If you are sending your kids back to school the teachers often request a few items to help stock the classroom. They always need tissues and Clorox wipes!!! So why not whip up a quick Book Bag to send them in!?!?
This was actually my very first time using Cricut Iron On and I only had dark fabric, so I decided to test the waters with a patch on the front of the bag. The frayed edge patches are very trendy lately and I love how it turned out! I actually got a little carried away and made three of them!
Cut a piece of light colored canvas or other heavyweight fabric to the desired size. I started with an 8″ x 10″ rectangle. You can decorate it with an iron on digital design or create a unique background.
For the stitched lined paper patch:
Sew a horizontal light blue line of stitching one inch from the top edge of the fabric.
Stitch another blue line 3/8″ from the first line.
Repeat until you get to the bottom of the fabric. The fabric may shift, so square up the edges and trim the loose threads with a rotary cutter as needed.
Sew a vertical line of red stitching one inch from the left edge of the fabric.
Add iron on vinyl to the patch.
To attach the patch to the bag:
Apply washable glue stick to the back of the patch and center it on the front of the bag, pressing and smoothing it in place.
Stitch 1/8″ from the edge around the patch, pivoting at the corners.
Stitch around the patch again 1/8″ from the first line of stitching towards the inside.
Pull out the loose threads on the edges to create a frayed effect.
Sew the Book Bag as per the pattern instructions.
I think they turned out really cute! You can get the Back to School Digital Designs in the shop and there are plenty of different elements to create tons of cute, original bags!
Don’t forget to get your free printable first day of school posters from the shop, too!
Sewing dolls and stuffies is so much fun! Today we have some extra tips and tricks to help you get great results!
Did you know we have doll and stuffie patterns in the shop? We carry the entire line of Petit a Petit dolls (and clothes!) in addition to our Ocean Friends bundles from Project Under the Sea!
#1 – Cut carefully and use an accurate seam allowance.
Small differences can make a big difference in your finished project! This is especially true when working with little pieces.
#2 – Stay organized!
Label or clip pieces together as needed. Mark the wrong side of the fabric so that pieces are not accidentally flipped. Shapes for stuffies are often much different that those of garment sewing and can get mixed up more easily.
#3 – Shorten the stitch length.
It can be more difficult to change direction with small pieces so a shorter stitch length helps. It also makes for a more sturdy finished project that holds the stuffing inside and can handle a bit of wear and tear.
#4 – Reinforce seams at pressure points.
Baste small into place to make sure they don’t slip as you sew. Stitch back and forth over joining points like arms or necks. This will help make your project a little more durable.
#5 – Clip corners and curves.
Bulky seam allowances inside a stuffie will give them an odd shape. Clip or notch the seam allowance on curves, being careful not to cut into the stitching. You may also be able to use pinking shears to simultaneously trim excess seam allowance.
For sharp, inner corners, be sure to notch well, again making sure that you do not accidentally cut into the stitches.
#6 – Use a point turner.
It is important to get those seams pressed outwards after turning. The curved end of the point turner is extremely helpful for rounded shapes- legs, arms, heads, etc. The pointed end is really helpful for smaller details and corners.
#7 – Use small pieces of stuffing.
It’s tempting to grab a handful of stuffing and work quickly, but using smaller pieces is better. They get into the narrower spots and create a more even result through the entire project.
#8 – Shape as you stuff.
Some fabrics continue to stretch with stuffing so you can easily change the shape of the project with careful placement. Arranging the stuffing and applying light pressure to areas can completely reshape the stuffie, so use this to your advantage!
#9 – Consider alternatives to fiberfill.
You may not have any on hand or may choose to try something different. You can cut scrap fabric into tiny bits to use as stuffing instead, making it a very eco-friendly project. Perhaps you wish to add dried lavender. Adding flax seed is one way to make a reusable hot/cold pack. The starfish softie pattern was based off of party favors made with rice and tea leaves inside.
#10 – Be creative!
There are so many fun variations that can be added to your projects, whether it is adding heat transfer vinyl, trims, embellishments, or any other extra details. The sky is the limit!
It’s special to make something with a unique detail, and this pleated design is very sweet. The style is something that will stand the test of time! Try this one out next time you need to sew something satisfying.
Hi! I’m Marta and I’m from Portugal. I live in Guincho, a beautiful place by the beach near Lisbon. That’s why my blog name is doguincho (that’s from guincho). I’m so excited to be here at Project Run and Play sharing my tutorial!
Here is the tutorial for the pleated A-line dresses I made for the last edition of PR&P!
