NEW! Big-Bigger Laundry Bag Sewing Tutorial
NEW! Watch Stitch it! Sisters Program 109: Big-Bigger Laundry Bag
Watch the NEW! Stitch it! Sisters Program Program 109: Big-Bigger Laundry Bag video and learn how easy it is to sew our Big-Bigger Laundry Bag.
Big-Bigger Laundry Bag FREE! Sewing Tutorial
Sew our NEW! Big-Bigger Laundry Bag with our easiest ever sewing techniques, and Classic Timesaving Tips by Nancy Zieman, and see how using the right tools makes the sewing process enjoyable, even for beginners!
To make our NEW! Big-Bigger Laundry Bag, follow our easy instructions – included with our NEW! Big-Bigger Laundry Bag Pattern and NEW! Big-Bigger Laundry Bag Bundle Box! Note: All seam allowances are 1/4″ unless noted.
Prepare Fabrics:
Pre-shrink project fabrics by steaming and pressing, and steaming and pressing a second time, and then spray starch and press one more time – using June Tailor’s® Starch Savvy.
Cut Fabric and Interfacing
Streamline the sewing process by cutting easy fabric rectangles!
You’re the designer! Choose to make self-fabric bag handles with a 1″ Bias Tape Maker, or opt to make bag handles from ready-made cotton webbing (below).
- Cut two 1-3/4″ crosswise fabric strips from cotton quilting fabric for self-fabric handles.
- Cut two 1-3/4″ crosswise fabric strips from canvas fabric for self-fabric handles.
- Cut two 22″ x 14″ rectangles from canvas fabric for contrasting outer lower accent.
- Cut one 9″ x 11″ rectangle from Pellon Peltex One-Sided Fusible Ultra Firm Stabilizer.
Optional: Cut four 14″ lengths of Gray or Red Cotton Webbing (for handles made with webbing).
You’re the designer! Choose to make make bag handles from ready-made cotton webbing, or opt to sew self-fabric bag handles with a 1″ Bias Tape Maker (below).
Prepare Self-Fabric Bag Handles
- Use a 1″ Bias Tape Maker, awl, and iron to create bag handles.
- Place one 1-3/4″ cotton quilting fabric strip through Clover’s 1″ Bias Tape Maker, and use an awl to help advance the fabric strip through the bias tape maker.
- Pin fabric strip end to ironing board, and iron the folded fabric strip as you pull the bias tape maker.
- Place one 1-3/4″ canvas fabric strip through Clover’s 1″ Bias Tape Maker, and use an awl to help advance the fabric strip through the bias tape maker.
- Pin fabric strip end to ironing board, and iron the folded fabric strip as you pull the bias tape maker.
- Position Double-Sided Basting Tape on the backside of one folded canvas fabric strip. Finger press in place. Remove paper backing from tape.
- Center and place one folded cotton quilting fabric strip over the tape on the folded canvas fabric strip, wrong sides together, and finger press to secure.
- Edgestitch along the two long edges of fabric strip set.
- Repeat steps above for remaining self-fabric handle fabric strips.
- Sub-cut fabric strip sets into four 14″ handles.
• Using Clover’s Hot Ruler and an iron, press under 1/2″ along each short end of handle strips. Place a Wonder Clip at each pressed handle end and set aside.
Optional: Prepare Ready-made Cotton Webbing Bag Handles:
- Sub-cut purchased cotton webbing into four 14″ handles.
- Using Clover’s Hot Ruler and an iron, press under 1/2″ along each short end of handle strips. Place a Wonder Clip at each pressed handle end and set aside.
- Turn the two 22″ x 14″ rectangles of canvas fabric horizontally, with wrong sides facing up.
- Using Clover’s Hot Ruler and an iron, fold and press under 1/2″ to wrong sides along 22″ top edge of both rectangles.
- Using a 6-1/2″ square ruler and Chaco Liner, mark and cut out 5″ squares from each of the lower corners of both canvas rectangles. Cutouts will later form gussets at bag bottom!
Create Outer Bag
- Turn two 22″ x 36″ rectangles of cotton quilting fabric vertically, with wrong sides facing up.
