Crafting is the best medicine

I can only take so much feeling sorry for myself before I feel bored with me.

I decided that a crafty challenge was the perfect way to forget that I am in the throes of the very worst cold ever that anyone has ever suffered ever.....ever!

I needed a new bag but had a yearning for something zippy. Whilst perusing U-handbag recently I came across this fab tutorial on the blog.

Of course, being me (Miss Independentdoesn'tlikedoingasshe'stoldthinkssheknowsbetter), I decided to do it slightly differently. I took photos, so that if it worked I could share it with you.

It worked - with not too much swearing - so here it is:

How to make a bag with a zip in it by Moogsmum

1. Find a zip the right length or longer, as you can cut it down. I then added a fabric tab at either end of the zip, like so:


2. I then cut out two pieces of fabric to form the 'placket' (the fabric bit the zip sits in). Press seams inwards as shown and press in half lengthways.
I haven't given measurements as it depends on the size of the bag you're making and the length of the zip.
I used a 9" zip.


3. Attach your zipper foot and machine stitch the zipper into the plackets


4. Here's a very rubbish close-up of the zip sewn into the placket.


5. Stitch one side of the placket to one of your lining pieces, approx 1" down from the top edge. Then stitch the other lining piece to the other side of the placket (this is where the U-handbag tutorial is so great - I was very excited when I saw this bit!!).

Then carry on to construct your lining as usual.

6. Construct the main body of your bag. (I lined mine with cotton batting for extra body but less rigid than heavy interfacing).


7. Pin your handles in place and baste them on the sewing machine.


8. With reverse side of lining fabric facing out, push your bag (complete with handles) carefully down inside lining - right sides together.
This is where you may start to swear as it's a bit tricky with the smaller zipper opening to get the lining and main bag nicely lined up. I did one side of the bag at a time and used plenty of pins. Sew the top edge seam together slowly.


9. Turn it all through and then close the bottom seam of the lining.


10. It looks like this now.


11. Now topstitch round the top edge - again this bit can cause swearing due to the zippy bit but just take it slowly and make sure the lining doesn't pucker underneath.


12. To help your bag stand up nicely make a bottom bit for inside the bag. I just grabbed the only bit of anything stiff I could find to hand (!!!) - which happened to be a (possibly) less than satisfactory piece of corrugated card. Make a fabric sleeve for it like so:


13. Not so bad, huh? I just won't be putting this down anywhere damp!


14. This is just to show you what the end of the zipped placket looks like - i.e. there's a gap (tiny one) between it and the end of the bag.


15. Ain't it pretty?


16. Tra - la - la - laaaaa.....one grown-up, security conscious, zipped up bag and it's mine...all mine!!!


Ooh ooh - just thought, I will have to put a nice bit of ribbon through the zip pull to make it extra lovely.

I now need to buy a gazillion zips and churn out some more of these babies :)

If you want more detail about constructing the bag itself go to U-handbag for their brilliant tutorials - my bag is very similar to this one. I may even follow this one next time for even more zippy goodness. There's even a tutorial about adding piping to your bag but I'm not sure I can cope with piping just yet!!

For everyone who has left me such lovely comments this week I am so sorry I haven't replied. I've been lying prone of an evening nursing my poorly self and have barely been near the computer - hence 261 posts for me to read in Google Reader!

xxxx