Sling Bag - Jennie Rayment

Sling Bag
Multicoloured reversible shopping bag created from Five
‘Fat Quarters’.
Bag: Cut two 9 x 17½” rectangles from four different
Fat Quarters.
Handles: Cut two
4½ x 22” strips
from fifth Fat
Quarter
1. Take four rectangles (use two
different fabrics).
Lay the pieces W/S
up on a flat surface
alternating the colours. Number the
pieces 1 - 4.
2. Sew 1 and 2 rectangles
together - stitching the
short side of 1 to the long
side of 2. Repeat with 3
and 4.
3. Sew both sections
together to form a cross,
turning the seams in the
opposite directions. Press
carefully.
4. Join the remaining four rectangles together as a mirror image
of Stage 1- 2.
Tip: Lay the first side of the bag
R/S up on a flat surface. Place
the remaining four sections R/S
down on top and number! Check
each stage - it is extremely easy to get things very wrong!
The two sections when sewn should look like this ...............
5. Take one of the stitched sections. This next instruction seems
strange, but trust me and try it!
Fold point A over to
touch point B. Align the
raw edges. Sew from the
centre outwards.
Repeat on the other
three points bringing C
to D; E to F.
Finally sew G to
H BUT LEAVE A
GAP in the stitching. Mark the gap
with a pin!.
6. Rest this slightly
strange shape on a flat surface. Wriggle it a bit to form a square
based bag with four points at the top (W/S out).
7. Repeat the last two stages with the other cross-shaped section.
Turn right side out. Wriggle it into a square based bag as described
above. Drop the first section inside this one.
8. The top of the bag has four peaks (points) and four ‘valleys’.
Align the raw edges of both bag sections making sure that the seams
on the ‘valleys’ line
up.
If the raw edges on the peaks don not exactly line up - don’t
worry - any excess material can be trimmed after sewing.
9. Clip the valleys and trim any excess material from the
peaks or any not aligned raw edges.
10. Turn the bag through the small gap (where the
pin is). It might take a bit of jiggling but poke the
peaks out and gradually the bag will take shape have patience!
11. Press the top edge of the bag very carefully.
Top stitch round the edge of the bag and close up
the small gap with small hand or machine stitches.
12. Press one 4½ x 22” handle strip - press ¼” over to W/S along
one long edge; press 1” over to W/S along the opposite edge. Press
again, ensuring that the smaller fold covers the raw edge of the
larger fold approximately in the middle of the band.
13. Sew along the centre of
the band and up and down
both sides. These three
rows of stitching make a
firm handle.
14. Repeat with the other
strip to make a second
handle.
15. Pin one end of one handle to one of the peaks.
16. Pin the other end to the
opposite peak.
17. Sew the handle firmly in
place.
18. Repeat with the other
handle - sewing it to the
other two peaks.
Give the bag a quick press. Decide which fabric will be on the outside, turn to suit. Grab your purse/handbag, credit card or check/
cheque book and go shopping!
To economise on material - a sling bag can be made from four Fat
Quarters if you use the scraps left over from cutting the rectangles to make the straps.
How about making the bag bigger or smaller by changing the sizes of the rectangles?
Larger rectangles = bigger bag = more shopping!
The Sling Bag originally came from SERGING FOR SOFTIES - Black Cats & Overlockers
A lighthearted book filled with natty notions and small projects from bags to boxes, tableware and a host
of other delectable delights, all eminently suitable for the serger although a sewing machine can be substituted. Humour rules throughout in the many hilarious anecdotes littering the text. It is a ‘must have’ for all
serger owners. (120 A4 pages: 200+ diagrams and colour plates: spiral bound.)
Jennie Rayment Copyright 2013 www.jennierayment.com