Welcome back to the Castell Day Bag Sew Along. It’s Day 2 and if you need to catch up, you can check the previous day out here. 

Here’s the schedule:
Day 1: Getting started – cutting and fusing pieces
Day 2: Starting Exterior of bag (that’s today!)
Day 3: Finish Exterior of bag
Day 4: Make the Lining
Day 5: Finish the bag!

Today we actually start sewing and before I start a big project, I always like to give my machine a quick clean. I take off the stitch plate cover and take out the bobbin case and use a pipe cleaner to remove all the lint and buildup. The pipe cleaner works well because you can twist and bend it to get into all the nooks and crannies. If it’s really bad, I take out the vacuum. Here’s my before and after.

I also like to change my needle before each project too. I like Microtex needles since they are nice and sharp. Another good idea is to load more than one bobbin of the colour(s) you’ll be using; there’s nothing like stopping to wind a bobbin to interrupt your flow.

Let’s start with the cross-body strap, handbag straps and strap anchors. For all three, we’re using the same method, so I find it faster to do them together rather than separately. This way my iron stays hot for pressing and I just find it quicker to do similar tasks together. You can choose to use a larger bias tape maker, which does the first set of folding for you.

If you use the bias tape maker, you’ll need to unfold at the ends and fold up 1/4″ at short ends after running through the tool. It’s easy enough to do after and the strip presses back in place.

Or you can do exactly as the pattern instructs, and fold under short ends 1/4″ first, then fold fabric lengthwise towards center.

Now bring the folded ends together and clip or pin in place. Once all the strap/handbag straps/strap anchors are ready to go, bring them over to the machine and stitch around all 4 sides of each. 

For the handbag straps, I like to make a mark and fold before applying the ring. Just measure out 1 1/2″ and make a mark with a removable marker or hera marker, and make a crease at that line. Then slip on the ring and fold over at the crease. Clip in place and repeat for remaining end and then repeat on both ends of remaining handbag strap. Then stitch each folded end in place with a box or 2 lines of backstitching. 

I put my rivets centred between the 2 lines of stitching. I use my husband’s old rotary punch and a simple setter and anvil for my rivets. I always check a couple sizes of rivets before setting. You don’t want the post to be too long, otherwise the rivet won’t set properly. It’s always a good idea to have a couple sizes on hand. Here’s a really great tutorial to learn more about rivets. They really aren’t that scary, but you should practice on a scrap before you try it out on the bag for the first time.

For the cross-body strap, I do it just like in the pattern, except I clip in place until the whole strap is threaded through everything. Either way will yield the exact same results.

For the strap anchors, simply cut each piece in half so you’ll end up with 4 equal length strap anchors. Put them in a pretty pile with the handbag straps and cross body strap and set them all aside for now.

Take the Exterior Pocket piece and fold it in half lengthwise to find center; finger press at the top and make a small mark on the wrong side at the top. Do this and the following steps with the other exterior pocket piece. I like to do each step on both pieces (just like with the handles).

Now we’re making a mark 3″ down from the top mark to place the magnetic snap. Fuse a scrap of stabilizer or fleece over the mark and then mark measure again. Use the washer from the magetic snap to make mark for the slits you need to cut for the prongs of the magnet. 

Using a seam ripper, carefully cut slits for your prongs, apply fray check. From the right side of the fabric, place the female half of the magnetic snap through the slits. Turn back over to the wrong side and flatten prongs (I like to bend them outward). Then fuse a scrap of interfacing over the back to reduce wear on linings from the metal backing.

Now take you pocket piece with the magnet and lay it right side up on your work surface, then place exterior pocket lining right side down, matching tops – note the lining is shorter.

Stitch along the top, then bring the pieces wrong sides together, matching the bottom, so that some of the exterior pocket is above the lining. Press in place and topstitch. You may choose a decorative stitch or style that you’ll be using throughout the bag for all the topstitching.

Now place the topstitched, assembled pocket fronts on the exterior center panel, lining side down and exterior side up, matching the bottoms and sides of the pockets to the panels, clip and baste in place.

Attach the long side of the side piece to the long side of the assembled center panel. I clip each (all 4) long side at the same time and then sew all at the same time. Press the seams out, toward the side pieces. At this point, it’s really tempting to topstitch along those sides, but don’t just yet.

To make the pocket flaps, you’ll need to add the male half of the magnetic snap to the lining of the flap. Use the mark on the pattern piece to find placement, and follow same steps we did to attach the female ends. Now place lining and exterior pieces of flap right sides together and sew around, leaving a turning gap of about 3″ along the top, straight edge. I almost always forget to stop for the turning gap, so I add a second clip on top of the last clip to remind me to stop. Backstitch at starts and stops.

Turn right side out and smooth edges out. Check to make sure the curves are nice and even before you press everything in place. Tuck turning gap in and seam. If you’re using a metal edge trim, now is a good chance to double check it will fit; just slip it in place to make sure and set the trim back aside for now.

Topstitch around sides and bottom curve, leaving top edge for now.

Snap magnetic halves together with the pocket and flap and straighten flap, measure top edge of flap to top edge of center panel to make sure it’s even, then topstitch in place.

Now for the strap anchors: grab the paper template and position above the flap to note where the anchors should go. You can either make a removable mark on your fabric or just slip the paper out quickly and pin the strap anchors in place. You want to make sure the raw edge is at the bottom, closest to the flap.

Stitch in place 1/4″ above bottom of strap anchor and again 3/4″ from bottom of strap anchor. Make sure this stitching is really reinforced well

Thread the ring from the handbag strap through and fold strap anchor down so that the end hangs down from the raw end about 1 1/2″. Before you stitch in place, make sure both sides are even. Measure up 1/2″ from top of flap and mark a line on the strap anchor, and then mark another line 3/4″ from line you just marked. Those are your stitching lines to secure the handbag straps; check one more time that the lines are even side to side and stitch in place. If you’d like, you can install rivets between theses stitched lines.

If you haven’t already, repeat for remaining exterior pieces. I will add the metal trim and strap keepers to my finished bag on Day 5. If you’d like to add a bag label, now is a good time to do it. Choose your location and follow the steps to insert a magnetic snap.

Well, that should keep you busy for a while, and this post has gotten quite long, so I think I’ll end this here for today. Day 3 will be finishing the exterior, which includes adding the stabilizer and zipper casing. I’d love to see your progress, share a picture with me on Instagram with #CastellSewAlong or in the Emmaline Sewing Patterns Group on Facebook and don’t forget to tag me @reecemontgomery so I can see.