Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Bag Lady Week: Drawstring PE bag by Alison of Little Island Quilting AND a Noodlehead giveaway!




Alison at Little Island Quilting has been one of my first and favorite blog friends! I refer to her as "Number 6" as she was one of my initial followers, after my parents, sister, a friend..... She is always so supportive and encouraging, but also has a cheeky streak which I love ;) Oh, and did I mention she makes the most fabulous quilts? Alison knows how to embrace color like no other, and can turn what seems like a mangled riot of pattern and color into a perfectly harmonized masterpiece. And lucky me- I have the pleasure of enjoying one of her beautiful quilts in my very home, when she generously hosted a quilt giveaway to support Japanese earthquake victims. Be sure to go and say hello, and while you are at it, check out her awesome take on the spiderweb pattern. So, without further ado, here is Alison and her laminate-lined PE bag!

Possibly not the most glamourous of bags, may I introduce you to the 'oh no it's not back to school already is it?' PE bag.



Please note: I made the bag the size I felt worked best for its intended use. Feel free to make it bigger or smaller.
This bag also works just fine using regular quilting weight fabric for both inner and outer pieces.

Requirements
1 x piece of outside fabric - I used home decor weight and I cut the size 30 inches long by 20 inches wide
1 x piece of inside fabric - I used laminated cotton (for its wipe clean finish) which is now on sale where I got it from. It goes without saying that you CAN NOT iron/press directly on to laminate so if you are using laminate, press it with another piece of fabric on top of the laminate...bit like when you are blocking a piece of knitting and you put a damp tea towel over your knitting and then press down.
Small piece of webbing (6-8")
Pocket (optional) one inner and outer fabric piece - I made mine 6" wide and 10" long
Piece of elastic slightly longer than the length of the intended width of your pocket

The process

Start with a clean work area:


What do you mean"it's not clean?"


2. Cut bag and pocket pieces to appropriate size.

3. Make the pocket. You can skip this part if you like but the reason I have added an outside pocket is this bag will be used for swimming lessons. An outside pocket is handy to store goggles, reading glasses, swim cap, earrings, watch etc. I therefore based the size of my pocket on the need for goggles to fit in it - hence why it is wider than it is taller.

Sew the two pocket pieces together along one long edge, right sides together.
Press seam open.
Flip over so you have the right side of your outside fabric facing you and stitch 1/2 an inch from the seamed edge to form a channel through which you will pass some elastic. The narrower the elastic the narrower the channel you are going to make, the wider the elastic, the wider the channel. Depending on what size elastic you have to hand you may want to adjust the 1/2 inch up or down a bit.




Next, thread your elastic through so that it is poking out a bit either end and mark one inch in from either end





Gently pull from one end so that at the other end the elastic starts to go back inside the tube; stop when you get about a 1/4 of an inch before your penciled one inch mark and sew the elastic in place
on the pencil line




Repeat with other side until you feel you have the level of elastic tightness that you are after - took tight and you won't be able to get anything in; too loose and things will fall out. Now is the time, if the urge strikes you, to embroider your child's name on the bag or the pocket. I'm going for the subtle look and sewing her name tag onto the webbing loop...more of that later.

Fold under a 1/4 inch around two sides and bottom of pocket and pin to front of bag. I chose to put it towards the bottom of the bag. When sewing the pocket, sew on the right hand side of your single fabric piece as in the next step, the bag fabric is folded in half lengthways...meaning the fabric to the left of where you have placed the pocket will become the back of the bag.




Fold inside and outside fabric in half lengthways, right sides facing and mark one inch down from the top edge of the bag, as well as two inches down.


Sew down the long side of both the inside and the outside of the bag BUT NOT in the gap between the one and two inch markings.This is going to form the casing for the drawstring for the bag. On the INSIDE BAG ONLY, leave a gap of about four to five inches somewhere along the middle of the bottom edge. If you forget this bit it'll all go pear-shaped later on.


Press all seams open. Where there is now the one inch casing gap, sew about 1/2 inch all round as in the next image. Do on both inner and outer bag.



