wi with nancy, and to the first episode on how to create attractive accessories in an evening. this isn't a one-size fits all project it's an accessory with 12 personalities. handbags are the feature of this series. since all of us don't have the same taste my staff and i developed a dozen variations of bags. you can choose the one that's just right for you! our first bag showcases the most common fabric, cotton. cotton prints are available in seemingly endless groupings. the drawback is that if lightweight cotton fabric is used alone, it produces a lackluster bag. the first sew easy project shows you how to combine unique foundation fabrics to make this cotton craze bag stand out in a crowd. "12 easy sew bags," that's what's coming up next

on sewing with nancy. sewing with nancy tv's longest-airing sewing and quilting program with nancy zieman is made possible by baby lock a complete line of sewing, quilting and embroidery machines and sergers. baby lock, for the love of sewing. madeira, specializing in embroidery, quilting and special effect threads because creativity is never black and white. koala sewing cabinets hand built in the usa by american craftsmen customized for you. clover makers of sewing, knitting, quilting and embroidery products for over 25 years. experience the clover difference. amazing designs and klassé needles. during each of the three programs during this series i'll be showing you four easy sew bags. i'm starting off, as i mentioned with the one called cotton craze

because cotton is the most available fabric. great patterns are available. as i mentioned, the lackluster portion of it is the weight. it's so lightweight. but this bag has a lot of stability, a lot of shape and it's all because of what's inside the bag not what fabric is used for the outside. now the outside fabric, you have the choice. you can make it any color combination you'd like. my staff and i like to have one fabric for the outside and then a lining fabric. of course, not a dark one, but a bright one so you can see what's inside your bag. you can also use it as accents around the tab or on the inside of the strap. so choose whatever fabrics you'd like. most patterns or templates that make bags call for about 1/2 yard maybe 3/4 yard, of two different fabrics. you could use a pattern or a traceable template. choose whatever bag pattern or tote pattern you'd like. but then add extra weight. throughout this series i'm going to be using

these same stability fabrics, foundation fabrics, on all bags. now if a fabric is a little heavier, i may only use one but it is so important to give it support and shape. the fabrics are simple. first on the top is fleece. polyester fleece is often used for craft projects or for quilting projects. not very heavy, but again just a little extra "oomph" if that's a word, to add to a bag. the underneath fabric is a little more unique. it has kind of a funny name, "cotton duck canvas." where the "duck" comes from, i don't know but that's what it's called. inexpensive fabric. it's loosely woven and has support and stability. easy to sew. so those two fabrics are used in combination in the body of the fabric. like a foundation. some of you are familiar with the term underlining. this would be an underlining in a skirt.

but we're just going to call it some foundation in a bag. so from each of the canvas and also the fleece i've cut two layers for each section. so here i have the canvas and the fleece. you just kind of pin these together. the particular bag that i'm working with has a dart. now if we would sew this dart with all these layers it would be very thick and be very bulky at that tip. so what i'd like to recommend doing at this point is after you've pinned these fabrics together-- if you wanted to, you could machine baste them. but just cut out the dart only on the stabilizing portion or foundation. just cut that dart portion away of both the fleece and the canvas. then, meet the cut edges together. you probably have to do a little more pinning than i have done. meet these edges together. here's a close-up of using the zigzag stitch just to butt the areas together. when you're done stitching, you have the fabric flat.

the shaping is there, but yet you don't have any of the bulk. it's really an easy way of getting that shaping. now here is the purse bag that has the darts sewn into it. the next step would be if both of these darts were shaped you just meet all these layers together and pin. you have, as you can see, a lot of layers to give that bag foundation. the third foundation piece is for the shape at the bottom of the bag. often, totes and bags have this shaping at the bottom. but if they do not have proper support or stability they'll certainly sag. i like to use a stitchable plastic. it comes in sheets, either black or white. here's the white form. i cut this minus the seam allowances. i do save all the little extras because we use the extra scraps throughout the series. since it's easy to sew, but difficult to pin

i use double-sided basting tape on the underside. then i have positioned this on the underside of that shaping piece. this is the piece that this particular handbag has. flip it over. i position this on top of the fleece. the stitching was done all around the edge to hold it in place. it is not included in the seam allowances. when it's sewn in, it gives that bag extra stability. so canvas, fleece, and stitchable plastic the three key ingredients in working with handbags. most bags and totes require approximately 1/2 yard of outer fabric. if you're like me you have a collection of fabric fermenting in your stash. i'm sure there are selections just ripe for this project! combine those hidden selections along with other small cuts of fabric to create an artful accents bag. quilters, pay attention! the accent pieces started out as fabric strips

