Reversible Library Bag

What you'll need:

• 1 fabric strip for the contrast strip on the front, 5" x 15"
• 1 fabric strip for the left front, 4.5" x 15" 
• 1 fabric strip for the right front, 8" x 15"
• 1 piece of fabric for the back, 16.5" x 15"
• 2 pieces of fabric for the lining, each 16.5" x 15" 
• 4 pieces of fabric for the straps, each 1" x 18"
• 4 pieces of fusible interfacing for the straps, each 1" x 18" (optional)

Here's How:
Iron your fabric and cut out all pieces.

Place your contrast strip and left front piece right sides together and sew. Press the seam open.

Place your right front piece right sides together with the contrast strip and sew together. Press seam open.

I did a decorative edge stitch on the front at this point, but this is optional.

Place your bag front right sides together with the bag back. Sew together along the SIDES and BOTTOM. Not the top!

Creating the gussets:
Fold the bag so the side seams are centered on the top and bottom (on top of each other). This will make a point at the bottom of the bag. Measure 2" from the tip of the point and cut off in a straight line.

Pin each flap.

Sew each corner, separately. This is what your bag should look like at this point.

Onto the inside of the bag, the lining:
Place the two lining pieces right sides together and sew along the sides and bottom, just as you did the outside of the bag.

Now create the gussets just as you did for the outside of the bag - Side seams together, make a point, measure 2" up and cut a straight line. Pin and sew each flap.

Straps:
1. Fold each strap lengthwise wrong sides together and press.

2. Open the fold. Place interfacing above crease.

3. Fold fabric over interfacing and press. Place another interfacing strip below the crease and do the same for the bottom half of the fabric.

4. The bottom strap is what it should look like.

5. Fold strap in half at the crease and press.

Sew strap along the folded edge and along the open edge to close it up. Repeat on opposite strap.

Pin one strap to the front of the bag, each end 3 1/2" from the sides. Notice the bag is outside out now! The strap will lay on the outside of the bag once sewn on, until the lining is in. Sew in place. Repeat on the back side of the bag with other strap. Make sure you don't catch the other side of the bag when sewing the strap on.

Insert the outside bag into the lining, with the right sides touching. The straps go inside, too.

 Line up the side seams and pin in place. Sew together, leaving a 3" section open on the back. Flip it right side out now, through the opening you just left.

Tuck the lining to the inside of the bag. Press, tucking the raw edges of your open stitch to the inside of the bag. Edge stitch around the top of the bag to close up the opening and give it a nice finished look. Make sure the straps stay out of the way when you top stitch.

Reversible Coffee Cozy

Well, this project seemed easy - but I just couldn't get it! I threw my first three attempts away! I have no clue why I couldn't wrap my brain around it! Especially because, in the end, it's actually quite easy!

Hopefully the pain I went through for this will turn out a really great and well explained tutorial!

Here's what you'll need:

- Two coordinating fabrics (1/4 yard each)
- Insul-Bright (1/4 yard)
- 2 buttons
- Elastic
- Standard sewing equipment (Machine, rotary cutter/mat, tracing paper, pins)
- Cozy pattern or cardboard cozy to trace

For the fabric, I traced around a cardboard cozy I already had and added 1/4" all the way around. Then for the Insul-Bright, I traced around the cardboard without adding anything. I did it on plain paper and will save it for more cozies. 


Here's how:
Trace your template on the two fabrics and Insul-Bright. Cut it out. Cut your elastic 4 -5 inches long.

Make a loop with your elastic and lay the loop side on the right side of the fabric and on the inside on the fabric. 

Pin. Then sew across the elastic back and forth a few times to secure it on there.

Lay your fabric right sides together, making sure the loop is in between them and all you see is the tails of the elastic. Then lay the Insul-Bright down against the wrong side of one of the fabrics. This should be the order: 

Pin!!! With it this thick, pinning should be required! 

Start sewing from the bottom and go around, ensuring to leave a space big enough for you to flip it right side out! I usually do a reverse stitch at the beginning and end so it doesn't come unraveled as I flip.

For turning corners, make sure your needle is in the down position. Lift the presser foot and turn the fabric. You can manually put the needle down by turning the wheel on right side of your machine towards you.

Take care to clean up an Insul-Bright "dust" from your machine - it can be nasty!

Cut the corners off.  

Flip it right side out. Use either dull scissors or a point turner to get the corners all flipped correctly.

I hadn't cut off the corner yet, but if you look closely at the bottom, you can see where I left a gap for flipping.

Iron it and sew a top stitch all the way around. It can be a little rough with two layers of cotton, plus the batting, so take it slow! I used a seam ripper to get that little extra thread off when I was done, but scissors will work too. I just think the seam ripper gets closer to the fabric.

Now for the buttons! 

Fold your cozy so the ends meet and put a pencil through the loop. 