The instructions are only for the pleats but you can use any A-line pattern you have or draft your own pattern using a dress you like (that’s what I did).
These pleats can also be done in other projects such as handbags (here is one) or pillows. And, one day, I will turn them into pockets for a skirt…
Besides the pattern, you will need:
-Fabric (see quantity in the first part of the tutorial)
– Thread matching the fabric color and (optional) thread in a contrasting color,
– Sewing machine and iron,
– Scissors, pins and hand sewing needles,
– Tape measure, ruler and a water-soluble fabric marker,
– Scotch tape (for an unconventional technique…)
Cutting
Start cutting the fabric having in mind that, in the place where the pleats will be executed, you’ll need a piece of fabric 3 times wider than the final width of the dress in that same area.
This dress will have 9 pleats and each one will be 1cm wide, ie:
3 x 9 pleats x 1cm wide = 27cm
It means that a piece of fabric with 27cm is required, to obtain a final width of 9cm at the place where the pleats will be done.
You can adapt the original pattern to this version of the dress, simply subtracting the total width of the fabric necessary to form the pleats with the final width of the pleats (because that final width is actually already included in the pattern), ie:
27cm – 9cm = 18cm
In conclusion, you will need to add 18cm to the original pattern in order to make the 9 pleats without changing the width of the dress.
At this stage, it is not necessary to cut the fabric in the neck area according to the original pattern. It is better to leave some extra fabric, cutting it in a straight line, and “trimming it” only after finishing the pleats.
Pleating
For the pleating, you should start by tracing the vertical lines that define all the pleats. Trace them on the right side of the fabric with a water-soluble fabric marker (or use your daughter’s super-washable pens, as I do!)
As this dress pleats are 1cm wide, the tracing should be done like this: starting at one edge, trace 0.5cm, then 2cm and 1cm and then trace alternately spaces with 2cm and 1cm. When you reach the other edge you should have a final space 0.5cm wide.
It is also time to trace the pleats’ height. To do this you will need the dress pattern. Start marking the lowest point of the collar (don’t forget to deduct the seam allowance). Then mark the pleats’ horizontal upper edge, roughly 1cm or 1.5 cm below that neck line mark you did earlier. And finally, mark the pleats’horizontal lower edge. This dress will have 7 folds, 2cm height each, so the total height is 14cm.
Make the pleats folding the fabric (wrong sides together) with the 2cm marks aligned. Pin and sew with running stitch along the traced line of each pleat. Do not forget to finish off the seam at the bottom end. I usually like to handmade this (because I’m kind of picky …) but it is perfectly fine to finish it with the sewing machine. In this dress, the upper end of the seam does not need to be finished off as it will be cut out later (when assembling the dress this will be where the main fabric and the lining fabric will be sewn together in order to form the neck line).
Repeat this step with all the pleats.
The pleats are made! Now it’s time to “flatten” them. Start by holding the fabric tight to the ironing board with some pins. Then iron each pleat trying to distribute the fabric evenly to both sides of the stitching (if you are using plastic headed pins, be careful not to iron them!). When finished, the pleats should touch each other, without ever overlapping themselves, and have a homogeneous look.
Finishing
For sewing the horizontal lines that define the pleats you should try an unconventional technique … Instead of attaching the pleats with pins and marking the sewing line with a water-soluble fabric marker, try using scotch tape. The scotch tape is a “two in one” tool as it keeps the pleats in place and it also works as a guiding line.
You should definitely try this! Cut 7 strips of scotch tape and stick them to the fabric at the exact place where the pleats are supposed to be (use the marks you did earlier with the help of the pattern). Now sew carefully in between the strips of scotch tape, starting and ending just before and just after each pleat. Hand finish each one of the seam lines.
Remove the scotch tape and iron the pleats (this will be the last time you will be able to do it!).
The pleats’ “pitching” technique is all handmade. Start inserting the needle, back to front, in the center of the pleat, then insert it in one side edge and then on the other, and pull the thread in order to join those edges. Then just make a few more stitches to attach those edges tight together and finish it with a little knot at the wrong side of the fabric.
Repeat this for the remaining pleats. It is a bit time consuming technique, but it is also great to see the fabric getting three-dimensional …
Sewing
You can now return to the original pattern by putting it on top of the pleated fabric, so you can trim the neck line to the right shape. Then just follow the instructions to finish the dress.
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and, if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to tell me!
Have a great time sewing! (Can’t wait to see your results!)
Don’t want to draft your own pattern? The Alice Top and Dress Pattern from our shop would work great for this tutorial. Want to save this for later? Pin this image below:
