This tutorial shows you the best way to make a perfect summer beach bag. Using our gorgeous Floral Sketches cotton prints, this bag is the perfect accessory for a summer on the beach with its multicoloured tassels. You can also make a matching case for your sunglasses with this fabric!
(Tutorial for tassels included.)
What you will need:
For the bag:
Pencil
Tailors chalk (optional)
Ruler
Scissors
Pins
Iron
Sewing machine
The Craft Cotton Company’s Heritage Wadding
The Craft Cotton Company's Floral Sketches Leaf and Textured Turquoise cotton prints
For the tassels:
Needle and thread
Reels of thread or embroidery floss
5cm x 5cm piece of cardboard (or something similar)
First, cut out your fabrics:
From your wadding you need to cut: 2 37cm x 55cm panels and 1 13cm x 55cm panel.
From the leaf fabric cut: 2 37cm x 55cm panels, 1 13cmx 55cm panel and 2 10cm x 70cm panels.
From the textured turquoise fabric cut: 1 25cm x 55cm panel, 2 37cm x 55cm panels and 1 13cm x 55cm panel.
Tip: Label the panels with the measurements on the wrong-side of the fabric. This will make it easier for you to find each piece of fabric.
Next, make your pockets:
Taking the 25cm x 55cm textured turquoise panel, fold over one of the long edges by 2cm and press.
Sew down this seam. Edge stitch along the same side.
Place one of your 37cm x 55cm leaf panels on top of one of your 37cm x 55cm wadding panels.
Take your 25cm x 55cm turquoise panel and place it on top of the leaf panel with the wrong-side of the turquoise facing the right-side of the leaf. Pin all of these layers together.
Measure the centre line of the turquoise panel and make a line using tailors chalk (or a pencil) and sew along this line.
Now, sew the panels:
Take the leaf and wadding panels and match the sizes together and pin.
Place the 13cm x 55cm panels on top of the pocket along the edge with right-sides together and pin.
Sew along this edge with a 1cm seam allowance.
Flatten out the material and place the joined 13cm x 55cm panels on top of the second 37cm x 55cm panels and pin.
Sew along the edge of where these two panels meet with a 1cm seam allowance.
Next, make the triangle:
Fold the joined fabrics in half along the bottom panel with right-sides together.
Push the bottom panel so that it is sandwiched between the other two panels and pin a pin along the left and right sides.
Sew straight down these sides using a 1cm seam allowance.
Turn the bag through and poke out the corners.
Make the lining:
Taking the rest of the turquoise panels, join them together using the same instructions for the main bag.
Place the bag inside the lining so that the right-sides are together and pin.
Sew the top of the bags together using a 1cm seam allowance. Make sure to leave a 6cm gap to turn the bag through.
Turn the bag through and edge stitch it making sure that the 6cm gap closes.
Now, make the straps:
Take one of the 10cm x 20cm leaf panels and fold it in half long-ways with right-sides together and pin.
Sew the each edge (except the folded edge) with a 1cm seam allowance. Make sure to leave a 6cm gap to turn though.
Edge stitch along the each edge making sure to close the gap.
Repeat these steps to make the other strap with the second 10cm x 70cm panel.
When you have your straps made, attach them to the bag by placing them 6cm from the top of the bag and 10cm from each side of the bag and then securing them with a flag stitch. Make sure that the straps are not twisted and that they are equal.
Finally, make the tassels:
If you are using thread, cut off 300cm (2 arm spans). Keep folding this length in half until it is approximately 20cm long.
Repeat this step to get 2 20cm long pieces of folded thread.
To make the tassels, take your reel of thread and wrap it around the cardboard.
When it is thick enough, take one of the 20cm piece and loop it through the thread and tie a double knot.
Take the tread off the cardboard.
Take the second 20cm piece and tie it around the top part of the thread and tie a double knot.
Wrap the ends of this thread around the thread a couple of times and the tie in a double knot and cut off the excess.
Cut the thread along the centre of the loops.
Position your tassels along the edge of the pocket of the bag. Using your needle and thread, attach them securely.
Give the bag a quick press and then you are ready to head for the beach!
© By Raeven Erin and Victoria Louise for The Craft Cotton Company 2016