Make a mark at the farthest point the elastic reaches WITHOUT stretching it. This is where you will sew the buttons.

If you know how to sew on buttons, go for it! I didn't and had to look it up, so if you don't want to go searching around for how to do it - I added these instructions.

I would suggest using smaller buttons, it makes it easier to finish off the button at the end. I learned this the hard way, unfortunately.

Thread your needle, and tie a knot at the end. Push it through your mark on the fabric and then add a button on the side without the knot. Then go back through and add the button on the other side. Back and forth until you feel the buttons are secure enough. Anywhere from 6-10 times depending on a two-hole or four-hole buttons. I usually do it way more than I need to. Then on your last stitch, go through one button and out the fabric on the other side (not through the button though). 

I pulled on the buttons a little bit to loosen them up so I could get the elastic around them. Now, using the extra thread, wrap it around the thread between button and material about 6 times.

It was really hard to go and back stitch on the other side to finish it off, since I have a button there, so I just slide the needle through the thread and a little fabric.

Then I wrapped it around one time and did that again then cut the thread. Hopefully it stays put! If this doesn't I will let you know! However, I don't see why it won't.  

I would love to see pictures of a coffee cozy you made using this tutorial!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to pin this on Pinterest, but please don't use my pictures for any other reason without my permission!


Mandy

Fabric liner

I have finally gotten a tutorial on the fabric liner together! I am posting almost a billion pictures (because I’d rather use a tutorial that “shows” me how to do it, rather than just read it all). Hope you don’t mind!

If you haven’t sewn much before, may I suggest trying this out with a small basket first? If things go wrong, you will have used MUCH less fabric. Not to mention, trying with less fabric will be a lot easier. 

What you’ll need:

Fabric of your choosing (my diaper box only required ½ yard)

Measuring tape

Scissors (or rotary cutter and mat – I used these)

Thread

Pins

Sewing machine

Box or basket of your choosing

Here’s how:

In this tutorial I will refer to the “right side” and “wrong side” of the fabric.

Measure your box:

Start from the outside at the point in which you want your liner to go to. I wanted 3 inches of my liner to show on the outside of the box, so I started with 3 inches, then I took my measuring tape down the inside, across the bottom, back up the other side, and down 3 inches on the outside again. 

 

  

Do this for the length and width of your box. Cut your fabric in those measurements. Your fabric will be a big rectangle at this point.

This next part is my least favorite, because I hate trying to think through measurements. My husband helped me with this part, since he’s so smart!  I hope I can explain it so you understand! If not, just comment with your questions and I’ll get my answers posted for you!

Lay fabric out with the right side up and find the center point of the long side. So, if your fabric is 30”, your center point is going to be at 15”. Mark it with a pin. Now, measure the long side of the box. Add 1/2” to that measurement for seam allowance. Go ahead and divide that number by 2.

Example: Box = 10 long, add ½, making it 10 ½ total. 10 ½ divided by 2 = 5 ¼ 

Remember where that pin is? Now, measure your divided number (in the example it was 5 ¼) from that pin to the left and make a slit at the end of the fabric. Also do this from the pin to the right. You should end up with the box length plus a half inch in between your slits.

Repeat this same procedure on the other long side.

For the short sides, you will do the same procedure with your SHORT side of the box measurements (plus the ½” for seam allowance).

The next step will be cutting out squares in the four corners of your fabric, making a cross. Start with one corner, cut each slit on either side of the corner until the lines intersect, giving you a leftover square. 

I used a ruler to ensure a straight line and to know how far to cut that first slit. Repeat this on all four corners and VOILA, you have a cross.

If you want to ensure your measurements are right, measure each section and it should equal the box length plus ½”.

Now for the fun part! Sewing!

With your fabric laying right side up, fold side 1 onto side 2, lining up the sides evenly. Pin and sew.

Don't forget, we only left room for a 1/4" seam. 

When it is laid back down it will look like this:

Now you will sew side A to side B, just like you did with 1 and 2.

 Here’s how I folded it up to sew (I told you there would be a million pictures!).

A & B are sewn and here's the fabric laid out.

I’m sure you’ve got it figured out, but I took the pictures so I’ll add them anyways. You do the same to sides C and D, then one more time to E and F.

Almost done! Hemming it up: I folded my fabric like this so that I could fold all the sides over so that they were equal, since my cutting wasn't perfect. 

Then I ironed the folded tops.

Then go ahead and hem it all the way around.

Congrats! You’ve done it! You now have a fabulous liner made with the fabric you love! 

Questions? Here's your answers! 

Is it possible to do this without sewing? I don't think the liner would stay together without sewing it, but if you wanted to continue the canvas from the diaper box into the inside, spray adhesive would work for that.

Edit! "No-Sew Hem Tape" might work. 

I bought the fabric at Hobby Lobby! I love that store!