Overnight Bag Tutorial

Roomy with a slim profile, this bag is big enough for your overnight essentials without being bulky to carry or stash.

 Use a 1/4” seam allowance throughout unless otherwise stated.

MATERIALS

♦ 1 yard patterned medium-weight canvas fabric
♦ 1 1/8 yard lightweight wadding 1 7/8 yard plain medium-weight canvas or quilting cotton for lining
♦ 2  1/4 yards 1 1/4 wide heavyweight webbing
♦ 20” co-ordinating zip
♦ 4 sets of snap fasteners with fixing tool*
♦ co-ordinating thread
♦ zipper foot (optional)

 CUTTING 

From main fabric, cut:

2 20 1/2x18 1/2” rectangles 
2 10x7 1/2” rectangles for inner pockets 
4 10x7 1/2” rectangles for outer pockets 
4 7 3/4 x3 1/8” strips for outer pocket flaps 
2 2 3/4” squares for strap ends 
2 1 1/4x2 3/8” rectangles for zip end tabs

From lining fabric, cut:
2 20 1/2x18 1/2” rectangles

From wadding, cut:
2 20 1/2x18 1/2” rectangles

From webbing, cut:
2 34 1/4” strips

CONSTRUCTION

1. Lay out one wadding piece landscape and place one main fabric piece, right sides up, aligned on top. Take a piece of webbing and pin through all fabric/ wadding layers as shown in Pic A, so it’s 5 1/2” in from each side and with ends 7 1/4”  from the top edge. Mark the webbing with chalk 2” down from the top edge of the fabric.

2 Starting at the cut end, sew along webbing Va” from outer edge - begin at one end, swivel at your mark to sew across the webbing, and then sew back down the other side. Repeat on other handle end.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the other main and wadding pieces and webbing. Set the outer pieces aside.

4. To make the inner pocket, lay inner pocket pieces one on top of the other with right sides facing and in portrait position. Pin and sew around the sides and bottom with a 1/2” seam allowance. Turn right sides out through the edge left unsewn. Fold in open edges by 1/2”, press and sew along 1/4”  in from the edge.

5. Lay out one lining pieces right side up in a landscape position and place inner pocket 5” down from the top edge and an equal distance from both sides. Pin your pocket in place and sew along the side and bottom edges with a 1/4” seam allowance. Set your lining piece aside.

6. Repeat Step 4 with both pairs of outer pocket pieces.

7. Take one pair of pocket flap pieces and lay out right sides together in landscape position. Pin. Sew around the sides and bottom with a 1/2” seam allowance. Turn right sides out through the edge left unsewn. Fold in the unsewn edges by 1/2” and press, but this time don’t sew this edge up. Repeat with the other pair of flap pieces.

8. Following the instructions in the snap fastener kit, add two positive snap halves to each of your pocket flaps (so caps are on the outside) 1 3/4” from the open edge and 2” in from each side.

9. Take the outer pocket pieces (not the flap pieces) and concertina-fold the shorter edges in as shown in Pic B, folding twice, by 2/3” each time. Iron well to hold the folds.

10. Lay out one of the main outer  pieces, right sides up, with the handle at the top. Place your outer pocket pieces as in Pic C - 2 3/4” in from the sides and 7 3/4” down from the top edge. At the sides of your pockets, pin and sew 1/8” in from the edge along the bottom layer only of the folded part, then sew along the bottom, 1/8” in from the edge.

11. Place the pocket flap pieces, with the open edge at the top, 6 5/8”  from the top edge of the main piece, so they overlap the pocket tops by 1”. Open edges should overlap the raw handle ends by 1/2”. Pin along the top of each flap and sew 1/8” in from the edge, then 1/2” in - this second row of stitching conceals the ends of the handle. (See Pic D.)

12. Mark the front of each pocket piece 2” in from each side (check this lines up with pocket flap snaps and adjust if needed) and 1/2” from the top edge of the pocket. Add two negative  snap halves on each pocket, so the cap is on the inside.

13. Lay the other main outer piece right sides up, with the handle at the top. Take the two pieces of main fabric cut for covering the strap ends and lay out right sides down. Fold each edge over by 1/4” to the wrong side and press. Turn the little squares over and pin on top of the webbing raw ends. Sew around 1/8” in from the edges.

CONSTRUCTION

14. Start by preparing your zip.

Place the two 1 1/4x2” zip end tab pieces right side down and fold over both short edges of both pieces, pressing in place. Fold each piece in half right sides out so that the shorter folded ends meet. Place one tab over each end of your zip, so the zip tapes are sandwiched between folded layers and pin in place. Sew across about 1/8” in from the edge of the tabs.

15. Lay the lining piece with the pocket side facing up, in a landscape position, ensuring the pocket is the right way up, with the opening at the top. Lay the zip right sides up on top, so it lines up with the top long edge of the lining piece. Place the main outer piece without pockets on top, right sides down with edges aligned, and pin along the top edge (through outer, zip and lining layers).

16. Change to a zipper foot. Sew along the top edge about 3mm from where you can feel the zip’s teeth.

17. Unfold your outer and lining layers and fold back the other way so that they are wrong sides together and you can see the zip.

18. Lay  out the other lining piece right sides up and lay the zip (with fabric now attached) on top, right sides up, so its other edge lines up with the lining top edge, as before. Place the other main outer piece (with pockets) on top, right sides down, lining up with the top edge. Pin in place and sew along that edge as before.

19. Fold back the fabric as in Step 17 and iron along both zip sides, where the fabric seam is - be careful not to melt the zip. Pin along both sides through the outer, zip and lining.

20. With an ordinary sewing foot, sew where pinned, about 1/8” from the seam between zip and fabric.

21. Unfold your fabric pieces again and refold so that the two lining pieces are right sides together and the two main pieces are right sides together with your zip pointing towards the lining. Unzip the zip.

22. Pin all the way round, then sew 1/4” in from the edges, leaving a 2” gap on one of the lining sides.

23. Square off each corner by flattening so the side seam is above the bottom seam and sewing a line across 1 1/2” from the seam corner.

24. Turn your bag right sides out through the gap left in the lining, then sew up the gap. This can be done by machine or hand as it will be hidden inside the bag.

25. Tuck the lining down into the outer through the open zip.

26. Sit back and marvel at your wonderful finished bag!