This is a large squashy bag that holds everything you need for a busy day. It has a key strap and an internal pocket; and two shoulder straps with a cute button detail. I named it the Wasp Bag because the
original used a fabric from Echino with wasps on it. I hope you enjoy making and using it.
notes
The original wasp bag had straps made from a red leather belt I found at a market. The belt ends were an unusual tear-drop shape, and I decided to use this shape to advantage by putting it on the outside of the bag and fixing it with a button. In the pattern I have reproduced the tear-drop shape, and assumed that you will make it with fabric.
If you do want to use leather, cut the outer handles without seam allowances, don’t interface the handles, and ignore any references in the pattern to seam allowances for the outer handles.
The finished bag is approximately 46cm x 36cm x 12cm (18” x 14” x 5”).
All dimensions in the pattern are in centimetres (cm) with approximate imperial measurements in brackets following. Seam allowances of 1cm (3/8”) are included in all pattern pieces.
Materials, Notions and Tools
• 100cm x 70cm (40” x 28”) canvas-weight fabric for the bag
• 100cm x 70cm (40” x 28”) lining fabric
• 75cm x 15cm (30” x 6”) lining fabric to line the straps
• 75cm x 15cm (30” x 6”) canvas weight fabric for the strap – either contrasting or same as
the bag or leather
• 100cm x 100cm ( 40” x 40”) stiff iron-on interfacing (you want it to be pretty stiff, but not Timtex-stiff. The stiffer it is, the more your bag will hold its shape)
• 2 large buttons about 3cm (1¼“) diameter.
• A magnetic snap close – you can ‘harvest’ one from an old bag, or buy them online at U-HandBag.
• Heavyweight thread to match the canvas (top-stitching thread is ideal)
• Double-sided bond-a-web or hemming tape (optional)
• A key clip
• A heavy needle for your sewing machine
• Contrasting thread for basting
• Tailor’s chalk or similar – you will be marking the right side of the fabric, so don’t choose anything permanent.
Printing and cutting the pattern
DOWNLOAD PDF Pattern and Tutorial
There are six pages to the pattern. Print them at A4 size.
You will see some of them marked with little symbols like this:
Match up these symbols and sticky-tape the sheets together to make the pattern pieces. You can lay out the
pattern to take advantage of the pattern of your chosen fabric. Just make sure you keep the centre folds of the
bottom and top, and the straight edges of the strap on the grain of the fabric.
Instructions
1. Cut out all of the pattern pieces.
2. You also need to cut:
• a piece of canvas about 15cm x 20cm (6” x 8”) for the pocket;
• a piece of canvas about 5cm (2”) wide and as long as you want for the key strap.
• A circle of interfacing about 5cm (2”) diameter
Pattern pieces: (1) Bottom – cut 2 in canvas (“shell”), 2 in interfacing and 2 in lining fabric. (2) Outer tops. Cut 2 in canvas and 2 in interfacing. (3) Inner tops. Cut 2 in canvas. (4) Strap. Cut two in strap fabric or leather (‘outer handle’), 2 in interfacing and 2 in lining fabric (‘handle lining’). (5) Pocket. Cut 1 in canvas. (6) Key strap. Cut 1 in canvas. (7) Interfacing for magnetic snap. Cut 1 in interfacing.
3. Transfer the pleat marks and dart marks to the wrong side of the bottom pieces (shell and lining); and the handle placement marks to two of the top pieces (these will be referred to as the outer tops). Also transfer the seam line to the outer handle pieces and handle lining pieces. Make a mark in the middle of the centre line of the other two tops – these will now be referred to as the ‘inner tops’
Handles
4. Iron on the interfacing to the wrong side of the outer top.
5. Iron on the little circle of interfacing to the wrong side of the inner top centered where you made the marks on the centre line in step (3).
6. Iron on the interfacing to the wrong sides of the outer handle.
7. Turn over the seam allowances on the outer handle and handle lining; and press well. Clip into the seam allowance if required to make the pieces sit as flat as possible.