- Using Clover’s Hot Ruler and an iron, fold and press under 1/2″ to wrong side along 22″ top edge of both fabric rectangles.
- Using a 6-1/2″ square ruler and Chaco Liner, mark and cut out 5″ squares from each of the lower corners of one cotton quilting fabric rectangle. Cutouts will later form gussets at bag bottom!
- Place one canvas accent rectangle to lower edge of one cotton quilting outer bag rectangle, wrong side of canvas fabric to right side of cotton quilting fabric. Wonder Clip/pin.
- Topstitch along upper edge of canvas accent fabric, near fold.
- Baste canvas accent to outer bag along remaining fabric edges, using a 5mm stitch length and scant 1/4″ seam.
- Repeat steps above and create a second outer bag unit and set aside.
Machine basting is a great way to keep fabric layers together during the sewing process and eliminates pinning! Machine baste with long running stitches, 5mm in length, to hold 2 or more layers of fabric in position. And, there’s no need to remove the basting stitching – they’ll be hidden within the seams of the finished bag project.
- Place the two outer bag units right sides together. Wonder Clip/pin.
- Stitch or serge bottom bag seam.
- Using an iron, press seam open or to one side.
- Unfold pressed under outer bag top edges and align side seams, with right sides together, Wonder Clip/pin.
- Stitch or serge side seams.
- Using an iron, press seams open or to one side.
- Meet bag gusset cutouts on one lower bag edge, right sides together, folding side seam to align/stack with bottom bag seam.
- Stitch or serge gusset seam. Press seam flat.
Create Inner Bag
- Turn two 22″ x 36″ rectangles of canvas fabric vertically, with wrong sides facing up.
- Using Clover’s Hot Ruler and an iron, fold and press under 1/2″ to wrong side along 22″ top edge of both canvas rectangles.
- Using a 6-1/2″ square ruler and Chaco Liner, mark and cut out 5″ squares from each of the lower corners of one canvas rectangle.
- Repeat steps above for second canvas rectangle.
- Place the two rectangles of canvas fabric, right sides together. Wonder Clip/pin.
- Stitch bottom inner bag seam.
- Using an iron, press seam open or to one side.
- Position and center 9″ x 11″ Pellon Peltex One-Sided Fusible Ultra Firm Stabilizer rectangle over center of canvas inner bottom bag seam. Using June Tailor’s® Eze-View Pressing Cloth, press and fuse Peltex into place – following manufacturer’s instructions.
- Unfold pressed under inner bag top edges and align side seams, with right sides together, Wonder Clip/pin. Stitch side seams.
- Using an iron, press seams open or to one side.
- Meet bag gusset cutouts on one lower bag edge, right sides together, folding side seam to align/stack with bottom bag seam.
- Stitch gusset seam. Press seam flat.
- Repeat for opposite inner bag gusset.
Use your standard sewing machine to sew gusset seams. The layers of fabric may become too thick to stitch with a serger.
Assemble Inner and Outer Bag and Attach Handles
• Using Clover’s Point 2 Point Turner, turn outer fabric bag right side out.
- Re-fold pressed under top bag edges at 1/2″ pressed line.
- Insert inner canvas bag inside outer bag, wrong sides together, aligning side-seams. Pin or Wonder Clip.
- Topstitch inner and outer bag together, near folded edge. Press.
- Using an erasable fabric marking pen, or Chaco Liner, and Supersize 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge place a 3″ mark on each side of side seams, 1″ down from upper edge of outer bag (make a total of four markings.)
- Position the folded end of one handle to one of the marked lines. Carefully pin through layers with a sturdy Flower Head Pin.
Because we’re stitching through Double-Sided Basting Tape, use a Super Nonstick Needle Size 90/14 – to topstitch handles in place.
- Topstitch fabric strip set handle or optional ready-made Cotton Webbing handle to bag – stitching along handle side, top, and bottom, forming a stitched 1″ square with optional “X” pattern.
- Repeat steps above and attach handle at opposite edge. Be sure handle is not twisted!
- Repeat for second handle on opposite side of bag.
- Turn bag wrong side out.
