once upon a thread: the tale of peter rabbit

I knew almost right away when Katy first contacted me about Once Upon a Thread which book I would pick.  The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.  It's been a favorite of mine and my family's for a long time.  It has such beautiful illustrations and of course a little lesson to be learned.  (oh and I should add that there's a cute Peter Rabbit website with fun activities and games for the kids, check it out!)

I decided a child sized messenger bag would be just the right fit in peter rabbit's world.  Of course a messenger bag is nothing terribly new, but it was fun to put a peter rabbit classic spin on it.  I chose chambray, some pintucks, a tiny calico print, and some wooden buttons to give a hint toward peter's jacket that got caught in the gooseberry net.

Materials:

1 fat quarter exterior fabric

1 fat quarter lining fabric

fusible fleece or other interfacing of your choice such as canvas
3 buttons

{1/2" Seam allowance used throughout)

Cutting the pieces:

cut 2 exterior body pieces 10" x 10", also 2 pieces fusible fleece

cut 2 lining body pieces 10" x 10"

cut one handle piece 4" wide x 21" long, also lightweight fusible interfacing

cut 1 exterior flap piece 9" wide by 8.5" tall

cut 1 lining flap piece 7.5" wide by 8.5" tall, also fusible fleece

Making the front flap:

To make the pintucks, I used my edgestitching foot on my machine, but you could also use a regular foot. 

Mark lines on the front flap piece.  Leave a gap 1" wide down the center and mark two lines on either side of the gap.  Mark two more lines on either side about 3/8" apart. 

Next you'll be folding the fabric WRONG sides facing on those lines and stitching close to the edge. 

Press pintucks outwards towards edges. 

Place the flap exterior piece RIGHT sides facing with the flap lining piece.  Use a water soluble pen to make rounded corners on either side, you can use a cup or a camera lens, whatever is round and nearby.  Pin and sew.  Clip corners. 

Fuse on fleece, cutting the fleece to fit within the seam allowances.

Turn right side out and topstitch along both side and bottom edges.  Set aside.

Sew the handle:

Fuse on the interfacing to the WRONG side of the fabric.  Take the handle piece and fold it as you would making bias tape: folding lengthwise in half, opening up and tucking raw edges to that fold line, and then pressing it in half again. Topstitch along both long edges of handle.

Making the body of the bag:

Take your exterior bag pieces, RIGHT sides together.  Sew together along both sides and bottom.  Here's where you can stop and fuse on your fleece to the WRONG sides of each of the exterior pieces. 

Next pinch the side seam to line up with the bottom seam on each corner.  Sew across this triangle 1" from the tip.  Clip corners, repeat for other corner. 

Sew the lining:

Take the lining pieces, RIGHT sides together.  Sew together along both sides and bottom, but this time leaving a 3" opening along the bottom edge for turning.  Next pinch the side seam to line up with the bottom seam on each corner. Sew across this triangle 1" from the tip. Clip corners, repeat for other corner.

 

Finishing the bag:

 

 

Pin the handle on each side seam of the bag exterior piece, making sure to not twist the strap, align raw edges.  Pin front flap in place placing the flap exterior facing the body exterior, aligning raw edges.  Next slip the lining over the exterior/flap/handle aligning raw edges.  Readjust pins and pin in place all around top.  Sew.  Pull bag right side out through opening in lining.  Sew the lining shut by tucking in the raw edges, pinning, and sewing shut using a small seam allowance.  Push the lining into the bag, press. 

 

 

Topstitch along the entire opening of the bag, it helps here to use a longer stitch length to get nice even stitches.  Sew on the buttons and you're done! 

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