Description:
A hip diaper bag that your friends will envy and you will love for both its style and its practicality. Large enough to hold all your baby’s needs with room left over for your must-haves too! Features include being fully lined and spacious interior pockets that you can customize. Interior pockets can be made using lining fabric or exterior fabric for contrast.
You will need:
Exterior Fabric – 1 yd (1.25 yd if making interior pockets using exterior fabric for contrast) – home décor weight fabric works best
Lining Fabric – 1.25 yd (1 yd if making interior pockets using exterior fabric for contrast) – home decor weight fabric works bestLightweight Woven Fusible Interfacing – 1.5 yd
¼” elastic – 1 yd
½” double fold bias tape – 1.5 yd
Magnetic snap
Your favorite sewing music (I recommend John Mayer, Ben Harper, and Jack Johnson)
Pieces to cut (see diagram if you want to ignore my writing):
Exterior fabric:
Cut 2: 20x18” rectangle for main body of bag, with 4x4” square cut out of bottom corners *double check direction of pattern in fabric before cutting is correct*
Cut 2: 3x26” strips for straps
Cut 1: 3x6” rectangle for magnetic snap closure tab, angle corners on one side if desired
If making interior pockets out of exterior fabric for contrast: Cut 2: 8x26” rectangles
Lining fabric:Cut 2: 20x18” rectangle for main body of bag, with 4x4” square cut out of bottom cornersCut 2: 3x26” strips for straps
Cut 1: 3x6” rectangle for magnetic snap closure tab, angle corners on one side if desired
If making interior pockets out of lining fabric (do not cut out of lining fabric AND exterior fabric): Cut 2: 8x26” rectangles
Interfacing:Cut 2: 20x18” rectangle for main body of bag, with 4x4” square cut out of bottom corners (along 18” side)
Cut 2: 3x26” strips for straps
Cut 2: 3x6” rectangle for magnetic snap closure tab, angle corners on one side if desired
Double fold bias tape:
Cut 2: 26” length
Elastic:
Cut 2: 14” lengths
*All seam allowances are 1/2” unless otherwise noted.*
Directions:
1. Iron interfacing to corresponding exterior fabric pieces on the wrong side of fabric including the main body and straps. Iron interfacing to magnetic snap closure tab pieces of lining and exterior on wrong side of fabric.
2. Right sides together, sew the 2 main body pieces of exterior fabric together at bottom seam and press open. Sew side seams and press open. At the opening where you cut the 4” squares, match and pin the bottom seams to the side seams and sew using a ¼” seam allowance. Press seams towards top of bag.
3. Mark placement of magnetic snap by measuring 4.5” from top center of bag and attach bottom half of magnetic snap using manufacture's instructions.*Turn fabric right side out and place somewhere that you can see it when you are getting frustrated later on to keep you motivated (that's why I always do the exterior first)!
4. Attach top half of magnetic snap to closure tab piece of lining. Right sides together, pin to exterior closure tab and sew ¼” seam, angling at corners if desired. Turn right side out and topstitch 1/4" from edge.
5. Right sides together, pin and sew exterior fabric strap to lining fabric strap. Sew ¼” seam down each side, leaving ends open. Turn right side out, press, and topstitch along each side close to edge. Repeat for other strap.
6. Sandwich bias tape over top edge of interior pocket fabric and sew close to edge, forming a casing for the elastic.7. Press 4-5 evenly spaced pintucks into bottom edge of interior pocket, until width of interior pocket is 20”. Stitch along lower edge to secure pintucks. Turn lower edge under ¼” to wrong side and press, turn another ¼” and press.
8. Thread elastic through backside of casing and backstitch at both ends to secure. Pin wrong side of pocket to right side of main body lining 5” from the top of the lining, matching up side edges, and topstitch two rows along lower pintucked edge. Stitch pocket to lining at sides.9. Stitch vertical lines through lining and interior pocket to form individual pockets that fit your needs.
10. Repeat steps 6-9 using 2nd interior pocket and 2nd piece of main body lining fabric.
11. Complete lining of bag using step 2 above.
12. Right sides together, place exterior fabric main body inside lining main body, pinning at side seams. Sandwich closure tab on back center of bag (opposite of side that bottom half of magnetic snap was attached), ensuring that the exterior fabric right sides are facing each other. Sandwich outer edge of straps 3” in from each side seam, again ensuring that the exterior fabric right sides are facing each other.
13. Leaving a 4-5” opening, stitch along upper edge of bag, through exterior fabric, lining fabric, straps, and closure tab. Turn bag right side out, trim seam to reduce bulkiness if needed, and press. Hand stitch opening of bag closed and top stitch 1/2" from edge. Top stitch another row 1/4" from top edge.
14. Take a good long look at your bag because you are done and can start filling it up!
12. Right sides together, place exterior fabric main body inside lining main body, pinning at side seams. Sandwich closure tab on back center of bag (opposite of side that bottom half of magnetic snap was attached), ensuring that the exterior fabric right sides are facing each other. Sandwich outer edge of straps 3” in from each side seam, again ensuring that the exterior fabric right sides are facing each other.
13. Leaving a 4-5” opening, stitch along upper edge of bag, through exterior fabric, lining fabric, straps, and closure tab. Turn bag right side out, trim seam to reduce bulkiness if needed, and press. Hand stitch opening of bag closed and top stitch 1/2" from edge. Top stitch another row 1/4" from top edge.14. Take a good long look at your bag because you are done and can start filling it up!