that are common patchwork sizes. this easy sew bag will take on a different personality with each unique pairing of fabric. when you look again at this bag you'll see bright colors. you could make it more subdued if you'd like. but again, like the first bag i made it has some stability and shape. that's because inside i used the same foundation. the canvas, the fleece, plus a bottom stabilizer a plastic stabilizer. but the other portions of the bag definitely have some contrast to it. we have many options for fabric selections here for you to see. but this fabric would be the outer fabric. we've cut it out of a template that had a square lower base. that's what's needed for this particular style. then the accent pieces, as i mentioned are the common quilting sizes. this is a 2-1/2" strip, a common jelly roll size

a common quilt strip. you'll need two 2-1/2" crosswise strips. the smaller accent piece is 1-1/2". you could make it two inches, if you'd like. the choice is yours, just a small little piece. this section will be folded in half, meeting wrong sides so that it has that little flange accent. to create this, i'm working with another fabric combination. as i said, you can pair lots of fabric combinations together. this one has a little retro look. we have the fleece and canvas stitched to the cutout section. it's all one nice weight of fabric. to do the placement you'll need a little bit of measurement. measure along the top edge as well as the lower edge, 2". i have my gauge set at 2". and the same at the lower edge. you could just mark along the top. do some quick little marking for yourself. perhaps you can't see it that clearly but it's right in that area.

the accentntntntntntcene is going to be the turquoise color. it's folded in half. here's my pressed piece. i'm going to meet the top edge, the raw edge, to the top and i would position this. then meet the strip that has not been folded the jelly roll size, or the two-inch piece and stitch with a 1/4" seam. here's a close-up of stitching that into place. sewing along the edge, with the presser foot as a guide. for the lower section, you don't need the accent strip. just simply lay the piece along the edge and stitch again. on this section, i have the lower portion stitched. you would need to trim out, for the gusset the extra fabric that you see here. we have a third combination ready to sew or ready to put together. this is a little polka dot. you can see that here the stitching has been completed.

now you would just press this upward. you can quickly see how this is starting to shape. after all these accents have been added you'll see at the bottom that depending upon the width of the gusset you will have a larger or wider section created at the bottom depending on how the bag is created. the bottom bag here had a 2-1/2" strip but because of the shaping you have just a little accent piece. you have a very colorful bag, perfect for a tote. a great quilter's sewing bag. it's easy to sew! let's switch fabric moving from lightweight and drapable cotton to a fabric with plenty of stability, plus glamour. the shine and surface of faux leather, a.k.a. vinyl is custom made for bags. you'll find colors and textures by the yard that can match any diva's persona. choose a simple pattern style and adapt what might be new sewing techniques

to create this next "easy sew bag." when you look at vinyl by the yard you might think, "can i sew that?" well, you certainly can because the technique just requires a simple pattern style as we have chosen for this bag. a square design style and simple lines. but the sewing techniques to create the edges will require some specialty techniques. it doesn't ravel, so that makes it a bonus. so we can cut edges to the correct size. but some of the other things that are needed first of all, a roller foot. this is probably the best hint that you'll need. when you look at the roller foot-- and i'll raise the foot-- you can see that this helps feed the fabric through the machine. you can use all-purpose thread. then as far as the needle, choose a topstitching needle or perhaps a sharp needle. size "90" is the size i like to use.

we're working with straight stitches so you're going to lengthen your stitch just a little bit to "3.0" or "3.5" stitch length. when it comes to stabilizing or giving foundation to the fabric choose just one of the two suggestions that i gave you earlier today. i've chosen the canvas. i've positioned it with double-sided basting tape so that the canvas is positioned to the wrong side of the vinyl. now, sewing the seams, because you're sewing on the canvas it makes it easier to feed it through. it's not going to be as difficult right now. this pattern happens to call for 1/4" seam allowances. again, as i mentioned short, little seams. i have the stitch at about "3.5". and even though i have lots of layers i have a sharp needle, a large-eyed needle. i can certainly sew this very easily. i'll reverse this a bit and cut my threads. when i lift this up

you'll see that the seam sews easy it went through fine. but then, when it comes to pressing this is where you have to take a little different step. it may be difficult to get in this area so i'm going to place the bag on the table and then i use a little wooden tool to press it. it's not going to stay open, but it will help shape the seam. after somewhat pressing the other side seam then you're going to be sewing the gusset at the bottom of the bag. you'll use the same sewing and quilting techniques just flattening it out and sewing the lower edge. there will be a lot of layers through here but with a longer stitch length and a sharp large-eyed needle it will sew beautifully. when you turn this right side out these seams have not been pressed any more than just with the wooden iron, so it will stay its shape. if you have areas of your bag that need the fabric to be flat

