sewing project of the month baby diaper stacker

What you need: 1 yard of 45-60 wide decorative fabric for front, back and sides of diaper bag. yard of contrasting fabric for top of diaper bag. 1 1/2 yards of ribbon for ties Heavy cardboard measuring at least 8 x 12 1 1/4 yard of 22 wide interfacing for pattern pieces Thread to match Sewing machine Iron Pins Chalk pencil Hand needle Fabric glue or Fray Check *Remember to always read directions a few times so that all steps are very clear. This makes sewing so much faster and easier! The diaper bag is made up of three different pattern pieces. Here is how to draft the 3 pattern pieces onto your interfacing. Piece #1 Measures 22 x 23. This makes up the main part of the diaper bag (front and back). The top of this piece has markings for the pleats and the bottom has markings as well. Transfer all of these markings to the fabric. For easier viewing of the top and bottom of piece #1 they are shown in the next two pictures.

This is a close up of the top of piece #1 (pleat markings) Two sets of small dots at 6 and 14 and set of larger dots at 10 .

This is a close up of the bottom of piece #1. Place these dots on the seam allowance line.

Piece #2 measures 13 x 7. From the outside of the top outer corners make a mark in from each side on the seam allowance line.

Piece #3 measures 13 x 9 Mark the seam allowance around the pattern piece. On each corner make a small dot on the seam allowance (four dots total).

Pattern placement on fabric Fold your main fabric in half with selvages matching up. Place pattern piece #1 on the bottom of the fabric, with fold of pattern placed on fold of fabric, and cut out your fabric piece. Remember this pattern piece is placed on the fold, so be sure to transfer all markings to both the front and the back of the fabric.

Now open up the remaining of your main fabric and cut out three of the #3 pattern pieces.

Pattern piece #2 is cut out of the contrasting fabric. Open your fabric up and cut out two of the #2 pattern pieces.

Pleats: At the top of the bag there are two pleats. Start with one pleat first by ironing in a crease through the two sets of small dots.

Next take each of the creases and bring them to the larger dots.

Pin each side of the pleat down. Do the same for the other pleat.

On each of the outer edges of piece #1 you are going to fold the edge 1/2 in towards the wrong side of the fabric, and iron. Then fold over again , iron, pin the double fold down, and stitch 3/8 away from edge. See picture below.

This is an illustration of what piece #1 will look like with the top pleats and the sides with a double fold.

At the bottom of fabric piece #1 there are four small dots. For each of the four dots do the following Stitch through small dot, about 1 of stitching on each side of the dot.

Now make a cut up to the dot (but not through the stitching)

Placing the bottom in the bag Match up the four dots on the bottom piece #3 up with the four dots on the bottom of the bag #1 (wrong sides of fabric together).

In the picture you can see an F which stands for the front of the bag. This is where you will bring the two ends of the opening of the bag of piece #1 together. Abut the edges here and pin down.

Its easier to do this by making a mark at the center of the front edge of the bottom of the bag; again make sure this is where the bag opening is.

Take one of the top sections (piece #2) and place it right side up on the table in front of you. Cut your 1 1/2yards of ribbon into 4 equal lengths. Take two lengths of ribbon stack them and place them on the inside of the mark that you made on the upper right corner. Now stitch down the ribbon away from upper edge of fabric. Do the same thing on the left hand side.

Place the second piece #2, right side down over the like pattern piece that has the ribbon sewn to it. Pin it down around the three sides shown and sew together with a seam allowance. Add a little bit of fabric glue or fray check to the ends of each of the 4 ribbons to keep them from fraying.

Trim the two outer corners of the top piece at a diagonal almost at the stitching. Turn this piece inside out and iron flat.

At the top of the bag bring the top two edges together and sew down from the top.

Turn the diaper bag inside out. Take the upper part of the bag (contrasting fabric) keeping it right side out, place it upside down and into the inside the diaper bag, matching up the raw edges. (Two fabric pieces will be placed right sides together). The side seams of the top piece will match up with the large dots on the side of the diaper bag (the ones used in the pleating).

This is what it will look like when you pin it together. Sew around the edge with a seam allowance.

Take the two remaining bottom pieces and place them right sides together. Pin around three sides as shown. Stitch with a seam allowance. Trim off the two outer corners close to the stitching. Turn the fabric piece right side out, this creates a sleeve for the cardboard.

Slip the 8 x 12 cardboard piece into the bottom sleeve. Turn raw fabric edges to inside of opening and slipstitch closed by hand. Place this piece into the inside bottom of the diaper bag to add stiffness to the bottom of the bag.

Isnt this adorable!

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