Liz Johnson - Sew4Home Bags and Totes

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This book is dedicated to all the loyal followers who have supported us over the years and brought the site to where it is today. There are so many choices out there in the creative realm, and we so appreciate that you keep us on the top of your go-to list. We also dedicate this book to our mom, Sally. She taught us hard work wont kill you, theres beauty in whats simple and true, and if you dont stop scratching, it will never heal. Love you, Mom.

Want it? Make it! When we started Sew4Home in 2009, our goal was to encourage people whod never even switched on a sewing machine to become avid sewers. We wanted to give our website visitors the confidence to produce projects that looked as good as, if not better than, the items they drooled over on the shelves of stores and in the pages of catalogs and magazines. To that end, we dedicated Sew4Home.com to providing the most detailed, step-by-step project instructions and accompanying techniques. The kind that make you shout, I finally get it! I can do that! And we do it without ever sacrificing style or flair. So your friends can shout, Wow! You made that?

Our projects struck a chord not only with those just starting out but also with seasoned sewing enthusiasts who love our creativity and are just as happy for the thorough instructions. With nearly a half million people from around the world visiting the site each day, its thrilling to now reach out with our first book, inspiring a whole new group to make what they want with confidence and style.

We looked through our most popular projects online and decided this book should cover bags and totes. Its a factwe all need something to carry our stuff, and although a simple paper bag might do the job, it doesnt exactly make our hearts go pitter-patter. Who doesnt love a great bag or tote? Even if we have several, theres always room for one (or two or three) more. Heres the good news about making your own: Bags have many underlying construction similarities. Learn the basics, and your originals can compete with bags costing hundreds of dollars. And you can make it for a fraction of the price in your favorite materials.

So what creates that professional finish? Its a combination of having the proper tools and truly understanding the techniques that add the finishing details. We show you how to avoid common mistakes and give you the secrets to choosing fabric and hardware that bring it all together.

Part of the fun is being exposed to the variety and versatility of different fabric substrates. Dont restrict yourself to the quilting cotton aisle. Learn to work with linen, canvas, faux leather and more. Todays faux fabrics can be nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing, but theyre so much easier to work withas well as much more humane.

Our hope is that by providing beautiful projects, you are inspired to create. And by making those projects accessible and understandable, you have the confidence to move from just thinking about making something to actually finishing a project, and then another, and another.... The ultimate goal is to have you share your love of sewing with someone else who has yet to experience the lure of needle and thread. Just as you can never have too many bags, you can never have too many creators. It makes the world a much more beautiful place.

Anne and Liz

The products you choose to work with are important to both achieving a professional finish and implementing a smooth and efficient process along the way to that pro finish. Using great tools eliminates frustration and frees up your creativity. This section of the book gives you an overview of the basic elements you need to get started along with a few premium options to consider for the best possible results. Well also touch on sewing techniques that streamline the construction process and share our thoughts on working with color, texture and design.

One of the first things you do in any project is measure. Of course, the more accurate your measurements, the better your end results. The carpenters words of wisdom, Measure twice, cut once are just as important for sewing.

Ruler: Get a see-through ruler thats at least 12" (30.5cm) long. A transparent ruler lets you see what youre measuring and gives you accurate horizontal and vertical lines. Youll also need the hard, straight edge for cutting with a rotary cutter.

Tape measure: The classic sewing notion. Get one that is flexible but not stretchy. Youll use it for measuring three-dimensional objects, working with long cuts of fabric, aligning patterns and more.

Seam gauge: This handy little fella is a small ruler (usually 6" [15cm] total) with a double-pointed, sliding guide. Its great for marking seam allowances and hems or using anytime you need to set and then repeatedly check a small measurement.

Premium options: Consider adding transparent rulers in specialty shapes, such as squares, frames and triangles. We also love hemming guides and gauges.

Being able to draw a straight line to follow or to indicate the exact spot for a snap means you need to mark on your fabric. Sounds scary, right? Only if youre considering using a permanent marker. There are special tools just for marking on fabric. Important tip: Always test your marking tool on a scrap of the actual project fabric(s) before using it on your project.

Pen: A water-soluble marking pen allows you to draw on your fabric, then wash out the ink or wipe it away with a damp cloth.

Pencil: Fabric pencils have special lead that also easily washes out. White pencils show up on dark fabric. Dark pencils are for light fabrics. Some pencils come with their own specialty erasers and brushes that make eliminating the lines even easier. A regular pencil sharpener will keep a nice point on your fabric pencils.

Premium options: Air-soluble pens (which dissolve/vanish over time with exposure to the air) and heat-soluble pens (you can iron off the ink) are good additions so you dont always have to wash/wet the item to remove your markings.

Remember when your mom yelled at you for using her good scissors? Now youll understand. Sharp, precise cutting tools are very important. Once you have your favorites, dont use them to cut anything but fabric! Even paper cutting will quickly dull good sewing scissors.

Scissors and shears: Get a good pair of shears for fabric cutting in a standard straight-blade option. If youll be doing a lot of cutting and prefer scissors over a rotary cutter, you may want to add a pair of bent dressmaker shears. They have a bend of about 45 at the pivot point for a more ergonomic cutting position.