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UGH, I tried for almost 2 hours last night to post this, and the Amity site kept crashing on me!!!!

OK, here we gooooooooo:

First, you need to cut out the pattern pieces. You'll def want to make a pattern, cause you'll make this bag more than once!

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=556691

Body Piece: cut rectangle 23 3/4" x 10 1/4"

Pocket Piece: cut rectangle 7.5" x 6.5"

Strap Piece: cut rectangle 27.5" x 1 3/4"

MARKINGS

Body
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=556694

Make a dot about 2 1/2" from short edge at all four corners.

Body
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=556710

Make a line 1 1/5" down on both of the short sides of the body.


More in next post..........

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MARKINGS CON'T

Body
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=556711

The final marking on the body is a bit tricky. It is the pocket placement.
On one side, put a dot about 4 ½" down from the short side and 2" from the long side.
On the same side, put a dot about 9 ¾" down from the short side and 2" from the long side.
Do this again on the other side.
Now, connect the dots in a "U" shape with the open part of the "U" toward the top.

The final Body Piece will look like this:

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=556716

Pocket
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=556712

Make a line ¾" down from a long side. This will be the fold line.

Make a double line down the middle of the pocket from long side to long side. This will be the middle stitch line for the pocket.

More in next post..........

Now that you have your pattern pieces, it's time to place them on the fabric and cut. There are two choices. For just one bag, use fabric cut: 29" of outer fabric.
Lay the fabric out flat so there is no fold. Then lay the pattern pieces out like this (in the space between the strap piece and the body piece, put enough distance so you can fit 4 staps. I didn't for the picture because it made it too big to get all in one shot):

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=556874

Cut one body and one pocket piece. For the straps, you'll need 4 pieces, so use the left over fabric and get all 4 of your straps.

For making 2 bags, use the fabric cut: 33" of outer fabric.
Fold your fabric matching selvages. Here is your layout:

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=556881

Sinice the pieces are on the folded fabric, they'll cut out:

2 body
2 pockets

Now, move the strap pattern around so you get *8* strap pieces.

Take your 26" of inner fabric and lay out just your body piece. Cut one if you're doing just one bag, and two if your doing two bags.

Now, you have all your cut pieces. I'll do another big post once I get all the next step sewn. To be continued......

This is great!! the pictures are wonderful.

Bumping so I can find this and make my pattern when I get back tonight. :)

Thank you for doing this.

Bumping for ya Mamas !

Bumping cause I'm working on the next steps..........

Marcey

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Are all your pieces cut out? Are you ready???

First, transfer all your marks from the pattern piece to the body piece. Esp the four corner dots and the pocket placement:

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=559906

POCKET:

I don't know how you do your pockets, but here is my method. Feel free to do your own. I just thought I'd share:

First, I serge the top edge of the pocket.
Then, I iron the fold line and stitch the top of the pocket across the serged seam.

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=559909

Next, I iron the two sides seams under.
With right sides together, line the bottom of the pocket up with the bottom line of the pocket marking. The pocket piece will be a mirror image to the finished pocket placement. Stitch.

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=559912

More in next post............

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When doing the pocket, I like to tuck the upper corners under in a triagle so that when they are stitched down, the raw edges don't show:

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=559914

Now, flip the pocket up in it's place and stitched the sides. Also, stitch the double line down the center of the pocket so that now there are two pockets! I don't know why the pocket looks crooked in the pict, it's not. LOL

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=559925

You might want to re-enforce the two outer pocket edges by sewing an extra bit on the edge in a triangular shape:

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=559926

More in next post............

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BODY:

Now, put the body piece's right sides together (outer and liner). Make sure you can see the four corner dots. These are very important! I marked mine with pins. Stitch only from one dot to the other across the short sides of the body. Do this on both short sides. Clip the four corners.

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=559930

Make sure you back stitch to re-enforce the start and finish seams for each dot.

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=559932

OK! Part 3 in a day or so. The next part is a bit tricky, so it gets its own post. Till then, happy bag sewing.

Are you Mamas playing along? How's it going? Are the directions ok? Clear? Fuzzy? In a foreign language?

and it's not at all your fault that altho i'm pretending to play along, i'm actually just watching!! LOL!! I'm stuck on the 'i don't have anything handy to make a pattern out of' step!! I'm heading into our 'big city' nearby tomorrow so will try and grab up some of whatever it is & start tomorrow evening maybe. Please don't get discouraged & give up - i'm with you in spirit if not in reality!!

Got great strawberry fabric & red gingham to make em out of, so i'm totally excited, just need the rest of my gear!!

keep up the awesome work!!!

Originally posted by twirlymama
I'm stuck on the 'i don't have anything handy to make a pattern out of' step!!

Hey, just use wax paper. I've done it before and it works fine!

