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So you want to make a bag?

by Linda Theil

Bag making has come a long way in the last decade since I spent eighteen dollars on a pouch pattern that consisted of a cover photo and a one-page list of directions with sporadic line-drawing illustrations and notorious gaps in procedure. 

Patterns today are inexpensive, innovative, comprehensive, well-documented, and instantly available as PDF files. Patterns provide intricate step-by-step instructions with colored photos of each step. Most designers include how-to videos with every design, and feature well-tended social-media sites to support their followers.

English designer Diane Spencer-Ogg is one of the best. She carefully engineers her bags to make them accessible to sewists using home sewing-machines.

A non-comprehensive list of designer brands I like includes:

  • Spencer-Ogg
  • Noodlehead
  • Sally Tomato
  • Arabesque
  • Minky Kim
All these designers have YouTube channels that support their work. They frequently also give their endorsement to other video-makers to showcase videos of the designers work. Some makers whose videos I enjoy are:
  • Oklaroots
  • SiahSwag

Bag-making hardware, handbag zippers, sophisticated interlinings, webbing, vinyls, and printed canvas are now easy to find and inexpensive to buy. Computer printing sites such as Spoonflower make creating  your own fabric in any substrate, in increments as small as a fat-quarter, available to all makers. 

Many of the pattern designers also sell supplies on their internet sites, but additional suppliers that I like are:

  • Wawak
  • Emmaline Bags
  • Missouri Star
  • CraftMeMore
  • JoAnn Fabrics

Give bag-making a try

If you are new to bag making, I recommend beginning with a free, small-pouch, pattern from Spencer Ogg called the "Cos-pod", pictured above. The Spencer-Ogg "Cos-pod" is very simple to make, but beautiful and elegant in design.

The "Cos-pod" pattern is available on the Spencer-Ogg site as "Free sewing pattern cosmetic pods".

A comprehensive video how-to is featured on the Spencer-Ogg YouTube channel as "Easy zippered pouch tutorial" 

I have covered this pattern in many posts on this blog showing many sizes, options, and variations. 


Please explore AppletonDance for information about more bags, pouches, and totes of all styles by using the SEARCH bar in the header.

Comments

Cathy said…
Informative and interesting as usual!
Good job!
caj
5/27/2024
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