Ashley - IPad Bag tutorial

Ok I know some time ago I was asked to make an IPad bag tutorial and I know it took me forever (I'm sorry Melody's party occupied all my crafting time) but here it is now :) Ok first things first you need to get your supplies together. Now pardon me because I kind of fly by the seat of my pants when I do things like this.

• 1 yard exterior fabric
• 1 yard interior fabric
• 1 yard mid weight interfacing ( I get mine from walmart and I get the non fusible 926 weight interfacing but if this is your first time working with it get the fusible and run the iron over it to keep your fabric in place on the interfacing)
• Zipper
•  1/2 yard fusible fleece ( I didn't have fusible for the tutorial but it would be much easier with fusible)
• coordinating threads
• Ribbon or any other coordinating embellishment you may want.

Now lets get started! Make sure you iron everything, it's a great habit to get into, it will amke your cuts much more precise. We are now ready for cutting your fabric. In your exterior fabric you will cut these pieces:

• (2) 10in by 13in pieces (front and back panels)
• (2) 4 1/2in  by 10in pieces (side panels)
• (1) 4 1/2in by 13in piece (bottom panel)
• (1) 5in by 30in piece (strap)
• (2) 2in by 12in pieces (for the zipper area)

For you interior fabric you will need to cut the same measurements as above for the exterior fabric except for the strap. Then the only other pieces you will need to cut are the pieces for the pouch to hold your IPad and any pocket you might want to add. The pouch for the IPad you will need (2) pieces of fabric 9 1/2in by 13in. And you interfacing pieces you will need to cut pieces that are the same measurements as the exterior fabric for the front and back panels 10in by 13 in), the side panels ( 4 1/2in by 10in), and the bottom panel (4 1/2in by 13in). And the fusible fleece you will cut  2 pieces are the size of the interior pouch size (9 1/2in by 13in) and this is optional but I padded my strap to make it more comfortable and to keep it from getting all creased and crazy looking and so I cut 1 piece of fleece that was 2 1/4in by 30in.

 I'm sorry I know that was a lot but I want to make sure to tell you as much as I can to make sure you the best chance in succeeding with your own bag. Ok so after you have your pieces cut take your exterior pieces and your interfacing pieces and warm up that iron again and fuse your exterior and interfacing pieces together. And if you want the outside facing portion of your IPad pouch padded you will fuse your fusible fleece on top of your interfacing and you will want the bottom of the fleece to line up with the bottom the panel. Up on the top your fleece will come up a little short and that's what you want it will make it eaasier for you when you assemble everything together.

 



After you have done that start sewing your panels together. Now all seams will be 1/4in seams unless I say otherwise.

 

 



 

 

 

Now when you have the side panels and  the front and back panels sewn together it's time to put the bottom panel in your bag. I'm going to try and explain this the best that I can and the pictures I took to show you were when I put the inside of the bag together so don't let that throw you, your going to be doing the same steps again when we get that far. Now to put the bottom into your bag. You will turn your bag shell inside out then you will take your bottom and line it up to either your front or back panel. Line it up well and make sure the little excess on each side is about equal.

 

 

 

When your ready to sew start out in the middle of the panel. When you get to the edge seam where the side panel starts your going to want to stop the needle when it hits that seam.

 

 

 

Then without lifting the foot you will rotate your work so that you have lined up the side panel like your going to to sew that next. Then you pull down the bottom panel and line it up with the side panel and start sewing again.

 

 

 

You will repeat that at each corner until you have completely gone around the bag and I usually over lap my stitch a few inches when I reach the end.

 

You have officially put the outside of your bag together! :) If your wanting to pur ribbon around the outside of your bag like I did I just pinned the ribbon in place then sewed it in. REMEMBER turn down your tension on the machine when you sew your ribbon on (I turned mine down to 2) so it doesn't pull the ribbon apart and it keeps it from pooching on you.  Here is the outside of my bag so far :)

 

 

 



It's time to start on the interior of your bag. Grab your (2) 9 1/2in by 13in pieces of the interior fabric and the piece of fusible fleece that you have cut that is the same size. Heat up your iron and fusethe fleece to one of your pieces. If your going to try and do this just like my bag and put ribbon on the inside as well go ahead and do that now. Take the interior piece that you didn't fuse the fleece to and sew your rbbon on. Now you will sew the two interior pieces along a 13in edge. This is what it should look like.

 

 

after you got that all done grab the rest on your interior pieces and put them together just like you did with the exterior. My tip is if you have an extra pocket that you want to put in like the one you see down below in the bottom left corner of the picture you will put that in before you start assembling. And when you assemble you are going to want to put your padded pouch sandwiched in between a front/ banck panel and the two side panels. Makse sure when you line the pieces up before sewing that the bottoms are the ones that all match up again the top of your pouch pocket will be just a little short, that's what you want. 

 

Ok ladies we are getting close! Now we will just put the strap together. Just fold the long edges together and sew you will flip it right side in and then feed the fleece in lay it down flat (it will take a little patiene but I promise it's worth it) and then fuse it. I also did two 1/8in seams on each side of the strap just to hold the bottom and the top of the strap together. It dresses it up a little too :) And for the zipper I didn't do a full zipper tutorial you can find them on youtube I'm sure. Thats why I had you cut those 1 1/2in by 12in strips. But I can show you pictures of mine and with a tutorial from online you will be a pro.

 

 

 

 

 





 





And now for final assembly! You will need to heat up the iron and along the tops of your exterior bag and interior bag your going to press about 1/2in worth of the fabric down. The more you press and get that nice crease in the fabric the easier things will be for you. Now we move onto pinning everything together. to make it easier it you want to tack in your strap before you do the final seam that can make it easier too. Remember to also make sure you put your zipper pieces in, just center them and pin them in when your pinning your exterior and interior bags together. Take your time and pin as much as you need.

 

 

 

When you're ready to sew your going to want to start in the middle of the back panel like you did when you put the bottom in your exterior and interior bags. Go slow and pay attention to your different layers to make sure they are staying lined up. And that's it! nothing to it right?!?! lol

 

 

 

 

Now you have a beautiful bag to carry your IPad around in! Let me know what you think ladies and don't be afraid to contact me with any questions or concerns with the tutorial. I will be making another one here starting tomorrow so I will be doing it with you :)