as when adding the lining a little bit later just topstitch this area. when stitching on top of the vinyl this surface, because it's slick or shiny-- sometimes the presser foot doesn't glide smoothly over the fabric. one of the reasons for using the roller foot. another option is to work with tissue paper. you can place the tissue paper underneath the presser foot or underneath the fabric and sew over the tissue paper for ease. that way, the foot will not stick to the underside or the top of the fabric. a place where i've sometimes used this on this bag was when creating the tab. the tab has a little different shaping. the underside has been trimmed minus the seam allowances. i placed the double-sided basting tape in this area and positioned it right on the tab. now i will sew, by just folding this over. as i sew, again, a longer stitch length is needed.

just topstitch. you may want to use a stiletto or awl to hold this in place, shaping as you go along. this is not sticking so i don't have to worry about the tissue paper but some vinyls do have that tendency. after you've topstitched all the way around this you'll find that you have very flat, sharp corners and a bag perfect for any diva! my guess is that the piping on this bag caught your eye. the contrast of colors and the narrow accents give a touch of class to a very simple style bag. if you're wondering how easy it is to add piping don't give it a second thought. my "easy sew bag" series takes the simple approach adding the piping will be effortless! if you've chosen a fabric and it lacks some color as this gray faux suede did by purchasing 1/3 yard of fabric or using a fat quarter, which is 18" x 22"

i was able to cut bias strips and add on various accents to this bag giving it a little extra life and a very elegant look. the cutting of the strip width depends upon the seam allowances that your pattern or template may have. if you're working with 1/4" seam allowances you would cut the strip 1-1/4" wide. it's cut on the bias. the reason is that after you've inserted the cording the width or distance between the edge and the stitching will be 1/4" or very close to it. if you have 5/8" seam allowances cut the bias strips 1-3/4" wide. after sewing, then the distance from the edge to the seam will be that 5/8" seam allowance. that will be an important helpful hint when sewing a little bit later. to sew, i have used a standard cording that is used for most projects, and my 1-1/4" fabric.

i have the cording sandwiched between the fabrics. you can see that i have used a cording or piping foot. it's hollowed out the width of the fabric. i have moved the needle so it's sewing next to the cording snugging that stitch. really, all you need to do is to match these cut edges. because of that hollowed out section it will guide in that area. you'll be sewing a much longer section than i just did. but you get the idea. then, take a quick measure to make certain that this width is the size that you'd like. i think that i would probably have to measure and cut a little bit off here, so i have a 1/4" seam. but that's easy to do, just a quick 1/4" seam. you can also fuse your piping. cut 1-1/2" strips. and at the ironing board, i'll show you how. i have the fabric 1-1/2" and then i have fusible piping. it has webbing wrapped around it. i'm cutting the strip just a little bit wider

so that i don't get any webbing on the tip of my iron. i guide the iron right along that edge. and presto! it fuses. you don't have to do any sewing at this point. it's nicely sandwiched in there. now i would require you to do a little trimming to trim that down to 1/4". now the reason i was so particular about allowing a seam allowance on the piping is that you can use the cording foot to stitch your seam. on this particular bag, i used the fusible cording a fusible piping and then inserted it into the seam of this crescent style bag. it added a nice accent along with the embroidery. i kept the cording foot on my machine. the needle is in the same position. then, i will meet all the raw edges together. the raw edges of the cording and the raw edges of the bag, and sandwich it together.

now i have started to do this. i'm just going to continue my seam. i'll layer back the fabric to show you how this is done. simply match the 1/4" seam allowance to the edge of the fabric and sandwich all layers together. then, just sew. as you're sewing, again just match the cut edges because the foot will guide right in this cording area. you don't have to worry about positioning that. it has a memory to it and it will just automatically stitch. keep going around. sometimes i pin, but often, i mold it as it goes around. when i turn this right side out here's the cording neatly sandwiched in the bag to add a touch of class. >> welcome to the studios of sewing with nancy, i'm nancy zieman, and welcome to the pledge special of the three-part series, "12 easy sew bags." in this first program, i gave

