Summertime Bucket Bag Tutorial

Chic and stylish for Summer shopping. Free Sewing Bag Tutorial.

 

MATERIALS
(Fabric quantities allow for using a directional print.)
75cm (30in) floral print for the outer bag
75cm (30in) green print for the lining and inner pocket
63.5cm (25in) yellow print for the patchwork and bag base
56cm (24in) fusible wadding
13cm (5in) Vlieseline Decovil (Pellon Décor Bond) or similar for the bag base
Four bag studs/feet
One set of 58cm (23in) leather piped bag handles 
Thick embroidery thread for stitching on the handles

FINISHED SIZE
Approx. 53 x 38 x 10cm (21 x 15 x 4in) excluding handles

PREPARATION
All measurements include ¼in seam allowances, unless otherwise stated.

Cutting instructions

1 From the floral print fabric cut:
• Four 9¾ x 12½in rectangles for the outer bag
• Two 2 x 23in strips for the outer bag
• Twelve 2⅞in squares for the patchwork

2 From the green print fabric cut:
• Two 18½ x 23in rectangles for the lining
• One 6 x 20in rectangle for the pocket

3 From the yellow print fabric cut:
• Two 5 x 23in rectangles for the bag base
• Three 5¼in squares for the patchwork

4 From the fusible wadding cut two 22 x 18in rectangles for the bag lining. 

5 From the Vlieseline Decovil (or similar) interfacing cut a 4 x 11in rectangle for the bag base.

 Stitch the patchwork

1 Draw a line on the diagonal from corner to corner on the wrong side of the twelve 2⅞in floral print squares. 

2 Position two 2⅞in squares on diagonally opposite corners of a 5¼in yellow print square right sides facing. Stitch a seam ¼in away from each side of the drawn line. Fig 1

3 Cut along the drawn line, Fig 2, and press seams towards the small triangles as shown in Fig 3

4 Position another 2⅞in floral print square on the remaining unsewn corner of each unit so that the diagonal line is positioned between the two smaller triangles. Stitch a seam ¼in away from each side of the drawn line. Fig 4

5 Cut along the drawn line, Fig 5, and press
seams towards the small triangles. Trim
points, Fig 6, a finished unit should measure
2½ x 4½in. Continue in this way until twelve
triangle units are stitched. 

Assemble the outer bag

1 Stitch the patchwork triangle units into two strips of six triangles. Press seams towards the base of the triangles.

2 Take the strips of patchwork triangles and stitch a 9¾ x 12½in floral print rectangle to each side. Press the seams away from the patchwork.

3 Stitch a 2 x 23in strip of floral print to the top of each of the outer bag pieces completed in step 2, pressing seams towards the strip. Stitch a 5 x 23in yellow print rectangle to the bottom of each of the outer bag pieces, pressing seams towards the base. You have completed two  outer bag pieces that look like Fig 7.

4 Iron a 22 x 18in rectangle of fusible wadding to the wrong side of each outer bag piece. The wadding will be smaller than the outer bag at the top and bottom of the bag so that there will not be any bulky seams. 

5 To create the bucket shape to the bag, mark 4in from the outer edge at the bottom of each outer bag piece. Place a ruler on the very outer edge at the top on the right side of the bag and on the 4in marking at the bottom of the bag. Cut the wedge shape of fabric away. Repeat on all corners of the outer bag pieces. Janet’s bag is not quilted, but if you would like to add quilting do so at this stage.

6 Place the outer bag panels together, right sides facing, and stitch down each side and across the bottom, leaving the top open.

7 To shape the base of the bag, match the centre fold of the base with the side seam. Measure in 1¾in along the seam line and stitch across. Cut off the excess fabric. Repeat on the other corner. Turn the bag right side out.

8 Place the 4 x 11in rectangle of Vlieseline Decovil (or equivalent) in the base of the outer bag and press carefully, making sure that you do not catch the iron on the wadding.

9 To add the bag studs, measure in 1in from each corner and carefully make a small hole with a seam ripper. Press the stud from the right side of the fabric through the base of  the bag and open the teeth out. Repeat for  all four studs. Fig 8

Make the lining

1 To stitch the pocket take the 6 x 20in green print rectangle and fold in half, wrong sides together, so that the top edge measures 10in. Stitch around the three raw edges, leaving a 3in opening. Trim corners, turn right sides out, and press. 

2 Position the completed pocket on one of the 18½ x 23in green print rectangles for the lining, 4in from the top. Topstitch down each side and across the bottom leaving the top edge open. Topstitch down the middle of the pocket to create two compartments. Fig 9 

3 Following the instructions in Assemble the Outer Bag, step 5, cut two lining pieces into bucket shapes.

4 Place the lining panels right sides together and stitch down each side and across the bottom, leaving a 5in gap for turning in one side and leaving the top open. Shape the bottom of the lining in the same way as the outer bag bottom in Assemble the Outer Bag, step 7.

Stitch the bag together 

1 Keeping the bag right sides out and the lining wrong sides out, place the outer bag inside the lining. Fig 10

2 Matching the side seams, stitch around the top edge of the bag.

3 Turn the bag through the opening and stitch the opening in the lining closed. Carefully press the top of the bag so that the lining matches the top edge of the outer bag. Topstitch around the edge. 

4 Using thick embroidery thread stitch the leather handles to the top of the bag. Test the position before stitching so that they are at an appropriate width for whoever will be using the bag. This will vary if the bag is to be used as a shoulder bag or carried by hand.