Happy Thanksgivings everyone!
Brother started ‘Dream 1000 Project’ by requesting folks to make a bag to donate to the kids affected by the Tsunami and Earthquake in Japan.

 You can find: How To: Dream 1000 Project Bag – Part 1

To create the straps of bag, take one of the 5″ x 20″ strip pieces.
Fold it in half, right side of fabric facing out and iron.

Open fold.
Fold each side towards just created center fold.
Iron in place.

Take both sides and fold together.
Iron into place.
Repeat for other strip.
Top stitch on both sides of strips.

To attach strap to bag, measure 5″ from side of bag.

Attach to inside of bag, pin and stitch a square for added strength.
Make sure straps are aligned with each other and are not looped.
Cut a piece of paper the size of the square and use it as guide to have uniform square stitches.

To attach the button, find center position and mark 1/2″ from top of bag.

Clover caulk pens are easy to use for all your marking needs.

Center button on marked line and mark on both sides of button.

Use buttonhole foot, marked as A. Buttonhole # 9 was selected for this type of fabric.

Cut open your buttonhole and make sure button goes through.
Attach button on inside of bag.

Attach button on inside of bag.

Bag is now ready for your final touches of decoration should you chose to add some.

Start of by removing any remaining pieces of the water soluble topper .

Add a few Swarovski Crystals or Rhinestones hot fix to bag.

Final touches:
Cut off any loose thread
Remove caulk markings

Bag is now complete.

Be proud! you just made a kid in Japan very happy.
Don’t forget, deadline to ship bags: December 8, 2011

For more details about ‘Dream 1000 Project’: www.artsandcraftsplaza.com/?p=689

 You can find: How To: Dream 1000 Project Bag – Part 1

Let’s create something!

Thanksgivings is fast approaching and with that spreading some goodwill.
Brother started a ‘Dream 1000 Project’ by requesting folks to make a bag to donate to the kids affected by the Tsunami and Earthquake in Japan.
Deadline to ship bags: December 8, 2011
For more details about this project: Dream 1000 Project

Are you a beginner sewer? Just want to check out how the bag is constructed before taking it on?
Let’s get started!

Suggested fabric: Denim or Quilting fabrics.
Start of by cutting your fabric to:
One 40″ x 20″
Two 5″ x 20″
Optional pocket, one 6″x 6″

As these bags are not lined, it is important to serge or overcast all raw edges of fabric.
For those without a serger, use a G foot and choose one of the overcast stitches.

Put your fabric against the metal part in the middle of your foot.
Use same color thread as your bobbin.
Suggested thread: Polyester Mettler.

How your raw edges of fabric should look like.

To create the pocket, we start by Embroidering it first.
Hoop a tear away stabilizer, use Spry adhesive to attach your 6″x 6″ piece of fabric.
On top of that put your water soluble topper with spry adhesive.

Embroider something you think the kid that will get this bag will appreciate.
Think about color combination and overall look of the bag.

Change the foot of your machine and select a straight stitch.
This straight stitch uses a J foot.
Experiment with a scrap of fabric first and then adjust width and length of the stitch.

Measure 1/2 an inch from top of pocket.

Fold to the back of pocket.
Iron in place for ease and better result.

Top stitch top of pocket.

Folder back other 3 sides of pocket 1/2″ and iron.
Find center position on front of bag and pin.

Stitch both sides and bottom of pocket to bag.

Should you have any marking on fabric like this fold on fabric on back side of the bag, it’s a chance to decorate.

Make a straight line mark with caulk on unwanted fold line.

Add a ribbon in matching or contrasting color.
You may want to add another piece of fabric instead of ribbon.
Top stitch ribbon on both sides to secure to fabric.

With right sides of fabric facing together, Stitch both sides of bag with 5/8″ seam allowance from edge of fabric.

Trim and access ribbon or any loose thread.

Iron open the side seams.

From top of bag fold towards the inside of bag 1 1/4″ and iron or pin.

Use straight or decorative stitch 1 1/4″ from top of bag.
This picture shows straight stitch.

To create depth to the bag, add a gusset.
At bottom side of bag, measure 1 1/2″ from corner and mark.
Mark other bottom side as well.

Stitch over line on both sides.

Turn bag right side out.
View of how gusset changed appearance of bag.

 You can find: How To: Dream 1000 Project Bag – Part 2

Let’s create something!

We start by tracing the Apron’s pattern to our fabric

We decided to add another color by framing the apron with quilt binding.

We start by cutting a piece of the biding to cover the top of the apron.

We are now working on the back side of the apron.
We pin the binding on the short fold to the apron’s fabric.

We sew it with a straight stitch.

We turn our apron to the front side now.
This is how it should look from the front.

We will fold the binding to the front of the apron.
Stitch it, making sure to cover the stitch that is already there.

The stitch from a closer view.

We are now going to repeat the process around the rest of the apron.

Closer look at the corner top of the apron.

The binding stitched around the entire apron.

Closer look at the top corner.

We cut the straps, one for around the neck and two to tie the apron.

We fold the strap in half and iron.

We now fold from both sides into our center fold and iron.

We hide the edges by sewing a ribbon in matching color to our binding.

We pin the strap to the back of our apron.
Be sure to measure equal distance from both sides.

We sew the straps by making a square to secure it to our apron.

Cut any access thread and put a dab of Fray Check to make sure it wouldn’t come unraveled.

We fold the end of the strap and sew.

A look for the back side of the strap.

We cut the fabric for the pocket.

We will now embroider a chef on our pocket.
See instruction for Embroidery on our post: “Mickey Mouse Embroidered on a Towel“

The Embroidered pocket.

We will use a narrower quilt binding in the same color for the pocket.

We will make sure our corners meet at 45 degree angles.

We will attach the pocket to the apron.
Remember to reverse your stitches at the top of the pocket to secure it better.
We stitched around the pocket twice.

A view of the pocket from the back.

Your project is now complete! enjoy.