Bags Bags Bags E-Book

Dorothy Wood

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 86

Beschreibung

You can never have enough bags: small sparkly evening bags, bright and colourful everyday bags and capacious carriers for shopping or for the beach. This fantastic collection of handmade bags features a selection of styles and designs. All are simply made, featuring the most popular shapes and sizes and all individualised to suit your own style. The 18 designs feature step-by-step instructions and photography for drawstring bags, shoulder bags or bags with beaded and wooden handles, as well as bags in simple colours embellished with fringes, feathers and vintage brooches. There is also a varied collection of ideas for decorating a purchased plain bag by dyeing it, adding patches, sewing on ribbons or sticking on shop-bought corsages. Made from brightly-patterned cotton, canvas, felt, silk or tweed, these fun and funky bags are so desirable, you'll want to make the whole range.

Leseprobe

bags bags bags

Dorothy Wood

First published in 2006 by New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd

London • Cape Town • Sydney • Auckland

Garfield House

86–88 Edgware Road

London W2 2EA

United Kingdom

www.newhollandpublishers.com

80 McKenzie Street

Cape Town 8001

South Africa

Level 1, Unit 4

14 Aquatic Drive

Frenchs Forest

NSW 2086

Australia

218 Lake Road

Northcote

Auckland

New Zealand

Copyright © 2006 text and designs: Dorothy Wood

Copyright © 2006 photographs: New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd

Copyright © 2006 New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

Senior Editor: Corinne Masciocchi

Designer: Sue Rose

Photographer: Shona Wood

Production: Hazel Kirkman

Editorial Direction: Rosemary Wilkinson

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Reproduction by Modern Age Repro, Hong Kong

Printed and bound by Times Offset (M) Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

eISBN 978-1-6076-5374-5

contents

introduction

materials and equipment

techniques

ready-made bags

mini tote bag

holdall

beaded shopper

tubular bags

dolly bag

velvet evening bag

duffle bag

tote bags

organza tote bag

tote with side loops

long-handled tote

bar handles

embellished handbag

reversible bag

corduroy work bag

u-shaped handles

ribbon and canvas shopper

dalmatian print and marabou feathers

pvc floral bag

ring handles

gathered tweed handbag

beach bag

tie feature bag

templates

suppliers

index

introduction

Unlike our grandmothers, few of us are content with only one bag. We need bags in a variety of shapes and sizes to see us through the day – from tote bags for everyday use to smaller decorative bags for evening wear or special occasions. Bags are quite definitely designed on the adage ‘form follows function’ as the things we need to carry determine their size and shape - the corduroy work bag on page 60 is large enough to carry knitting needles and wool, with lots of pockets for paraphernalia, whereas the tiny red velvet evening bag on page 29 will only hold a purse and keys. The design also depends on our lifestyle – city dwellers need bags that are secure or mould closely to the body, such as the tweed handbag on page 76 or the long-handled tote on page 48.

All bags have a handle of some sort, and because the type of handle very much defines the style of the bag, it has influenced the way the bags are featured in this book. The chapters include bags with fabric handles, bar handles, ‘d’-shape handles and ring handles. Handles are made from all sorts of materials, such as wood, bamboo and acrylic and you can find a range of styles in each. This makes it easy to alter the look of a bag: choose a bright acrylic handle rather than bamboo and the look goes from natural to contemporary. Change the fabric from soft tweed to brightly coloured canvas or PVC and the transformation is complete.

There is a huge choice of shapes and styles, from handbags to holdalls, and all the designs can be individually tailored to your own colour scheme or taste to create a truly unique bag. This is made possible because each bag has its own pattern, either drawn out and ready to enlarge, or where the pieces are a regular shape made from precise measurements included in the instructions.

Although a background in dressmaking is useful, you do not need any special skills to make any of the bags featured in this book. Each project has clear step-by-step instructions and detailed photographs guide you from cutting out to making up. If you are a novice sewer, read through the technique section before beginning so that you are familiar with some of the basic skills and refer back to the detailed instructions where indicated in the text.

