Amy Butler's Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags (22 page)

a. Place one long edge of the bottom panel and the bottom edge of the first main panel
Right
sides together, and pin in place. Stitch a ½″ (1.3 cm) seam, starting and stopping ½ (1.3 cm) in from each side edge. Backstitch at each end.

Figure 3

b. Repeat step 11a to attach the other long side of the bottom panel to the bottom edge of the second main panel.

c. Turn the main panel at the side seams and match the bottom edge of one side panel with the short side edge of the bottom panel. Pin in place. Stitch a ½″ (1.3 cm) seam across the matched edges, starting and stopping ½″ (1.3 cm) in from each side edge. Backstitch at each end.

d. Repeat step 11c to attach the bottom panel to the bottom edge of the second side panel.

e. Trim the corners in the seam allowance, being careful not to cut the stitching.

f. Turn the exterior of the bag
Right
side out. Use a turning tool* to gently push out the corners, and press.

Please set aside for now.

a. Place the pocket panels
Right
sides together and pin along the top and side edges. Stitch a ½″ (1.3 cm) seam along the pinned edges. Backstitch at each end.

b. Trim the top corners in the seam allowance, making sure not to clip the stitching.

c. Turn the pocket panels
Right
side out and press along the finished edges. Topstitch ½″ (1.3 cm) from the top finished edge. Backstitch at each end.

d. Fold the pocket in half lengthwise, matching the side edges. Gently press a crease along the folded edge. Repeat to find the center of one of the lining main panels.

e. Place the pocket onto the
Right
side of the lining main panel, matching the center creases and the bottom edges. Pin it in place. Edge stitch down both side edges and backstitch at each end. Machine baste a ¼″ (0.6 cm) seam across the bottom edges.

a. Place the lining top panels
Right
sides together, matching the edges, and pin across one long edge. Stitch a ¾″ (1.9 cm) seam, 1″ (2.5 cm) in from both short side edges. Backstitch at each end.

b. Fold the edges ¾″ (1.9 cm) in toward the
Wrong
side between the stitched ends of the top panels, and press. Then, press the seam allowances open on each end of the panels.

c. Repeat step 8a to attach the side panels to each end of the top panel, using a ⅝″ (1.6 cm) seam.

d. Repeat steps 10 and 11 to attach the top/side and bottom panels to the lining main panels. Use a ⅝″ (1.6 cm) seam to allow the lining to fit snugly inside the bag. Do
not
turn
Right
side out.

a. With the exterior
Right
side out and the lining
Wrong
side out, slip the lining inside the exterior, matching the side and bottom panels. Match the seams that attach the main and top panels on both the exterior and lining, and pin the first side together.

b. On the exterior of the bag, stitch-in-the-ditch in the seam that attaches the top and main panels. Sew from the outside edge of one end of the handle to the other end of the second handle. Backstitch at each end. You will be sewing through both the exterior and the lining to hold the lining panel in place at the top of the bag.

c. Repeat steps 14a and 14b to match and stitch the seams together on the other side of the bag.

d. Flip each side of the top panel so the lining side is facing out (no need to turn the entire bag lining side out). Place the folded edges of the lining top panels even with the stitching line on the zipper and pin in place along each side. Sllpstltch* across each long folded edge. Turn the top of the bag
Right
side out, and press.

Your Flight Bag is complete! With its mod peacock feather design, this bag works well for carrying work and travel necessities or just flying around town!

Backstitch—
This is used to reinforce stitching to help keep it from unraveling. To do this, put your machine in the reverse position and stitch three or four stitches.

Bar tack—
To secure a seam or the end of a zipper, use the widest zigzag stitch on your machine and sew a few times in place.

Bias—
See
fabric grain
.

Bias trim—
Cut the trim on the bias of the fabric by first placing the fabric on a flat surface,
Right
side up. Fold one corner
Right
sides together, matching one selvage edge with one of the cut edges to form a triangle shape. Press a crease on the fold. Open the fabric and cut along the creased edge.

Figure 1

Starting at one end of the cut line, measure over the distance instructed in the project, on the
Right
side of the fabric, and make a mark. Make another mark the same distance on the fabric from the opposite end of the cut line. Match the two marks and draw a line connecting these marks, using a ruler and fabric marker. This will create a bias strip the width needed for your project, parallel to the newly cut edge. Continue to measure and mark bias strips until you have the length called for in the individual project instruction.

Figure 2

To join the strips into one long piece, lay the strips perpendicular to each other with
Right
sides together. Stitch across the diagonal edges of the strips with a ½″ (1.3 cm) seam. Then, trim the seam allowance to ¼″ (0.6 cm) and press the seam allowance open. Trim any small “tails” of the fabric at the seam of the bias strip edges. Repeat until you have joined all of the strips into one long continuous bias strip.

Figure 3

Clip—
To clip allows some give in your seam allowance, especially if it is curved, in order to make the seam lie flat and make it easier to turn your project
Right
side out. When clipping, use scissors to cut into the seam allowance only, making cuts up to the stitch line, and taking care not to cut the stitching.

Crosswise grain—
See
fabric grain
.

Cut fabric on the fold—
To cut a pattern piece on the fold of your fabric, lay the piece even with the folded edge of the fabric and cut following the pattern lines. Once the fabric piece is cut out, open it up to yield one full-size panel.

Edge stitch—
An edge stitch is a very narrow stitch, done by machine very close to the finished edge or seam to finish a project, close an opening, or stitch something in place.

Fabric grain—
Most fabric is made using a set of fixed lengthwise threads woven at right angles with a set of crosswise threads. Grain indicates the direction of these threads.
Lengthwise grain
(also called
straight of grain
) refers to the lengthwise threads, or the fabric’s length parallel to the selvage edge.
Crosswise grain
refers to the crosswise threads, or the fabric’s width, and runs across the fabric from selvage to selvage.
Bias
refers to any diagonal line crossing either the lengthwise or crosswise grain. The
bias fold
refers to the diagonal fold of a rectangle of fabric to align one selvage edge (or an edge cut on the lengthwise grain) with one edge cut on the crosswise grain, producing a 45-degree-angle fold.