The Swim Suit Bag

The January issue of Martha Stewart Living had a cute bag craft in their "Good Things" section.  

The gray bag in the picture is made of 2 - millimeter thick felt from Filz Felt.  They have different thicknesses of felt in a bunch of awesome colors.  I wanted a little bit of everything.

This bag is super simple and I was anxious to make it.  I used some cheap felt-by-the yard from Joann's.  The cheap felt didn't feel strong enough to carry groceries.  If you don't have the time or money to buy the really nice felt, I have a solution for you.   

I decided the strength issue could be solved with another layer of fabric.  The stripped bag (in my picture to the right) has a thicker fabric exterior and a felt interior.  Tess asked if the bag was a swimming suit, so that's why I named it the "Swim Suit" bag.  

Supplies:

1/2 yard of felt

1/2 yard of coordinating fabric (I used canvas like fabric)

**You can use any kind of fabric you like.  The bag in the tutorial pictures is made of outdoor fabric and vintage quilting fabric.**
sewing machine with coordinating thread

a fabric pen

a loop turner

scissors

template

1.  Print out template and tape pieces together.  It seems pretty big when you are taping it all together, don't be alarmed.  Cut out your template.

2.  Trace the template on to your fabric with a fabric pen.  Cut two pieces from the felt and two pieces from the coordinating fabric.

3.  Stack the two felt pieces together and with sewing machine, stitch around the sides and bottom of the bag.  I used a 1/4 inch seam.  Repeat with other two pieces of fabric.  If there is a right side and a wrong side to the fabric, make sure to sew right sides together.  If you want a pocket inside your bag, sew it on to on of the bag pieces before you stitch them together.

4.  Take the fabric you want for the outside of the bag and turn it inside out, so your raw edges are out.  Take the fabric you want for the inside of the bag and set it inside the other bag so right sides are together.

Be sure to line up your side seams and pin in place.

5.  Using a 1/4 seam sew the two bags together.  Start with the flat part of the bag.  Sew from the top of the strap, down the dip, and back up to the top of the other strap.  See the A, B, C in the first photo above.  Repeat on the other flat side of the bag.  Now it's time to sew the "armpit" of the bag.  On the first side sew from the top of the strap, down the dip, and back up to the top of the other strap.  On the second "armpit" will need to leave a space to turn the bag right side out.  Sew from the top of one strap (A), down the dip and just barely over the side seam (B) then stop.  Sew from the top of top of the other strap and stop about five inches or so before coming to the side seam.  See the picture on the far right.  It might help to mark the stopping points with double pins so you remember not to sew it up.  

Can you see the black seam in the picture above?  There is the opening toward the dip of the strap.

6.  Now flip your bag right side out, and push your inside bag down.

7.  Use the loop turner to pull your straps right sides out.

You should have something that resembles a bag with chicken legs.  :)  If you want thicker straps, add more width when you are cutting the pieces out at the beginning.

8.  We are going to attach the straps together before we close up the turning hole.
First, tuck about 1/4 inch in on one strap.  Second, insert the opposite strap into the tube.  Third, sew the two straps together.  I sewed two seams that were fairly close together.  The two seams are marked my the blue and red heart pins in the third picture.  Repeat this process for the other strap.

9.  Top stitch your your seams and close up the bag.  I used a 1/4 inch seam here too.  

Start sewing at the top of your strap and follow the edge all the way around until your end up where you started.  Repeat sewing the other sides.  

Your swim suit bag is complete and ready to use.  Won't groceries look so cute in these bags?  I am getting excited for warmer weather and I think I will use them for picnic bags too!