Monday, November 20, 2017

Bag It - Basic Zip Bag Variations


When I want to make a small gift for a friend, my go-to is a zipped bag.  These bags are fun to make and give you the opportunity to use some pretty fabric.  You can make them in all different sizes - with or without boxed corners.

My basic tutorial for making a zip bag can be found here .   For the bags shared in today's post, I just changed the dimensions and started with fabric cut 9 x 7''.  Corners were boxed at 1 ½ '' using this tutorial.

For my second bag, I wanted it to be extra special and useful so I added a pocket made from mesh for inside the bag.


I cut the mesh slightly bigger than I wanted the pocket to be and then trimmed it down later.  Here is how I added the inside pocket.

  1. To top edge of mesh, sew a 1 ½  '' strip of fabric, folded in half, WST.
  2. Fold strip back over the top of the mesh - as you would a binding - and stitch
  3. Positioned the pocket 1 ½ '' from the top of the lining and pin.  To finish off the bottom of the pocket, place a strip of lining fabric (2'' by width of the pocket) right side down aligning with the bottom of the pocket.  Sew.
  4. Flip the strip of lining fabric down and then stitch the side seams 1/8'' from edge.


I wanted my bag to open as wide as possible so I followed Noddlehead's tutorial for zipper installation part for the Open Wide Zipper Pouch and used a 14'' zipper.


Both of these bags were made exactly the same way except for the zipper installation.  The benefits to the zipper hanging outside the bag?  The bag really opens wide.


See the difference?  Remember these start from the same 9 x 7 panels and are both boxed the same.  The dark blue even fits inside the light blue!


I won't scare you with the count down for the holidays but it is coming fast.  Perhaps some zipped bags are in your future too?  Fill them with gift cards, candy or maybe some sewing supplies!









Have a wonderful day! Patty

6 comments:

  1. Cute bag and I love your idea of adding mesh inside. Truly great gifts. As I've not yet mastered the zippers in this bag (never seem to be consistent for me), I will be "practicing" again and also make some for Christmas gifts. Currrently I'm trying to learn the ruler snap bags and not doing too well on my lst one. Err.

    QuiltShopGal
    www.quiltshopgal.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. OH wow - I have lots o'mesh ... why haven't I been using it for pockets?! That's so creative ... and doable!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cute bag...love the mesh pocket!!
    cwayons(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. so cute Patty, love your mesh pocket!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love to make zip bags. So quick and easy. Yours will make really lovely gifts.

    -Soma

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting Elm Street Quilts. Looking forward to hearing from you!