After I posted the Snappy Glasses Cases, I was bombarded with requests for a version that would fit in a 5×7” hoop so here’s a new bevy of bags. Although they may look different, they’re all done from just one design!

Obviously you can change them up by using different fabrics, but a savvy embroiderer can skip color changes or repeat color changes to achieve a different effect.

And with editing or customizing software, you can do even more! You can include batting or leave it out and interface your fabric pieces instead. You can have longer handles for a wristlet of make short loops with swivel hooks to attach to other bags.

This pattern is very similar to the glasses case but has been resized and the lining/casing process has been streamlined somewhat.

To keep the price lower, I’ve also minimized the instructions, the number of designs, and eliminated pattern pieces, and instead just listed dimensions for the pieces. You can’t get all the bells and whistles and still have a rock bottom price!

The version on the left is a full ITH project, meaning once it’s removed from the hoop and turned right side out, it’s done. The one on the left was enhanced with a bound edges, button, and button loop that were done at the sewing machine.

This project offers the embroiderer two ways to complete the project by stopping the embroidery earlier and finishing it with more of a designer touch.

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

This version of the bag features a much bigger opening than my first projects in the Snappy Glasses Case, and that alone makes the bag way easier to turn. Turning the glasses case right side out was the hardest part of that project!

Had I been willing to have exposed seams on the inside or done the casing manually, it would have been easier. That project started out as just something I wanted for myself but once people saw it, well, that was that.

This project has a similar design to that original one. One person did write and complain about the complexity of the glasses case and that there were “too many pieces and steps.” Well, if you’re making something interesting with a variety of fabrics, that will happen!

That’s the advantage of using the embroidery machine to make the project—you can have narrow bands of fabric and they’ll be perfectly straight and even! This one, too, may seem like it has a lot of steps; I listed everything out so that even the most novice sewist can do it.

I’ve streamlined this one just a bit so there’s one less piece for each panel since the lining is now just an extension of the casing.

The advantage is less bulk at the top of the bag but the trade off is that you can’t have a contrasting lining and if your lining fabric is directional, it will either be upside down on the casing or upside down on the inside.

My first test sews on this 5×7″ version of the bag used a separately attached lining the way the Snappy Glasses Case did but the final version does not. The more times you stitch something, the more ways you can think of to do it differently!

Another advantage of having the lining as an extension to the casing is the bag body can be slightly taller—a whopping 1/4″! If you look closely, you’ll see the pink and purple bag has one less row of quilting than the yellow and purple bag.

VARIATIONS ON THEME

Believe it or not, these bags can all made from the same single embroidery design! I made mine so they are identical front and back but they don’t have to be.

All the bags are lined; some with no exposed seams while others have exposed seams that are overcast with a narrow zigzag. You can finish your bag either way you choose.

On two of the bags, I boxed the corners, on two bags I did some jockeying around at the machine to eliminate the quilting and decorative band and inserted bits of lace instead.

One bag has a longer loop handle, while the other bags have short loops with a ring or hook. Some bags have batting and are quilted while others use a fusible interfacing.

This is a design you can play with and have fun! I used prairie points on all of the bags for pull tabs because I like the designer touch they provide. However, you can substitute other pulls or omit them altogether; the bag can be “pinched” open as well.

All of these modifications can be done at the machine. Typically I do them in customizing software like Embrilliance Essentials. That way I don’t have to remember what I need to do at the machine plus I have a saved version for when I want to do it again.

I do have some other variations in the works so if editing and skipping around at the machine is not your cup of tea, hang on a bit and you can just stitch a ready-made version.

GETTING STARTED

1. SELECT AND CUT ALL YOUR FABRIC AND BATTING PIECES.

Sizes are listed with the downloadable file.

5. OPTIONAL: LOOP HANDLE:

• Make a self-fabric loop or cut a length of ribbon for a loop for a short handle or hanging loop. To determine the length, decide how long the loop should be, for example 2”, double that and add ½” for the seam allowance.
• For a self fabric loop, I made mine to look like a continuation of the decorative band. Cut your fabric 1 3/4”-2″ wide (depends on thickness of fabric if you want it to be 1/2″ when finished to match the decorative band) and to the length you determined above. I like to make mine a bit longer and then trim to size later.
• Press the strip in half lengthwise. Then open the strip and press each long edge matching the raw edge to the center fold. Refold the piece and press well. Once again, starch is your friend!
• Top stitch 1/8” from the edges starting on the side with the two folded edges.
• If you’re adding hardware, slide it on now, making sure the prettiest side of your top stitching will be on the outside when folded in half. Top stitch across the loop near the hardware to hold it in place.

4. MAKE THE PRAIRIE POINTS.

Fold each square in half crosswise and press. Bring each corner on the folded side up to the center and press again.

Press well! A bit of spray starch will help keep it flat. If the fabric doesn’t hold the crease well, then overcast the raw edge to secure. This will prevent your presser foot from lifting the folded edge while stitching.

2. HOOP STABILIZER SECURELY BETWEEN THE RINGS OF YOUR HOOP.

If your hoop is not secure on the long straight sides, take measures to make it so. One way is with duct tape. Tear strips in half lengthwise, apply to the back of the stabilizer along the hoop edges and wrap up and around the sides of the hoop.

5. SEW COLOR 3.

This is the placement line for the bag pieces and also the cutting line for the finished project. The slight indents along the edges are placement guides.

These will be covered over in the next step so extend them onto your stabilizer with a pen or some other marking device. Any pen will do since this stabilizer will be trimmed off later.

