a cute and easy chair bag for you to make

I whipped up two chair bags in just over an hour this morning. 

One is for my daughter to keep on her chair at school and the other is a birthday present.  

Front of birthday chair bag

back of birthday chair bag
Unfortunately my daughter got the dodgy one....isn't that always the way?!

If you would like to make one - I've listed the instructions below. 

Please note that these instructions are for a chair of up to 44cm wide.  

Firstly you will need to cut out:

2 pieces of fabric for the pocket (1 is for pocket lining) -  14cm w x 22 cm h

1 piece of fabric for the front - 49cm wide x 46cm high

1 piece of fabric for the back (includes fold over back of chair) - 49cm wide x 77cm high

(note that these are the actual cut sizes)

                                              Let's do the pocket first....

Place the right sides of the 2 pocket pieces together

                             

Ensuring that the bottom end of the pocket is left open and not sewn together. 

Start sewing from the bottom of one side, up towards the top edge and around down the other side. You want to sew as close as possible to the edge of the fabric.

Once the 3 edges are sewn together, turn your pocket the 'right way' 

and iron under the bottom edge

Pin your pocket into place on the front piece and sew from the top of one side edge, down and around the bottom edge and then back up, finishing in the other top corner.

An optional step before sewing the pocket onto the front piece of fabric is

to stitch along the top edge of the pocket.

Pocket finished!

 Lets hem before sewing front and back together.....

You now need to iron over the top of both

the front and the back pieces and sew a hem on each.

Note: roll once, iron, roll second time, iron for a tidy fray-free hem!

Now....to sew the bag together

Firstly we need to sew the bottom edges only of the front and back pieces together.

It's important that you place the front piece 'right side down' on the wrong side of the

back piece. (The wrong side of the back piece is actually the right side!!)

Before sewing the sides together we need to .......

......iron the 'sleeve' that fits over the back of the chair into place.

Firstly, 'turn out' both pieces so that the right side of the front of the bag

is sitting on top of the wrong side (which is actually the right side!!) of the back piece.  

You will have an extra 30 or so cm's of back piece sticking out the top. 

Flip the bag over so that you are looking at the 'inside out fabric' of the back piece and fold over the top so that you are looking now at the right side of the print, ensuring that the top fold is in line with the top of the front piece. (see photo above)

Pin 'the sleeve' down onto the bag (ensuring that when you sew the pins won't be sewn over)

Now turn the bag inside out and sew up each side.  If the sides look a little messy they can be trimmed and then zig zagged before turning back the right way.

Now turn your bag the right way round and voila.....how awesome are you.

       

Note: As an optional extra! I have 'french seamed' the bottom and side seams, which gives the bag a really professional finish. It is not essential as no one will be looking inside except for the kids and I personally, I don't think they give a hoot! about tidy seams!!


xoxo vee


p.s...I would just like to note that in the time in took me to blog this post I could have sewn another 2 or 3 bloody bags!!