you four options, one of them being, the first one, if you remember, the "cotton craze" bag. it has two layers of support in it, the interfacing and the canvas, it's kind of like the support we're asking for you right now from public television to support your local public television, to support the art of sewing, to make sewing programs available to everyone in your community. and it also shows to your public television station that you enjoy sewing with nancy. i thank you for all the years of support that you have shown to us and hope that you will continue to do so during this pledge special. we only do this once a year, so we hope that you will continue to call us, to show your support. and when we have a sewing with nancy pledge special, we always have thank you gifts to support the program. obviously they tie right in to the "12 easy sew bags." i have two great co-workers with me today, and they're going to share with you what these support programs are. so call the number on your screen and please make a pledge

to support sewing with nancy. >> thank you, nancy. hello, i'm diane agans, a volunteer here at public television, thank you so much for joining us today. as nancy said, yes, we do have some wonderful thank you gifts that we would love to send to you when you call and make your gift to public television today. so let me go over those right now. with a gift of $60, we would like to send you this wonderful full-color booklet, the "12 easy sew bags." and this includes the patterns for all of the bags that we're watching in nancy's little mini-series today. with a gift of $120, we will send you not only the booklet, but also the dvd of all three episodes of "12 easy sew bags." and then with a gift of $200 we will send you the booklet, we'll send you the dvd, and also this very special template, the city bag template is the basis for a number of the bags that we're watching demonstrated today in "12 easy sew bags." so again, all of that is just

our way of saying "thank you" for making that gift today. and let me just remind you that with any gift of $60 or above, we will send you the catalog, the "nancy's notions" catalog, which includes a $10 coupon on purchases of $50 or more. we very much would like to hear from you today, so call that number on your screen right now. >> hi, i'm linda berman, and i'm a volunteer with my local public television station, and just as we've all been saying that every stitch counts when you're sewing, but you know what, every call counts with your support for public television. we all don't want to be like the "diva" bag, but we are calling - i love this, i love this bag. we are asking you to make your calls of support. the art of sewing has touched so many lives, and has evolved. nancy's shows have evolved. it's no longer just quilting, it's no longer just sewing, it's no longer creating marvelous, marvelous jackets out of sweatshirts, but now evolution into purses, bags. that's the way public television is. it's evolving

with your interest. so take this opportunity right now to make a financial gift, one that you can afford, so you can create magic just like sewing creates magic every single day. sewing is to inspire you, as well as to educate you, and a little bit of entertainment, too. and that's what public television's like. so why don't you make a call right now? you can call the number on your screen. >> thank you, linda. when you make a pledge of support today, you're doing more than just receiving a book, a video, you're bringing the art of sewing into living rooms and family rooms across your community. so when you call the number on your screen right now to show the support for the art of sewing, sewing with nancy, you're supporting your public television station, and i thank you for that. i've been on public television, i hate to say it, a long time, 25 years or more. so we hope to stay on just a few more years and bring you a diversity of programming. diversity is what we're doing in this three-part series. you're gonna see 12 different

variations of simple bag patterns. you can use your favorite bag patterns or the bag patterns we give in the support of $200 or more. i love to hear those phones ringing, thank you! and we appreciate this greatly. and if you have any ideas, send them to me, but most importantly, now's the time to show your support of the art of sewing and support public television. i appreciate it. >> yes, please show your support for sewing with nancy by making your gift of support right now. it makes such a difference. and it only takes a few moments. there's some terrific volunteers that are standing by, waiting to hear from you, and then we can start putting your dollars to work right away toward this sewing with nancy series. and when you do call, remember, we do have some thank-you gifts that we'd like to send to you, that you can start using right away. with a gift of $60, we have the full-color booklet, which has all of the information that you need to make any of the "12 easy sew bags" that we're taking a

look at today. with a gift of $120, we have the booklet, and also the dvd, so that you can see, and remind yourself firsthand, again, how nancy did it. and then with a gift of $200, we have the booklet, we have the dvd, and we also have this special template that you're going to need and value when you make six of those special handbags. again, this is just our way of saying thank you for supporting sewing with nancy. don't forget that we're also going to be throwing in the "nancy's notions" catalog. again, call that number on your screen. make that investment today. >> public television provides you with more than just a program. it provides you with opportunities. and the opportunity is yours now to become part of our great, endless boundary of quality programming sponsors. you can do that. programs like sewing with nancy do take financial support. this is your opportunity to do it. you can provide support that provides inspiration, education, as well as entertainment. we hope you're enjoying what

