Cathartic Making

What does your back-to-school making look like? 

Mine looks like this:

So, the children have asked for pencil cases.

You know the mandatory "one 8 X 5 plastic pencil box" that's on the school supply list every year? This year, the children have decided to disregard that. They've convinced me that it isn't really mandatory, and that, since the dawn of time, all their friends have been using soft pencil cases because they don't crack, they contain much more stuff, and they're plain nicer to look at.

So they picked fabrics and designs and specific dimensions and I made them their pencil cases. If you'd counted, you might have come to the misconclusion that I have eight children, assuming there's one for each child.

Not so - part of the benefit of this PencilCase-On-Demand service is being able to order extra pencil cases for things like "home" markers and "precious mechanical pencils from Japan" and other collections not required in school. 

I didn't mind. They could've asked for backpacks, which would've taken a week. Or clothes, which would've taken so long that I might've given up halfway.

Sewing pouches, though, is extremely cathartic. You cut a fabric rectangle, find a random zipper and ta-da! Pencil case in under an hour. I made six of the eight cases in the photo over two days, and the remaining two earlier in the year. 
In case you don't recognize the various designs in the photo above, I'll list them for you with links to the posts where we discussed how to make them:

In the top row, left to right: #1, #2, #4 and #5 are darted pouches. #3 is a simple flat pouch.
In the bottom row, left to right: two simple flat pouches stacked on each other, and a simple flat pouch with a zippered pocket and grommets, similar to the inserts in this utility case.

Slightly related: I've also been collecting random pencil case designs from the internet in general, and online stores specifically. For instance, some of the japanese/chinese online stores have some really interesting morphing pencil cases that I want to make. I'll try them out on my kids first and if they are impressed, I shall share them here. 

P.S. Thank you for everyone's comments to the last post on the convertible summer bag. The masses have spoken, and deconstruction it is, then! 

Lunch Buckets With Zippered Straps

In a few days I will have a dozen lunch buckets for you to buy - they just need buttons sewn on, and then they’ll be in the shop. Until then, I thought I’d share some photos of a strap variation I’m trying out with this year's batch.

I usually make my lunch buckets with buttons and buttonholes, but I'd made a trapezoidal bucket with a zippered strap in my 2016 Zip A Bag series and thought I’d add that to a few of this year’s lunch buckets as well. 

With no buttons, the strap isn’t detachable but it unzips, 

splits apart and folds down on either side, out of the way of the top drawstring opening. 

The construction sequence is the same, except that the zippered strap must be constructed (separately) first, and attached to the outer body of the bucket while it is still “in the flat”. For those of you who have the Lunch Bucket pattern and would like to try this variation, here are a few in-progress shots to help you visualize this process. This is the outer body of the bucket “in the flat”, and this sequence takes the place of Step 6 in the pattern. 

Here are the dimensions of my zippered strap: 

• length: a total of 21” including the seam allowances at both ends; 
• width of the fabric portion on either side of the zipper coils: 5/8” to 3/4”. 

Attach and topstitch the accent band to the RS of the outer body (if you are using a lightweight fabric for the outer band for this zippered strap variation, I recommend stabilizing the entire band with a medium sew-in interfacing on its WS for added strength at the attachment points). Attach the lower edge of the band first, as shown. 

Attach the ends of the zippered strap to the outer body so that

1. their final positions will be on opposite sides of the finished bucket (i.e. 11” apart) and 
2. their ends lie below the upper stitching line of the band. 

Here is a close up of the stitching pattern I used (a simple rectangle) but use whatever pattern you prefer to ensure it is securely attached to the outer body. Remember to ensure that the zipper pull faces out! 

Flip the band RS up into its final position, tuck its upper seam allowance (SA) to its WS, and topstitch along this upper edge, securing the ends of the zippered strap between the layers in the process. 

Now continue assembling the layers of the bucket as usual. In the later stages when all the individual layers of the bucket come together to be bound, the strap might require some maneuvering to work around, but otherwise, it's an easy variation to the classic bucket pattern, especially if you'd rather install a zipper than a buttonhole!

Look out for the 2017 Lunch Buckets in the shop in the coming week. I'll make an announcement here on the blog when they're ready!

Slightly Ridiculous

 . . . and yet oddly satisfying.

Each Lunch Bucket is actually two separate buckets, so it always feels like I'm doubly maniacal during Mass Production Season. 

