Bah, humbug!!

The girls at Sewing Club want to think about making garments - but Susan and I felt they needed to practice a few techniques first. Like ZIPS. So I suggested we made rectangular pencil cases/make-up bags. That way they learn to insert zips and end up with something they can use.

Yesterday I went into Leicester to Button Boutique, and picked up some 6" zips. Chatting to the knowledgeable staff in BB, they suggested that more interesting than rectangular bags would be 'humbug bags' So that's what we began making this evening.

First Susan gave us a lesson on the different sorts of zips, and how to insert a zip.

Then we made our bags. I didn't take enough photos, but here is the technique.

First measure your zip, and cut two squares of fabric with sides of that length.

On one side of each square, fold under 1cm, and press.

Sew the zip between those two edges.

 

Unzip the zip for about 3cm. Now fold the fabric in half along the zip - with the 'pull' at the top. Stitch a seam along the top and down the other side. You now have a bag with seams on top and side, and zip on other side. Open the bag, and flatten the bottom so that the seam is level with the zip, in the centre.

Clip the corners, turn out through the 3cm gap and you have a humbug bag. Here are the girls sewing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And two finished bags.

Useful for make-up or cotton reels or something...