More Sashiko - More Bags!

I just had to do another two Sashiko patterns and this time I knew they would be used to make a bag. I had enjoyed making my last cross strap, zipper bag so much and I use it all the time. I decided to do the Sashiko stitching on upcycled denim - we get through a lot of jeans in this house!!
These are the two patterns - they both start with a 6 x 6 grid of 1" squares

and this is the bag that I made - there is a Sashiko design on each side.

As the Sashiko is stitched on the same denim fabric as the bag I decided to add a fabric flange to set off the stitched panel and I thought you might like to know how I do this.

I usually want a really small flange so I cut a strip of fabric just ⅞" wide, fold it in half along its length and press it. I mark the stitched panel with a square around the design to show just where I want the flange fold to sit (unfortunately I only seem to have blue Frixion Pens handy so you probably can't see my line :) ) I stitch it to the panel quite close to the raw edges of the flange as I don't want these stitches to show after I add the blue denim border.

I sew the flange to the sides first and then to the top and bottom as this is the order I want to sew on the denim borders. This is to avoid bulky seams at the top where the zipper goes, and the bottom which I like to make boxy.

I cut the denim borders a bit wider and longer than I need them and I don't trim up the panel yet.

I carefully line up the edge of the border with the raw edge of the folded flange and sew a ¼" seam - this will give me my tiny flange.

After sewing on the two side borders I trim the seam allowance and the excess from the top and bottom of the border denim

After sewing on all 4 borders I top stitch around the panel.

These are the two finished sides of my bag and can you see that the panels aren't in exactly the same position? I make loads of mistakes when sewing, but this isn't one of them!! When I sew up the bag I don't want the seams in the back and front to meet on the side seam.

Now it's bag making time and these are all the things I need to make my bag.

• 2 bag sides and 2 linings, all measuring 10" x 12"
• An 8" zipper with tabs on each end
• A denim handle, approx 40" long and cut 2¼" wide, folded with the raw edges inside to make 4 layers and top stitched
• 2 handle loops (I originally intended to use the flange fabric, but decided that the zipper tab fabric looked better). These are 4½" long and were cut 1¼" wide and folded like the handle. It's a good idea to cut a longer length than you need so that you can discard the ends which can go a bit awry in the sewing machine.

I have posted before about making a zipper pouch, but this is a very quick run through of attaching the zip:

Bag fabric right side up, zipper right side down and sew along near to the edge.

Lining right side down and sew along near to the zip.

This is the zipper sandwiched between the bag fabric and the lining. The zipper tabs have been trimmed.

The other bag fabric right side up, the other side of the zipper right side down and sew along near to the edge.

Lining right side down and sew along near to the zip.

It looks like this - outside and inside.

That's the hard part done as far as I'm concerned and it just remains to sew up the sides, but I thought you might like to see how I position the handle loops just beneath the zipper tabs before I sew the sides together.

I also did a boxy bottom to my bag which you can read about in my post "Boxy Bottoms".
Here's another look at the finished bag.

I also made a bag in the same design, but slightly smaller, for my sewing friend's special birthday. I just had to use these very apt fabric panels. The left one says "best friends" and the right one says "piecing together a quilt".

This is the bag -

Well! - that's quite enough from me!! I hope that you have found something useful in the above - I know that I shall be returning to this post to refresh my memory when making my next bag!

I'm linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts - Finish it up Friday

Happy Sewing - Anita x