you're watching. so consider this an opportunity to join us at public television by pledging your support. pledging your support not just for yourself, but for the future and for others, because it's very easy to do. you just decide, just like when you're sewing what stitch you choose, you decide what level you pledge at. but you can stitch us all together. consider this a great, great opportunity to call now, to join our friendship group here of public television supporters. give us a call at the number on the screen. >> i'd like to thank all of you who are calling, and all of you who watch our program. you truly are the best classroom, the best audience any sewing and quilting teacher could have. and this is a time for you to celebrate the unique educational programs with your generous financial contribution to support your local public television station. it's easy to do. it doesn't take a long time to make a bag, maybe an evening,

it doesn't take a long time to call. maybe three minutes, maybe four minutes of your time. so just find that number on your screen if you'd like to show your support to public television. and it lets pbs know that you'd like to keep sewing with nancy and comparable how-to programs coming to your area. "12 easy sew bags." so you've had four of them. coming up next, you're going to see four more, and the "glam" bag is coming up next, little bits of silk, little bits of buttons, any of you have some scraps left in your scrap bags? this might be just the ideal program or bag for you. we try to give you a variety of programming, and you're going to see a variety of bags coming up. you can call while you're watching the program. and thank you for joining us, i appreciate it a lot. i love to sew. yet if a project takes too long to create i'll be the first to pass and look for an easier yet equally fulfilling sewing venture. with that being said you might surmise that "easy" is the key word

in this three-part series of sewing with nancy. during this episode of "12 easy sew bags" i'm showcasing handbags that can be created in an evening. each bag has personality while featuring a unique sewing technique. the glam bag is our first feature. scraps of silk, small lengths of ribbon, and buttons combine to give the bag an enchanting appearance. "12 easy sew bags" that's what's coming up next on sewing with nancy. sewing with nancy tv's longest-airing sewing and quilting program with nancy zieman is made possible by baby lock a complete line of sewing, quilting and embroidery machines and sergers. baby lock, for the love of sewing. madeira, specializing in embroidery, quilting and special effect threads because creativity is never black and white. koala sewing cabinets hand built in the usa by american craftsmen customized for you.

clover makers of sewing, knitting, quilting and embroidery products for over 25 years. experience the clover difference. amazing designs and klassé needles. the glam bag has many different features to it using interesting silk fabrics buttons and ribbon. the inspiration to create this bag was finding this ribbon. it has a variety of colors in it. we liked the selection. then we went to our scrap box and found some pieces that coordinated. you could use silk, cotton any type of fabric that you may have because you're going to be working on a base fabric. if you were with us during the first episode of this three-part series you know that the foundation, the inside of the bag is equally as important as what's on the outside. one of the main foundation fabrics that i like to use is a cotton canvas. sometimes it's called cotton duck canvas.

where it got its name, i don't know. but it's an interesting canvas. it's an inexpensive fabric. it's not lightweight, but it has some support to it. we're going to be sewing on this foundation. now you cut out your favorite bag or tote pattern that you may like to use. you may have noticed that on this canvas i have a line marked. it's a 60-degree angle. i used a ruler i'll line this up for you now. i placed the 60-degree line along the top edge of the fabric and then just drew the mark all the way down. the fabric was starched so it was nice and crisp. cut in various widths from oh, let's say 1-1/2" to 2-1/2". various little pieces of the ribbon were sewn sporadically along the lengths. not in the same positions. we cut these lengths of fabric longer than our base fabric. longer than the foundation of the cotton canvas.

we did this so that we have some leverage of placing the accents of the ribbon. truth be told when we were working with some of our scraps of fabric we had to piece the strips. we did a little piecing, and covered that with ribbon. that's kind of how the ribbon became part of the design. it's interesting how, while designing you can find ways of working around little problems and making them work to your benefit. in addition to the accent pieces we chose brown to be the highlight throughout the middle. these strips are only 1" wide. now to work with this, we start with this bias line. not a true bias but a bias line at a 60-degree line. place one of the strips at this area. then sandwich on top of it, a brown strip. notice that i have lengths coming at the top and bottom.

pay special attention to where this ribbon or accent is going to be placed. after finding where you'd like to place this-- i'm going to do some sewing. use the edge of your presser foot as the guide. i'm going to get the fabrics lined up again. you're not going to be worried about a specific seam allowance. you're just going to be stitching all the layers to the fabric. i'm using an all-purpose needle, all-purpose thread a "3.0" setting, very common for the length and then you just stitch. we have a lot of extra fabric going off the edge. maybe at home you can sew a little bit straighter than i just did! sometimes, when i'm talking i don't always sew the straightest! then, after you have done the sewing you're going to flip this to the underside covering the seam allowance and press. i'm flipping to the right side. and as i'm pressing this, just press it over.

