Hang About Toiletry Bag Sew Along – DAY SEVEN

Well hello! Welcome to the very last day of this exciting sew along for the Hang About Toiletry Bag!!! I’m thrilled you’ve made it all the way to the end and can not wait to see everyone’s photos of their bags in my patterns group on Facebook! If you’re new here and intrigued as to what the Hang About Toiletry Bag is, you can find the pattern here.

DAY SEVEN

Today we finish our toiletry bags!!!! We will be working through steps 60 – 65 (steps 32-34 of the Andrie Designs-branded version) and I have another little pattern hack for you as well (for those interested) – a slip pocket inside the main compartment of your toiletry bag!

PATTERN HACK

I’ve thrown in a simple slip pocket for this pattern hack as I felt it would be easier to operate rather than another zipper pocket. I’m envisaging things like hair ties, bobby pins, make up brushes etc. could go in there instead of being lost in the bottom of the bag.

To create an inner slip pocket you will need two pieces of your lining material, measuring as follows –

• Small: 9″ x 3 1/2″ (23cm x 9cm)
• Large: 10 3/4″ x 4 1/2″ (27cm x 11.5cm)

Match your two pieces right sides together and join using a 1/2″ (1.3cm) seam allowance along the top long edge of your pieces. Turn the pieces right sides out, roll and finger press the seam flat and topstitch down. (Note: I do not trim the seam allowance down as I like it to stay that little bit wider and provide some strength across the top edge of the pocket).

Place your pocket on top of your back lining panel, matching up the center bottom of both pieces and aligning the sides together as shown. Clip in place. You will notice your pocket is slightly smaller than your lining piece – don’t worry! This is correct and will help to reduce a bit of the ‘gaping’ that can happen with internal slip pockets. 🙂

Baste your pocket in place using a 1/4″ (0.6cm) seam allowance and stitch with the wrong side of the lining panel facing up (so you can follow the curve of the corners). You will need to gently stretch the bottom edge of your pocket out to fit the lining panel. Trim the corners off your pocket as shown.

IMPORTANT – at step 61 where you are marking your turn through gap, if you have included the slip pocket you will find it easier to have the turn through gap at the bottom of the front lining panel (not the back lining panel as directed in the pattern).

As you are stitching your front and back lining panels on, you may find it rather tricky around the corners to get your fabric sitting nice and flat, and you may end up with the odd pucker, or two… or three…. Is it possible to stitch them on with NO puckers? Probably not. Does it bother me…? Yes it does, and for any other project I would be unpicking and re-doing it. However, trust me when I say that once you turn your bag through the right way and close up the lining, you actually won’t notice the odd little pucker in the seam! No, seriously, you won’t! 🙂

And once all is sewn and turned through the right way, you will have a handy little slip pocket inside your bag! Too easy!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have completed your awesome Hang About Toiletry Bag!!! Make sure you give it a good press to re-shape, take some photos to show everyone (please remember to upload some pics to my patterns group on Facebook!) and then go and enjoy it!

Here’s a few pics of my one – I’m giving it to my two pretty poppets for Christmas (yes, they’re still young enough to happily share things, LOL!) as they are right into fairies right now. 🙂

Oh! And remember that gorgeous swivel hook and loop from Betty Box Pleat? Well, here’s a few close up shots of it – I’m seriously in love with this set and can’t wait to use them again!!!

Thank you to everyone who followed along and participated in this sew along. I’ve had heaps of fun trying a few new things and am loving seeing and hearing how your Hang About Toiletry Bags are coming along. I can’t WAIT to see the finished bags!!!

As always, if you have any questions whatsoever, please feel free to comment below or ask in my patterns group on Facebook.

Until next time, happy sewing!

Lisa x