Are you a "pack the kitchen sink" sort of sewer or a "just the bare essentials " ?
Bobbi is equally happy with the contents of the kitchen sink or with a tiny cossie and a bottle of sun lotion.
Bobbi has a lovely slouchy look packed, with a few bits and bobs, but can expand to accommodate the families, towels, swimming costumes, sun lotion etc. etc. Pop your wet swimming suits into the water proof/resistant drawstring bag, and keep everything else in the Bobbi bag dry.
Detach your gorgeous clutch from the internal safety clip and move effortlessly from day to night, with the glamorous matching clutch.
Bobbi features a internal pocket, a D ring to attach your keys too and a safety clip that keeps your clutch firmly attached to the lining until you are ready to un clip it.
For comfort and ease Bobbi has a detachable shoulder strap and handles.
Materials and Equipment
100cm of firm cotton fabric or denim fabric, I got mine from here
Lining 140cm wide x 50cm
scraps of contrast fabric for the pocket
1.5cm meter of cotton tape I got mine here
D rings x 2 I got all the hardware from HERE
Lobster clasps x 2 for the strap
small clip for the interior of the bag
D ring for the interior of the bag
30cm of ribbon
Matching thread or contrast thread, pins, tape measure, chalk and scissors.
Tips for beginners
Seam allowance 1 cm this is the distance between the edge of the fabric and the stitch line. You will find a series of parallel lines engraved on the needle plate of your sewing machine pick the one marked with the measurement you need and keep the edge of the fabric to this guide
RS = right side of fabric WS = wrong side of fabric.
If you are using denim machine-wash your fabric first on a hot wash.
Download and print the 10cm x 10cm square, HERE and place it in opposite corners of the bag, as show on the seam that measures 65cm, this will form the base/corners of the bag.
*Pin the side seams and the short seam on the base of the bag; the long seam at the top is the top of the bag. Using a 1cm seam allowance stitch the side seam, the base of the bag and the remaining side seam. DO NOT stitch the 10cm x10cm section for now.
*Press the 3 seams you have just sewn flat and open as shown.
Bring the seam side and the base seam together and pin as shown. Continue pinning across the seam (as shown) and machine stitch using a 1cm seam allowance. *
Cut the 10cm x 10cm corners using the template out of the lining. Place it in opposite corners of the bag, on the seam that measures 65cm, as you did for the main bag.
With RS together, pin the main fabric section 65cm x 10cm to the top of the lining and machine stitch into place using a 1cm seam allowance. Repeat on the remaining side.
Press the seam flat and open as shown.
**Slip the tape or ribbon into the small D ring and fold over for 1cm fold again for 1cm and machine stitch using the zipper foot (this will enable you to get close to the D ring/swivel clip) over the fold* *. Repeat from ** to ** attaching the ribbon or tape to the swivel clip.
With the RS of the lining facing you, pin the D ring on the side seam 16cm down from the top and the swivel clip 32cm down.
With the foot, to the edge of the fabric, machine stitch into place.
Pockets
With the RS facing you, turn one 15cm edge over for 1cm, press, repeat.
Machine stitch, across this seam, to hold the top of the pocket in place.
Turn the remaining 3 edges under for 1cm press.
Place the pocket on the lining, with the RS of the lining facing you, fold the lining in half, and mark the middle with a pin.
Fold the pocket in half and mark with a pin,
Position the middle of the pocket, with the middle of the lining 12.5cm from the top opening of the bag lining. Machine stitch with the foot to the edge of the pocket attaching the pocket to the lining.
Sew the lining together: matching the side seams and taking care not to accidentally sew the ribbon holding the D ring and the swivel clip, pin the bottom seam a shown and leave a gap to turn the bag to the RS at a later stage, repeat from * to *.
Make the handles.
With RS facing fold the long edges together (as shown) and machine stitch using a 1cm seam allowance. Repeat for the remaining handle. Using a roule maker or a safety pin turn to the RS. Press flat with the seam to the side.
Tabs for the D rings to hold the shoulder straps.
With RS facing fold the long edges together (as shown) and machine stitch using a 1cm seam allowance. Repeat for the remaining handle. Using a roule maker or a safety pin turn to the RS. Press flat with the seam to the side.
Slide the d ring along the tab and fold in half. Pin 3 cm from the fold line as shown.
Stitch across the section you have just pinned.
Pin the tabs onto the side seam of the bag on the RS, position the tab in the middle of the side seam as shown, and pin the stitch line to the top of the bag.
Fold the bag in half and mark the middle on the RS of the bag with a pin, measure from the pin out towards the side seam 9cm pin on the handle as shown, repeat measuring from the middle and pin the remaining 3 handle ends on.