after doing this pressing then you're going to be adding more strips alternating, adding brown after every coloration. on this particular section then i would add my next color being particular where the section of the ribbon falls. i would like it in this area, let's say. so i'd flip it over, match the seam allowance do the same little pressing after the stitching and i would just build on the area. build on that foundation. when i'm done doing the stitching i would cut out my bag to the size. you could add some button trims to carry through the theme. and you have a very glamorous-looking bag! i like to shop in boutiques, and more likely than not the first thing i notice is how the designer combines fabrics and details.

donna fenske, designer of this boutique bag combined faux suede, o-rings and the fabric from a recycled tie. thrift stores and perhaps the back of a closest are a source of eye-catching accent fabrics. consider "shopping" for fabric in the most unlikely places to create the next "easy sew bag." start with a tie and then match the tie to some interesting fabric. we used, as i mentioned, some faux suede. you can see the tie fabric even as part of the closure for this quick bag plus the inner accents of the handle. here's the outside of the handle and the inner accents. just a little accent goes a long way. use your favorite bag pattern. determine where you'd like the accents and then i'll show you how to recycle this tie. ties go in and out of fashion the fabrics used, the styles, the widths. so save those, if you'd like. take them apart from the underside. remove the tie interfacing and cut out this lining section.

press it flat. wash it if needed, hand wash, that would be. press it flat. then after pressing it flat as you can see on this sample, then cut the strips. this is already on the bias. you cut lengthwise strips and end up with bias strips. it seems quite the contrary to normal situations but that happens in this instance. depending upon the width of your fabric you could get from, oh let's say five to seven yards of trim depending on the width of the strips you cut. to make our boutique bag, we used perforated interfacing that is used for strap handles, to make our trim. here's the narrower width, and here's the wider width fused to the back of some tie fabric. this is the fabric that i'm going to be using to create this next boutique bag. we simply folded the boutique trimming along the perforated edge, and then we do some stitching.

perfectly even widths. this is going to be placed on this silk fabric. now speaking of the silk fabric i'd like to show you how we back it. if you were with us during the first program of this series you know that we used dressmaker fabric. then to give it support, we used polyester fleece and backed it with canvas, as well. three layers of fabric to give it enough stability to be suitable for a handbag. we have all those layers on the fabric and then we would just position our trim. the tie trim is positioned in this area. you have to do a little auditioning of where you'd like this to be placed on the bag. now if we take a look back to our finished boutique bag we had some accents on the inside. we used this very narrow trim of a strap.

it has about 3/4" of trim on the strap. to create this, we used the perforated interfacing fold it in half and then cut narrow strips of the extra tie fabric. since this is very slippery we made kind of faux bias tape by folding it in half meeting the wrong sides meeting the middle of the cut edges to the middle of the strap, and stitching down the middle. then fold it to the side to cover the other cut edge. and topstitch. you have this tiny accent added on the inside. if you'd like, you can use portions of the tie as is. we added a magnetic snap as a closure. with accents of ties as a closure, band and strap we have a perfect boutique bag. when carrying a handbag, you might think of the straps

as a purely functional part of the accessory. in this "easy sew" variation, you can see that the straps take on an entirely new position by playing an accent role. in this bag variation that i call well connected the straps and the o-rings serve both function and style. it's really easy to work with adding some straps and o-rings but you have to know a little bit about proportion to do this. i'm going to review them, and also how to combine fabrics. i'm working with upholstery fabric readily available at fabric stores and then some faux leather or suede accents. when this pattern was designed this was one of the styles that was created from it. a very simple tote pattern style. obviously, not a lot of accents. the straps were inserted in the top seam. well, now we have the straps topstitched on and then a lot of hardware added to give it some different personality.

cut an extra strap width, a 2" crosswise strip of fabric. we like to use the perforated interfacing to create straps. so after you partially fuse this on fold it along the perforation. if i hadn't used faux vinyl or faux leather then i would press it. but since this is difficult to press i like to stitch along the folds. just edgestitch it, equal distance along the folds to keep these in place. later on, when you're creating the straps you're going to back the straps, as you'll see later with ribbon. but this time, to add the accents to the front of the bag you're simply going to use the strap as is. upholstery fabric needs just a little bit of foundation or stability. in this particular style, we fused-on interfacing a medium weight interfacing just to give it a little bit more support.

