Beginner Sewing

The Family of the Artist, 1895 

by Viggo Johansen,  Denmark  (1792-1870) 

This bag can be used for nature walks with children, to collect whatever the season provides. They are called nature bags and are used by home schoolers for their nature studies.

It would be helpful if someone could demonstrate up close, because you need to know when to work with the inside (wrong side) or outside (right side) of the fabric.  If for some reason, it does not come out perfectly, just consider it shabby chic or primitive, and use it anyway.

A pattern is not necessary. It can be made with any size fabric. If in doubt, take a piece of paper out of the copy machine, and use it as a pattern. Place it on folded fabric, and cut around it, leaving the fold intact. The photo above, shows the ends turned under twice, to make small hems. Use the iron to get a flat, straight crease.

For beginners who have no hand-sewing experience, it might be helpful to draw your stitching lines with a pencil, just to make it easy to follow with needle and thread.

Beginners can use a large-eyed needle, to make it easier to put the thread through. Thread the needle and tie a knot at the long end.  Search the web for needle-threading instructions. Push needle into the end of a line, and pull it back through from the other side of the fabric, to the other side of the stitch-line that is drawn with pencil.

Stitch both of the folded and ironed sections, all the way to the end of the cloth.

Finish by making several stitches over lapping, make a knot with the needle and thread, and clip the thread.

 Fold the fabric in half, with the hems showing, and stitch up the two sides, in the same manner. These two hems form the opening of the bag.

Turn the bag inside out and push the corners out with the scissors.

For the handle, cut a strip of fabric as long as you prefer, and iron both sides in toward the middle, as shown.

Fold in half again and press down firmly with hot iron. Stitch together with an over-cast stitch on the open edges.

Insert the handle inside the right and left corner of the bag.

Add trim and buttons, or leave plain.

Boys love to have a "messenger bag" or collectors bag, for rocks and sticks, arrowheads, and all kinds of treasures. You can make the one on the left by cutting out the pockets of worn out trousers and sewing together. To make a handle, use a seam, cut out from the same pants.

A collection of bags from fabric scraps and trims. There are numerous other uses for them.

These are made by children, from paper. The paper is folded in half, the sides are glued, leaving an opening. Handles are made from the same piece of paper and inserted inside the bags.  These could be used as special gift pouches for guests. Insert a pretty paper napkin, and a home made biscuit.