The Library Book Bag

A lot of people would argue that no one visits libraries anymore, but its simply not true. I personally visit my local library weekly and on those visits I need a lightweight bag to carry home all the heavy books I borrow. The library book bag is perfect for that trip to the library. There is a front patch pocket with pintuck details for the library card. The bag base is reinforced with interfacing ( nothing worse than the bottom falling out of your bag) and  the bag is unlined making it very lightweight. Finally the side seams are neatly finished and the straps are secured with a box stitch.

 

Materials

24 inches (60cm) woven decorator fabric main fabric
12 inches (30cm) contrast fabric quilting cotton
Interfacing
thread
2 buttons

 

Instructions

Seam allowance 5/8 inch (1.5cm)

Cut

2  17 ¾ x 13 ½ in bag body from main fabric
2  31 x 4 straps from main fabric
1  10 x 13 ½ in bag base from contrast fabric
1  8 x 6 in pocket from contrast fabric
1  8 x 4 interfacing

 

Cut a 2in square from each the bag body base corners.

With bag body pieces right sides together stitch base . If using directional fabric make sure it’s running the right way.

Press seam open. Press  raw edge of seam allowance under towards  the wrong side by ¼ in. Stitch 1/8 inch from folded edge through seam allowance and bag.

 

Centre and fuse interfacing to bag base.

Fold under ¼ in  to the wrong side both 13 ½ in sides of the bag base.  Find the halfway point of the 10 in side and match this with the seam of the bag. Place it right side upon the right side of the bag

Pin in place. Edge stitch at the folded edge on both sides. Backstitch at the start and finish of each seam. (Optional you can use a twin needle to stitch two rows)

 

trim corners

two rows of stitching

Pocket

Fold under top  edge by ¼in.  Press and fold again ½ in. stitch to hold (optional twin needle)

Measure and mark down from the top 1in, 1 1/2in and 2in. fold on each mark and stitch ¼ in from the fold. (Alternatively you could use a pintuck foot)

Press under the sides and bottom by ½ in. Trim corners to reduce bulk.

Place pocket ½ in up from the bag base and 2 ½ in from the edge, right side up on the right side of the bag. Pin. Edge Stitch from the top right hand side down to the base and up the left hard at the top left hand side pivot and stitch a second row ¼ in  in from the first row.. At each corner with the needle down lift the presser foot and pivot the bag. Pass thread tails to inside of bag tie off and trim.

 

trim seam allowance

Place right sides of bag together and stitch bag sides. Trim seam allowance of the bag body between base seam and bag base. Do not trim bag base seam allowance. Press seam allowance towards the wrong side on each raw edge as before. Stitch 1/8 in from fold edge through seam allowance only.

 

Fold strap  in half lengthwise with  wrong side together. Press, open and fold raw edges towards  the crease. Press and fold again to conceal raw side. Edge stitch lengthwise on both sides.

Turn bag right side out.

 

Place strap 2 ½ in from sides. Pin to right side with raw edges aligned. Tack ¼ in from raw edge to hold in place. Ensure strap is not twisted. Trim ½ in of seam allowance at top to reduce bulk.

Press to wrong side ¼ in top of bag and again 1 inch. Tuck straps into bag. Topstitch lower  fold, start stitching at side seam. Pull straps out of bag and top stitch edge of bag stitching straps down.

 

 

mark and stitch triangle

 

 From right side flatten base corner to create a triangle. Make sure that side seam and base seam are open and lying flat on the inside.  Fold triangle back so point meets the top of the base. Press to crease. Unfold triangle mark crease and stitch across. Fold triangle back towards bag and stitch at top to hold triangle. Backstitch to secure. Sew a button  at each triangle point for decoration. Give the bag a final press with the iron.

decorative button

box stitch for straps

seams finished neatly

 

 

How to Tuck

A tuck is a fold in the fabric that is intentionally stitched in place. It sits on the fabric's surface and can be sewn vertically and horizontally. Each tuck reduces the fabric size by its width.  A tuck can be functional, removing excess fabric or purely decorative adding visual interest to plain fabric. They can be placed close together without any spacing, with spacing, in groups or randomly stitched.
When estimating how much fabric you need add the width of a tuck plus the space between each tuck this will tell you how much fabric each tuck needs. Hide any joins of fabric within a tuck.
 
Three Basic Tucks


Spaced Single Tucks

 

Single tuck- Sewn with a straight seam that runs parallel to the fold. It can sit flat or centred over the seam. From the wrong side the tuck looks like an ordinary seam.

Double Tuck

Double tuck- Has two seams that run parallel  to the fold. The second seam forms a narrower tick within the wider first tuck. The double tucks are centred with the second tuck sitting on top of the first tuck.


Grouped Pintucks

Pintucks- similar to a single tuck but very narrow. For quick  and easy pintucks a pintuck foot and twin needle are useful but not essential. A pintuck foot has narrow grooves on the underside. These grooves help sew rows of evenly spaced pintucks. A pintuck foot works best with light weight fabrics.

How to Tuck using an All Purpose Foot and Single Needle
1. Decide on the width of each tuck.
2. Mark a fold line on right side of fabric, on either side of the fold line mark the stitch line. The distance away from the fold line in which the  stitch lines are placed equal the width of the tuck.
3. Pinch the fabric at the fold line with wrong sides together. Follow the stitch line to sew the tuck.

Pintuck Foot and Twin Needle

How to Tuck using a Pintuck Foot and Twin Needle
1. Attach foot and switch to a twin needle. Increase tension to 7 and set stitch length to 2.
2. Thread the machine with two spools. One spool going clockwise the other counter clockwise. Use the same thread for the bobbin.
3. Mark the first tuck on the right side of the fabric.
4. Sew following the marked line to from the first pintuck.
5. Place the first pintuck so it nests in a groove to the left or right of the centre. The further way from the centre the first tuck is  the wider the space between tucks. Sew the second tuck. Repeat as desired.

A Pintucked Cushion

I stitched  a new cushion cover today. I teamed up a piece of home furnishing fabric, left over from another project, with a light weight denim. To add interest I pin tucked the denim fabric. Pintucks are slender pleats that sit on the fabrics surface. Most often used in clothing, (my daughter has a lovely summer dress with three rows of pintucks near the hemline), they can also be used in home furnishing projects to create interesting effects.
Tucks will reduce the fabric, therefore you should begin with a larger piece of fabric, once tucked the fabric becomes stretchy.
To Pintuck-I began with a 12 x 20 inch piece of fabric. Using tailors chalk, I marked horizontal lines, 1 inch apart, on the right side of the fabric. Next, fold on the marked line, with wrong sides together. Stitch on the right side of the fabric, no more than 1/4 inch from the folded edge. Repeat with the next line. My finished piece measures 12 x 14in.
Experiment using pintucks to add interest to your next project.