The Sewing Room

Justamum

Mooloo wrote: »

Could you use a heavy curtain weight fabric, and use a iron on interfacing to give it some sturdyness. If you dont have that, you can pad the bag with layers of other fabrics/wadding and even use bondaweb to put two layers together. (More expensive of course.). I dont know where you are based to suggest where to get fabrics. If your in the UK you can easily order fabrics off of the internet. If your abroad somewhere then thats obviously a bit different and some research would be necessary.:o

My DD wants to make a messenger back, and we've looked at curtain fabrics, but she doesn't like any of the patterns. I've made handbags before using wadding but it makes them too bulky. We can buy fabrics off the internet, but unfortunately postage to the Isle of Man is horrendous - they seem to think we are on the other side of the world

I'll just have to wait until I come over and have a look round - I want to make a trip at some stage to do some family tree research (I've come to a dead end on one branch).

rufusdog52

Justamum wrote: »

My DD wants to make a messenger back, and we've looked at curtain fabrics, but she doesn't like any of the patterns. I've made handbags before using wadding but it makes them too bulky. We can buy fabrics off the internet, but unfortunately postage to the Isle of Man is horrendous - they seem to think we are on the other side of the world

I'll just have to wait until I come over and have a look round - I want to make a trip at some stage to do some family tree research (I've come to a dead end on one branch).

When I make my saddle bags I cut out the pieces in outer fabric, inner lining fabric and then a layer of blackout curtaining. I put the outer fabric and blackout lining together and use them as if they were just one thickness of fabric. This makes the bag strong and feels nice like canvas but means I can use any outer fabric.

When I made my sister's bag (the photo a few pages back) I used the blackout lining teamed up with the outer fabric and I cut out some thin wadding to team up with the lining fabric. It has a really nice thickness to it and if you use the polyester wadding like I do then when you press the item after making it compresses the wadding so makes it less fluffy inside.

If you use the blackout lining to strengthen the outer fabric place the wrong side of your good fabric to the rubbery side of the blackout lining. The other side feels like a canvassy fabric and is easy to sew your seams. The fabrics shouldn't move about but if you think they will then pin around and sew them together as near to the edge as you can before assembling the bag.

Hope this helps. You can see more of my bags on my blog or in my shop (link on my blog page) xx

Justamum

rufusd!!!2 wrote: »

When I make my saddle bags I cut out the pieces in outer fabric, inner lining fabric and then a layer of blackout curtaining. I put the outer fabric and blackout lining together and use them as if they were just one thickness of fabric. This makes the bag strong and feels nice like canvas but means I can use any outer fabric.

When I made my sister's bag (the photo a few pages back) I used the blackout lining teamed up with the outer fabric and I cut out some thin wadding to team up with the lining fabric. It has a really nice thickness to it and if you use the polyester wadding like I do then when you press the item after making it compresses the wadding so makes it less fluffy inside.

If you use the blackout lining to strengthen the outer fabric place the wrong side of your good fabric to the rubbery side of the blackout lining. The other side feels like a canvassy fabric and is easy to sew your seams. The fabrics shouldn't move about but if you think they will then pin around and sew them together as near to the edge as you can before assembling the bag.

Hope this helps. You can see more of my bags on my blog or in my shop (link on my blog page) xx

That sounds like a good idea. I'm sure I've still got some blackout lining in my stash. I never thought about the polyester wadding - I've got the heavier stuff. I'll give that a go - thanks! :T

ETA - I've just had a look at your on-line shop - very impressive.

nuttywoman

Justamum wrote: »

I love that messenger bag. What fabric did you use for the outside? My DD wants to make one, but ordinary cotton fabric seems too flimsy. I've been trying to find some canvas but there's none available over here.

Justamum, i used some heavyweight twill cotton , i think its a furnishing fabric, that i was given, the pattern is from the Bag Makers Bible , instead of the clasps i used magnetic fastener.
Thanks

Keiss_21

nuttywoman - love the bag, well done! :T I made the organized office bag last summer from the Bag Making Bible too .



I used curtain remants for both the inside and outside. I used the fusible fleece that Lisa suggested in the book. You can get it from her website, as well as all the other bits and pieces. I want to make a few more ths year, so might investigate different (and cheaper!) ways to make them up.

I use my bag every week, it is so useful! I made it a bit larger than the book pattern, so I could fit in my laptop.

Good luck with whatever you do justamum.

Off to get some paid work done now...have a good day everyone.

Justamum

Keiss_21 wrote: »

nuttywoman - love the bag, well done! :T I made the organized office bag last summer from the Bag Making Bible too .



I used curtain remants for both the inside and outside. I used the fusible fleece that Lisa suggested in the book. You can get it from her website, as well as all the other bits and pieces. I want to make a few more ths year, so might investigate different (and cheaper!) ways to make them up.

I use my bag every week, it is so useful! I made it a bit larger than the book pattern, so I could fit in my laptop.

Good luck with whatever you do justamum.

Off to get some paid work done now...have a good day everyone.

Lovely bag.

That fusible fleece is very expensive :eek:

nuttywoman

Keiss_21 wrote: »

nuttywoman - love the bag, well done! :T I made the organized office bag last summer from the Bag Making Bible too .



I used curtain remants for both the inside and outside. I used the fusible fleece that Lisa suggested in the book. You can get it from her website, as well as all the other bits and pieces. I want to make a few more ths year, so might investigate different (and cheaper!) ways to make them up.

I use my bag every week, it is so useful! I made it a bit larger than the book pattern, so I could fit in my laptop.

Good luck with whatever you do justamum.

Off to get some paid work done now...have a good day everyone.

Love it, i used the fleece as well, i know its not cheap but it does give it a nice finish specially for a nice pressy :T

Savvy_sewing

unfortunately like all labour saving ideas, they cost more!
Such is our world of arts and crafts. They come up with easier and easier ways to make things, but they charge the earth.
Its a pity we are all spread out around the place or we could have started our own little "co-operative" and ordered in bulk getting it cheaper per metre! Oh well never mind.

Today I picked up my bag of "rag" jeans from the charity shop. I got 15 pairs of jeans in it, for £5 for my bags etc etc. I cannot now say I do not have enough denim to sew with!! I really hope that my arm is better soon so I can get cracking with it all.

Keiss_21

Well done Mooloo, you must be knee-deep in denim now!! Hope you feel better soon x.

You're right about some of the stuff we use as being quite pricey. As I was making it for myself, and learning how to make the bag, I'd use everything the pattern recommended. Daren't price it all up, but still expect it to be cheaper than some of those bags on sale in fancy shops.]

Not feeling too great today, lurgy central here atm

Hope to get some sewing done tomorrow.

Savvy_sewing

Hope you feel better soon Keiss. I have so far missed the dreaded winter coughs and colds that have been around.? Maybe I am on so much medication it cannot get through? Fingers crossed, and touch wood etc etc.
I have just finished replacing a zip in my brothers jeans! Yuk, the worst pair i have ever managed to sew, and that was with my new sewing machine designed for sewing Jeans! It still laboured, and I still bent a needle. Not impressed!.
Time to go and get DGD from Nursery so not much sewing going to be done, here. Even if my arm wanted to do it. The jeans were trial enough!.