Seam allowance is 1cm unless otherwise stated.

To make this Cosmetic bag you need: 30cm of main (focus) fabric. 30cm lining fabric. 30cm of contrast fabric for bias strips and handles. 1 small piece of Lamifix (optional) can use metallic bag feet as an alternative (also optional). (Lamifix is an iron-on, water-resistant product). 30cm stiff (sew-in) interfacing. I have used a felt interfacing. If you prefer, you can use a combination of a thin wadding, backed by interfacing. 20cm thinner (iron-on) interfacing for handle pieces. small piece of very stiff interfacing for bag base (can also insert plastic bag base piece). 1m piping cord. 0.5m endless zip in matching colour (match to main fabric). 1 strip fusible web (as used in applique). Thick cord for handles can also use thin plastic tubing. CUTTING OUT: PLEASE NOTE: direction of pattern placing on fabric is indicated by the writing on the pattern piece.

CORRECT:

INCORRECT:

FOCUS FABRIC (Main outer bag fabric): Cut 2 x Piece A Front & Back Cut 2 x Piece B Base of zip Cut 2 x Piece C Zip strips Cut 1 x Piece D Bag Base Cut the same pieces in lining fabric From felt interfacing CUT: 2 x Piece A Front & Back 2 x Piece B Base of zip 2 x Piece C Zip strips 2 x 50cm x 7cm strips for the handles Place Interfacing behind each Focus fabric piece. Cut 1 x Piece D Bag Base from small piece of stiff interfacing Cut 1 x Piece D in Lamifix (fusible plastic) You can read my review of Lamifix here: http://bydi.blogspot.de/2012/07/making-fabric-waterresistant.html

CUT FROM CONTRAST FABRIC: 2 x 50cm x 7cm strips for the handles iron on the interfacing you cut for these on the wrong side of them 2 x tabs 8cm x 6cm (these go either end of the zip) Also in your pack: Bias strips in contrast fabric Piping cord Thick cord for handles 1x 50cm (endless) zip with zip head Thin strips of Bond-a-web to make piping cord GETTING READY: To add the zip head to the endless zip, please watch this short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf1hKvZA1As&feature=g-upl Once you have added the zip head, I recommend taking a lighter (flame) & carefully melting the teeth together at each end of the zip so that you cannot accidentally pull the zip head off again. Please do this carefully as zips are made of synthetic material that is very flammable! Do not burn the zip, just melt the teeth enough to stick them together. Apply Vlieseline Lamifix to the right side of the base piece of cosmetic bag Follow manufacturers instructions http://www.vlieseline.de/English/Products/Interfacings/Creative_R ange/Lamifix.htm My review here: http://bydi.blogspot.de/2012/07/making-fabric-waterresistant.html Please remember that it not ideal to wash this plastic coating, so if you need to wash this bag often, rather skip adding this plastic coating you may then wish to add 4 metallic bag feet to the base of the bag. For your information, not part of this tutorial: Bag feet are not included in your pack. They look like:

They come in various colours and sizes, and are very simple to apply. Mark where to place the feet on the bag base, iron on small squares of interfacing on the wrong side of the bag base (inside) at these marks. Make two small slits for the prongs to go through with your quick unpick, slide the prongs through these slits, bend the prongs out at a 90 degree angle. Iron interfacing over the prongs to secure. Apply the thicker (stiffer) piece of interfacing to the wrong side of the FOCUS FABRIC Base piece (that you have just added the lamifix to the right side of). STARTING TO SEW: A.Making the small tabs Take the two tab pieces you cut in your contrast fabric (8cm x 6cm) 1. Fold your small tabs in half length wise (right sides together) & iron down

2.

Stitch down open side, quite close to edge.

3. Turn right way around - I find a chop stick or a larger crochet hook useful to turn these pieces right way around do not use anything too pointy it can poke through & make holes! Iron flat, fold in half (short sides together to form a loop) and iron down.

Put aside for now B.Making your piping cord Your bias strips have been cut for you, and are included in your pack. You are going to make the piping cord from these strips. If you make another bag in the future & you are not sure how to cut the strips, please follow the steps below (in green):

Cut your strip on the bias. This means at a 45 degree to the grainline. This is made simple with a rotary board with the necessary markings - usually sold for patchwork. Then place this 45 degree line along one of the ruled lines on the mat & cut each strip 4cm wide.