Making your own bags has lots of advantages – it is not only hugely satisfying and enjoyable but by choosing your own fabric, colours and embellishments you will make a truly unique bag and with so many different designs to choose from you’ll be busy for some time!

materials and equipment

The type of equipment used for making bags is very similar to that needed for dressmaking and sewing soft furnishings. You only need a basic sewing machine, which has straight stitch, although a swing needle machine that has zigzag stitch can be useful. Remember to match the size of the sewing machine needle to the weight of the fabric, otherwise you will find it keeps breaking. Size 80/90 (14/16) is ideal. Read through this section to give you an overview of the kind of materials and equipment that are suitable for bag making.

fabrics

Bags can be made from a wide range of fabrics – anything from sheer organza to heavyweight furnishing fabrics can be used; it all depends on the style of the bag. When you buy fabrics for making a bag, your first instinct will probably be to head for the dressmaking department, but it is likely that you will find more suitable fabrics in the soft furnishings or curtain material department.

Most bags for everyday use require a fairly firm fabric so that the bag holds its shape in use and is strong enough to hold your possessions or shopping. Furnishing fabrics have that extra strength yet are still easy enough to stitch. One of the other advantages of furnishing fabrics is the huge choice available. Search through the rails of hanging samples in your local department store for gorgeous fabrics such as the polka dot fabric used on page 43 and the lovely cream jacquard fabric on page 84. The minimum order is usually one metre (one yard) but even so, you will have a fairly inexpensive, totally unique bag.

linings

Linings are the fabrics used on the inside of the bag. The lining covers any interfacings or ugly seams and gives the bag a professional finish. It is important to give the lining as much thought as the main fabric. Linings are generally lighter in weight than the main fabric but you should choose the type of fabric depending on the style of bag. An evening bag can have a luxurious silk, satin or taffeta lining, whereas an everyday tote bag needs a more hard-wearing fabric. Choose colours or patterns that complement the main fabric – this doesn’t mean that the lining has to match – it can be a complete contrast for a really funky look.

interfacings

(from the top: fusible bonding web; sew-in Vilene;

lightweight woven iron-on interfacing; ultra-soft iron-on interfacing; iron-on canvas interfacing; fusible soft furnishing interfacing)

Interfacings are an essential component of bag making. They are used between the bag fabric and the lining, and you should generally attach the interfacing to the main fabric. The most practical interfacings are iron-on rather than sew-in as they support the fabric completely. You can even use a lightweight iron-on interfacing to give a length of dress fabric enough body to make a bag.

Whichever fabric you choose, it is likely that you will need to use an interfacing to support the shape of the bag. There is a huge range available, from ultra-soft, lightweight interfacings, to soft furnishing interfacings designed for tiebacks and pelmets. The interfacing you use will depend on the choice of fabric and the style of bag you are making. The step-by-step instructions for each bag suggest a type of interfacing to use, but you should try out your particular fabric with the interfacing to check if it is suitable.

bag handles

Bag handles come in all shapes and sizes and are available from craft or dress fabric shops. If you have difficulty finding them, refer to the suppliers’ list to find a suitable mail order company or online store. All the handles used in this book are bought from the suppliers listed on page 95.

Bag handles are usually grouped according to the material they are made from and the most popular are acrylic, wood and bamboo. Clear acrylic handles, which come in a wide range of shapes, are particularly useful as they can be dyed to any colour using a hot-water dye (see page 17).

Once you have decided on a particular bag to make, look carefully at the style and size of handle. This is especially important if you are ordering from a catalogue or on the Internet. You can choose a handle made from a different material but try to find one that is the same size and shape.

bag findings

Findings is a group term for all the metal fitments or hardware used to make bags. Findings are readily available, and you can buy them at craft shops and department stores. You can make bags without using these fitments but they do give a handmade bag that professional finish. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for fitting or follow the instructions in the project steps or techniques section.

Magnetic fastenings: these are specially designed as bag fastenings. There are two sections that fit through slits in the bag fabric and are secured on the reverse side. Choose from black, gold, brass or silver finishes.

Foot brads: these large studs protect the fabric on the base of the bag and are particularly useful if the bag has a stiff base. The brads are inserted through slits in the fabric and secured on the inside.

Bag handle loops: some U-shaped handles are attached with bag handle loops. The loops have a removable pin that slots through a hole in the handle.

Eyelets, snaps and poppers: these metal findings are usually sold with a fitting tool although you can buy special pliers. Snaps and poppers are used to secure or fasten, and eyelets to make neat holes in fabric. Small eyelets are ideal for straps or even to create decoration. Larger eyelets are used to carry the cord for duffle bags.

scissors

When cutting out, use a large pair of dressmaking shears. The longer blades give a cleaner cut, and remember to keep them just for fabric. Keep a separate pair of scissors for cutting paper as they will become too blunt to cut fabric. A small pair of sharp scissors, such as embroidery scissors, is useful for snipping and notching seams, and trimming threads.