Sew Inspirational

Using in-built sewing machine stitches

Orange Fringe Bag

By Ruth Osborn

You’ll Need

STEP 1
Cut two pieces of fusible interfacing 35cms by 38cms

Cut the assorted orange and black fabric scraps into pleasing shapes and arrange them over the fusible surface of one piece of  the interfacing.  The edges don’t have to be exact, overlapping is not a problem, as the fabric will be held down by the decorative stitching. (Photo 1)

Press the fabrics in position with a hot, dry iron, to fuse them to the interfacing.

STEP 2
Insert a new Universal needle size 90/14. Wind the bobbin with Bobbin fill and top thread the machine with embroidery thread, select straight stitch. Lay the pressed piece face down on the machine, interfacing side up, and sew random curving lines over the surface of the interfacing. (Photo 2)

These curved lines of straight stitching will form divided areas to be filled with decorative stitching.

At this stage, start a test square, and try some of the automatic stitches in your machine. Select one of the chosen stitches and on the right side of the piece start to fill in the shapes you have made. You will notice that the embroidery overlaps the fabric colours that have been included in the divided areas, giving even more texture. (Photos 3,4,5)

Continue filling in the areas, pressing and changing embroidery thread colours as you go. Sew over some areas again, using a more open decorative stitch. Continue to fill in the areas in this manner, changing patterns and thread colours until the entire piece is embellished with decorative stitching.

If your work starts to pull in, the interfacing isn’t heavy enough, and you will need to restabilise the piece to prevent further shrinking.

Reverse side of completed stitching. (Photo 6)

STEP 3
Insert the twin needle. Thread the machine with two spools of thread, keeping one to the left and one to the right of the tension discs.

Attach the pintuck foot.

Cut a piece of black velveteen 38cms deep by 50cms wide, pintuck the entire width of this piece. Using a rotary cutter and ruler, trim to 36cms deep by 38cms wide. Cut a piece of interfacing this size, and iron to fuse the velveteen and interfacing together.

STEP 4
Trim the front decorated piece to 36cms deep by 38cms wide.

Measure down 5cms from the top of the bag, with black sewing thread in the top and the bobbin, universal foot and a straight sewing stitch, attach the first row of black braid. Leave a 5mm space and attach the first row of bobble braid. Leave 6cms and attach the next two rows of braid. Leave 7.5cms and attach the last two rows of braid. (Photo 9)

Cut two pieces of black velveteen 5cms, by 38cms , lay one strip, right sides facing, at the top of the bag, 4cms in from the bag edge. Sew 1cm in from the edge. Then press up so that it is level with the top of the bag. Repeat for the base of the bag, only press down. (Photo 10)

Cut two pieces of velveteen 5cms by 36cms and sew to the sides of the bag in the same manner. (Photo 11)

THE TASSELS

STEP 5
Cut five lengths of cord – 30cms long. Tie a large knot at the top and the bottom of each cord. Tie another knot 7cms in from one end. This tassel will be level with the bottom of the fringing on completion.

Cut a small piece of thick cardboard, 15cms by 10cms. Wind the black wool around the cardboard lengthwise about 30 times. This will depend on the thickness of the wool. Cut through the loops of wool at either end. (Photos 12,13)

Lay the knot at the end of the cord over the cut tassel wool, cut a length of wool, and tie the wool in place above the knot. Smooth the wool down over the knot and use another length of wool to secure them in place. (Photo 14)

Trim the tassel ends. Repeat for the two knots on each of the cords. Sew over the tops of the tassels with the orange cord and blanket stitch. (Photo 15)

Space these along the bottom of the bag and sew over the knot at the top of the cord with a straight stitch to attach. Place the front and the back of the bag together, with the tassels tucked in between them, straight stitch along the base. Open the bag out flat. Cut two lengths of the 5cms black fringing, place these on top of each other so that the braided side of the fringing is just on the edge of the bottom of the decorated front. Sew in place. The fringing will hang down when the bag is joined at the sides.

Bring the back of the bag up, with the bag right sides together, join the side seams, being careful of the fringing at the sides, and the tassel cords.

STEP 6
Cut two pieces of lining, 36cms by 38cms, join the seams on the sides and across the bottom, but leave 15cms unsewn in the middle of the bottom seam, turn and press.

Cut two pieces of black velveteen 6cms wide by 1.25cms long for the strap. Sew the two pieces together lengthwise, turn and press. Sew the remainder of the fancy black braid along the centre of the strap.

Sew the strap to the bag at the side seams, keeping the braid on the outside of the strap.

Turn the bag inside out, with the strap to the inside of the bag, place the lining inside of the bag, with the right sides facing each other. Sew around the top of the bag.

Turn the bag through the opening in the base of the lining. Seam this opening closed. Press.

Gold Heart Handbag

by Caroline Sharkey

Fabric Requirements

Bag Pattern
Bag and lining pattern the same, Handles 16cm x 58cm cut in half lengthwise, facings 14 cm x 35 cm cut in half lengthwise.
To download the bag pattern & heart design illustrations click here.

Make the Bag

1. Cut out the bag front and back, facings and handles from silk fabric
2. Cut out bag lining front and back
3. Iron interfacing onto the wrong side of bag front and back, facings and handles
4. Decorate the front and back with free machine stitching in gold thread
5. With right sides together stitch side seams of bag and bottom seam
6. Hem one edge of each facing and pin and stitch to the top of each lining front and back
7. Stitch the lining bottom and side seams together leaving an opening in one side seam to turn the bag through when bag construction is finished
8. Iron the interfaced handles in half and half again right side out top stitch along the edges to secure
9. Turn the bag with right side of the fabric in
10. Position and pin into place inside to the right side of the fabric the top of the bag front and back
11. With the lining right side out pin the lining into the top edge of the main bag right sides together and stitch around the top
12. Turn the bag through the opening in the lining side seam
13. Press the bag top flat and top stitch around the top and stitch up the opening in the lining

Making the Hearts

1. Interface the wrong side of the gold fabric
2. Interface the wrong side of a small piece of left-over black silk
3. Cut 3 hearts from the gold stiffened fabric and 3 smaller hearts from the black silk
4. Position and pin the hearts onto 3 layers of water soluble fabric
5. Stitch the edges with gold thread creating a pattern as you go
6. Do the same with the black smaller silk hearts and stitch with black thread
7. In the spaces of water soluble fabric between the hears stitch small centre flowers in gold thread
8. Wash the hearts in hot water and dry
9. Position the gold hearts then smaller black hearts and then gold flower centres onto the bag front and stitch into place

Brooch
Use the gold fabric that the hearts were cut from and trim back to have a square of fabric with a heart centre

Lay onto the water soluble fabric the same and decorate with the gold thread

Scarf
Treat the hearts the same but join 3 together for one end and the other make a small black panel and decorate with gold stitches of hearts

Sew to the ends of a black fabric scarf.