Bags Bags, and More Bags -- a Little How To

This is the fabric I chose for the outside of the bag.  I cut as big a piece as I could from the fabric which I dye painted many many years ago!  It is about 23 inches wide and 18 inches long (sideways in the pic!).

Because this was fairly heavy fabric, I marked the squares in the corners that I needed to cut.  They were about 3 inches.

Here is the outside fabric with the squares cut out.  The next step is to sew the side seams after placing the fabric right sides together.  Then you sew the bottom seam.

Then you pull the two sides apart so that the bottom seems and side seams are on top of one another and sew.  This form the squared bottom.

I attach the straps at this tiime so they are laying against the front and back.  I make sure they are even.  If you don't have straps, you make them with the instructions below.

This is the Kaffe Fassett favric I selected for the inside.  You sew this slightly differently.  You sew the sides as you did the outside, right sides together.  However on the bottom seam, you leave a 5 inch opening.  You sew the squared part the same also.

Although not shown here, I made straps from 2 1/2 inch strips about 22 inches long.  I interface with a 2 inch piece of interfacing centered in the middle  I also iron over the 1/4 inch seams down to make the sewing easiers.  I fold it over and sew next the edge on both sides with matching thread.

  
You then place the outside bag insde the lining, pinning at the edges and where the straps are, making sure the straps are safely stored between the two layers.  Sew all the way around the top.

Then you pull the outside bag through the whole you made on the bottom of the lining.  Then you sew the lining hole up.  Stuff the lining neatly insde the outside piece  Then carefull top stitch along the top of the finished bag and voiila!.   

This is the finished bag..

This another bag.  I had to add some pseudo-suede as I didn't have a very larrge piece of the painted fabric.
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