These are basic instructions to help you make a very simple lined bag with Jane's Love Square stitched onto the front. You will need some basic sewing skills and a sewing machine.
This little scribbled plan - if you can read it!! - shows you how to measure out your fabric, and place your Love Square and pocket, where to fold and stitch etc. (If you click on the image itself, it should open in a new window and you can then zoom in on it and may even be able to print it out.)
Measure your crochet square for the front. Mine was 10 inches square and I wanted half an inch of fabric all the way round when it was finished, plus 1/4 inch seam allowance along each edge. I needed to cut a piece of fabric (10 + 1/2 + 1/2) x 4, + 2 x 1/4 = 44.5 inch long x 11 1/2 inch wide.
My chosen fabric wasn't quite long enough to allow me to cut one piece of fabric, so I inserted a contrast strip (just below the crochet square in the pic) to lengthen it just enough. I used the same contrast fabric to make an internal slip pocket too. I backed the strip of fabric with medium weight iron on interfacing, to give the bag a bit more "body".
My chosen fabric wasn't quite long enough to allow me to cut one piece of fabric, so I inserted a contrast strip (just below the crochet square in the pic) to lengthen it just enough. I used the same contrast fabric to make an internal slip pocket too. I backed the strip of fabric with medium weight iron on interfacing, to give the bag a bit more "body".
After attaching the interfacing, fold the fabric in half right sides together, bringing the two short edges together, then fold each end back on itself, so you now have a square made of 4 layers with the cut ends "sticking out" by their 1/4 inch wide seam allowance. Press the folds.
Making sure that the short cut edges of your layered square are at the bottom, place your "Jane's Love Square" (or your chosen piece of crochet) on it right side up - and the right way up - so the contrast strip (if you added one) sits on the adjacent square.
Now open the fabric out flat and carefully pin your crochet square in place, so it sits nice and central and all the edges are straight. Using a long machine stitch, (or you could hand stitch if you prefer) carefully stitch all the way round the outside of the crochet square, making sure the corners are nice and precise. I then worked a second row of stitching around the outer edge of the central circle and a further hand-stitched row around the inner circle - it was too fiddly to machine stitch.
Making sure that the short cut edges of your layered square are at the bottom, place your "Jane's Love Square" (or your chosen piece of crochet) on it right side up - and the right way up - so the contrast strip (if you added one) sits on the adjacent square.
Now open the fabric out flat and carefully pin your crochet square in place, so it sits nice and central and all the edges are straight. Using a long machine stitch, (or you could hand stitch if you prefer) carefully stitch all the way round the outside of the crochet square, making sure the corners are nice and precise. I then worked a second row of stitching around the outer edge of the central circle and a further hand-stitched row around the inner circle - it was too fiddly to machine stitch.
If you are going to add an internal pocket, do it now. Look at the first photo for it's placement - can you see the scissors poking out?? You need to make sure the open top edge of the pocket is pointing towards the middle of your length of fabric.
Now fold the fabric in half again but this time with the right sides together, with the front (the side with the crochet square) facing up. One short edge next to the crochet square is a fold - this will become the bottom edge of the bag. (You can see the outline where the square is stitched in place.) Pin on all 3 open sides, then carefully machine stitch 1/4 inch from the edge all the way around - but leave a 4 or 5 inch gap in the side for turning through (leave the gap next to the pocket, not next to your crocheted circle!).
There's no need to clip the corners, just turn the bag right side out through the gap you left in the seam and "wriggle" the corners next to the crochet square until they're flat - leave the corners at the opposite end as they are. Stitch the gap closed, right on the edge. It will be on the inside of the bag, so won't show. Can you see the makers label I added in the seam too??
Now the clever bit!!
Push the end of the bag with the seam, down inside the rest of the bag behind the crochet square - wriggle it around again to get it to lay nicely.
Remember earlier, when you folded your length of fabric and pressed the folds?? Those folds are now the top and bottom edges of your bag.Push the end of the bag with the seam, down inside the rest of the bag behind the crochet square - wriggle it around again to get it to lay nicely.
And hey presto - now it looks like a bag!! All it needs now is a strap.
Decide how long you want your strap to be - I made mine really long so the bag can be worn across the body. My finished strap is 2 inches wide. Cut a length of fabric 4 1/2 inches wide and fold in half along it's length, right sides together. Stitch across one short end and all the way along the long edge (1/4 inch seam), then turn it right side out. Press it nice and flat and turn in the other open end. (Sorry, I forgot to take photos of that bit...) Line the end of the strap up centrally at the top edge of the bag and pin in place, before securely machining. And there you have it - a finished bag!!!
I added 5 hand made tassels along the bottom to finish it off. If you've never made tassels (I hadn't either!), then just have a quick search online to see how to make them. They were a bit of a fiddle to then stitch in place neatly, so if you do want them, have a think about whether you should add them earlier in the construction process - like stitch them on at the same time you attach the crochet square maybe?? But I'll leave that up to you to decide!
And don't forget to share photos of your finished bag with the hashtag
#janeslovesquare or #janeslovesquarebag
so that Jane, Emily and myself can all see your creations!!
PS If your chosen fabric doesn't show up the hearts and empty spaces in the corners of the square, you can always cut a square of fabric that does show them up, and then slip stitch it to the back of the square before you attach it to your main fabric. Black or navy might look good for the bag but wouldn't necessarily do justice to the centre of the square for instance. Just a thought.
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