8. Carefully line up the outer handle and the handle lining and pin together. If your lining fabric is slippery, put a strip of bond-a-web between the outer handle and handle lining and press to stick them together.
9. Place the inner and outer tops right sides together. Slide the square end of the handle between the two pieces, with the handle lining facing the inner top. Match up with the handle marks, and place the seam line on the handle 1cm (3/8”) from the edge of the tops.
10. Baste in place; and turn the tops right way out to check that the handle meets the top at a right angle, and that the handle lining is on the same side as the inner top. Adjust as necessary and baste firmly by hand.
11. Stitch along the sides and top of the tops. Press seam open, clip corners and turn right way out. Poke the corners out so that they are nice and sharp
12. Place tear-drop ends of handles on outer top to match markings. Baste or pin in place.
13. Place button on mark on tear-drop. Hand stitch through button, strap and outer top.
14. Top stitch the handle lining and handle strap together, starting at the square end of the strap and going round the tear-drop, stitching it through the outer and inner tops, then stitching back down the other edge of the handle to the square end. Tie off the threads and take the ends inside the tops with a needle before clipping them.
15. Repeat 4-14 for the other set of tops and handle.
16. Place the two completed tops together and insert the magnetic snap where marked. If you haven’t inserted a snap before
Take a break and have a nice cup of tea. The hardest part is now behind you!
Bottom
17. Iron on the interfacing to the bottom shell
18. Sew the darts at the bases of the bottom shells. Clip the dart seam about 0.5cm (¼”) from the stitching, and press open.
19. Sew the darts at the bases of the bottom linings. Do not clip.
20. Pin the bottom shells right sides together, matching up the dart seams. Stitch right around the sides and base. Press this seam open. Turn right way out – the dart seams should line up neatly, giving the bag a base.
21. Do the same for the bottom lining, but leave a 20cm (8”) gap in the base seam. Press the seam
allowances over in this gap.
22. Fold the bottom shell at the pleat marks, and bring the pleat marks together. Hand-baste the pleat into place quite firmly along the seam line. Do the same for the lining.
Pocket & Key Strap
23. To make the key strap, fold the long edges over into the middle and press. Fold in half lengthwise and press again (it’s about 1cm (3/8”) wide). Topstitch close to the folded edges. Loop one end of the strap through the top of the key clip, and bar-tack in place.
24. To make the pocket, fold the pocket piece in half lengthwise, right sides together, and sew the side seams together, stopping 1 cm (3/8”) from the raw edge. Fold one raw edge right back and press and pin into place.
Putting it all together
25. With the shell right way out, place the pocket in the shell and position the raw edge of the pocket in line with the raw edge of the shell, and baste along the seam line (see picture right)
26. Baste the key strap to the shell near the side seam.
27. With outer tops facing the right sides of the shell, baste the tops to the shell along the seam line. The sides of the tops should meet the side seams of the bottom exactly. If they don’t you need to take in or let out the pleats on the shell; then make the same adjustment to the pleats on the lining.
28. Turn the shell inside out. Put the lining and the tops inside the lining. Pin or hand baste the
lining to the tops and shell around the seam line.
29. What you should see is the wrong sides of the lining and the shell with the tops and handles
and key strap all tucked away between them; and the pocket sitting outside as in the sketch at right.
30. Stitch right around sewing these raw edges together, starting at the pocket. Take it slowly,
and don’t be afraid to stop if you suspect things might be shifting about.
31. When you have gone right round and are back at the pocket, stop, wind the needle down, and
unpin the lining from the pocket. Then sew across the top of the pocket (ie, you are sewing the pocket to the top and bottom, but not to the lining).
32. Turn so that the lining is to the outside. Put your hand through the gap in the base of the lining, and grab one of the handles. Pull everything through the gap in the lining.
33. Slip-stitch the gap in the base of the lining closed, and poke the lining into the bag.
34. Remove the pin from the turned-back seam allowance on the pocket, and slip-stitch the lining to the pocket.
You should now be the proud owner of a wasp bag.
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