the straps will be marked on your pattern whether it's a tissue pattern or template pattern. on this particular template pattern here's the strap marking. generally, you just mark it at the very top of the bag. this time, i would like you to transfer the strap marking along all positions for the strap. i've darkened this quite a bit for you to see but you would mark it down the front of the bag. you do it on all four areas. this is the second step. we're just going to work here right now. at this point, use some of the extra o-rings and position, kind of eyeball where you would like to position that first o-ring and maybe the second o-ring. it's totally up to you. i recommend not going exactly in half but positioning it maybe a third of the way up or a third of the way down. since this bag has been partially sewn to figure out where-- so you can see where the bottom base of the bag will be it's easier just to hold it in its finished position

and then do some positioning just eyeballing where you'd like these straps to come. fold under the seam allowances. our guest in the past, lorraine torrence has said, "make visual decisions visually." so just place it where you'd like it to be. there's nothing very scientific about this next part. you're just going to cut strapping a little bit longer than you need. cut the strapping longer than needed and wrap the strapping around the end of the o-ring. turn up a hem 1/4", or 1/2", whatever you'd like and "baste" it onto your bag with double sided basting tape. it's kind of hard to pin so just use those markings and position it. you would not have to mark markings this dark. i have it darker so that you can see it and you can see how it's aligned. here's a close-up of topstitching the strap to the bag. notice that i have the needle in the right position all the way to the right so it's easier to get close to stitching the o-ring.

next to the o-ring, i'm positioning it. i have the next connector to make. i have already determined the length of this so i will simply just cut a little section here put the next o-ring on and you'd use some extra basting tape. a lot of this is just positioning taping it down with double-sided tape. it would difficult to pin this. that's why i like to use that tape. you can simply sew through it. then, again, topstitch using a short to medium stitch length. you can see how quickly that can be accomplished. our finished bag also has some accents on the tab. this again is a visual decision that you'll have to make determining where you'd like to sew the extra o-rings. when designing the first bag i simply made the tab. before it was sewn to the bag, i positioned it. let me get the snap into place. then i sewed two o-rings to the end of one strap.

then i determined where i'd like to place them where i'd like it to end or fall. after i determined this, i'd fold this under and then topstitch into place just a little bit beyond the seam allowance. to finish this bag the last step to do is to create the actual straps. to cover up those raw edges simply cover it with ribbon, 3/4", 5/8" or one-inch-wide ribbon and you have a very well connected bag. create a personalized shower gift for the bride-to-be by sewing a bag for that very special day. this bag is easy to create with the use of a sheer and coordinating fabric. if you have vintage lace in your fabric collection this would be an ideal place to combine something old with something new! i have made several bags for brides and have made them much smaller. but i found out after the fact

that they would have appreciated it just a little bit larger. so we used this crescent shaped bag. you could also give it with a sewing kit inside just in case you need to have a hem hand stitched or add a button. what a lovely gift bag. perhaps it could be used for another formal occasion. we've used subtle shading. we have lace. we have organza and crepe fabric along with some backing fabric. throughout this series-- now, this is the eighth bag out of the 12 bags. we've made sure that each of the fabrics had foundation or were based with foundation. it is so important to have lots of layers. with the layers that we have in this particular bag and we've used high contrast for the samples. we have a sheer, like organza or organdy followed by a crepe fabric. then we have some fleece, some polyester fleece. so those three layers are treated as one. you could baste around the edges after you've pinned them

so that they are easy to handle. now, the lace. you can spend a lot of money on lace. you can use inexpensive lace. regardless of the quality all laces are created in the same type of manner. you just cut basic motifs or appliqués. it isn't going to harm your lace by just cutting around the mesh or the netting. it's interlocked, the lace is interlocked. if your fabric is tone on tone, like our finished bag you don't even have to trim close to get rid of all the netting that goes around. you just trim around the edges. this is not going to ravel because of the construction of the various laces. after you have cut the lace, then you can position it. i have a couple of ways i like to position it on the bag. now, granted, this is high contrast for you to see. i wouldn't recommend this color combination.

you can pin it together. or, i really like just a plain paper glue stick. just a little dab to position it on the sheer. you can see how easily that sticks. it will dry clear, and you don't have to worry. sewing through it will not gum up your needle. it's just a great pinning tool. you're going to appliqué this around. basically zigzag around it with a big zigzag not a very tight one. because the lace does not ravel you don't have to worry about having such a tight stitch. i have my machine set for a zigzag stitch setting it with a number "2" length and a number "2.5" width. you can just test it to see how you'd like to sew this. stop with the needle in the down position. just generally go around the edges. i'm going to stop with the needle in the far right position. this is not difficult.

