I was going to skip making the March “Style Stitches” sew-along project, because I’d already made five of these Origami Bags. (You can read all about those back on the old blog here and here.)
This zippered bag is such a useful design, and easy to make. And I have plenty of fabrics and interfacing on hand. And last night I had some time in sewing room, but didn’t feel up to any more free-motion quilting on the current project. So I pulled some fave prints and got to work. I thought: “I’ll just get a start on it,” …. and, “might as well sew up the exterior pieces,”… and then “I suppose I could get the zipper done,” and next thing I knew it was almost pillow time and I’d made the whole thing.
Helped that I’m familiar with zips and gussets, and that I’d made this specific bag several times before, and didn’t have to puzzle my way through the denser parts of the instructions.
As you can see I got slightly creative by adding a third fabric to the exterior. Easy enough to do, although it creates one more seam line to match up carefully at the top. The interior fabric ate up a fat quarter of this pretty print. To me it looks like an abstract cherry blossom, and when I bought it I thought I’d use it up quickly. Unfortunately, although it looks great close up, from a distance the colors and print merge into a sick-looking fleshy mauve which is rather awful. It’s best here, where it will only be viewed at close quarters.
I made the ”large” size this time, BTW. It’s okay in quilting weight cotton with the woven Pelon 101 interfacing, but next time I’ll use a stiffer interfacing (or maybe fusible fleece) for this size; it’s a little floppy empty.
I’d hoped this would be a good size to hold my zipper stash, and it is. I ordered a ridiculous number of zippers in assorted colors and sizes from this Etsy vendor a few months back. It’s going to take me years (possibly decades!) to use them all, so in the meantime all those pretty zips need a home. Now they’ve got one.
What are you keeping in your origami bag(s)?
{ 5 comments }
Love your bag. I have a question on how did you sew the sides. I have followed the directions and my bag at the ends don’t look as nice as yours. Could you please help me
thanks
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl, gosh, I’m trying to think of some tips that might help… I followed the instructions, and honestly, some of my bags were better behaved than others. For this one, I used a zipper that was just barely long enough (because that’s the largest size I have, and I wasn’t about to go shop for one). The zipper stops at each end were just at the 1/2″ SA spot, and that may make a difference, as the zipper coil wasn’t sticking into the seam allowance at either end.
I do go slowly, and when sewing up the sides of the exterior, make sure to hold/push/coerce the lining SA and zip tape ends out of the way, and sew right up to the folded edge of the exterior. The lining side is trickier, get as close to the zipper as you can: I have to lift up my presser foot a little and hand-crank the wheel of my machine to get those last couple of stitches done. Careful and accurate 1/2″ seam allowances help with a good outcome, but I also think it’s somewhat up to the sewing gods how well it turns out.
Hi, Stephine, thanks for taking the time to help me out. I guess I’m doing everything the same way. I’ll just have to except they way they turn out, however I’m going to try Lisa Lam’s (the bag making bible) and see if I can get it to look better.
Thanks again,
Cheryl
I’ve featured your bag for this month’s inspiration post!
http://my-crafty-crap.blogspot.com/2011/03/origami-bag-set-inspiration.html
Thanks, Bree! Wouldn’t have got this one done without your sew-along.