Betty Sewalong Day 1 Print, Cut, and Stabilize

Welcome to the first ever Swoon Sew-a-long!  This is quite an exciting time!
Today through Friday, we will have step by step instructions and pictures on how to sew Swoon's Betty Bowling Bag. If at any time, you still have questions, please comment or ask in the Swoon Fan Group on Facebook. Or, if you have a better way of doing something, I want to know that too!

If you still need to purchase the pattern, you can do so HERE.

Here are Betty's curves. She's a beaut.

As you can see, she can be done in many ways: with handle hardware or without, with stripes or without, with an exterior vertical zipper or without.  Betty has open interior pockets as well.  I will also mention how to do an interior zipper pocket.

Let's get started!

Supplies
1 yard 44" wide exterior fabric
1/2 yard 44" wide contrasting fabric
1.5 yards 44" wide lining fabric
3.5 yards 5/32" cotton cording OR 2 packages pre-made piping
1 yard fusible fleece (ex. Pellon Thermolam)
4 yards Pellon Craft-fuse 808 fusible stabilizer
1/2 yard fusible pellon Peltex 71F
22" zipper (main compartment)
6" zipper (exterior zipper)
9" zipper for interior pocket (optional)
Four 1" metal loops (optional)
Coordinating thread
All other various sewing paraphernalia

1.  Print out pattern.  Double check the 3" square.  Tape pattern pieces together.

2.  Cut out all fabric and stabilizer as indicated on the pattern pieces.
(See cutting diagram on page 2 of pattern instructions.)
Don't forget to cut handles and zipper pocket(s)!

If you would like to use handle hardware cut
4 contrasting and 4 Craft-fuse 4"x11"
and
2 contrasting and 2 Craft-fuse 4"x22"

 If you do NOT want to use handle hardware cut
2 contrasting and 2 Craft-fuse 4"x40"
(I cut mine 42"-the width of my fabric)

Peltex
Cut 2
6.5" x 16" 

Zipper pocket(s)
Exterior zipper pocket: 1 contrasting and 1 Craft-fuse 8"x16"
Optional interior pocket:  1 contrasting and 1 Craft-fuse 11"x16"

Piping
If you desire to make your own piping, see Swoon's awesome instructions HERE.
I will not cover making piping this time.  If you like the sewalong, drop Swoon a note.
If she wants me to do another SAL, I'll cover piping then.

After cutting, you should have something like this.

3.  Fuse Craft-fuse on ALL lining/contrast pieces except small and large stripes. Fuse Craft-fuse on all exterior pieces except zipper tabs. Don't touch the fleece yet!  

Hold ya horses, we're gonna get there!

*We will NOT be applying the Peltex today.  You can set those pieces aside until Friday!

4. On your main panel pattern piece, you will see two rectangles.  One is the zipper diagram.  Around that diagram, is a larger rectangle.  Cut out the larger rectangle being careful to not harm the pattern piece in any way.  If you do not want to cut your pattern piece, skip down to step 9 below for an alternative method.

 

Step 5. You will have this.  

(I realize this isn't actually a step, just go with me)

 

 Step 6: Cut out the zipper rectangle.

 

Step 7: Put this little guy in a safe place.  We will use him again. 

And by safe place, I mean 10 feet away from the trashcan because that's where mine fell 5 times.

I apologize for the shadow pictures.  When taking the pictures, I planned to crop them.  Well, that didn't happen. You can click on any picture to make it bigger.

  

Step 8:  Lay your main panel pattern piece on top of ONE fusible fleece main panel. If your fleece is soft side up, cutting the hole on the right side (as shown) will give you a zipper pocket on the LEFT side of your bag.

Flipping the pattern piece over the 'fold', your zipper pocket will be on the RIGHT side of your bag.

I you need a visual, compare the final bag pictures above.  One zipper is on the right, one bag has the zipper on the left.

 

Step 9:  Trace the hole on which ever side you decided.

If you chose to NOT cut your pattern piece:

 Fold ONE fusible fleece main panel in half matching edges and mark the center.  

On the non-fusible side, mark a 1.5"x7" rectangle vertically down the left side (or right) with the long, most interior side being 4.75" away from (and parallel to) the center mark and 1.5" up from the bottom edge. As indicated on the pattern piece.  

Whoa, that was difficult.  You really should have cut the darn pattern piece.

Step 10: Cut out the rectangle from the fleece and discard little piece.

Step 11:  Fuse fleece pieces to all exterior pieces, except zipper tabs. 

Fleece will be fused on top of Craft-fuse.

Hopefully this is what you have.  If not, whoops!

Please, please contact me if you had any problems today!
You can do that by leaving a comment or posting a question/suggestion in the Swoon Fan Group
on Facebook.Thanks for joining us today!
Come back tomorrow for instructions on how to complete the exterior zipper pocket!