Friday, February 28, 2014

Lunch Bag from Pink Pinguin.blogspot.com

Lunch Bag - tutorial coming soon ;)

Thank you for encouraging me to write up a tute on
this lunch (bento box) bag! I really like this bag
pattern because this bag, measuring approximately
9"(width) x 7 1/2"(hight w/o handles) x 5 1/2" (depth),
can be used not only for bento boxes of any kind but
also for carrying little crafty projects like yarn +
needles. It has a cover inside that can give nice privacy
for whatever in there and the cover can also prevent
it from getting dusty in a windy day. It is much
sturdier and larger than
the fabric basket, so if you
found that your fabric basket was too small or too
floppy as a gift bag, this might be a good alternative..?!


As usual, I have tons of images to share each
step with you, so bare with me! There you go!!
tute1

We'll need these pieces of fabric,
tute2

I think the best type of fabric to be used
for the outer bag, rim and outer handles are
duck fabric, but if you'd rather use pretty
quilting-weight cotton fabric like I do,
remember to also get 1/2 yard of sturdy fusible
interfacing like
Pellon 809 Decor Bond.
I used vinyl-coated fabric for the lining
just so that when some food spills in the bag
from the bento box, I can still smile ;)
(
Hart's Fabrics has lots of cute vinyl-coated
fabrics FYI ;) ) Oh and you'll need 1 1/2 yard
of craft cord too.
tute3

As usual, all the measurement includes
1/4" seam allowances unless otherwise noted.
First, let's sew the two pieces for the outer bags
together by sewing the bottom edges. I used two
different fabrics for the outer bag just to make it
interesting. Well, in other words, I simply didn't
have enough of the Anna Griffin kitchen fabric
left over to get two pieces. Improvising works!
tute4

Then press seam open.
tute5

Since I am using cotton fabric for the
outer bag, I need to make it sturdier,
so I am using this interfacing measuring
17 1/2" x 12 1/2" here.
tute6

I am fusing it onto the wrong side
of the outer bag piece.
tute7

Then I fold it in half with right sides
together and sew these two short edges.
>tute8

Boxing corners. We want to draw a line
where it's 5" from one side to the other.
tute9

Then cut off the corner. Just like you did
for the fabric basket, do this for the other
corner too.
tute10

And repeat the same process for the
lining. For the lining we don't need
interfacing though.
tute11

Remember how you had to leave an opening
when you sewed the lining for the fabric
basket? This time we can omit the step!
Isn't that nice?
tute12

Now let's move onto the handles.
This is again just like the handles you
made for your fabric basket, except..
tute13

the fact you need interfacing here,
if you are using cotton fabric for the
outer handles. Each piece of interfacing
measures 12" x 1 3/4".
tute14

Now we need to fuse each interfacing
onto the middle of the wrong side of the
handle.
tute15

Fold and press the long edges toward the middle,
fold in half, and top-stitch the long edges.
Repeat this for the other handle too,
tute16

so you'll have two handles.
tute17

Let's now make the rim that you'll
attach the handles onto. Since I am
using cotton fabric, once again I need
interfacing - this time each piece
measures 12" x 2 1/4".
tute18

We'll fuse the interfacing onto two
pieces of the rim like this.
tute19

Take one of them and mark at where
it's 4" from one side on the top
edge. Do this from the other side too.
tute20

Making sure that you place one side of
a handle at the mark (the mark will be
in the middle underneath the handle),
sew very close to the edge. Repeat
the same process for the other side
of handle.
tute21

Then we'll sew the top edges of these
pieces together with right sides together.
tute22

Repeating the same process for the
rest of the rim pieces will
tute23

create the other side of the rim!
tute24

Press seam open.
tute25

And now we'll sew these two
together like that.
tute26

And then sew the other short edges
together to create this loopy thing.
tute27

Top stitch the top edge.
tute29

And sewing very close to the bottom
edge will save you some time later on.
tute30

Aha! Now we have the rim + handles complete!
tute31
Lastly, let's make the cover.
Sew the short edges of the two pieces
with right sides together. Remember to
leave 2" unsewn at the top like this.

Added Note: This raw edges at the side edges of this
cover piece will be left unfinished in the lunch bag.
If you'd like no exposed raw edges at all, you could make
each cover piece 0.5" wider so that you'll be able to
double-fold the seams. (In this case, your seam allowance
will be 1/2" wide, and you'll press the iron to create
a double fold at each side edge seam.)


tute32

Press seams open as if the top
part were also sewn.
tute33

Now we'll sew onto the seams all the way
from the top to the bottom.
tute34

Then we will fold and press where it's 1/4"
from the top edge.
tute35

Fold and press it again - this time it's
3/4" from the top edge.
tute36

Now sew very close to the folded line
so that you have a casing for the cord.
tute37

Coming back to the main bag,
let's place the lining inside the
outer bag with wrong sides together.
tute38

Sew very close to the top edge.
It looks pretty nice; in fact, we could
just turn it into a big fabric basket by
sewing a bing tape at the top edge, huh?
tute39

But let me continue with the lunch bag
because that's what I started off with.
Now sew the rim to the main bag like this,
sewing very close to the edge again.
tute40

Now we'll sew the cover onto the main bag.
You can't see this in this image, but there
is a bag inside the cover. We are sewing
the top edges of the cover and the bag
together. This time though, we sew where
it's 1/4" from the edge.
tute41

Everything is connected at the top edge now.
tute42

It will look like this if you bring
the cover inside the bag. Fun!
tute43

Top-stitch here between the rim and the bag.

Added Note: If you do your top stitching more than 1/4" below the seam,
the raw edges will be completely encased under this top stitching.
Therefore, you'll have no exposed raw edges below the cover inside.


tute44

We're almost there; we just need to
Thread one cord through casing and knot ends
together. Thread second cord from a different
casing opening and do the same, just like
you did for
the patchwork drawstring bag!
tute45


Yay, that's it!

Lunch Bag Tutorial

Your lunch bag is complete!!

I can't wait to see your lunch bag
that you make from this tutorial,
so please post your completed lunch
bag picture in
this flickr pool :D

As usual, feel free to use this image
of finished lunch bag in your blog
and link to my blog (thanks!) but
please do not make sales off of any
projects made based on any of my
tutorials.. thank you ;)


Edited to Add:
- I have had many people asking me to sell a license to sell their 
lunch bags made from this tutorial. If you'd like to sell these as a part
of your small business (up to 20 bags/month), you can purchase the license here.





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