Attach a 6" piece of webbing to the opposite side of the bag to where you have the one inch casing opening. Tip: I used a piece from the webbing that holds jelly rolls together. This will be used to hang on your child's coat peg at school if you are lucky. If you are not so lucky it'll get dumped on the cloakroom floor somewhere and you will have to go in to school at some point during the first term to personally look for it as your child will declare it has 'definitely gone missing' and 'I dunno where it is.'



Now.. this bit is crucial. The inside bag should be INSIDE OUT and the outside bag should be THE RIGHT WAY. Put the OUTSIDE bag INTO the INSIDE BAG (which is inside out).
You'll know you've got it right as when you are matching the tops of each bag together, they should both be RIGHT SIDES facing. Also make sure you have matched up the one inch hole for the casing. Pin in place and sew.


Now the fun bit. Remember the four to five inch gap you left in the inside bag? Pull the outside bag through this hole.



Stitch the four to five inch gap closed. The gap will naturally fold itself in (because of the seam allowance before and after the gap) - try to sew as close to the edge as possible. If you are using laminate cotton this will be the only time that you actually sew on the top (therefore possibly slightly sticky) of the laminate and you may need to help the fabric through as you stitch, by pulling gently from behind the needle and the sewn line in front of the needle

Make sure that both inside and outside are nicely matched up (including the casing hole) and press the top edge. Using your stitching you made for the casing as a guide, first sew the top line of casing all the way around the bag and then sew the second line.



At this point you could now get some cord, attach it to a safety pin and thread the safety pin all the way around the channel. I happened to have a spare piece of outside bag fabric left so I made it up into a co-ordinating cord and threaded this through.




And there you have it. A new school PE bag for the new school year!




Everything always looks so pristine at the beginning of a new school year. It's not going to stay like that though is it?

Thanks for the tutorial, Alison!


THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Noodlehead


And now, for today's giveaway, we have Anna from Noodlehead. Have you had the chance to admire her latest pattern yet?


It is called the Go Anywhere bag, and it is the perfect size and shape for the busy woman on the go. The best part is all the pockets- perfect for making sure the things you need are organized and at hand when you need them.


Anna is a Bag Lady to admire, with her 241 tote, the Runaround bag, and her classic, the gathered clutch pattern. Be sure to check out her patterns page!


Anna has kindly offered up some patterns for my readers today! To enter, leave a comment telling me which is your favorite Noodlehead bag pattern. I will draw 3 lucky winners next Monday, September 5. Good luck!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

82 comments:

Kathy said...

Noodlehead's bags are great. Simple, functional, and cute! I like the Go Anywhere Bag the best. I also like the Black & White bag, and the Tote. Thanks for a chance to win!

Wendy said...

This newest pattern, the Go Anywhere Bag is the best, I really love a great big bag!

Gill said...

I love noodlehead's patterns! my current favourite is the 241 tote bag!

Suzee said...

I totally LOVE LOVE LOVE her bags!! I have made a few of the 241 bags. They are so stylish and functional.I'm thinking this new bag will be my new favorite!! Hope I win !! = )

Amy Friend said...

Great tutorial and I love Anna's new bag as well.

Little Island Quilting said...

I was hoping to pop in hear and read lots of gushing words about myself. Clearly early days then. No. 6 will be back. Oh, and if I win donate my prize to Amy because she DID say something nice about me...well my tutorial...but that's all good ;-)

Little Island Quilting said...

OMG - I spelt 'hear', instead of 'here'. Going for a lie down.

Wendy said...

I will always love the Runaround bag!! What a great giveaway. Hooray for bag lady week.

Anna @FreshDewDrops said...

Keep looking at Anna's patterns and dreaming about fabric combinations. Would like to try the 241 tote first. Thank you!

drmithome said...

I like the Runaround bag also. Love the bag theme.

Rosa said...

Great tutorial.I love Runaround bag.Thanks

Kathy H said...

My favorite is the go anywhere bag. I like the PE bag tutorial also. I think it is a great idea to use the elastic in the pocket. I often add pockets to the outside of my bags but they let the contents fall out if there is no closure. Great idea. Thanks.

Emilie said...