The only ones we’ll be using for this project are the left most two at the top and bottom edges (sides of the bag; the bag will open to the left long edge in the hoop). A reference guide to the markings is included with the download.

With the right side up, align the main bag piece top with the indent guides and smooth the fabric over the batting. I didn’t use any TESA; the fabric “sticks” to the batting. A few short strips of tape can hold the fabric in place if you’d like.

6. SEW COLOR 4.

This will tack down the outer edge of the fabric and sew a straight stitch across the top.

7. SEW COLOR 5.

This color is the quilting or decorative design.

8. PLACE THE DECORATIVE BAND.

This strip is placed face down, matching the top edge of the band with the indented placement guides and the top edge of the body fabric (assuming you placed it accurately…).

9. SEW COLOR 6.

This step attaches the decorative band to the bag front.

After stitching, fold the strip over and finger press in place then press firmly with the mini-iron. With the batting in place, your machine should be well protected from the heat.

If your band won’t stay down, apply a few strips of Wonder Tape under the raw edge and press in place.

Scotch Invisible Tape is also good and peels off easily and can be stitched through without gumming up the needle.

11. PLACE THE PRAIRIE POINT.

Align the top (raw) edge of the prepared prairie point just over the stitched guides (right side up). A bit of tape placed vertically across the middle of the triangle will hold it in place for stitching.

The point and center folds of the prairie point should also line up with the center bag mark you transferred onto the stabilizer after sewing color 3. If you’re using a different type of pull, center it using this stitching line as a reference guide.

12. SEW COLOR 8.

This step sews a reinforcing stitch over the prairie point and secures it to your bag.

12. PLACE THE LINING.

The lining is placed face down (right sides together) with the casing end matching the top edge of the bag (left side of the hoop).

3. EVEN UP THE LINING AND FRONT PIECES.

Fold the lining down into place and if it extends beyond the bottom edge of the front, trim off the excess. Trim the sides of the bag to just along the outer edge of the zigzag tack down on the main body fabric.

4. PREPARE TAPE MEASURE STRIPS.

• Using heavy duty metal snips, cut two strips 3/4” shorter than the width of the bag.
• Round off the ends of the tape to remove any sharp corners that could damage the fabric.
• Apply short pieces of duct tape over the ends of the metal tape.
• A layer of heavy duty tape will also add a bit of protection from the sharp edges.

5. OPTIONAL: ADD LOOP OR HANDLE

If you’re adding the optional loop, match the open ends to the raw edge of the bag at the decorative band. Stay stitch the ends within the seam allowance at your sewing machine.

When stitching your front and back pieces together, take care that the loop end doesn’t get stitched into any other seam.

1. INSERT THE METAL TAPE STRIPS.

With the outward curved side toward the outside and the numbered side toward the lining side, slide one tape measure strip into each panel between the two layers of the interfaced casing.

2. STITCH THE FRONT TO THE BACK, LEAVING AN OPENING FOR TURNING ON THE BOTTOM END OF THE LINING SIDE.

Smooth out the back piece with the lining extended, face up. Match the front, right sides together.

Start just before the corner on the long edge of the lining, back stitch, and sew all the way around to just beyond the curved corner of the other side on the opposite side of the lining. You’ll need a wide opening to turn the the bag due to the metal strips.

When stitching next to the ruler strips, push them towards the other side and backstitch over the casing ends. Using a shorter stitch length (I used 2.0mm) is also a good idea.

Tip: The batting placement line makes an excellent guide for stitching the front to the back. Wonder Clips can help you keep the seam lines matched better than pins. Using a slightly wider seam allowance for the lining can help it lie smoother inside the bag.

After turning right side out, I top stitched the casing along the top and bottom to keep the lining smoother at the top. The bag just fits over the free arm on my sewing machine so it wasn’t too hard to do.

This will also help secure the tape measure, since there is no stitching along the top edge of the casing. The glasses case has a seam at this position so no top stitching is required on that version.

7. EDGE STITCH THE CASING.

Edge stitch the top edge of the bag 1/8” from the bag opening. Optionally, repeat on the bottom edge of the casing, stitching 1/8” from the casing seam line.

OPTIONAL: BOXED CORNERS

You may notice that my two bags with the boxed corners aren’t the same height. These bags are pretty small and depending on how big you make your corners, your bag will be different sizes.

On the taller one, I measured in 3/4” from the corner for my stitching line; the shorter one is 1″. I think 3/4″ is a pretty good depth for these little bags. Experiment with yours and see what you like.

Also, the two bags I did box did not use batting; instead both the lining and the outer fabrics are interfaced. I recommend boxing the corners before you overcast the seams so that you can open the seams flat for stitching the corners. Then overcast as close as possible after stitching the corners.

To box a corner, with the bag inside out, pinch the bottom corners on each side of the bag together so the side seam aligns over the bottom seam. Press well with lots of steam to flatten. Wonder Clips can help hold everything in place better than pins.

How to Make ITH Snap BagsUsing a ruler, measure up along the seam line from the corner 3/4” and draw a line perpendicular to the seam line. Stitch across this line and then trim off the seam allowances to 1/4”.

Overcast the seams. Turn right side out and press!

How to Make ITH Snap BagsBoxing the corners is simple once you’ve done it a time or two but it can be somewhat counter-intuitive. If you’d like to see it in action, check out this free Craftsy class, Bag-Making Basics: Reversible Tote & Zipper Pouch with Kristin Link.

MAKE ANOTHER ONE!

Once you’ve made your first bag, you’ll have the process down and you can start experimenting. You can get hooked pretty fast!