Studio Tuesday - Diaper Bag with Elastic Pockets Tutorial

I'm going to try to post some tutorials for a while. Granted, they may be tutorials like How to Open a Door, but I'm going to try to do them, or at least find them and share them and try them.

Except for now I'm going to cheat and post this tutorial I posted on Craftster years ago. I completely forgot about it until someone emailed me recently to show me their rendition. I went back and found it featured in their ULTIMATE PURSE, BAGS, & WALLETS TUTORIALS LIST!, with 5 pages of comments and 60,478 views. Wow! I had no idea.

The bag is long gone to a shop owner in Park Slope NYC who wanted it for herself and bought a few other ones to sell. They're not exactly easy, which may be why I haven't made one in years. Besides, we don't really need one anymore since McKenna is almost completely potty trained. Sorry, was that T.M.I.? It's big news in our house right now.

Here's the tutorial, copied and pasted from Craftser, in case you want to make one for yourself. . .


kokoleo

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Joined: 17-Feb-2005

Tutorial: Diaper Bag with Elastic Pocket « on: June 08, 2005 06:22:35 PM »

A few people asked for an elastic pocket tutorial when I posted my last diaper bag. I tried to explain how to do it in words but it got confusing so I decided to make another diaper bag and take pictures along the way.

First off, here's where I got my material and here's what I turned it into:



And here are the pieces you'll need (the 2 inside pockets are not shown).




Here's the side pocket tutorial:



Stitch together the outside and lining fabrics, fold them back so the right sides are facing out, then stitch in 5/8 of and inch along the edge. See how much space you'll need for the elastic and make a channel. I sew it with the elastic inside (just don't sew over the elastic!). You can also make your channel and insert the elastic with a safety pin.



Lay this on top of your side panel for your bag and stitch one side to the panel. make two folds at the bottom until the pocket fabric is the same width as the panel. Sew the bottom and other side of the pocket to the panel, making sure your elastic isn't too loose that it hangs open or too tight that the panel buckles and you can't get your hand in the pocket.

Sew front, back, and side panels to the bottom of your bag, then stitch up the sides. Set aside and start on the lining.



Here's how I do an elastic gathered flat pocket:



Use a piece of fabric that's wider at the top. Make a channel for the elastic (like on the side pockets). Gather to your desired width and lay flat on the fabric to which you are adhering it. Fold in the sides and stitch down. You can leave the bottom open because that will be sewn to the bottom of the bag.



Stitch up the sides and combine with outer fabric. Add the strap, make an opening in the middle of one of your lining sides and pull through.

I also made a changing pad/play mat filled with batting that goes in the inside flat pocket.

Alrighty then, I hope that wasn't confusing. Good Luck!

KB


(I'll try to find that broken picture. I'm sure it's somewhere in the bowels of my computer.)