The go anywhere bag pattern is definitely my favorite!

Natalie said...

Ooh, I have definitely been admiring the new go anywhere bag! I could use one of those in my life :)

Leila said...

Contrary to popular opinion, the Runabout bag is my favorite. The perfect size and shape.

But most importantly, I heart Alison too! I first ran into her when I feel in love with her Tufted Tweet diamond quilt on flickr and then we ended up being in the same bee. This is what the quilt-blogging world is about. Finding like minded friends around the world.

I want to make a PE bag for my daughter, but she insists that the plastic bag her PE uniform came in is more than adequate. (?!?) I guess I am lucky to have someone so low maintenance?

Isisjem said...

I might have liked PE more at school if I'd had a bag like this! My favourite Noodlehead pattern is the 241 tote. Just bought the pattern a week or so ago and I can't stop making it. It's my new crush.

knottygnome said...

i made the 241 tote and i really like it but i'd love to try the new pattern.

knottygnome@gmail.com

Candice said...

LOVE the 241 bag!! PLEASE!!

Anonymous said...

241 Yes, Please!! Thank you for the tut!

EdaMommy said...

I like the straightforwardness of them. My favourite - the Runaround!

deserae said...

I love the 241 bag :)

Jen T said...

The Go Anywhere Bag pattern is my favorite.

Stephanie Granite said...

My favorite is her Go Anywhere bag, I'd love to have a bag like that!

Patti said...

I already have her 241 tote and it is so amazing. If the other patterns are anything like this one, they can only be fabulous!

LauraH said...

I love these bags! My favorite is probably the Runaround Bag, but her new one, the Slouch Bag, is great too! Thanks for the giveaway!

Crystal said...

I love, love the Runaround bag! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

I like the Go anywhere bag. I love the pockets!

Katie B said...

I've made the Runaround bag. It's a great pattern! I'd love to give the Go Anywhere bag a try. And thanks for the fun tutorial! Great idea.

Christine said...

I love her bags! I'd love the Go Anywhere Bag - what fun!

Tanya said...

I'd really love to try the Go Anywhere Bag. I bought the 241 pattern and it's great!

Lindsay Conner said...

I love the runaround bag and the gathered clutch. :)

Janet said...

Thanks for the tutorial! I have made several gathered clutches and love that pattern! I really want to try the 241 bag.
(janetzone(at)comcast(dot)net - google's actiing weird on me)

Nicole Moore said...

I love the 241 pattern! soo cute!

Sherrie said...

I love the new Go Anywhere Bag!

Jenelle said...

I love the runaround bag. It looks like the perfect size. Thanks for the giveaway!

Amy said...

I'm dying to try the new "go anywhere" bag!

Victoria Paige @ Boutique Uniquely said...

I love the 241 bag pattern.

JustPam said...

I like the go anywhere bag. I just made two of the gathered clutches in different sizes. They turned out adorable.

Little Blue Mouse said...

My favourite is the Go Anywhere bag.

Lee said...

The go anywhere is so so cute! (although they all are!) thanks!

WandaFish said...

I've been meaning to make the 241 tote for so long that I think I'll pick that but really I love them all :)
Thanks for the giveaway and for sharing Alison's lovely PE bag tute - that pocket is so cute!

Mama Said Sew said...

The Go Anywhere Bag looks great! I'd love to make one for myself and my Mom.

bethanndodd said...

Anna's new Go Anywhere bag is definately my favorite! It would be perfect for me while out at ball fields all day cheering on my boys :)
Thanks for the chance! Smiles~Beth

Emily said...

I find it hard to pick a favorite, but if I must, the runaround bag wins. I love how the strap is an extension of the bag and it is stylish. Simple details make this bag my favorite.

Phoebe said...

LOVE the 241bag.

Ella said...

I have the 241 bag on my list of Xmas presents to make. Her bags are SO nifty.

felicity said...

Alison's work space looks familiar...*glances over to own sewing table*. Ahem.

Anyhoodle, I love the 241 bag but the Go Anywhere Bag looks like it would be great to take to the office stuffed with shoes, lunch etc.

