Hilarie Wakefield Dayton - Sew Bags: The Practical Guide to Making Purses, Totes, Clutches & More; 13 Skill-Building Projects

Publisher: AMY MARSON

Creative Director: GAILEN RUNGE

Acquisitions Editor: ROXANE CERDA

Managing Editor: LIZ ANELOSKI

Editor: BETH BAUMGARTEL

Technical Editor: DEBBIE RODGERS

Cover/Book Designer: APRIL MOSTEK

Production Coordinator: ZINNIA HEINZMANN

Production Editor: JENNIFER WARREN

Illustrators: LINDA JOHNSON and HILARIE WAKEFIELD DAYTON

Photo Assistant: RACHEL HOLMES

Cover photography by KELLY BURGOYNE of C&T Publishing, Inc.

Interior photography by KELLY BURGOYNE of C&T Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted

Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

Dedication

To my children, Christopher and Caroline. I hope that you find a special something in life that brings joy and meaning to you. Stick with it and with each other.

To my dear husband, David, who is (mostly) nothing but encouraging and supportive (and hot!).

Acknowledgments

In a sense, I have been working on this book over the course of my entire lifetime. I learned to sew as a very young child, and there has never been a time when I havent been learning how to make something. Over the years, I have learned from books, teachers, friends, professors, and a strong curiosity about how clothes were madeI loved taking clothes apart and sewing them back together. Without the encouragement of friends and family, however, this book would have never been written.

Sewing is my lifelong love and passion; I want to share it with you. I opened Little Stitch Studio with this sentiment in mind and a determination to share my love of fashion, sewing, and design with kids (and adults) of all ages.

Thank you to all the students that I have had the good fortune to share time sewing, laughing, and learning with each week. My appreciation goes to all the parents for their support and enthusiasm.

My sincere thanks to Annabel for inviting me to collaborate on some projects with her and for believing in me. Without her support, I would have never had the confidence to put pen to paper.

Finally, my gratitude to the staff at C&T Publishingmost notably Roxane and Lizfor taking a chance on me and for their enduring patience. Without the extensive knowledge, wit, and intelligence of my editor, Beth, this book would not have come together.

Thank you,Hilarie XO

Welcome

For Adult Sewists

This book is meant to be a beginning, an invitation to learn to sew. It happens to be about making handbags; however, the skills you will learn are infinitely adaptable. The very same sewing skills used to make all kinds of handbags are also used to make pillows, clothing, soft toys, and curtains. Master the fundamental building blocks of sewing demonstrated in the pages of this book, and they will forever be a part of your repertoire.

I hope to teach you how to sew in such a way that is not so much about following the instructions as it is about becoming a more skilled and thoughtful sewist. You will learn how a handbag is built and how to plan, choose fabrics, use patterns, pin, hand and machine stitch, embellish, and much more. I also hope to teach you about design, about the relationship between line and shape. With a basic understanding of construction, the logic about turning flat fabric into all kinds of handbags becomes considerably clearer.

My design formula starts with essential handbag shapes and injects them with style. My bags dont necessarily cater to seasonal trends but flow from season to season. Every season, we all seem to end up in a quandary over which handbag to carry, and we often compromise on shape, size, color, or even strap length. If you are shopping for a new bag, cost is an additional consideration. You dont have to compromise when you are the designer because you can make the bag of your dreams.

I welcome you to explore the pages of this book. Gain insight into the design process and learn the sewing techniques to develop your own amazing bags!

For Kid Sewists

Are you obsessed with fashion and sewing? Ill bet you are! In this book, we are going to have a lot of fun exploring cool sewing techniques, and you will get to make lots of special projects. Ill show you how to combine colors, fabrics, and trims. You will learn how to use a pattern and make some pretty fabulous handbags.

I remember as a young girl wanting to make beautiful clothes, accessories, and stuff for my room but not knowing where to begin. It was so frustrating! At that time, all the sewing books were for grown-ups, and the sewing patterns left me feeling uninspired. I would have loved to have a book like Sew Bags to show me that even though something may look tricky to sew, its really very easy once you get the hang of using a sewing machine. The key is to start with simple shapes that are endlessly versatile and are just begging for your personal touch. If you can sew a straight line, you can make these projects!

Today, you have so many options for design ideas: blogs, Pinterest, books, magazines, and YouTube. Unfortunately, all this creative inspiration may also leave you feeling drained or inadequate. I know what its like when your ideas greatly outpace your skills. I am here to help you learn and build on the sewing skills that you already have and to show you new techniques so that you can find your design voice and go for it!

You will be amazed by the bags you can make. Nothing in this book is too complicated! If you dont understand a step or you need help, ask an adult. Everybody needs help at some point, so dont be shy about asking. Cutting, sewing, pressing, and reading patterns are all skills that take time and patience to develop.

I encourage you to really take your time learning these new steps and to practice them. Once youve given a project a try, experiment and see what other ways you change it up to make it your own. Try making it bigger or smaller, or mix and match the fabrics and trims. There so many design options for you.

In my classroom at Little Stitch Studio, we have a bin full of scraps. I recommend that you keep all your fabric scraps. (You can ask if your fabric store has end cuts for discounted prices or cut up old clothes, sheets, and curtains to make your own scrap bin.) When you want to practice techniques or want a small side project to work on, grab fabric from the scrap bin and whip up some sewing magic! Open-ended sewing with scraps seems to take the quest for perfection out of the equation. Every day I see kids just like you learn how to use the fabric and materials in a fun, no-pressure way. Later, that scrap-sewing practice gives you the finesse to create more elaborate projects.

Maybe you dream of being a fashion designer, or maybe you just want to have fun making things for yourself and your friends. Whatever your wishes, Sew Bags is your guide to making your creative dreams come true.

How to Think like a Designer

Inspiration

What inspires you? To me, inspiration is a magical type of feelinga feeling in which you might hear your mind thinking as it forms a picture. How do you capture this magic? Where do ideas come from? I find inspiration from running, showering, sleeping, a quiet space, music boredom. Yes, thats right. Boredom! Let your mind wander. Daydream, turn off your phone, sit, play, doodle, and even work on some mind-numbing task. I find that when I clear my head, my brain comes up with some pretty brilliant stuff. Thats where the idea for this book came from!