Duffle bag, (practicing for story sacks, Santas sack)

I don't usually make bags, but this little kit to make a strong base is a fab idea, it's from the Prym range, and it was so easy to use, even an idiot can do it.

The only suggestion missing is how tall to make the ag, therefore how much fabric do you need to buy?  I started off thinking 75cm would be great, but I ended having to cut it down to 55cm finish, so I only need 60cm length of fabric. 

You'll need

Prym Bag bottom kit

Prym Handles to match, or 15cm fabric, don't buy extra if using the main bag fabric for the handles.

8 eyelets, wide enough for 3mm cord

50cm cord

2m strong yarn, heavy weight sewing needle

60cm of heavy weight fabric, this is usually sold 150cm wide.

50cm lining fabric, I used dress weight calico

I'm missing the cord in the image above, but optional adding wadding... I decided not to use wadding because of the weight of the fabrics was good enough, and the bag wasn't tall enough to need it.  

 The instructions are pretty straight forward, but  they're missing the length of fabric to buy or how many eyelets to use, without telling you the circumference or width of the bag, it's difficult to know how big the bag should be, so watch that when you buy the kits.

But for reference, this one worked out 77 cm long and 13cm tall. (75cm and 12cm finished)

Ok, so now cut off the selvedges of the fabric, that's the woven edge, it sometimes has the writing along its edge, but it's woven differently to the main body of the fabric and has holes in it from the printing machine.  Even if it has the print on it, because of the weave, I t looks different , so don't use it.

So with the fabric cut to size, position the long base of the bag along the base of the fabric, (the bottom of the leather should meet the bottom of the fabric. Now pin in place and handsew just the top edge with your contrasting coloured thread.

Use a back stitch. 

  The instructions don't mention lining, but I would like to add some, so, I've cut the main body of the bag and round base out of the calico as well.

Sew, with right sides together (1cm seam allowance) the top edges of the main outer fabric to the lining. See the next image.  

Press this down.  I like to have the outer fabric rolled over the seam, ever so slightly so you don't see the sewing line at the top of the bag, so fold along the seam and press on the outside so you can't see that sewing line at the top, it'll be just under that fold line, inside the bag.

Ok, so now

fold the fabric lengthways, right sides together,  to give you a long seam to sew along the sides of the lining and outer fabric. Again, 1cm seam allowance. Carefully pin together, to make sure your leather meets neatly at the top and your seam line meet, otherwise it doesn't look as good if mismatched,

 You need to be careful that you sew only 1cm here, the circular base is carefully worked out to fit perfectly in the opening at the bottom, if you're out a few mm, you may find your base doesn't fit right, but the circular leather is so soft and doesn't fray, you might just get away with the give (ease) the fabrics have, enabling you to match the shape well.

Press the seam open flat.

Pin the base into the opening, both to the leather and fabric.

 

Sew into place,

The circular base has a diameter of roughly 26 cm

Do the same with the lining, but you must leave a good opening to pull the bag back the right side out.  I left a1 0cm opening.  

Now, put your hand through this hole and pull the bag out.  Top stitch the gap that you left.

Your main bag vessel is complete, we need to add the closure and handle.  This bag suggests eyelets for the fastening, I've used 6, but I do think I will use 8 next time.

Measure 10cm down and space the eyelets equally apart from each other.  So mine ended up with a distance of 12cm between each other.

Thread your cord through the eyelets and to prevent them pulling through, I've sewn tags at the bottom.  Cut out 8x4 cm  lengths of the main fabric and sewn them the down to make a pocket;

Snip off the corners to prevent them being too bulky, turn the right way around and sew onto the cord ends, finish with a top stitch around the edges. 

Sew the handles on to the sides, pretty much in the same way as the base, using a back stitch.

There you have it, a new bag...

Enjoy

Abi x