If you've been following me on Instagram, you'll know that I've been making a work bag for Amanda, who runs the admin and organisation side of Sewing Patterns by Mrs H. She's also my sister, and I can get away with poking fun at her love of organisation, whilst also benefiting from her love of organisation!
I never thought I'd be able to make her a bag, she's a 'large black backpack' kinda gal, and has been happy with only one bag for pretty much ...urm... ever?
So when she said she felt she 'needed' a work bag, something befitting the office manager of a pattern design company, I leapt into action! She has been heavily influenced by the beautiful bags being shown in a British Bag making group on Facebook which quite often feature Harris Tweed, and with the help of my friend Judy from Hobo Bunny, we sourced some turquoise herringbone Harris Tweed.
As Amanda will be using her bag to represent my business, it was essential that we used a bag pattern that I have written (obviously), so we chose the Nappy Bag. We left off the exterior pockets and the short handles to make the most of the tweed, plus Amanda was confident she would never use the shoulder handles, only the cross body strap...or as she calls it, the "Over the Head strap"
I used a #5 metal zip with black tape, and added double pulls to it. I bought it as continuous zipper, and was taught how to use these by Liz from Moments. When I forget, I just watch this YouTube video to remind myself how to add the pulls!
I added silver metal cage feet to the bottom of the bag to try to protect the base, I know Amanda will be fairly rough on this bag! I bought my feet from 3DAN on Etsy.
I didn't want to stitch over the metal teeth when finishing the gusset, so I used rivets in it's place, and made sure they were double cap as they would be seen on the lining as well as the outer.
To secure the triangular rings for the strap I stitched, then added two rivets to secure it in place. Although the strap won't be removed, I still made it removable for added bling!
The back of the bag features a large zip pocket, using the same metal zip as for the main gusset compartment. Inside the zip pocket is a second zip pocket. You can find my tutorial for adding a double zip pocket here.
The front panel of the bag just has a 'Handcrafted in Great Britain' label from Emmaline Bags. I used Scotch Guard on the Harris Tweed before cutting into it, so that I didn't damage any of the faux leather or hardware with the spray.
I used rivets as well as stitching to secure the strap, just to be double sure!
Inside the bag is another double zip pocket and 4 slip pockets, plus one pen pocket on the edge of the slip pockets. I used rivets to reinforce the slip pockets...again because I know how much use this bag will see! If you want to use rivets to reinforce your slip pockets, you can find my tutorial here.
I also added two quick release key fobs to the lining using ribbon and 6mm double cap rivets. I know, I obviously do like my new rivet press! I bought the key fobs on eBay. I bought my rivet press from Green Grizzly. The rivets are from Emmaline Bags.
I added a strip of black thick elastic to the lining gusset to hold a water bottle. Amanda abhors anything remotely looking like a frill, so I couldn't add my usual water bottle holder made from elastic in a cotton tube, it was too frilly looking, so this was a great option.
On the other side of the lining from the slip and zip pockets is a full width clipboard pocket. I used Invisible magnetic snaps to hold this in place when the clipboard isn't in it so that there's nothing to catch on important paperwork.
We didn't make any modifications to the size or shape of the original Nappy Bag pattern, just pimped it a little!
Amanda found the back pocket so generous she was able to fit her book in it as well as a myriad of other bits and pieces!
She loaded up the middle pocket for a full day's work too including her medication pouch (inhalers etc), clipboard, diary, notebook, purse, clipboard etc!
The great thing about it is that the pockets all being on the inside, the shape of the bag didn't change!
Amanda loves her new 'Nappy Bag' , and I took this pic at the end of a long day out at the West Country Quilt and Textile show. I can't think what made her choose this turquoise tweed....
I never thought I'd be able to make her a bag, she's a 'large black backpack' kinda gal, and has been happy with only one bag for pretty much ...urm... ever?
So when she said she felt she 'needed' a work bag, something befitting the office manager of a pattern design company, I leapt into action! She has been heavily influenced by the beautiful bags being shown in a British Bag making group on Facebook which quite often feature Harris Tweed, and with the help of my friend Judy from Hobo Bunny, we sourced some turquoise herringbone Harris Tweed.
To secure the triangular rings for the strap I stitched, then added two rivets to secure it in place. Although the strap won't be removed, I still made it removable for added bling!
We didn't make any modifications to the size or shape of the original Nappy Bag pattern, just pimped it a little!
The great thing about it is that the pockets all being on the inside, the shape of the bag didn't change!
On page 4, skip instructions under "Create Short Handles" and use the following steps.
To make the accented short handles, get fabrics from step G. If you haven't already, fuse interfacing to all 4 pieces. Take (1) exterior fabric and (1) accent fabric and place right sides together (RST). Using a 1/4" seam allowance (SA), sew along both 44" sides, leaving the ends open. Make sure to backstitch well at both ends, as turning the tube will put a lot of pressure on those end seams. Press well and turn fabric tube right side out. You can use a tube turner or a chopstick in this step.
After your tube is turned right side out, press again. Roll the seam edges between your fingers to ensure the fabric isn't folded over on itself. This will give you nice, crisp edges. Topstitch 1/8" from both long edges. If desired, add an extra row of topstitching at a 1/4" from edge. Repeat these steps with other exterior and accent fabric pieces. Set both of your short handles aside.
Resume pattern directions at "Create your long shoulder strap." If you've made an adjustable crossbody strap before, you may be tempted to skip these instructions altogether. But don't! Samantha has a great trick for reducing bulk in your strap ends. I use it for every adjustable strap I make now. 