Do you see the zippered straps? That's a variation I'm trying, the method for which is in this earlier post.

Goal: for these cuties to be in the shop by next week. 

Time Warp bags in Shop

Hello friends!

I feel somewhat accomplished because I weighed and measured and listed some items in my etsy shop for you today. Remember the Zip A Bag series from some months ago?

I promised that I'd be putting some of the samples in the shop for you to adopt, and they are there now! Whoo! I shall miss them because they were fun to design and make and beautiful to behold in their completed state. But I can't use them all and I don't have space for them at home, so I'd rather they go to other people who will use them and love them.

Please note that not all the bag samples from the Zip A Bag series are listed. My children and I have called dibs on some of the samples, for sentimental reasons. But there are still quite a few to browse and fall in love with. Each of them is designed and drafted from scratch - some are inspired by pre-existent bags and the ubiquitous classic zippered pouches, but the finished items are all limited-edition, one-of-a-kind prototypes that I may never make again, just because.

I've also added a few items from my existing stock, and there are a few Port & Sort Tote hardware kits still available if you want to make some from the pattern for Christmas gifts. If anyone is interested in the Port & Sort Tote fabric+hardware kits, please send me an email to request them. I don't have the Thermaflec or ripstop nylon on hand but I can pick some up at the fabric store within a day or two, and I have enough zippers in all four colors (coral, orange, light blue, royal blue) to put together a custom kit for you, and I can give you an estimate on when they'll be ready.

A note about shipping: based on previous years' experience, items can be shipped overseas in time for the holidays if you order before the 10th? of December. Shipping domestically buys us an extra week, but do purchase early to be sure things get where you need them by Christmas.

Go here to begin shopping, and thank you for your support!

Zip A Bag Chapter 26: Summary and Epilogue

Was this insane or what?

I mean, we made 20 bags and pouches together. 20! In increasing levels of over-the-top-ness! And it took forever! And I got side-tracked partway to write a sewing pattern for one of those bags. Then add to that my foolish belief that this would be a straightforward tutorial series which we could wrap up in, say, a couple of months.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

All things considered, I actually think we did well, you and I. If nothing else, maybe you came away from these 20+ chapters understanding that you can do all kinds of things with zippers, and they can be as simple as you're used to or as challenging as you dare. 

My goal was for you was simple: to never again look at a zippered bag the same way. For instance, where in the past you might have glanced at a pouch or purse in a store or on some blog and thought, "Huh. Zippered pouch," you might now think, "I know how that zipper is installed, and it's the same as that other kind of pouch that looks a bit different but the zipper's actually the same! I know that now!"

Yep - that was my grand ambition for you: just knowing that about a zipper. 

(Even if you're never inclined to actually install it).

If so, I pat myself on the back and say "yay. Mission accomplished."

What a journey - from the early sketches

 to the conceptual diagrams

and the fundamentals

to - finally - the bags themselves.

Here is the grand link-up list. Take your pick - I did two versions for you: the concept diagrams

From L to R:

Row 1: 

• Chapter 2: Unlined pouch with unfaced zipper
• Chapter 3: Faced Zippers: Flat zippered pouch I
• Chapter 4: Faced Zippers: Darted pouch
• Chapter 5: Boxed pouch with Faced Zippered Pocket
• Chapter 6: Flat Zippered Pouch II

Row 2:

• Chapter 7: Twin Zippered-Edge Clutch
• Chapter 8: Fold-Over Shoulder Bag
• Chapter 9: Fully-Open Zippered Pouch
• Chapter 10: Diamond-Front Backpack
• Chapter 11: Trapezoidal Bucket with Split Straps

Row 3:

• Chapter 12: Collapsible Box With Zippered Base
• Chapter 13: Collapsible Drum
• Chapter 1: The Beginning
• Chapter 14: Zippered-Gusset Utility Case
• Chapter 15: Zippered-Gusset Backpacks

Row 4:

• Chapter 16: Single Zipper-Tape Case
• Chapter 17: Pencil Case with In-Seam Zipper
• Chapter 18: Recessed Zipper Handbag
• Chapter 19: Zippered Wallet-to-Tote
• Chapter 20: Zippered Marker Pouch

Row 5:

• Chapter 21: Zippered Pleated Pocket 
• Chapter 22: Zippered Lunch Bag/ Port & Sort Tote
• Chapter 23: Split-Strap Backpack with Expansion Panel
• Chapter 24: Expanding Tote
• Chapter 25: Off-set Welt In-Seam Zippered Purse

or the finished projects:

From L to R:

Row 1: 

• Chapter 1: Introduction post - Zippers: terminology and types
• Chapter 2: Unlined pouch with unfaced zipper
• Chapter 3: Faced Zippers: Flat zippered pouch I
• Chapter 4: Faced Zippers: Darted pouch
• Chapter 5: Boxed pouch with Faced Zippered Pocket

Row 2:

• Chapter 6: Flat Zippered Pouch II 
• Chapter 7: Twin Zippered-Edge Clutch
• Chapter 8: Fold-Over Shoulder Bag
• Chapter 9: Fully-Open Zippered Pouch
• Chapter 10: Diamond-Front Backpack

Row 3:

• Chapter 11: Trapezoidal Bucket with Split Straps
• Chapter 12: Collapsible Box With Zippered Base
• Chapter 13: Collapsible Drum
• Chapter 14: Zippered-Gusset Utility Case
• Chapter 15: Zippered-Gusset Backpacks

Row 4:

• Chapter 16: Single Zipper-Tape Case
• Chapter 17: Pencil Case with In-Seam Zipper
• Chapter 18: Recessed Zipper Handbag
• Chapter 19: Zippered Wallet-to-Tote
• Chapter 20: Zippered Marker Pouch

Row 5:

• Chapter 21: Zippered Pleated Pocket 
• Chapter 22: Zippered Lunch Bag/ Port & Sort Tote
• Chapter 23: Split-Strap Backpack with Expansion Panel
• Chapter 24: Expanding Tote
• Chapter 25: Off-set Welt In-Seam Zippered Purse

I remember saying that I'd save my templates and someday make them available for you to buy as a big pdf file, but now that we've come to the end of the series, I feel like I need to move on to other projects. So please accept my apologies for not being able to give you a date for those templates, okay? 

However, I'm still planning to list some of these bags in my etsy store in time for Christmas, so if you'd like to buy them, check back with this blog from time to time for my announcement. 

Once again, thank you, Jessica Jones and Cloud9 Fabrics for the gorgeous Time Warp Barkcloth that were used for these bags. They are so perfect with vinyl and pleather and leather! Time Warp is sold out in many stores but check out Jess's other current fabric lines here.

Zip A Bag Chapter 25: Offset Welt-in-seam Zippered Purse

Finally, we've come to the last zippered bag in our series.

Sniff.

Ironically, this bag was one of the first of the series that I made. It was inspired by something I saw in Target (Target has some very interesting bags, construction-wise) a couple of seasons ago, and I wanted to make it while it was still fresh in my mind. 

I've saved it for last largely because of the asymmetry of the bag opening, which is a little unusual and not like any of the other techniques we've learned so far. 

See? It's like a tongue flapping open.

Let's walk through the features - a tubular carrying handle on the back

and an adjustable shoulder strap that inserts directly into the side seam.

Here is that zippered front panel opening 

and two zippered welt pockets: one on the back wall

and one in the outside wall.  

Also: piping. Very important, piping.

The sequence of adding piping to this bag was also unusual - the piping disappears into the side seam just under the shoulder strap insertion point but wraps around the side and top of the bag. 

Deconstructing the bag now.

First, the zippered welts. 

This back-wall zippered welt pocket is a standard organizational feature in the insides of my bags (the ones I'm not mass-producing for parties, I mean). Here is the tutorial. 

The zippered welt on the outside of the bag is done exactly the same way, except that it is on the outside and at an angle instead of horizontal. The pocket facing and lining pieces had to be cut to fit that tear-drop-shaped side wall but otherwise there's nothing extraordinary about this pocket at all.

Next is the front panel. This zippered welt is in-seam and off-set. Those are fancy terms, so I will explain them. 

Q: Whaddya mean - "in-seam"?

A: One half of the zipper tape is attached to the front flap itself in a sort of welt-pocket-looking way (see the end of the welt just above the vinyl panel at the bottom?) The other end of the zipper tape acts like a SA which is sewn directly into the seam that attaches the side wall to the main bag. There is piping also inserted into that seam, which distracts you from seeing the seam (so don't let it!). 

Q: Whaddya mean - "off-set"?

