Mini Bowling Bag Tutorial

Requirements:

All measurements are in metric.  All seam allowances are 1.5 cm (5/8") unless otherwise mentioned.

Here are my abbreviations

RSO = Right side out
RST = Right sides together
WSO = Wrong side out
WST= Wrong sides together


Cut out all your pattern pieces.

  • Sides - Cut 2 main outer fabric, 2 heavy interfacing, 2 lining fabric, 2 medium interfacing
  • Base - Cut 1 secondary outer fabric (in this case I have used the same fabric as the piping and handles), 1 heaving interfacing, 2 lining fabric.
  • Ends - Cut 2 outer fabric, 2 heavy interfacing, 2 lining fabric.
  • Tops - Cut 2 outer fabric, 2 heavy interfacing, 2 lining fabric.
  • Handles - Cut 2 rectangles of secondary fabric 34 cm x 6 cm, cut 2 rectangles of medium interfacing in the same dimemnsions.
  • Piping - Cut 1 strip of secondary fabric 4 cm wide and at least 110 cm long.
  • Matboard or something suitable to make a study base in the bag.
Fold piping strip in half lenght wise. place piping cord in the centre of the fold.
Using a zipper foot on your machine, stitch as close as possible to the cord.
Iron interfacing to wrong side of handle peices.
Fold handle straps in half lenghtwise RST.  Stitch a short side and long side with a 6mm (1/4") seam allowance. Trim corner seam allowance on the diagonal.
Turn straps right side out and press.

****Tip******
This is a technique is used by cloth doll makers to turn things like fingers the RSO. It works really well for bag straps as well and saves your aching fingers and manicure.
Take a hard plastic drink straw (like the ones at McDonalds). Slide the straw inside the strap right to the closed end. Using the blunt end of a bamboo skewer push a little fabric into the straw using your other hand to push the strap fabric over the skewer. Once the fabric has started to turn you no longer need the straw. Keep pushing the fabric over the skewer until you have finished turning. Gently use the skewer to push out the corners.
Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the two top peices. Pin the top pieces to the zipper starting from the closed end of the zipper. The zipper is actually too long but this will be fixed later.
Stitch the two top peices to the zipper. Start sewing from the closed end of the zipper for both sides of the zipper.
Attach the end pieces to the top piece. Start by doing the closed end of the zipper first.
When it comes to attaching the end peice at the opened end of the zipper, Open the zipper so that it is half way open, pin the end peice onto the top. When stitching, make sure you squeeze the zipper together.
Press seam allowances towards the base. Trim excess zipper so that it matches seam allowance.
Optional:
Top stitch on the end pieces close to the seam.
Iron heaving interfacing to outer fabric sides.
In this order, pin the side, piping, handle, top. The top and the sides are WST. Use lots of pins. You many need snip the seam allowance of the top and the seam allowance of the piping to ease around the top rounded corners (see photo). Handle placement is on the top edge of the bag, just inside the rounded top corner. Stitch together. Then check to see that you have not captured too much of the piping in the seam.
Do the same for the other side.
Once you have both sides sewn to the top, turn the bag RSO, then fold the handles in half folding in towards the zipper. Stitch the folded handle together. Start and stop stitching 4 cm from the bag. (See photo). Do this for both handles.
Open zipper all the way and turn bag WSO.
Iron interfacing to the wrong side of the base.
With RST, pin the short sides of the base to the ends of the bag. Turn seam allowance out. Stich bag to base but only between the the two seams. Try not to sew the piping.
Pin the long sides base to the sides of the bag. Turn seam allowance out. Stitch bag to base but only between the the two seams. Try not to sew the piping.
Trim seam allowances at the bottom corners.
Iron meduim interfacing on the wrong side of side linings.
This bag has 'patch' pockets inside. I basically use rectangles of fabric RST, Stitch on 3 sides, trim seam allowance corners. Turn RSO, press, then stitch to side lining, before I start assembly the lining. The raw edge of the pockets will be sewn into the lining.
For a phone pocket, I make a pleated patch pocket.
Sew one side of the pocket to the side lining. Make a small pleat. Pin pleat into place.
Position other side of pocket leaving enough excess to make a pleat on this side too. Stitch pocket side down, then fold pleat back over and pin into position.
Baste bottom of pocket to the seam allowance of side lining. Trim pocket to match side lining seam allowance. Press all pockets including pleated pocket.
Assemble the top lining and side lining pieces as above. (Except there is no zipper). Press seam allowances towards the base.
Stitch side linings to side top as discribed above.
The base of the lining has a double layer to allow a base board to be inserted. Attach the base lining to the bag lining as discribed above, except leave one short side of the lining open.
Cut a piece of mat board slightly smaller than 9 cm x 20.5 cm. Slightly round corners of mat board so that corners don't poke through the lining. Slip mat board between the two pieces of base lining. Hand stitch base lining and remaining bag side together.
Place lining base and outer base WST.  Stitch lining base seam allowance and outer base seam allowances together.
Turn bag RSO, you will need to slightly bend the mat board to do this, It is best to get one end of the base through the zipper first, then bend then board slightly to get the other end through.
Stitch the top edge of the side lining seam allowance to the the top edge of the side outer seam allowance together. Do this on both sides.
Pin lining into place on the rear of the zipper.
Hand stitch lining in place with slip stitch or ladder stitch.
Add a charm or beads to the zipper puller.