Mystery Bag Sewing
From Montessori Album
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Here are instructions and a printable sewing pattern for making your own lined Mystery Bag.
This is used in the Mystery Bag lessons.
Materials Needed
- Fabric for exterior of bag, at least 25" by 12" (denim, corduroy, or canvas)
- Fabric for lining of bag, at least 25" by 12" (quilting fabric or some other lightweight smooth fabric)
- Matching thread
- Mystery Bag Sewing Pattern
Sewing Instructions
- Print the pattern. Cut it out (maybe leave an extra tab on some sides to make taping it together easier as shown in the picture).
- Tape or glue the pattern together. Match up the corners that have the same letter.
- Fold one of your fabrics and lay the top edge of the pattern on the fold. Cut the piece out. Do not cut across the top!
- Do the same with the other fabric.
- Put the right sides of the lining and exterior fabrics together.
- Sew along the curved sections that look kind of like arm holes (see picture). The pattern includes a 0.5" seam allowance.
- Snip around the curve as shown.
- Turn the bag right-side out.
- Flip it so the lining side is up.
- Take the two sides of the lining and bring them together and match up the corners.
- Lift the whole thing up up and let two sides of the exterior fabric come together below.
Match up the corners of the exterior fabric. (The corners in the photo are pulled up to shown that the right sides of the fabric should be inside. Also to show that both of the lining pieces should be on one side and both of the exterior pieces should be on the other.) - Pin the edges. (You can see the lump from the top part of the bag inside the side with the exterior fabric.)
- Sew along the edges of the rectangle. (The pattern includes a 0.5" seam allowance.)
Leave an opening in the middle of the lining side to turn the bag right side out later. - Cut the corners as shown.
- The next few steps are on how to box the corners:
Flatten out the corner so that the seams meet. - Pin flat.
- Measure in one inch from the point.
- Draw a line.
- Sew on the line.
- Cut off the extra.
- Repeat with the other three corners.
- Turn the bag right side out. (This will actually leave you with the lining on the outside.)
- Sew the opening shut using a ladder stitch.
- Turn right-side out (lining on the inside). Top-stitch around the edges of the hand openings.
- All done!
