Samantha Hussey - The Complete Bag Making Masterclass: A comprehensive guide to modern bag making techniques

Samantha Hussey

www.davidandcharles.com

For Dus & Elvis, the light in my everyday

When I was approached to write the foreword for this book, my initial reaction was one of slight fear not over whether I could have enough wonderful things to say about Samanthas character and knowledge, but whether I could express myself well enough to give her and this book the credit they deserve. Its a complete honour to be able to write this for the author, Samantha Hussey, whom I consider one of my dearest friends.

Samantha and I met through a joint project, The Bag of the Month Club, a pattern subscription club started by several popular bag pattern designers. Although I live in Canada and Samantha in Wales, we had an instant connection and friendship that has been one of support, laughter and guidance. Communicating online has been a daily part of our lives since 2014, and I think we both cherish the opportunity to laugh and vent about our day, as well as provide each other with feedback and support for our design process and work life. There were times during the earlier years of my business when each of us was sewing or administrating alone, but my work life didnt feel like a solitary event because I always had a colleague in Samantha. Her skill and design support has been invaluable to me, and I know that if I need to call on her to help me solve a construction issue, or if I just need someone to listen, she will always be there. I am always amazed at how she sees shapes and 3D construction, and then can put it all together on paper in a way that is easy to understand.

I was thrilled to be able to attend her bag making retreats in Wales twice, and stayed at her home with her beautiful family. Those trips were the absolute best trips I have ever had. During that time, I was able to see Samanthas teaching ability in action. She can have a group of people with different skill levels in a large room, sewing to their hearts content, and everyone who needs help gets help and everyone walks away pleased with their beautiful projects!

This book has the core skills at the front, teaching you all of the good stuff in an easy-to-follow way, plus tons of additional tips. Read through the skills and then jump into the projects, starting with the simplest and moving on to the more difficult ones. Samantha has provided you with the techniques to be successful as if you were right there in the room with her. Her natural ability to teach shines through the pages, and combined with awesome photography to accompany the instructions, we can all feel as if we are learning from Samantha in person.

I am so fortunate to call Samantha my friend and I could not be more proud of her. This is one of the most useful bag making books available, and sure to be one you will refer to over and over again. Well done, Samantha!

Janelle MacKay

Emmaline Bags Inc.

Thank you for picking up this book; it has been an absolute pleasure to write. Ive packed it full of as much as I can about contemporary and structured bag making so that you can use it to help you make any pattern from any designer.

At the front of the book youll find a wealth of information on tools, materials and up-to-date techniques, with added tips and tricks to make your bag making journey easier and more satisfying.

Following the techniques section are eight projects for you to put your new skills into action. You can customize any of these patterns using the techniques in the front section adding pockets, hardware, customizing straps or even resizing the bag to suit your own needs. The projects range from beginner level to advanced; you can work through them in order, or select whichever bag you most like the look of and modify it to suit your skill level. You could, for example, add a zipped divider to the beginner-level Piped Hobo for an extra challenge, or you could leave out the zipped closure and the interior pockets of the Criss-Cross Shoulder Bag for a more beginner-friendly structured bag with the same look.

The best part of bag making is surely having a bag thats perfect for your needs and this book contains everything you need to know to be able to achieve this. I hope you enjoy The Complete Bag Making Masterclass and join the ranks of bagineers all over the world.

I cant wait to see what you make!

Here are some of the tools youll need to make structured bags. Some of them you may already have from previous projects; others are specific to the materials youll be using and may be worth investing in as you progress in your bag making journey.

Useful for cutting rectangles and squares quickly and for trimming up edges after applying stabilizer.

These make quick work of cutting off loose thread ends.

Useful for cutting out, notching, clipping seams and trimming away seam allowances to reduce bulk.

Great for cutting out pattern pieces, and for cutting foam, plastic tubing and anything other than fabric.

Use to trim around curves to reduce bulk in the seam allowances. Trim using pinking shears instead of notching curves for a quick finish.

Essential for a professional finish; steam press the seams of your bag as you sew and use a pressing cloth for delicate areas such as zips and the edges of vinyl.

Especially useful for smaller seam allowances or instances where accuracy is key.

Use to score along fabric to ensure a crisp fold, ideal for card slots and for marking in visible areas.

Both can be used to cut slits for hardware prongs and turning gaps for zip pockets.

Use to thread elastic through pocket channels.