Steps on how to make bags

 Welcome to today's tutorial: How to make an Ankara Handbag.

Still in the spirit of "craftiness", I'll be showing us how I made this Ankara bag. It's not perfect(made a lot of mistakes along the way, which by the way, made me know more about bag-making. So if you are making mistakes at whatever you are doing, don't flinch. As long as you are learning not to repeat them, trust me, you'll come out great.). So mistakes or not, I enjoyed making my bag.

REQUIREMENTS:

 

1. Fabric of choice:  So my fabric of choice was an Ankara fabric I bought from the market a week ago which costed about N2,700 per 6 yards. It was called super Hollandis. For the tutorial I only needed 1/4 of the fabric, 18wide X 23" long.

2. Lining fabric: Like I mentioned in our previous tutorials( HOW TO MAKE A LEATHER TOTE BAG andHOW TO MAKE A MESSENGER/CROSS BAG, there are actually lining fabrics for bags but because I had alot of lining lying around idle in the house, I decided to use them instead. So for the tutorial, I only needed the same size as our fabric of choice: 18wide X 23" long.

3. Padding: Because I wanted my bag to be very thick, I went for padding interface which is similar to a gumstain/interface but is usually used for breast pads in blouses, gowns e.t.c . I only needed 1/4 of the padding.

4. Gumstain: Also needed just 1/4 of it.

5. Non-magnetic snaps: Since I didn't have magnetic snaps, I had to make do with the non-magnetic ones popularly known in Nigeria as Magic gum.

5. Pins

6. Scissors

7. Matching thread 

8. Pressing iron

9. Sewing machine and hand-needles

PROCEDURES:

1. Cutting out the bag pattern: In our previous tutorial-How to make a Messenger/Cross bag, we used a pattern. The same pattern would be used here because I wanted my handbag to end up with a flap in front. So cut out the pattern same as our previous tutorial(See HERE), and your pattern will look like this:

2. Cutting out the lining pattern: Repeat the process as Procedure 1 and your linning pattern will look the same as your bag pattern.

3. Making the Bag pouch and Lining pouch: Now unlike our previous tutorials(How to make a messenger/cross bag and How to make a Leather tote handbag), we fold out pattern piece into equal halves and cut off the side layers on both sides to make a straight pattern, like this.

Then you attach your padding interface(as earlier mentioned in the requirement section) by press ironing the blunt surface to your bag fabric.

Then cut. Because I intended to use leather as the sides of my bag, I placed the cut off layers on the leather(folded into equal halves0 and cut, like this:

I also placed my leather on my padding interface, traced and cut as well. So I hav my fabric choice(now padded) and my side leathers(also padded as well), like these:

Next, I attached my side leathers to where my original side layers would have been by simply placing them wrong side up and my fabric of choice right side up. and pinned down. Like this

Then I took them to the sewing machine and stitched, matching sure I matched the leather seam to the leather pieces like this:

Next, I folded my bag fabric into equal halves leaving out of course the flap as our previous tutorial-How to make a Messenger/cross bag.

And then I joined the other end of my side leather pieces to the body of my bag fabric.

When done, to make the pouch, repeat the process of stitching across the end of the pouch(seeHERE) and your bag pouch will look like this:

Next, cut off the flap. This is because it will be impossible to insert zipper layers and a zipper if the flap of the bag is still attached to the bag pouch. So cut it off and put it aside.

To make the linning pouch, repeat the process HERE.

4. Attaching pockets: So I wanted an inner side pocket unlike the middle pocket in how previous tutorial-How to make a leather tote bag), so I took out a 7" long X 6" wide piece of fabric from my leftover ankara fabric. You can choose to use your lining instead if you want but make sure to overlock the edges before you do. This is because a lining fabric can be very fragile and suspectible to easy wear and tear. You wouldn't want your inner side pocket to leak out eventually.

To attach a pocket to the inner side of my bag, I'm going to need a zipper which has to also be attached to my lining pouch. So I placed my lining pouch wrong side up and measured where I want the zipper to be which was about 7 " long.

I marked the beginning and end horizontally with a tailor's chalk and then cut through using a razor blade. Like this:

Then I made my pocket pouch.

 And attached it to the wrong side of my lining pouch by sewing the zipper to the lining fabric.

When I was done, it looked like this:

I also went ahead to attach more pockets(although without zippers) at the opposite side of the lining pouch,(see how to attach pockets without zippers, HERE)that will serve as pockets for my keys or phones and glasses.

Next, I cut off the flap of my lining pouch just because like I earlier mentioned it will be impossible to attache a front zipper with the flap still attached bag pouch.

5. Attaching the zipper layer & zipper: See procedure 4 in How to make a leather tote handbag.

6.  Turning the Bag: Same as Procedure 9 in How to make a leather tote handbag. When done our bag will look like this:

7. Attaching the Flap to the bag:First, make sure to line the Flap using your lining fabric.

 I wanted my flap to have an embellishment at the front. So I cut out two pieces of leather from my left over leather and attached them to a buckle. Using hand needle and thread(because my flap was now too thick for my sewing machine to go through. FYI, , my needles went through emotional distress, my brothers and sisters. I lost about three of to premature death. It was not a small hustle my people. However I learnt that next time I'm to make sure a thick bag, I'll get thicker sewing needles.)  I attached each to each side of my flap, like this.

Next, I attached my flap to the back of my bag. Like this.

And made sure I used my hand needle to match the seam to my flap.

8. Making a thick bag handle: The vision of my Ankara bag portrayed a bag with a thick handle on top the flap. It was how I envisioned it, so it was either I got one from the bag making shops(yeah, you will find different bag handles to choose from however they are a bit expensive, N300-N400 per handle) or I made one myself and by now, I'm sure you already know the option I chose-making it myself. But the issue that comes with making a thick bag handle is, it is one thing to make a bag handle and it's another to make a "thick" handle. Making a bag handle is easy(see HERE) but making it thick, that's where the issue is. But anyway, I put my initiative together and thought of something.

So begin, you cut out your handle of course.

I wanted mine to be of the leather so I cut out 12.5" wide x 5 inches lone leather, attached gumstain/interface on it and sown it the way I would have made any regular handle/shoulder straps(see Procedure 8 in HOW TO MAKE A LEATHER TOTE BAG) but I left out 1.5" of the handle at both ends not-stitched.

When done, my bag handle, looked limped like a weightless paper.

So to thicken it up, I pulled out waste fabrics from my dump basket and began to stuff them through the whole of the handle using my screwdriver till it became very thick

When done, my bag handle became as thick as a rock.

And all I needed to do was stitch the 1.5" not-stitched ends using a hand-needle and thread of course, to both ends of the top of my flap.

And I was done!

My Ankara handbag

To make the flap stay in place, I stitched my non-magnetic snaps to the top of the my bag, although I'll advise that when you make ours, please use magnetic snaps. I plan to get some as soon as I am out of the office and replace my non-magnetic snaps with them because using non-magnetic only temporarily keeps the flap in place. They however, pull away because the handle is thicker than the weight of the flap. So make sure you use magnetic snaps instead.

For those that don't know what magnetic snaps are, this is how they look like.

So I hope we enjoyed today's tutorial?

 

Don't forget to leave any questions you may have on the comment box below. If however there are tutorials you will love to see here on The Q effectz, please leave them also on the comment box below and I'll do my best to bring them to you.

So till next time, have a fabulous weekend ahead.

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