Origami Reversible Bag Tutorial

Using a clever folding technique this useful market bag is perfect for carrying all sorts of shopping. 
Its simple construction makes it perfect for showing off beautiful printed fabric and it is even fully reversible meaning you can choose two favourite fabrics to show off! 

 MATERIALS

• 50cm main outer fabric – Deer in the Forest, Wildlife 1 
• 50cm lining fabric – Deer in the Forest, Wildlife 3 
• 50cm Vileseline 279 Cotton Mix 80/20 wadding
• 15cm x 15cm piece of leather (around 2mm thickness)
• 4 double cap rivets, 9mm x 8mm 
• Crafters companion, Stick & Stay adhesive spray
• Rotary cutter
• Safety ruler and cutting mat 
• 3mm hole punch 
• Rivet setting tool and hammer

 GOOD TO KNOW

• Fabrics used are 44" wide quilting cotton. It is a good idea to prewash, then iron and lightly starch your fabrics before cutting. Always use a pressing cloth when ironing the wadding, do not use the iron directly on the wadding.
• Construction seams are ¼" (6mm) unless specified. Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to secure your stitches during the assembly of the bag. 
• Finished size of the bag is approx. 15" x 16". 
• Read through instructions in full before starting. 
• The tough leather handle of this bag will make it comfortable to carry no matter what you load it up with. For a twist why not try a little quilted fabric handle or perhaps even a crochet or knitted tube.

 TO CUT
Main outer fabric:
–  Cut 1, 14" x 42"
Lining fabric:
–  Cut 1, 14" x 42"
Wadding:
–  Cut 1, 14" x 42"
Leather:
–  Cut 1, 4" x 4½"

TO SEW
1.  Spray the wrong side of your outer fabric with the ‘Stick and Stay’ adhesive according to manufacturer’s instructions. Fuse the wadding to the wrong side of the fabric.

2.  With the right side of the fabric facing up, fold the right hand top corner down to the bottom edge, creating a diagonal fold. Press lightly and be sure to use a pressing cloth on the wadding. 

3.  Now fold the left hand bottom corner up to the top edge, creating a second diagonal fold. Press as before.

4. There is just one final fold, this is marked by the red line in the photo. Fold along the red marked line with the right sides facing together, this will bring your first two folds from step 2 and 3 up into triangles that form the top/sides of the bag. 

5.  Pin the edges of the folds together where they meet. Sew together then repeat for the other side of  the bag.

6.  Open out the bag so that the bottom ‘corner’ is lying flat. Think of it as rather than having the right sides of the front and back of the bag facing, the right sides of the side and bottom of the bag are facing. You will have one of your fold seams running up the side. Draw a line measuring 5" across the fabric, this should be 2½" up from the point in the bottom corner. 

7.  Pin then sew along the marked line. Trim the corner to ¼" from the line of stitching. Repeat on the other side of the bag. 

8.  Repeat steps 2-9 to construct the lining. Turn lining right way out. 

9.  Slip the lining down inside the bag, match the raw edges around the top and pin into place. Sew all the way around the top of the bag leaving a 4"-5" turning gap in the middle of one edge. When sewing around, sew up into the top corners, stop ¼" from the end and leaving your needle in pivot the fabric by 45°, then sew down the new side. When sewing into the ‘V’ at the bottom centre of the bag, sew down past the edge by ¼", leave your needle in and pivot the fabric by 45°, then sew up the new side.

10. Trim the excess fabric from the points on the top corners and snip into the ‘V’ in the centre of the bag, taking care not to cut through your stitching. Before turning though check that the seams are complete all around the top edge, the wadding can mean sometimes you miss catching all the layers of fabric. 

11.  Turn the right way out and press well, tucking in the raw edge of the turning gap as you press. Pin the gap closed and then topstitch all the way around the bag around ⅛" from the edge to close the opening. 

12. Using a hole punch and hammer, make three holes on each of the short sides of your leather piece. These should be placed at ½" in from the short edge and at ½", 2" and 3½" along the length. Starting with the centre hole first, insert the rivet portion with the long shaft though the leather from the wrong side. Bring the leather around to form a tube and line up the corresponding hole and push it onto the rivet too. Pop the remaining rivet section on to the shaft of the first rivet and secure in place with the setting tool and hammer - do this by sliding the smaller section of the setting tool inside the leather tube and carefully positioning underneath the rivet. Repeat until all the holes have been riveted. 

13.  Insert one of the corners of the top edge of the bag through the leather tube, pulling it free on the other side as much as possible. Overlap the corner with the other top corner by around ¾" and sew to secure in place. Once sewn you can slip the leather tube back into the centre of the newly created top handle.