A: A zippered welt is a four-sided window into which a zipper is "set". Most of the time, these are rectangular welts (but there are also curved welts and other shapes which we are not concerned with today). This particular zipper is set into a three-sided welt, with the fourth side being the side seam itself. The resulting zippered opening looks 'off-set' from the seam; it is neither centrally located within the seam like in this pencil case

nor symmetrically within a floating welt like, well, regular zippered welts:

Let's move on to installing that zipper! It is easier than you think - remember these: 

• we are going to make an "indentation" along the edge of the flap, called the "welt";
• we are going to fill that indentation with the zipper 
• to restore the flap's original dimensions
• but with the zipper tape forming its new SA

All will be clear soon (one hopes).

Grit your teeth, friends, and follow along.

Begin with the lining. Our lining is a continuous piece that includes the flap, the curved base and the back wall of the bag. Mark the midpoints of the zipper and the short top edge of the lining. Align those midpoints as you lay the WS of the zipper on the RS of the lining as shown. Snip the zipper tape's SA touching the lining and in the two sections where it "turns" the corners of the flap. Baste the zipper tape in place to the lining. My stitching line is more angular around those corners than I initially planned, so I've basted the zipper a little farther from it.

Lay the outer fabric flap piece over that basting line so the RS of the two fabric layers are together. Note

• the outer fabric piece is much shorter than the lining piece. We will add a vinyl panel to extend it later.
• the two red arrows showing the end of the flap opening. These will be the end points of the zippered welt. 

Sew through all layers to attach that side of the zipper tape between the outer fabric and lining layers. 

Now we will finish the ends of the welt. Cut through both outer fabric and lining layers at an angle toward the end-points as shown, carefully avoiding the zipper tape between them.

Spread the fabric (both layers) apart to open that slit, and stitch them down across the zipper coils at a right angle to the original stitching line as shown. Do not fret if it looks like fiber massacre,

because when you turn everything RS out, you will get a beautiful welt corner. Here is the outer fabric side

and here is the lining side.

Repeat to finish the welt on the other end of the zipper - remember to move your zipper pull within the welt so it doesn't get "shut out"! This is what the lining side of the flap looks like.

Carefully turn out and press that welt seam, then edge-stitch close to the zipper to hold all the layers in place.  Can you see that while we've made an "indentation" in the flap to accommodate the zipper, the zipper itself has filled that space so that the flap+zipper is now the same size and shape as the flap before, with the free edge of the zipper tape forming its new SA? You can now attach other pieces to this flap/body piece .

This is the outer fabric side. On the bottom of the photo you can see a vinyl panel that has been attached to the outer flap piece.

Obviously, you can make the outer layer from a single fabric but if you choose to piece it like I have, the seams should remain in just the OUTER FABRIC layer, so that 

• the stitches don't show on the lining side and
• the lining and outer layers to remain separate except at the zipper where they meet.

To do this, simply lift the section of lining fabric under the zippered welt out of the way as you work on the outer fabric layer.

This is what the outer fabric side looks like now,

including the back piece that has the carrying strap inserted into a back seam.

Here are the two layers, now the same size. You can see the pocket innards on the WS of the lining layer, and the ends of the carrying strap peeking out on the WS of the outer fabric layer.

Schematic picture: the two layers are attached to each other along the zipper. Otherwise, they are separate.

And here is how the teardrop-shaped side wall attaches to the the main body -

working with each layer (outer fabric and lining) separately, sew the short top edges together to make a sideways cylinder. Then attach the teardrop-shaped side pieces to the open ends, incorporating the various straps and strap anchors into the seams as necessary. Leave a gap in the one of the lining seams through which to turn the entire bag RS out later.

Check out this bizarre thing!

Here is more helpful view:

See the zipper between the two bags - you can cut off the excess zipper tape if you want, but I left it as is.

Turn the whole bag RS out through the gap in the lining and stitch it shut. Here is the lining side out - a perfectly snug layer with no exposed (or bound) SA.

And here is the outside.

I omitted the piping sequence because it wasn't pertinent to the zipper-ness of this tutorial but even without, I thought this was by far the fiddliest bag of the entire series. Not only because of the zipper installation but also because of the thick layers of vinyl and interfacing (and piping!) that were tough to stitch through. But I love the finished product!

Next up: the epilogue post, in which I link to all the 25 chapters and we look back over the whole series and swoon (both in exhaustion and in delight) over what we've accomplished!