A Bag for All Reasons

by Lisa Lam

Overview

From the author of the bestselling The Bag Making Bible comes a collection of twelve inspiring bags for you to make at home—includes photos.

Lisa Lam brings you a stunning collection of sewing patterns to make your own bags. The book features twelve bag designs with full photographic instructions, as well as a link to print-at-home patterns so that you can get started right away.

A Bag for All Reasons is filled with Lisa’s in-depth advice, from the tools and equipment you need, to understanding and interpreting patterns, to choosing, preparing and cutting fabrics. A comprehensive techniques section explains some core bag-making techniques such as how to insert a zip pocket and how to use magnetic snap closures—everything you need to create professional, practical and great-looking bags.

With projects ranging in complexity from the beginner Compact Groceries Tote to the more fully featured Too-Cool-for-School Satchel, you can progress with each new creation. You can make your own iPad case, sew a child’s backpack, create a pretty purse using a metal purse frame, and so much more! The bags all have style and substance and are designed with real-life practical uses in mind. Within each project Lisa gives her hints and tips for success, along with advice on how you can customize the patterns to create your own version of the design.

“Lisa has created another, spirited collection of gorgeous bags that are fashionable with an added higher purpose of being incredibly useful! This information rich book will elevate your sewing know how with versatile techniques and inspiring suggestions for making these bags your own.” —Amy Butler, author of “Style Stitches”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781446381106
Publisher:	David & Charles
Publication date:	07/13/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	156
Sales rank:	732,823
File size:	140 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Lisa Lam is a London College of Fashion graduate and the founder and owner of U-Handbag.com. She is a prolific bag designer and regular contributor to craft magazines. Lisa's blog is followed by thousands of crafters who admire both her passion and the quality of her bag-making advice. Lisa lives in Brighton, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Getting started; Basic Equipment; The Sewing Machine; Using Patterns; Modifying Patterns; Understanding Patterns; Fabric Types; Fabric Preparation and Cutting; Flush Zip Pocket; Top Edge Zip; Slimline Concealed Top Edge Zip; Magnetic Snaps; Open-End Straps; Closed-End Straps; Adjustable Straps; Bound Edges; Piped Edges; Inserting Linings. 1 The Geek-Chic iPad Case; 2 The Compact Groceries Totek; 3 The Access-All-Areas Pouch; 4 The Toddler-Friendly Backpack; 5 The Too Cool For School Satchel; 6 The All-Sorted Laundry Bag; 7 The Fashionista Baby Bag; 8 The Double Pannier Bicycle Bag; 9 The Pleated Purse-Frame Purse; 10 The 3-in-1 Convertible Backpack; 11 The Terrific Tri-Fold Wallet; 12 The Train-Style Vanity Case; Suppliers; Resources; Pattern Legend; About the Author/Acknowledgments; Index.

Preface

When anyone asks me what I love most about sewing I tell them, ‘I love how sewing never gets boring!’ As far as I – and millions of other sewists – are concerned, sewing is one of the coolest, most satisfying and useful pastimes out there. If you are just about to embark on your sewing career, welcome to the club: be prepared to become very addicted, very quickly, for a very long time! We sewists are a resourceful bunch – we have to be. For a start, most of us don’t have unlimited amounts of fabric and time on our hands. I am such a craft fiend that I HAVE to do some sewing every week (unless I’m on holiday) or I get jittery! This is why I try to get the most out of my limited crafting time and I like to do this by sewing items that will be used time and time again. But an item’s usefulness is only half the story. For me, the best designs are fab to look at and just as fab to use. Bags are the ultimate useful accessory – we all need them, we all use them and we all like them to look great too. With this in mind, I have designed 12 fully featured bags for this book that I hope you’ll agree look stylish and professional. But more importantly, these bags are all designed to be totally practical and enjoyable to use in real-life situations. It goes without saying: the more useful something is, the more often you’re going to use it, right? And time is too precious to spend hours making something only for it to end up forlorn at the back of a cupboard. While the more fully featured bags are aimed at the intrepid bag maker, I’ve also included some great projects, which are perfect for the excited sewing newbie. As readers of my blog and my first book, The Bag Making Bible, will already know, I tend to shy away from easy quick-fix projects because I love making bags that will get people wondering if my new bag is store-bought: ‘Really? You made it? No way!’ And this is why I like to include practical features like oodles of pockets, hardware and exciting shapes. Don’t worry if these features seem out of reach – they’re not, they’re right inside this book and yours for the making! You’ll also find loads of my reinforcing, stitching and ‘make your life easier’ tips and tricks within these pages. As usual, I’ve tried to write simple-to-follow instructions and to include plenty of helpful photos – so we can have more crafting fun and less frustration! For this book I wanted to create bags that will hopefully make you think: ‘Wow! That’s cool, I can really see myself/my friend/my son loving this and using this.’ With each project you try, I hope you’ll feel rewarded with a bag that is a joy to wear, to use and/or to give. After all, the warm happy feeling you get when you see your loved-ones enjoying using your handcrafted bag can’t be beaten! So, when your mum-to-be friend is in need of a super-practical baby bag, or you want a stylish way to carry groceries on your bike, or you fancy a wedding clutch that looks a million dollars, reach for this book and we’ll have fun making your own unique and stylishly useful bag – that suits your needs and suits the way that you live. Love bags: make bags!