Reversible Fabric Bags made with recycled denim jeans and quilting fabric scraps.

 

I have been making these for many years.  When I teach sewing lessons it is the first project we make.  They are quick and fun.  Start with 4 patches either rectangles or squares.  The bag holding the liquid soap and lotion bottles was made with rectangles.  Pretty sure the others are squares.  I use recycled denim jeans, heavy duty duck cloth or upholstery for one side. The other side is usually quilting cotton, polyester, linens, polycotton or whatever other scraps are available.  

These patches are 8.5" square, the seam allowance is 1/2" wide with 2" boxed corners. With right sides together straight stitch using a 1/2" seam allowance along one side pivot at the corner and continue stitching a 1/2" seam allowance on the bottom edge, pivot again at corner, then continue stitching a 1/2" seam allowance on the other side to the top reverse stitch to secure seam. 

I shortened the stitch length to 2.0 from 2.5 to make it more secure. Reverse stitch at the beginning and end of the seams.

Clip bottom corners.

Finger press or use an iron to press the sides and bottom seams open. 

Bring the sides and bottom seams together to make a triangle shape, then mark the boxed seam 2" long 1" away from the centre seam. 

Measure, mark and stitch the boxed corners for both bags.  Turn one bag right side out.  Do not cut the corners off, the extra bulk helps the bags stand upright as there is no interfacing or quilt batting to stabilize the bag.  

With right sides together put one bag inside the other and clip the edges together leaving about a 2" opening to turn the bag.  Side seams should be open and matching, but it is not essential.

Using a 1/2" seam allowance stitch the bag all the way around except the turning spot.  Reverse stitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Turn your bag right sides out, I use a chopstick to poke out the boxed corners.

Finger press or use an iron before clipping the edges together for the final top edge stitching.  I increased the stitch length from 2.0 to 3.0 and changed the thread colour to orange for this one.

That's it, all done.  When using orphan 9 patch or other quilting patches I use a 1/4" seam allowance so the quilt patches are the same size as in a quilt.  It is easier to make these little bags with 1/2" seam allowance and the added bulk makes them more stable.  At times I have used interfacing and quilt batting scraps but that is adding extra steps.

Cotton scraps outside bottom and side view.

Denim outside

Cotton view outside sides and denim inside view.

I use them for thread catchers, sewing notions, soap, mini lens wipes etc. 

These are fun to make and inexpensive.  Happy stitching all.   

This reversible fabric bag tutorial is available as a free pdf.  If you have trouble downloading the file please email me. 

Cross body cell phone bags.

Busy playing in the Craft Emporium. I bought this Wanderlust crossbody cell phone bag pattern. It was designed by Jacqueline Pang at Sewing Seeds of Love. The PDF file and you tube video provide excellent directions.

Birdie bag with climber clips for the option to remove cross body strap and clip bag to jean belt loops, belt or carrying luggage.

Who does not love a butterflies bag with purple?

The bottom of the owl bags is recycled denim blue jeans. 

This is my frogs and turtles bag.

So far I made 11 and my sewing buddies made 5. Two weeks ago, I texted a photo of Jacquelene Pang's daughter modelling a Wanderlust bag to my 3 granddaughters so they could see the size. They live about 2500 kilometres away.

Each granddaughter got to pick the print, solid bottom, lining, zipper, strap and snap colours. These fabric and hardware auditions were lots of fun.

There were photos, FaceTime meetings and phone calls. They delighted me with their choices and enthusiasm for this project.

Zipper choice

Solid bottom colour

Zipper pick

Selecting the perfect snap

Picking a solid

Selecting the zipper

Though the pattern is the identical each bag is unique, as special and important as the young lady who designed it.

She picked Robots with green everything. Note the tiny turtles on the snaps.

The outside is waterproof PUL, inside 100% quilting cotton, straps are 100% polyester grosgrain ribbon.

All three finished, the girls are 8, 5 and 3 years old!

Woodland critters, yellow is her favourite colour.

Cupcakes with rainbow rainbow strap!

I ordered more PUL brown camouflage, vegetables, raspberries, chocolates prints, sea spray (light aqua), spring green and charcoal solids. PUL is also food safe excellent for making sandwich, snack and bread bags.

“Polyurethane Laminate Fabric” or PUL is a soft, flexible, hardwearing and waterproof fabric. PUL is a laminate fabric comprised of 2 layers: a polyester fabric (typically 1mm thick) with a very thin layer of polyurethane film bonded to the reverse.  PUL does not fray or wrinkle.