Marcey

I'm following along, but not actually sewing anything:) I have about 15 things cut and several other UFOs around here so I'm trying my best not to do anything new. I'm also a "big picture" person, so I tend to wait until the sewalong is finished so I can do everything at once:) Keep going! Please please! and I second the wax paper...it works just fine.

j

off to see if there *is* any in my kitchen!! I know i have unbleached parchment paper, but i'll have to check it for transparency...... otherwise, tomorrow i'll hit joann's for the real thing!!

thanks for the helpful hint! ;)

susie

Gosh you don't know how anxiously I check this forum daily for your next post:D
I'm starting to teach my cousin to sew and she really wants to make one of these. (Out of my $10 a yard panda fabric I bought on vacation to make a special shirt for me, darn her!) I can't express how excited I am about teaching her though. It seems growing up is making her more sensitive, patient, and creative, and I want to do all I can to foster this. Plus if I help her out with a new talent than her family can brag about her talent more than her beauty.(she's always be a very pretty child, however she's gaining a lil weight and I'm afraid she may become self concious and feel she is losing her best attribute- IMO I don't think it's her best attribute but I think the focus on her cuteness all these years might make her think it is.) whew- OT I know. Sorry about that you guys:). Starleigh

Editting to add: Will this be big enough for a ten year old?

Originally posted by Starleigh
Gosh you don't know how anxiously I check this forum daily for your next post:D

I'm starting to teach my cousin to sew and she really wants to make one of these.

Editting to add: Will this be big enough for a ten year old?

Oh, I'm so glad you're excited about this sew a long. Dh had a special meeting at work and was gone for 13 hours today. UGH, so, no sewing today. Lots of art projects and a long herb walk, but no sewing.

Good for you! I'm so glad you're teaching her to sew. It's a wonderful thing for women to pass on (since so few men sew, and even fewer will admit it, it's more a woman thing LOL).

As for the size. It would make a perfect purse for her! Def not for packing for a sleep over, but great for lots of "girl things". My dd walked around the neighborhood for a few hours today with hers on. It had her two waldorf dolls stuffed inside. She had on her native american tunic, and it looked like she was carrying her babies on her back! :rolleyes: It was a looooooong day. LOL OH, and she'd be really upset if she caught me calling her dd, today she was Red Hawk, the medicine woman.

Originally posted by lovebugsmama
LOL OH, and she'd be really upset if she caught me calling her dd, today she was Red Hawk, the medicine woman.

LOL!!! I know this one. When my Cousin's son was six or so and sailing with his Grandma (My aunt) he jumped up on the cabin and yelled out, "Gramma, don't call me Seth any more, call me Cheif Wind In His Hair". Mind you he had a buz cut. He was going through his native american faze. My grandmother made him the most beautiful costume for halloween and I still have it waiting for when I have children. (this was five or six years ago) Starleigh

Originally posted by Starleigh
LOL!!! I know this one. When my Cousin's son was six or so and sailing with his Grandma (My aunt) he jumped up on the cabin and yelled out, "Gramma, don't call me Seth any more, call me Cheif Wind In His Hair". Mind you he had a buz cut. He was going through his native american faze. My grandmother made him the most beautiful costume for halloween and I still have it waiting for when I have children. (this was five or six years ago) Starleigh

That's great! Wind In His Hair! ROFLMAO !!! My name is Growing Tree and dh's is Papa Bear Chief (named by dd). This "native american faze" has been going strong for about 2.5 years! So, it's pretty much a part of our lives. Horses, Native Americans, Volcanoes, and the color purple. Welcome to my life ! LOL

Marcey

just wanted to chime in with, "I'm following along but will wait to sew until I see the whole picture." Definitely want to make up several of these to add to the gift box for the unexpected birthday or what not.
So far your directions are great :)

bump

[Part 3, courtesy of Marcey's reconstructing this whole thread, after its being deleted by mistake. Thanks for your hard work, Marcey! - RocketScientist]

All right Mamas, here are the last steps. Lots of pictures, so get a cup of tea and get ready.

[read below for all the steps and pictures - RS]

OK, I can't wait to see all your bags!!! I'll take a pict of my dd with her bag some time tomorrow so you can get a feel for it's finished size. She's been carrying her babies on her back with her bag. LOL

First, lay out your two body pieces and find the center line:
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921244

Pick the bag up by the two center positions. Now, right sides together, match what used to be the top seams in the center (the location of the large dots).
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921246

Lay the bag flat with the seams/dots matched. There will be one flap sticking up and another tucked under.
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921248

Stitch from one matched seam edge (dot) all the way to the folded edge of outer fabric on both sides. Back stitch at the dots to reinforce seams. Repeat on the other side of the bag (lining fabric), except **leave an opening so you can flip the bag!
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921253

Showing opening........
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921254

Flip bag through the opening and press edges. Slip stitch the opening.
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921256

Tuck lining inside bag. Fold top flap to make casing for straps. Stitch down. Do on both sides
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921259

Make straps:

1. Stitch two of the strap pieces together. Repeat with the other two strap pieces so now you have two looooong straps.
2. Press the straps in half length wise with right sides out.
3. Press to the inside both the raw edges so the strap resembles bias tape.
4. Press one last time so the two edges are inside and the strap is nice and crisp.
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921261

Stitch close to both long edges. Tie knots in the ends
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921263

Starting and ending at one side edge of bag, insert one strap through casings, having ends extend evenly.

Starting at the opposite side of bag, insert the other strap through casing in same manner.
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921264

Match the two straps on one side on top of each other. Starting 2" from the bag edge (be sure bag is completely open !!), stitch all the way to the knots. Repeat on the other side.
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921265

On the front side of your bag (the side with the pocket, even though my bag doesn't have a pocket LOL), match the strap to the same side at the bottom bag edge. Place the bottom of strap diagonally in corner and double stitch. Repeat on other side.
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921270

Your bag should now look like this:
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921274

And, when cinched up, it looks like this
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921276

On my model stuffed with 2 dolls:
http://www.amitymama.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=921282