Place the RS of the bag into the WS of the lining, and pin as shown around the top of the bag. Using a 1cm seam allowance. The handles and side tab need to be tucked inside the bag. Stitch into place.
Trim the top of the tab as shown.
Press the seams you have just sewn towards the lining of the bag.
Under stitching the top of the bag.
Press all the seams towards the lining of the bag and stitch as close as possible on the lining to the top of the bag,being careful not to stitch on the bag. It is important to catch both the lining seam and the bag seam and the RS of the lining with this row of stitching.
Using the gap in the lining turn the bag to the RS. Slip the bag onto the sewing machine through the gap in the lining and making sure the seams are on the lining of the bag, sew a line of stitching as close to the edge as possible, BUT not on the RS of the bag.
Pull the lining out and pin the opening in the seams shut as shown using a 1cm seam allowance. Stitching close to the edge, close the gap.
Shoulder strap.
Measure how much tape you require, I used 150cm including the turning.
Slip the end onto the clip as shown, fold the raw edge under for 1cm and using machine stitch into place.
Drawstring water proof bag for swimsuits
Materials and Equipment
50cm of cotton fabric I got mine from here
water resistant or proof lining
Download and print off the tab (if using)
scraps of interfacing
1 meter of cord
Download and print the PDF pattern for the tabs and front of the clutch bag.
Matching thread or contrast thread, pins, tape measure, chalk and scissors.
With the RS of the fabric facing you, measuring from the 27cm seam, drop down for 7cm and make a mark using chalk or small nip with the scissors. Press this section only under for 0.5cm then another 0.5cm.
Unfold the fold and ironed section and with RS together join the main fabric to the waterproof fabric. Using a 1cm SA machine stitch into place. Repeat on the remaining side.
Under stitch, push the seams towards the waterproof lining and stitch as close as possible to the edge.
Refold the 7cm section and machine stitch the 7cm fold. Repeat on the remaining 3 sides.
With WS together fold the bag in half matching the bottom seam (27cm) as shown. Carefully( the waterproof fabric could melt under the iron) press along the top line . Repeat on the remaining side.
Open the swim bag and with RS together matching the seams, pin the bag together.
Do not pin the 7cm turned and stitched seam.
Leave a gap as shown at the bottom of the bag.
Using a 1cm seam allowance machine the pinned seams. Clip the corners, and turn the bag to the RS.
If possible re press the top seam. Machine a row of stitching 0.5cm from the top of the swim bag, and a second 2.5 from the top. You should be able to follow a line marked on your sewing machine. Repeat on the remaining side.
Pull out the lining a fold in the seam for 1cm, pin and machine stitch close to the edge.
Cut the cord/tape in half and insert a safely pin on one end of one half, starting from the right push the cord around the channel you have sewn as shown, and out the other end.
Insert the safely pin into the remaining piece of card and insert into the channel from the left side.
Pin the interfaced tabs (two for each end of the cord) on the end of the cord, and using a small zig zag stitch, machine around the edge as shown.
Clutch bag
Materials and Equipment
Left over fabric from the beach bag.
Zip 28cm metal
D ring x 1 small
scraps of interfacing
Iron on Lobster I got mine from HERE
Download and print the PDF pattern for the tabs for the zip and front of the clutch bag.
Matching thread or contrast thread, pins, tape measure, chalk and scissors
Fold the fabric for the Dring, raw edges to the middle, fold again.
Slip onto the D ring and using the zipper foot machine stitch close to the Dring
as shown.
Iron the interfacing onto the WR of the lining fabric, the main fabric and the decorative sections. With RS together pin the lining to the main fabric as show, and using a 1cm seam allowance machine stitch the pinned sections.
Press the seams flat and flip over to the RS of the fabric, press again.
Iron the Lobster on to the front of the bag if using,with out catching the lining machine around the edge using a matching thread to help secure the motif.
Position and pin, as show the decorative pockets onto the main front of the bag.
And pin on the D ring.
With the foot of the edge attach the pocket to the bag this stitching must not shown when the bag is made.
Continue from * to * following the instructions for the Date Night Pouch.
Skip the section starting ** where you are told how to attach the parrot, continue to the end**
Make the wrist handle.
Fold the raw edges to the middle, fold 0.5cm under and the short ends on the top and bottom, press and pin.
Machine stitch close to the edge, in a rectangle, finishing where you started.
Slip the strap onto the D ring, adjust to fit, do not cut, overlap and machine stitch into place.
Absolutely MASSIVE congratulations you have just finish the Bobbi Beach bag, drawstring bag and clutch, your a sewing super star !