You will need to cut quite a few strips (depending on how many meters you need for your project), and then join them on the diagonal 1. Join your (4cm wide) bias strips by flowing the instructions on this post: http://bydi.blogspot.de/2012/08/the-trick-to-joining-biasstrips.html

2. Iron open the joins. 3. Cut off the corners that stick out beyond the tape as well as any threads from stitching up your strip. 4. Take the strips of Bond-a-Web in your pack & iron these down just off centre of the bias tape you have made, the entire length of the tape. Place the Bond-a-Web so that the cord will be kept snugly in place when you iron it down. 5. Place piping cord down the center of the joined strip, starting at one end, pull off the paper from the Bond-a-Web and iron the two sides of the bias strip together, matching the long edges and keeping the piping cord down the centre, snugly in place. Your piping cord should have an even 1cm seam allowance. C.Making up your Bag Outer Put your zip foot onto your machine. 1. Placing one Bag Piece A (Front / Back) with the felt interfacing behind it, add the piping cord to the curved edge. Do same to other Piece A.

Make snips through ONLY the felt interfacing & Bag piece A as shown in diagram below (in blue). Snip from edge to seam, BUT be VERY careful not to cut through the stitching!! It is better to use only the tip of very sharp scissors so that you have more control (rather than cutting with the middle of the blade of your pair of scissors).

Put this piece aside. 2. Now take One Piece C (with felt interfacing behind it) and place it right side up. Place the zip on top of this, right side down (so that the two are right sides together) & join(still using your zip foot) with a straight stitch.

Your pack includes a longer zip than this project requires so that you can leave the head of the zip off your working area and out

of the way, making it easier to stitch down!

Once seam is stitched, open this seam out well & pin to zip salvage to keep 1st piece C out of the way as you stitch the 2nd

Piece C onto the other side of the zip.

Match the top ends of C & stitch down.

Now open out & pin flat

Do not worry if the two ends of Piece C do not match up 100% perfectly you will see mine do not either.

3. Pin one of the tabs you made over the zip (the end without the zip head), lining it up with the shorter piece C and sew in place. 4. Place Piece B (with felt interfacing behind it) right sides together with this seam.

Stitch this seam together, using your normal sewing machine foot & use a 1cm seam allowance. Go slowly over the zips teeth, your machine can sew through them, do not be frightened, trust your machine... just go nice & slow. Trim off any excess zip. This is what you now have:

My sewing machine is just holding it in place for the photo, we are not stitching here . Put this piece aside until

Pop your zip foot back on. 5. Place Piece B (with felt interfacing behind) right side down on right side of right-hand-side (RHS) end of piped Piece A (Front/ Back).

Match up the edges as shown (purple arrows) below

Stitch along stitching that held piping on as best as possible, stop 3cm from the edge of Piece B. Place a pin *in at the point where Piece B would join to A (yellow arrows below)

Now pick up piece you created in step 4 5. Match B end of this piece to the opposite end of same A Piece and start stitching these together along, keeping (as much as possible) to the line of stitching already in place to add the piping to Piece A.

Keep going matching the edges of A (blue arrows) to the edges of C (Purple arrows) until you get 2cm away from the pin you placed *

Move the head of the zip out of your way by unzipping the zip.

Pin the two sides flat

6. Add the 2nd tab you created to the center of piece B and sew in place, ensuring it is the same length as the 1st tab. 7. Join edge B to edge with zip that you pinned flat. Use a pin to hold the zip together so that your fingers are nowhere near the machines needle, but the zips teeth stay together.

This is what you should have:

Trim off excess zip 8. Stitch the gap left together, continuing to follow the stitching holding the piping to piece A.

Below is what you should now have, with Piece B on each end being equal length.

9. Add the other Piece A to the other edge along the red arrows in the picture above.

This is what you now have:

10. Unzip the zip and turn wrong side out. Start at one corner & start attaching Bag Base D. Flatten the piping to the outside at each corner & stop with your needle in the center of the piping cord when you turn the corner.

Sew to the next matching corner, then leave needle down in fabric holding it in place, lift foot, swivel top fabric (bag top) to match the next seam (at a right angle to the one you have just joined) put foot down again, sew to next corner, matching the egdes up as you go

Continue until base is completely added to the bag top.