Place the interfaced lining piece face down on your work surface. Make a mark 1" below the top center of your pocket piece. Take a scrap of fleece and fuse it on top of the mark that you just made. Make sure that the piece of fleece is small enough that it stays out of a 1/4" SA. I usually cut my scrap of fleece in a circle so that it doesn't leave a well-defined mark on the right side of the fabric.
After your fleece is fused, remark 1" down from the center onto the top of the fleece. Center your magnetic snap back onto the fleece and mark the prong placement. Using a seam ripper, cut slits where the prongs will go. Dab Fray-Check on the right side of your fabric where the slits are so that your fabric doesn't get a run in it when you push your magnetic snap through the holes.
We won't be using any piping on the top of the pocket edge since that's where we're installing our zipper.
Now we need to prep our zipper. Take your 14" zipper and trim it to 13.5", ensuring that you cut off both metal zipper stops so that they don't get in the way while sewing. Zippers tend to fray, so I cut them with a pinking blade and then generously coat the ends with Fray-Check. Stitch over the zipper ends (within a 1/4" SA) to make sure you don't pull your zipper off of the teeth.
You should have (4) 1.25" x 2" zipper tabs that you cut in step B. Take one zipper tab, right side up and place the zipper on top of it. Then place a zipper tab right side down on top of the zipper. Fabric - zipper - fabric (with right sides of fabric facing the zipper).
With a 1/4" SA, sew your zipper sandwich together. We'll be trimming the tabs down to match the zipper width, so be sure to backstitch where the zipper begins and ends.
Pull the fabric back and topstitch the zipper tabs ~1/8" from the zipper teeth. Trim your zipper tabs to match the width of the zipper tape.
Repeat the above steps with the other 2 zipper tabs and the other end of your zipper.
We need the length of the zipper, tabs included, to be 15". You'll need to trim ~1/2" off the end of each zipper tab.
Now that our zipper is prepped, we can get to sewing this bad boy on. Don't be lazy - put on your zipper foot. I always think I'll just leave my regular foot on and then my zipper gets shifty and doesn't look as nice. Take one of your back pocket lining pieces without interfacing and place it right side up. Place your zipper, right side up, along the top edge of the lining piece.
Baste in place with an 1/8" SA.
Take the remaining pocket lining piece and place it right side up. Place the lining piece that you just basted the zipper to right sides together with that lining piece. Align the zipper with the top edge of the lining piece that is right side up on your work surface.
Baste the zipper with an 1/8" SA to the other lining piece.
Now that the zipper is basted to the 2 lining pieces, get the other 2 back pocket pieces. They will both get stitched, right sides together with the top of the zipper teeth. Align the exterior back pocket piece, right side down against the zipper and stitch together with a 1/4" SA. Press that piece away from the zipper and take the back pocket piece with the installed magnetic snap and lay it right side together with the zipper. Stitch together with a 1/4" SA.
Now that all 4 of your back pocket pieces are attached to the zipper, pull each side away from the zipper and topstitch ~1/8" away from the zipper teeth.
Now we're going to pull all 3 pieces away from the back pocket exterior piece. In the photo above, the yellow piece behind the blue piece would be pulled back and pinned to the back of the white tiger fabric. We need to keep these pieces out of the way so that we can sew our short handle to the blue pocket piece without going through our zippered pocket lining.
Follow steps 28 and 29 to attach your short handle to your exterior back pocket piece. Instead of 3" from the top edges, place your handle 
If you're installing rivets, place a scrap of Peltex behind your strap for extra support. You can use a dot of FabriTac to hold the Peltex in place while you're installing your rivets.
After your handle is stitched down and, if applicable, rivets are installed, clip all 4 of your layers together and baste around sides and bottom edge.
For step 30, instead of stitching down the hook and loop tape, we'll install the female half of our magnetic snap.
Take your back main panel that you've installed a zippered pocket on, and place your back zippered slip pocket on top of it. Make sure all of the edges are aligned and push down on your magnetic snap so that it leaves an indent in your back panel. Make a mark on that spot.
The female half of your magnetic snap should be installed on the back panel ~3" down from the top center.
Follow step 31 to finish your back panel.
Continue following the pattern until you get to page 12 to "Adding the side tabs". We need to piece our bottom gusset panel together with the gusset sides.
Get your gusset pieces from step E. If you haven't fused the interfacing to the bottom accent piece, do so now. Take the bottom accent piece and, using a 1/4" SA, stitch each of the side gusset pieces to the short edge of the base accent piece. Press the seams toward the side gussets and topstitch ~ 1/8" from the base gusset piece. You should now have one long gusset piece that measures 30.5" x 5.5".
Take your Peltex and mark its horizontal center. Measure 4.5" from the center on each side and mark a line. Mark a line that is 1.25" in from the long edge to intersect the 4.5" line.
The lines marks that are 4.5" from center and 1.25" from the edges will be the purse feet placement guides.
Make a hole in the center of each of the 4 marks on the Peltex so that you can mark the purse feet placement on the wrong side of your base gusset.
Mark the center of your base gusset on the wrong side and match the Peltex up with its center. The Peltex will be 1/2" in from each side so that it stays out of the SA. After your Peltex is aligned, mark the purse feet placement. After the placement is marked, set the Peltex to the side.
Using your seam ripper, cut 4 slits where you marked your purse feet placement. On the right side of the fabric, dab the slits with Fray-Check and insert your purse feet. On the wrong side, dab a bit of Fabri-Tac near the purse feet, this is to hold the Peltex in place. This step is probably not necessary, as the purse feet will probably do well enough to hold the Peltex in place. This is just to prevent any slipping.
Now push your Peltex down onto the purse feet and secure them. Now that your gusset is constructed, baste your foam interfacing to it.
Continue following the rest of the pattern to the end.
I hope this tutorial helps you to construct your very own souped-up Nappy Bag. Thanks for reading!
