Patterns, Techniques, Articles, Blogs, and other resources to learn how to sew
Crafty Staci shares a free pattern and tutorial on her blog showing how to make a hobo bag. This style of bag looks great in virtually any type of fabric print. They’re relatively easy to make, too, as they don’t have any complicated closures. Get the how-to.
If you want the bag without having to do any of the work, you can find some already made in her Etsy store.
[photo from Crafty Staci]
I am just smitten with this felt gingerbread house bag. This would make such a sweet special Christmas accessory for a kid. It’s a free pattern at Benzie Design, designed by Gracie from Hello Gracie Makes. It’s packed with adorable gingerbread house details, like swirls and stripes and scallops adoring the doors and windows.
And while all those details might seem like this would be a complicated pattern, it’s actually not. The bag itself is made from felt, which makes finishes edges unnecessary. (All of those scalloped edges are just cut from felt, no edge finishing required.) The strap is super simple, made from rope with knotted ends. And all those details are made with some basic hand embroidery stitches. Sparkle felt makes it extra cute.
The striped scallop roof is actually the top flap of the bag. A magnetic snap makes it a secure closure. The rope straps are attached through felt loops at the side of the bag.
They rate this project as an intermediate level, and it should take about 6 hours to make start to finish. That’s doable for a Saturday project or a couple of evenings. Full color photos step you through the entire process.
The project includes a shopping list for all of your supplies. They’ve got a shop so you can order all of them from Benzie if you like and get exactly the supplies used in the project. I noticed it includes a pair of scallop shears, which makes cutting all the scalloped edges for the roof and around the door a breeze.
Finished dimensions of the little felt gingerbread bag are approximately 6 ½” wide x 7 ½” tall. That’s the perfect size to hold a small book, a small toy, or a notepad and some cute pens.
Go to Benzie Design to get the tutorial and free pattern for the felt gingerbread house bag.
I have been on disability for a long time and was never really able to get out and take classes for anything I wanted to learn, or have friends to discuss projects that I was working on but now all I have to do is put up my feet, if I have a question or comment, and I can get an answer, at the click of a button and make friends, the same way,I love this technology.Anyone interested in knitting crocheting ,jewelery making or other crafts,and any Ideas for new projects please stop by,.I have lots of Ideas , but no time to do them all. I used to teach country and decorative painting ,quilting ,sewing and knitting.
HELP!!..Im sewing the hobo bag but dont understand whats happening..with straps..why do I end up with 4 straps?..thanks!
Kathy, Without seeing a photo of what your purse in progress looks like, it’s hard to know how to help you. If you ended up with 4 straps, my best guess is that you didn’t get the outer layer and the lining sewn together. The two layers should be sewn together at the handles, which would create two straps – one on each side of the purse. You’d then tie the straps together at the shoulder. You might also try emailing Staci from Crafty Staci to see if she has any advice. –Anne
Thank fo for this pattern . I saw a hobo bag online for over $200. This is much nicer and better as I will have made it. I am just starting out and been posting my adventures on facebook https://www.facebook.com/4n1Creations