11. Trim off excess seam allowance & trim off the corners being careful not to cut through any stitching. This will help the corners turn out nicely. Turn the bag the right way around. Flatten the seams. Place some clips (or clothes pegs, hairclips...) to hold it in place & train the fabric to go the right way, this will ensure that only the plastic covered base touches the surface the bag is placed on.

That is the bag outer complete!

D. Making up your Handles 2 x 50cm x 7cm strips for the handles Take one: 1. Fold 1cm on each short end towards the wrong side of the fabric, iron in place

2. Fold in a 2mm seam on each long edge of the fabric, iron in place

3. Fold in half down long side, matching the edges Starting at the short open end, stitch together. When you get to the corner, leave your machine needle down, lift foot, swivel fabric & carry on sewing the seams together.

When you get to the other end, you may have to fold the corners under so they do not stick out. Use a pin to hold in place while you

sew. This keeps fingers out of harms way!

4. Now take your thick piping cord and place in centre of this strap, leaving the 1st 4cm free. Fold strap in half around the cord. Using your zip foot again, stitch two edges together, trapping the cord between them.

Keep going until you are 4cm away from other edge. STOP stitching, back stitch, cut cord close to stitching.

E. Adding handles to your Bag Outer 1. Cut one of the handle positioning squares out of your pattern piece A and lay it over one side of your bag, using a magic fabric

marker, draw this square in.

Flip the pattern piece over & draw the other square for the other side of the handle You now have two placement squares Repeat for other side of bag

2. On the inside of the bag iron on two blocks of interfacing about 4cm square in the same place as the (purple) squares on the outside of the bag. This is to reinforce the handle. 3. Line one side of handle with one block

Place needle directly over stitching

Start stitching. When you get to corner, put machine needle down (into fabric), lift foot, swivel fabric, carry on.

4.

Sew a cross through the middle of the block you have sewn.

5. Repeat for other side of handle making sure you do not twist the handle as you place the 2nd side. 6. Repeat for 2nd handle. Put the outer bag aside, as we will now sew up our lining. F. Making the Bag Lining To ensure the bag inner fits into the bag outer, we are going to trim off small amounts of our bag inner pieces: 1. 2. 3. 4. TRIM 2cm off: one long and one short side of Base piece the bottom edge of each Piece A Front & Back the long side of each Piece C Zip strips the short side of each Piece B Base of zip

1.

Zig zag one long side of each Piece C.

2. Fold this seam under 1cm to the wrong side of the fabric and iron in place.

3. Join these to one piece B, using the width of Piece B as a placement guide for each C piece.

Iron flat

4. Place 2nd Piece B on RHS end of A right sides together, and stitch down until 3cm from the edge of piece B

(sewing machine is just holding piece in place for photo we will not stitch here!)

5. Place a pin where the yellow arrow shows in picture above (edge of Piece B)

6. Starting at the LHS bottom corner of Piece A, start joining the joined piece from step 3.

Stitch around curve of A until you are 2cm away from the pin you placed

7.

Join B to C at this point.

8. Go back over the edge seam of A where you left a gap to close up the gap.

9.

Repeat for the other A piece

You now have:

10. Add the (trimmed) base piece the same way you did for Bag Base. It will be easier as there is no piping cord to deal with.

You now have:

The Bag Outer & the inner Trim all the seam allowance from inner bag, being careful not to snip through stitching

G. Joining it all together! 1. Place the inner bag wrong side out (as it is shown in the photo above) inside the outer bag. 2. Match up the seams of the two bags so that the curves of Piece A match up, and the bag bases match up. 3. Now stitch the inner onto the outer at the zip seam. NOT TOO CLOSE to the zip or you will have trouble opening & closing the zip! Make sure your bobbin thread matches your outer bag as the stitches will be seen from the outside. You can also do this by hand if you prefer

4.

Do this on both sides

5. Stitch the open ends of the bag inner to the bag outer by hand, closing all the gaps between them. Keep your stitches small so they are not too visible. Well done! You have completed your bag!

Please note: You can make as big a bag as you like, simply by printing the pattern enlarged by the same % throughout (eg. Print all pattern pieces at 200%).