What bags to sew for summer?
If you’re looking for a quick and easy summer project, why not sew a bag? A great way to get ready for vacation without spending hours in front of your sewing machine.
Let’s take a look at the easy and trendy accessories you can make for sunny days!
A fanny pack for the whole family
It’s a trend that’s not waning: the fanny pack is still in vogue this season. And on the catwalks we’ve seen new ways of wearing it, slung over the side of the body (like a handbag) or on the back.
Extremely practical, it allows you to keep your hands free and carry only the essentials: papers, keys, make-up… It’s also a very versatile project, which can be rectangular or semi-circular in shape, and is suitable for young and old alike.
To sew a fanny pack, it’s best to use a thick fabric such as upholstery fabric, imitation leather, denim, coated linen, coated cotton, velvet… You can also use cotton fabric quilted with wadding or stiffened with fusible webbing.
On the pattern side, if you’re looking for a super-fast sew-along or are just starting out, you can sew our simplo bag, available in children’s or adult sizes.
For a rectangular shape, opt for Abondance, which is extremely practical for storing all your belongings.
A canvas tote bag
This summer, the shopping bag will replace the wicker basket, which has been very much in vogue in recent seasons. And that’s good news, because it’s so easy to make yourself!
For this project, choose a thick canvas from the home furnishings section, and opt for natural shades: beige, taupe, sand… You can also vary the fabrics, for example using imitation leather for the top of the bag, the sides and the bottom, and canvas for the rest.
The Miss Cactus pattern allows you to sew four different sizes of tote bag, so all you have to do is adapt it with summer fabrics!
The bucket bag
If you like to carry a lot of stuff, the bucket bag is for you! With its wide bottom, it can hold books, wallets, glasses, keys… Very fashionable at the moment, it will also appeal to children, who can slip stuffed animals and toys into it. Don’t hesitate to make them a version with a handle adapted to their size.
To succumb to this trend, go to the little Canette tutorial. As is often the case when sewing a bag, you’ll need to make a trip to the haberdashery to stock up on a few accessories, in this case a shoulder strap and thin laces.
You can also make your own, using scraps of leather or imitation leather.
For a free model, follow our home-made video tutorial!
As for fabric, you can use corduroy, as shown in the photo of the little Canette. Or choose a thicker, more summery fabric, such as jute, canvas, tarpaulin…
A fringed bag
The return of bohemian fashion brings with it the fringed bag, reminiscent of the 70s and flower power. You can easily make bangs using suede or any other fabric that doesn’t fray.
Majam Couture’s video tutorial shows you how to make a bag from A to Z.
If you don’t like the shape, you can sew a bag of your choice and add bangs using the Salla Paris technique. The bangs can be inserted on any type of bag, even a tote bag!
A fun and playful project you can do with the kids. They can help you cut the long strips of fabric.
Knots everywhere
For the past few months, bows have been everywhere! We’re adding them to clothing and accessories. A nod to the fashion of the 2000s, which saw the emergence of the preppy or BCBG look. So this summer, we’re not hesitating to glue bows to our bags.
You can easily add some to a little tote bag for the kids. Or sew Miss Cactus’ pattern, which incorporates a large bow into its structure.
To make it stand out on this project, you can use a bag fabric (upholstery fabric, canvas, coated linen…). And choose a colorful cotton or broderie anglaise for the bow.
What bags will you be sewing this summer?