Attach Secondary Handles 10″ Below Bag Top Edge
- Using a Chaco Liner and Supersize 5-in-1 Sliding Gauge, place a 3″ mark on each side of side seams at 10″ down from upper edge of inner bag. Repeat marking a total of four markings.
- Position and pin the folded end of one handle to one of the marked lines.
- Using a Super Nonstick Needle size 90/14, topstitch handle in place:
- Topstitch fabric strip set handle or optional ready-made Cotton Webbing handle to bag – stitching along handle side, top, and bottom, forming a stitched 1″ square with optional “X” pattern.
When sewing handles to bag, convert sewing machine to free arm position.
- Repeat steps above and attach handle at opposite edge. Make sure handle is not twisted.
- Repeat for second handle on opposite side of bag.
Big-Bigger Laundry Bag Features
- For a “big” fabric bag, fold top edge over at secondary handles.
- For “bigger” fabric bag, extend bag fully up.
- Reverse Big-Bigger Laundry Bag for a whole new look!
Shop Sewing Project Kits & Bundle Boxes at shopnzp.com!
For a chance to be the random winner of a Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack with S!S button & sticker, please leave a comment below sharing how you’d use your Big-Bigger Laundry Bag.
Nancy Zieman Productions will give away one Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack to one US resident in the 48 contiguous states. Winner must reply within 30 days to the official giveaway announcement email message – sent from Nancy Zieman Productions. Email Team NZP at [email protected].
The randomly selected winner of a Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack with exclusive S!S button & sticker, from the February 11 Blog Post, Watch Stitch it! Sisters on our NEW! YouTube Channel is A. Rock.
Their comment is: Will definitely start watching regularly! Will start with a pot holder!
Happy Sewing!
Team Nancy Zieman
Nancy Zieman Productions. LLC.
Stitch it! Sisters is a production of NZ Productions LLC. Content in this feed is © copyright 2020 by Nancy Zieman Productions, LLC and may not be republished without written permission. You’re welcome to forward the email to a friend or colleague but it’s not okay to add the RSS feed automatically as content on a blog or other website. The FTC requires us to tell you that Nancy Zieman Productions, LLC has provided products by other companies in the course of doing business. The FTC requires us to advise you to take this information into consideration when reading this posting.
Lorraine Alves
The big laundry bag is perfect for me at the condo where I live. The laundry area is communal and down the hall from me. Carrying laundry from area to area would be made easy and definitely attractive with this bag.
Sharon
Laundry or for my fabric stash
Joyce
I would make it for my son to use as a laundry bag!
Jan C.
I’d use it for storage of tubes of wrapping paper. With pockets on the side for scissors and tape.
diane c
My kid’s current laundry bag has seen its better days. I plan on making a new one.
L Watson
I have my daughters sort their own laundry, these laundry bags would be so nice for that. The ones I buy from the store end up tearing way too soon.
Carolyn T
My closet could use a snappy new laundry bag! Your new tutorial, complete with tips and tools, is a great complement to video #109.
Clovis Perkins
You can use the laundry bag to keep kids toys in.
Bev Bolduc Aldridge
Use for toting larger or a lot more than bags for shopping. You can never have to many totes for carrying or storing items.
Janet
Beautiful bag. It will be great in the closet for laundry. Thanks for the detailed instructions.
Barb K
Would work good by my bedroom closet–love the fabrics–Red Elegance is beautiful!
Eva
I just love these fabrics! I need a new laundry bag but love the idea of a stash bag!
Nancy
I could use a new laundry bag. Very clever design.
Jenise LeMay
I would make one for my son at college – it would be much sturdier than the mesh one he is using!
Barbara Lussier
My granddaughter is graduating from high school in June and headed off to college in the fall. This would make a great graduation present or going away present – pretty, useful, and practical!
Christi
I’d give it to one of the college kids at church.
Gail Beam
I would make them for my granddaughter and grandson who are in college.
Susan
The Big-Bigger Laundry Bag is ideal for those children who leave home, but their mounds of laundry find their way to your washing machine! Yes, having these bags to sort through the “gift” of laundry would be a blessing.
Deanna
I have done “charity” sewing for over 15 years. I am always looking for new, unique and useful items to sew. It keeps me busy and excited to use my sewing skills.