Run and Play Bag Sew-Along: Day Two

Welcome back for day two of the Run and Play Bag Sew-Along.

You should now have your pieces cut, interfacing fused and darts transferred, as discussed in yesterday's post. If you're joining us for the first time, you can find out all the sew-along details here. Don't worry. It's not to late to jump on board and be in the running for some great prizes.

Today we will be sewing the shoulder or cross-body strap and creating the internal zip pocket. I have chosen the Shoulder Strap (Handle Option 1) for my bag. If you have chosen the Cross Body Strap (Handle Option 2) then just follow the super simple pattern instructions.

Here are a few tips for those that have chosen the Shoulder Strap:

1) Glue basting the fabric to the zip can help keep everything in place. Ensure the zip and each layer of fabric are laying nice and flat on your table. It makes it much easier to line up the raw edges.

A few dabs of glue can help baste the zip

2) You may find the zip pull gets in the way of your sewing machine foot. If this is the case, stop sewing with the needle down. Lift the foot and pull the zip stop out of the way by zipping it to behind the foot. You may need to wriggle it a little to encourage it to cooperate.

3) Take your time. Sew slowly and adjust the layers so the raw edges line up, and your stitches are neat and parallel to the zip teeth.

4) When sewing the Strap Ends, take care not to sew over the metal zip stops. Your needle will not like it. Slow down near these points and be sure you're sewing next to, not on, them.

Be sure to sew on either side of the metal stopper

5) At step 11 OPEN THE ZIP. It says that clearly in the pattern but it's a horrible nuisance if you forget to do it, so I'm mentioning it here too.

6) Turning the strap the right way out can be a little fiddly. Start at one end and feed the end through itself. Repeat for the other end and the middle will follow. You may need to be a little firm, but take care not to rip your stitches. Give your strap a good press to help it recover.

Shoulder Strap finished....so pretty

Today we will also Create the Internal Zip Pocket. Here are some hints to help you with this step:

1) Find the centre of the Zip Pocket and Lining pieces by folding them in half and finger pressing to make a crease.

Fold the fabric in half and finger press

Align the centre folds and use a ruler to position the pocket

2) When cutting your slit (step 30) use a rotary cutter to make a neat slice. Then use your scissors to carefully snip to the end of the line and for each corner.

Use a rotary cutter to make a slit

Switch to scissors for more precise cutting

Cut to the corners, but take care not to cut the stitching

3) Turning the pocket the right side out can be a little fiddly. Just focus on one edge at a time and it will all fall into place.  Sometimes I find pressing and clipping/pinning as I go can help keep things where they're meant to be.

4) In step 34, when sewing your pocket sides, pay attention to where your lining is. You don't want it getting caught up in your pocket. Clipping the lining well out of the way can help prevent any boo-boos.

Pin the lining out of the way

Internal pocket is complete.

Come back tomorrow when we create the external bag and lining, and really see our bag starting to take shape.

Remember to head on over to the 2 Ladybugs, 4 Little Monsters and a Pattern Lover Group on Facebook and post photos of your progress. You can also join in on Instragram using the hashtag #runandplaysal.