Let's Make a Man Bag - Part 2

Here's the next posting of making a messenger-style bag from some leather samples I've had. Previously, I cut the pieces. Next step - and it's not the glamourous part - is working on the lining. Specifically, I want to get my lining pieces ready to go, which means installing zippered pockets on both the front and back pieces.

First, here's a shot of the sewing machine I'm using. Not overly fancy, but it gets the job done (not commercial-grade either, which would be really nice to have).







When I cut the dress shirt for the lining, I wanted to use the shirt pocket as part of the lining. This meant cutting one half of the lining in two pieces, like this







then joining them and notching the bottom. Dimensions are 16" across, 11 1/2" long total, with 2" x 2" squares taken out of the bottom of each side. Basically, the lining will be a simply constructed tote bag





You'll need two of these pieces to make the lining.

I want zippered pockets on both sides, so here are the pieces need






Two pocket pieces: one is 10" x 7" and one is 10" x 8" to make approximately a 9" x 6" pocket. One piece called a stay: 16" x 4". One zipper: this is a purse-type zipper 12" long (I would have preferred one 9" long, but didn't have one). The lining body piece.

Determine where the zipper will go and draw a slash line on the lining body piece. Repeat this line on the stay, then draw two lines 1/8" above and below the slash line.






Put the stay on the lining body piece, right sides together (draw your marks on the wrong side of the stay). Sew along the outer lines and make a stitched box around the slash line. Cut along the slash line (through both pieces), but at the ends of the box stop about 1/2" from the end and then cut diagonally from the slash line to the corners of the stitched box. It will look something like this:




Pull the stay through the opening to the wrong side of the lining, flatten and press. The result is a structured opening like this:





Position the zipper behind the opening and then topstitch the zipper and lining together. Be sure to use your zipper foot:





Now to make the pocket. Turn your lining piece over (the wrong side up) and position the shorter pocket piece along the bottom edge of the zipper tape, like so






This is where it gets confusing (at least to me). You want to sew the pocket piece to the zipper take and the stay, but not to the lining body. So, turn the lining body under so that it won't get attached, like this:





Once sewn, then it looks like this




Position the longer pocket piece with the top edge of the zipper tape, like this




And again, only attach the pocket piece to the zipper tape and the stay, not to the lining body. Once done, sew the sides and bottom of the pocket together (but don't sew onto the lining itself), like this





Flip the entire thing over and, voila, there's a zippered pocket






Clean up any loose threads and maybe add some extra hand stitches on the ends of the zippers (this will get a lot of use, so make sure the zipper is secure).

Repeat the entire process for the other side, then we're ready for the next stage. I'm not joining my two lining pieces right now, that will happen later, when I'm closer to attaching the lining with the outside of the bag.

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