The Everyday Bag with Free Pattern | The Stitching Scientist

I found this nice combination of fabric in my stash and wanted to explore with it. I have always wanted to make the 1 hour bag from ric rac but never got around to it. This is similar with some variations. Its larger so I can fit all my essentials. It has buttons instead of magnetic snaps. I think the buttons accessorizes it nicely. Here is a pattern you can download. The dimensions of the bag ended up being about 8 inches long and 16 inches wide. You can modify the pattern based on what dimensions you want. Just remember to keep the basic shape. See the ric rac tutorial for a smaller size.

Here is what you need

1/4 yard cotton fabric

1/4 yard coordinating lining

1/4 yard interface (firm)

2 pieces of 6 inch square for the pockets

2 strips of 3 inches x 30 inches for the straps

1 large button

Download Pattern

Print out the pattern and cut two on fold of the fabric, lining and interface.

Sew your two pieces for your pockets with right sides facing each other leaving about 3 inches open so you can turn it inside out when you are done.

Turn the pocket inside out and sew it onto the right side of one of the lining pieces. Then top stitch all around the pocket leaving the top open.

Now, take the other piece of the lining and sew it together (except the top) with the one with the pocket, right sides facing each other, leaving about a 5 inch opening at the bottom.

Take your interface and iron onto the wrong side of the main fabric pieces. Then, with the right sides of the main fabric pieces facing each other, stitch all the way around leaving the top open. Turn it inside out and iron out the seams.

Now take the main fabric piece and put it inside the lining piece so that the right side of the main fabric pieces is facing the right side of the lining piece.

Sew the top of the main fabric and lining together.

Turn the entire bag inside out using the 5 inch opening in the lining.

Top stitch the opening so that its closed. No one will see the inside bottom of the bag so don’t worry about the stitch showing. Now, fit the lining neatly into the main fabric piece and iron down the top. Once ironed, top stitch all the way around the top.

Now onto the straps! Take your two pieces and put interfacing on both. Iron down. Sew the two pieces together with right sides facing each other.

Turn it inside out and iron down so its nice and neat.

You can finish the ends by folding down about 1/4 inches down and then form a triangle, like the pic below. Or, you can do it however else you know. There are other ways to finish it. I just thought this looked good on this design. Do this for both ends.

Now sew each end of the straps on each end of the bag. I did a X stitch to ensure its nice and secure but any other method will work.

The ric rac tutorial suggested buttons on the straps so you can go ahead and do that now if you want to. I did not have extra buttons, so I skipped this step. For the closure, I did not do the magnet snaps because I did not have any. Instead, I did a simple strap and button closure which I thought accessorized the bag quite well.

That’s it! This took about 1 and half hours and cost about $7 to make:-)