Monday, October 19, 2009

Sweater Handbag Tutorial

Gee friends, this blog-a -long didn't go how I had planned.
It was a fun challenge though.
I think I will use YouTube next time.

Tomorrow I will rewrite the instuctions - in order with photos.
The sweater bag that you have been reading about all day is so beautiful.
So tomorrow with fresh brains and Freya at school for 2 1/2 hours I'll finish up!

Thanks for hanging in there with me today.












17. Cut a sleeve from the sweater up the seam and rectangle it. This will be your shoulder strap.






18. With wrong sides together sew the side of the rectangle up using a 1/2" seam allowance.



19. Turn the strap right side out.




20. Pin the strap to either side of the bag on the bags side seams. Stitch the strap down tightly. In the next step will will cover the securing stitches with buttons.













14. Using six strands of embroidery floss sew the sweater and the liner together using a running stitch. Sew the running stitch 1/4" from top of handbag.



15. If you want the top of your bag a bit gathered pull the running stitches tighter.
16. Sew around the entire top of the bag.

While writing this tutorial my camera battery went out and Freya decided her legs were too tired to walk home from school. I walked to get her and pushed her home in the stoller. This took the better better part of a half hour.



7. Pin pocket where it works best for you.
8. Sew the two sides and bottom.



9. Sew the liner up both sides, wrong sides together. The bottom of your liner should be the fold.




10. Right side out the sweater. Tuck the liner, wrong side out into the sweater.
11. Pin the corners of the bottom of the bag catching the sweater and the liner so that the bag won't shift while sewing the top of the bag.



12. Turn the liner under wrong sides together. Lightly press the fold.














13. Line the liner fabric up with the sweater fabric and pin.









4. If you want a pocket on the inside of your bag make it now. I used my phone to size my pocket.







5. Sew the two ends wrong sides together. This will be the bottom of your pocket.







6. Sew both side of fabric together, wrong sides facing




Turn pocket right side out and press.



3. Sew the top of the squares together. Use the finished bottom of the sweater for the top of your
bag because it is already finished and neat! Use a 1/2" seam allowance for the sweater pieces and 1/4" seam allowance for the liner fabric.



After sewing the bottom, lay sweater over liner fabric and cut a long piece the same size of the sweater.



If your sweater is uneven, which it probably is, cut liner fabric to make up for the gaps.





Hi everyone!
These instructions are in order but will appear in reverse order when the blog is finished.

1- Wash sweater (day before)
2- Cut sweater front and back into a square. I cut mine 13"x 14" or 33cm x 36 cm.
My sweater already had pearl buttons. I sewed the two sides of the front together, then covered my seam with pink velvet ribbon. I also added a vintage dollie.

2 comments:

  1. I love this. Another sweater bag. I really like the sweater that you chose and the embellishment of the vintage doily. It's very "Camille". I really loves your straight pins too. They are so cute. Excellent blog-a-log. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I could never in a million years make that, but I would love to know if your designs are sold in a store anywhere. I miss seeing them at Elsa Belle. Your creations are just so unique.

    ReplyDelete