Poppyprint said...

Well, since I already have and LOVE Anna's other two patterns, I'm going to have to go with the newest Go Anywhere bag! It looks like another amazing pattern to try. Thanks!

Oh, and what Felicity said about work space. Yikes.

hueisei said...

This newest pattern, the Go Anywhere Bag is my favorite!!
Thanks for a chance to win!!

Marie said...

I'd have to say the 241 tote although the clutch is awfully cute...nope, I'm sticking with the 241. Thanks for the giveaway!

Anonymous said...

The bags are just the best. I like the 241 bag and have been dying to make one!
kiki-itssewkiki.blogspot.com
kvanella@gmail.com

Lesly said...

The Go Anywhere looks fantastic! That's the one for me, and I hope I win it!

Anonymous said...

I NEED a Go-Anywhere bag! I need more pockets!!!! I lose my keys at every stop because they are swimming somewhere around my bag. :(

Kristy said...

Fun! Thanks!

I love the Gathered Clutch, but think I'd pick the 241 for it's unique style and use of multi prints.

Sheetal said...

thanks so much for the tutorial! I love the look of Anna's bags and am a love the look at the 241 tote....love the shape and the zippy pocket option!

annabelle said...

Love the Go Anywhere bag, those pockets do me in. Thanks for the chances :)
-annabelle

Tanya said...

After much contemplation I have decided the 421 is my favorite. I have made the gathered clutch quite a few times and LOVE it. Great giveaway!

Martina said...

Really a great bag! Love it!

Mom C said...

I'm thinking I like the 241 bag. Thanks for the tutorial on the PE bag. It is sad that they don't stay pristine but things should be used not just looked at. Right?

stitchinpenny said...

I love the go anywhere bag!

April @ Sewing Novice said...

The 241 bag is my favorite! Thanks for bag lady week!

Anonymous said...

I'm a big fan of the Runaround Bag!

Binks said...

The Runaround bag has to be my favorite. It showcases the fabric so nicely and it's looks to be an uber handy bag. I really like it's style.

Little Island Quilting said...

Still slightly disappointed there aren't any more no.6 gushers ;-)

Anonymous said...

I think the 241 Bag is my favourite.
Judith.

Carla G said...

My favorite pattern is the 241 Tote Bag! Thanks for a chance to win! :)

kirsten said...

I love this Go Anywhere bag but I also am a big fan of the Gathered Clutch!

knspears (at) gmail (dot) com

motherof4 said...

I love the 241 bag and the Go Anywhere bag,

Amy said...

I love the go anywhere bag! Amy @ gasudimack@sbcglobal.net

Donna Baker said...

that is so cute!! I love Anna - have made so many of her gathered clutches, they are addicting! I do love her Go anywhere bag too!

Rachelle said...

I really have to pick just one favorite? Then I guess I would have to say the Go Anywhere bag, although I would like to have all of her bags and the clutch in an assortment of colors and patterns! Thanks for the chance to win:)

Janet said...

Great looking bag patterns! Thanks for a chance to win.

krisgray said...

They are all great but the latest Go Anywhere Bag with all those pockets is great for running around with my 4 yr old in tow.

Lisa said...

I love this bag! What a fun bag to have for running around town. Especially when I am asked, "MOm can you hold this?" LOL

Anonymous said...

I love the go anywhere bag!

starsandsunshineblog at gmail dot com

Sheetal said...

I really like Anna's 241 Bag and her zipper pouch is on my make for Christmas gifts list!!

Dona said...

Love the Go Anywhere bag and would have to make them for my 3 gdaughters too!

Melinda said...

I have been absolutely DYING for that 241 pattern. I...Must...Have...It! Please!

Calikisses said...

All of these are fabulous, but I am in love with that go anywhere bag. So cute, and functional too!

Sue said...

My favorite is the Go Anywhere bag. Talk about all the pockets!! Thanks for the chance!

Sewing Princess said...

The go anywhere bag and 241 are the best. Hard choice. Thanks for this

Jamie @Terrabyte Farm said...

The 241 Tote is awesome! Thanks for such a great giveaway and week of tutorials.