Cross Body Bag

If you like to be able to shop with your hands free then why not make this lovely cross body bag? It is made and lined in IL109 linen in a trendy Blue Bonnet shade and is finished with a soft denim strip. All the main parts of the bag are backed with a medium weight iron-on interfacing, so the bag has a good shape but isn’t too bulky.

Materials

20″ x 59″ of IL019 linen in Blue Bonnet
Medium weight iron on interfacing
Small piece of denim

To Make Your Pattern

Use squared dressmaker’s paper to make your pattern. Draw a horizontal line 12″ long. Then at the centre point draw a vertical line 11″ high. At the top of this point draw another horizontal line that is 10″ long (centralising it over the vertical line). Now join all the outer points rounding off the two bottom corners. Cut out this shape for your bag pattern. To make the pattern for the denim strip, draw a rectangle 6″ (high) x 3″ (wide), then round off the two bottom corners, then cut out this shape.

Cutting Out
Place your bag pattern on your linen and cut out four times, then place it on your interfacing and cut it out four times.


Place the pattern for the small strip on the denim and cut out twice. Then cut a piece of linen 40″ x 4″ for the strap.

Steps To Sew

1. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of all the bag pieces. Set two pieces aside for the lining.

2. With right sides facing pin then machine the bag pieces together leaving the top edge open. Clip the corners and turn to the right side and press.



3. With right sides facing pin then machine the two denim pieces together leaving the top edge open.



Clip the corners, turn to the right side and press. Then work a buttonhole on the rounded end.

4. With right sides together, pin the raw edges of the denim to the top of the bag on one side, making sure that it sits in the centre. Machine in place.



5. Take the strap piece and with wrong sides facing press it in half lengthways. Open out the strap and then along the length press the raw edges to the centre crease line. Now fold the strap in half, enclosing all the raw edges, and machine edges together.

6. Pin strap ends to the right side of bag at the top edge. Position the ends so they sit centrally on the side seams, keeping all the raw edges even, machine in place.

7. With right sides facing, pin then machine the lining pieces together, leaving the top edge open and leaving a 6″ opening on the bottom edge.

8. With right sides facing pin then machine the lining to the bag along the top edge. Turn to the right side through the opening in the lining and press the seam flat.



9. Close the opening in the lining with hand sewing or machining.

10. Push lining into bag and press bag firmly.



11. Sew on button to correspond with denim strip to finish.



[maxbutton id=”1″]

Designed exclusively for Fabric Store by Sue Locke

*Let us know what you thought of our latest post by leaving us a comment or visit Fabrics-store.com for bargain prices on the fabrics shown in this tutorial.  Happy sewing!