Russell Conte - Shanti Yoga Bag Pattern: Featuring Kraft-Tex

Shanti Yoga Bag Finished bag: 29 7 diameter Finished water bottle carrier: 3 wide 32 long with strap Finished magnolia flower: Large: 8 wide 4 tall, Small: 5 wide 2 tall I love bags (I mean, reallywho doesnt?) and I love making bags. For me, the act of cajoling rectangles, squares, and circles into a bag is an act of alchemy. The Shanti Yoga Bag is a great foray into the world of bag making; just think of all the extra credit youll get for having made it yourself! Highlighted by its kraft-tex accents, lustrous eyelets, and a zippered pocket, this bag includes goiser topstitching, a truly wonderful way to incorporate beefy stitching into your work with your home sewing machine. (And you thought that was just for professionals!) The Shanti Yoga Bag will have you delving into undiscovered and unique sewing techniques. SHANTI YOGA BAG Finished bag: 29 7 diameter MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES Yardage is based on 40-wide fabric. Adjust the amounts if using fabrics of varying widths. NOTE If you are using unwashed kraft-tex, wash it a few times with like-colored articlesthe more times you wash it, the softer it becomes.

Be sure to wash it with other items to help agitate the kraft-tex. MATERIALSkraft-tex (by C&T Publishing): 1 roll Denim or heavyweight fabric: 1 yard Cotton fabric: 1 yard for lining and pocket HARDWARE7 zipperExtra-large eyelets, inner diameter or larger: 8 D-rings or rectangle rings, 1 inner width: 4 TOOLSWash-away tape (I use Collins Wash Away Wonder Tape.) StilettoFine-point marker (I use Pigma Micron pensthe ink doesnt bleed.) Mini fabric clips (I use Clover Wonder Clips.) 1 (25mm) bias tape maker (I use the Clover Bias Tape Maker.) CUTTING kraft-tex Make a template of the bottom circle pattern (sheet P1). Cut 1 piece 1 40 for the bag strap. Cut 1 piece 3 23 for the lower exterior band. Cut 2 pieces 3 23 for the upper exterior and upper lining bands. Cut 1 piece 2 9 for the zipper-pocket facing.

Cut 1 bottom circle for the exterior bottom. Cut 1 piece 1 7 for the lower D-ring keeper. Cut 1 piece 1 4 for the upper D-ring keeper. Denim or heavyweight fabric Cut 1 piece 23 23 for the exterior body. Cut 1 piece 2 40 for the bag strap. Cotton fabric Cut 1 piece 23 26 for the lining body. Cotton fabric Cut 1 piece 23 26 for the lining body.

Cut 1 piece 11 20 for the pocket. Cut 1 bottom circle for the lining bottom. Assembly Instructions Use a seam allowance unless otherwise noted, backstitching at all beginning and ending stitches. Suggested stitch length is 2.5mm or longer. Exterior Zippered Pocket with Facing On the wrong side of the exterior body, measure 3 down from the top edge and draw a rectangle tall by 8 long that is centered side to side. Place the pocket, right side down, on the right side of the exterior body, with a narrow edge centered at the top. Pin in place.

Sew along the drawn the rectangle, overlapping where you began by about for security. Cut through the middle of the rectangle to within from each end. Cut on a diagonal to each corner, clipping to but not through the stitches at each corner of the rectangle. Pull the pocket to the inside through this opening and press the rectangle opening into place. Mark and cut the zipper opening in the kraft-tex zipper-pocket facing. Remove the backing from the wash-away tape and place the kraft-tex zipper-pocket facing so the zipper is centered in the opening. Remove the backing from the wash-away tape and place the kraft-tex zipper-pocket facing so the zipper is centered in the opening.

If the zipper tape extends beyond the ends of the zipper-pocket facing, trim the zipper tape so that the zipper-pocket facing hides it. Sew the zipper to the kraft-tex zipper-pocket facing by topstitching from the inner edge. NOTE Natural kraft-tex is shown in these photos. You may use any color for your bag. Place wash-away tape on both long edges of the wrong side of the kraft-tex zipper facing, about in from the edges. Topstitch inside the outer edge of the kraft-tex zipper facing. Topstitch inside the outer edge of the kraft-tex zipper facing.

To learn how to create the goiser topstitching, see my video: The Goiser Stitch by Machine (sewpbox.com/stitchery-instruction). Fold the lower edge of the pocket up to match the top edge, and sew both sides closed. Sew the top edge of the pocket to the bag no more than from the top edge. The upper exterior band will cover this stitching. Yoga Bag Exterior NOTE The lower exterior band is taller than the upper bands to include the seam allowance at the bottom. Place wash-away tape next to the drawn line, between the drawn line and the edge of the kraft-tex.