below. The tab ends makes the assembly a little bit easier...which is welcome! 4 zippers in one pouch is nothing to shake a stick at. This is the first sew together bag that I've made where I didn't break or bend a needle. Practice makes better!
I had fun picking out the fabrics...mixing and matching ones that I knew she would like. I love the little bits of aqua in the pockets--it adds a nice contrast.
This is scrap project # 91/101! Only 10 more to go!

Now, for the modifications...as I said earlier, I learned these from my friend Steffani and are
used here with permission. (Thanks Steffani!)
For each 9" zipper cut a piece of fabric 1 3/4" x 3". (left)
Fold in half lengthwise, then in half again toward the center. (center)
Fold in half again, so the raw edges are hidden inside. Press well. (right)
Take each strip of fabric and cut in half as shown. (bottom)

Cut each 9"zipper down to 8 3/4". Be SO careful after you shorten the zipper. Do not slide the zipper off the end!!! (It's a painful lesson...)
Sew the tab end on as shown.
Do the same thing for the other end of the zipper.
Trim tabs equal to the width of the zipper. Insert zippers according to the pattern directions.
I hope that helps and makes sense! If you have any questions, I will try to answer them in the comments.
 
Oh, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your kind comments on my latest quilt. I read and appreciate each and every one! You guys are the best! :)
 
Happy Monday to you!

40 comments:

einfach bunt said...

I LOVE the aqua lining!
It's fun!!

kervei said...

Such a pretty and useful bag...! I would like you to know my birthday is january the 2nd ;)

Love,

Ilse

Di~ said...

LOVE it! I too, need to make you aware that my birthday is Sept. 3rd. Thanks kervei! :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for the zipper modification advice. I've put off making this vague because I kept reading about people breaking needles ...and now, I have no excuse!

beth said...

I love this! And all your others! I need to make this bag so I'll come back to this post later to better understand how your approach is different. Thanks for the wonderful inspiration and my birthday is feb. 26th! You have loads of time! Love all your work - truly.

Kathy@KayakQuilting said...

This is gorgeous! Thanks for the additional info! I am just about to start one of these! Perfect timing!

Tanya Quilts in CO said...

I like that zipper tab method. It gives a finished look!

Karen said...

Thanks so much for the tip. I have the pattern but can't bring myself to tackle the ZIPPERS. With this info I might feel less intimidated.

Joan said...

Love the bag and thanks for the info on the zipper tabs!

Dawn said...

I never tire of seeing these great bags. Each one is a new experience. They are addictive. I've made 3 in the past few months and have plans for at least 2 more. But gosh they make such great gifts how can a person resist. lol
That's a great idea about the tabs on the zippers. It gives the bag a much more professional look. Nice job! Love the turquoise in the pockets.

Carolin said...

It`s such a beautiful bag again. I love the colors!
Thanks for the zipper tutorial, it makes it so much easier! Now I`m ready to sew bag no. 2.

Corrie H. @ Mountain Stitches said...

Great Bag. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Vicki said...

I to love making these bags. I have also done the zipper tab ends and find it a lot easier putting them in. Thanks so much for sharing. Love the colors used in this bag.

leanne said...

this is such a great pouch - love the pops of colour in the linings ! I really need to get this pattern and try it !

Gayle said...

Love it, Love the aqua lining and all the zipper compartments. Gorgeous. Thank you
for sharing.

Lorna McMahon said...

Each time I see your newest Sew Together Bag.... I get the urge to give pouch making a try! Thanks so much for sharing your latest beautiful example!

Suzanne said...

What a grand way to pair your favorite color with hers! She will love this bag and we all benefit from the tips you shared.

Ten more scrap projects on the first round of 101 scrap challenge. Yahoo!

Bridgit said...

The black and white is so lovely, but the Aqua really makes it pop! I love saying practice makes better. I teach middle school choir,, and some of them are so very focused on perfection, whereas improvement and growth are my goals. I'm always inspirers by your work. Thanks for sharing.

Jeneta said...

The grey is so beautiful, particularly with the hidden aqua inside. The photo showing the aqua was such a lovely surprise. I have also learned the hard way re: shortening zippers. I had forgotten that I had shorten it and ended up looking down at a zipper pull in one hand and the rest of the zipper in the other! I have no intention of making one of these bags any time soon, but I love your mini tutorial on the zipper ends. They look so nice!

paperscissorsink said...

Super cute bag and I need to make a little birthday gift for my niece today-thank you for the inspiration.

Cotton Blossom said...

Wonderful! Now I need to make another just to try your modification. Thank you for sharing!

Unknown said...

Have yet to make one of these but think they'd be good gifts for my girls for Christmas. Thank you for the hint.....pinned it so I can find it easily. Have a great day!

Nanaofck said...

Thanks for the zipper tutorial. Although I may never make another Sewtogether bag, I will use it to make some pouches. I love the gray/teal color combination. It is right at the top of my favorites.

Carolyn J. said...

Great tip - I too hope to try this pattern soon. Love all the little sections!

Danette said...

Love this pattern, although, I haven't made it yet. Thanks for the zipper tip.

Liz said...

Your post is so timely as I was planning to attempt my first sew together bag today. I'm kind of nervous but with this and other on-line helps I think I can do it. Fingers crossed!

Teresa Duryea Wong said...

You did a nice job with this! I recently learned to sew zippers myself... now that I know how easy it really is, I can't believe I ever feared the zipper.

Smultronbo said...

What a lovely storage. So beautiful in its simplicity in color choices. I love it! Well done!

Judy said...

What a great bag! It would make a wonderful gift. Thank you, I will save this.

Shirley said...

Awesome bag. Love the tip about the zippers and this could be applied to other projects with zippers. My birthday is not until 2/27 so you can make my bag after Beth's (smile).

Anonymous said...

Love the grays, but ESPECIALLY the pops of bright lining. What a treat.

Sew Filomena said...

What a great idea for the tabs at the ends of the zipper. I have made a few of these bags now, but this modification is going to make them even better. I love your fabric choices too. Grey is so in right now....

Jean Burke said...

Love the pops of color inside the pockets!! Well done!

Granny Maud's Girl said...

This might have converted me to the dark side and made me a fan of grey, back and white – especially with the fun, bright pockets.

Coser Tejer Crear said...

I've made some sew together bags and I love those zipper tabs! I'm bookmarking this post! It's an excellent idea! I finished my last one last week. I'll have to make a new one now! ;)

Eulalia Isabel said...

Hola,
me encanta esta cartera, por favor, puedes poner tutorial de como se la hace.gracias
saludos

Anonymous said...

This is a great bag - love the colors and the accent of blue that you used. I think this will go on my list for 2015. I keep seeing all sorts of people making these and while it daunts me a bit, I am going to give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration.

SewPsyched! said...

Such a great bag! And such a thoughtful gesture :))
Love the zip inserts and the fab colors!!
XX!

Erin @ Why Not Sew? Quilts said...

This is a great modification! I've made 3 so far and I plan on making more. I'll be trying this the next time! Love the aqua linings for this one!

christina in san diego said...

I loved this version so much that I made a grey one with a pink color pop inside the pockets. What a great composition and a lovely bag.