How To sew Cross-body Bag - with Zipper Easy Steps (with Pictures)

Lots of Pockets Cross Body Bag – Free Sewing Pattern

This cross-body bag project incorporates many of the tools and techniques covered so far, plus a few extra sewing tips! To compete this project, you will use the standard/zigzag foot to sew the bag and lining itself, a zipper foot to sew the zippers, an edge stitching foot , or needle position for accurate topstitching. The long, parallel topstitching on the bag strap is made using an adjustable guide foot or a 1/4" (6 mm) guide foot. Also, you will learn how to repurpose scraps from the zippers to attach the D rings, which give the bag a modern feel.

Pattern

What’s needed to make a DIY Crossbody Bag with Zipper:

• Finished size: 8" × 8" (20.3 × 20.3 cm)
• Strap length: 26" (66 cm)

MATERIALS

• 1/3 yd (.3 m) of fabric for the bag
• 1/3 yd (.3 m) of lining fabric
• 1/3 yd (.3 m) fusible interfacing
• 1 yd (.9 m) of 1" (2.5 cm) grosgrain ribbon
• 3 zippers, 12" (5 cm) long
• 2 D rings
• All-purpose thread
• Pins
• Iron and ironing board
• Disappearing fabric marker or pencil

ACCESSORIES

• Universal/zigzag foot
• Zipper foot
• Edge stitching foot (optional)

CUTTING THE FABRIC

• Use the diagrams to cut pieces from the outside of the bag fabric, the lining, pockets, and fusible interfacing.

MAKING THE BAG

Unless otherwise noted, all seam allowances are 1/4" (6 mm).

1. Set aside the lining pieces. Fuse the interfacing pieces to the wrong side of bag pieces, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Inserting Zippers

1. With a short zigzag stitch, stitch across the open ends at the top of each zipper to secure.
2. Apply the invisible zipper to back pieces D and E and treat this as one piece.
3. Install the standard zipper foot.
4. With right sides together, pin one zipper between pieces A and B and one zipper between pieces B and C. Stitch the zippers (see Making the Pencil Pouch, shown here to here).
5. Pin the zipper between pieces A and D to form the top zipper and stitch (A).

Creating Pockets

1. Turn bag pieces to wrong side to expose zippers. Align a pocket piece to the bottom edge of each zipper and sew.
2. Press pocketing pieces away from zipper teeth and toward bottom of bag.
3. From the front side, topstitch 1/8" (3 mm) from edge of seam.
4. Fold up the pocket piece to meet the top edge of the zipper tape and stitch this edge. Turn to right side and topstitch from 1/8" (3 mm) from edge of seam (B).

Adding Loops

1. Baste edges of both pockets to sides of front of bag. Sew remaining lining pieces to top zipper as with the pocket pieces, enclosing the edges of the zipper opening and trim excess from zippers. Reserve two zipper scraps.
2. Loop zipper scraps around D rings with wrong side out to conceal zipper teeth (C). Sew to secure D rings and trim, leaving 11/4" (3.2 cm) from stitching line.
3. Fold lining for backside toward bag front to make sure not to catch it in stitches. Align D ring units along top of bag backside.
4. With a zipper foot to get close to D ring edge, sew around edges of tape to secure (D).

Adding Lining

1. Open top zipper and put right sides of bag together. Pin all around edges, making sure to pin into zipper seams at the top as in Pencil Pouch shown here.
2. Pin lining together as well, as shown here leaving an opening at bottom of lining.
3. Stitch all around edges at 1/2" (1.3 cm) seam allowance, making sure to keep seam allowance straight at zippers and leaving bottom of lining open.
4. Trim corners as in Pencil Pouch (see here).
5. Press seam allowance all around, and stitch across 1" (2.5 cm) from outer edges to box them.
6. Trim points across corners and turn bag right side out through opening in lining.
7. Stitch across lining opening either by hand or by machine and arrange lining to inside of bag.

Creating the Strap

1. With right sides together, sew strap pieces together, making one long strip.
2. Press seam allowances to one side, edge stitch. Trim to 1/4" (6 mm).
3. Wrapping entire ribbon with fabric and enclosing raw edge, press fabric around ribbon folding edge under and basting it down,
4. Using adjustable guide foot or 11/4" (3.2 cm) foot, stitch along whole edge of strap to finish and repeat to match along opposite side. Press.
5. Loop strap around bag hardware and sew with a narrow zigzag. Trim raw edges.
6. Attach a zipper pull to top zipper, if desired.