it looks a little bit more difficult than it is just because you're working with beautiful fabrics. just continue to zigzag around all this area. you can see this is a fast sewing technique. just zigzag around the edges. i'm going to show you the finished bag and some of the other areas where we've added lace. that simple zigzag stitch is all around the edges of these two motifs. we also added the lace as part of the tab closure and even a silhouette of the lace. then a little touch of the lace on the inside strap. subtle, but elegant for that very special day. >> i hope you enjoyed the special bag, one of the four bags that you saw me make in the "12 easy sew bags." it's a special day, just like this is a special bag, because now it's your turn to show your support of sewing with nancy,

the art of sewing, to public television. we are having this pledge special right now, we just saw two of the three programs, where you can show your support for sewing, the art of sewing, education and inspiration that can come right to your home. so thank you for all the years and times you've watched sewing with nancy, i appreciate it, and we've changed a lot over the years of sewing with nancy, we started a lot with garment sewing and tailoring, and we've evolved. you'll see quilting, and you'll see quick projects such as this, projects that you can make in a very short period of time. like pledging and showing your support to public television, it doesn't take long. we have a bank of volunteers here today to show your support, and your vote of confidence and your support will make a difference to what type of programming you get. it's very creative, and i appreciate you calling the number on the screen, and we're gonna tell you about some thank you gifts. >> thank you, nancy. hello, i'm diane agans, a volunteer here at public

television, thank you so much for joining us today. as nancy said, yes, we do have some wonderful thank you gifts that we would love to send to you when you call and make your gift to public television today. so let me go over those right now. with a gift of $60, we would like to send you this wonderful full-color booklet, the "12 easy sew bags." and this includes the patterns for all of the bags that we're watching in nancy's little mini-series today. with a gift of $120, we will send you not only the booklet, but also the dvd of all three episodes of "12 easy sew bags." and then with a gift of $200 we will send you the booklet, we'll send you the dvd, and also this very special template, the city bag template is the basis for a number of the bags that we're watching demonstrated today in "12 easy sew bags." so again, all of that is just our way of saying "thank you" for making that gift today. and let me just remind you that with any gift of $60 or above, we will send you the catalog, the "nancy's notions" catalog,

which includes a $10 coupon on purchases of $50 or more. we very much would like to hear from you today, so call that number on your screen right now. >> hi, i'm linda berman, a volunteer with public television. when you call and support your public television, you're making something special happen. you're supporting the art of sewing, as well as being entertained, and being educated. now, i know this "glam" bag that you just saw being made is just fantastic, and i went, "there's not a way i could do it," but after watching the program, it's like, "i can do this." and that's what public television does, and especially the sewing with nancy programs. it helps inspire you, it actually encourages you to do something that you think you can do, but may not be sure of. there's for sure in your life, there's public television. now's your opportunity to support the art of sewing and support public television. what you're doing is saying, "i'm investing now for myself, and for the future." so why don't you give us

a call right now on the number on your screen? >> it warms my heart to hear the phones ring, to see our volunteers taking many calls, there's still a few volunteers that aren't busy, so please consider to call. sewing is a craft, it's an art, it's a therapy for me, maybe it is for you, too, and it's an easy therapy. so i tell my husband, "the more fabric i have, it's better than therapy." so you can also have therapy, maybe this isn't a good analogy, by contributing to public television, showing your support to continue the art of sewing coming right to your homes. we rely on our community to support us in many ways, and by having public television with quality programming, how-to programming, that's very important. and you're part of that community, so i thank you for your call. it really makes a difference and it also shows your local public television station that you enjoy sewing with nancy, so i appreciate your calls, i really do.

>> yes, please show your support for sewing with nancy by making your gift of support right now. it makes such a difference. and it only takes a few moments. there's some terrific volunteers that are standing by, waiting to hear from you, and then we can start putting your dollars to work right away toward this sewing with nancy series. and when you do call, remember, we do have some thank-you gifts that we'd like to send to you, that you can start using right away. with a gift of $60, we have the full-color booklet, which has all of the information that you need to make any of the "12 easy sew bags" that we're taking a look at today. with a gift of $120, we have the booklet, and also the dvd, so that you can see, and remind yourself firsthand, again, how nancy did it. and then with a gift of $200, we have the booklet, we have the dvd, and we also have this special template that you're going to need and value when you make six of those special handbags. again, this is just our way of

saying thank you for supporting sewing with nancy. don't forget that we're also going to be throwing in the "nancy's notions" catalog. again, call that number on your screen. make that investment today. >> public television provides you with more than just a program. it provides you with opportunities. and the opportunity is yours now to become part of our great, endless boundary of quality programming sponsors. you can do that. programs like sewing with nancy do take financial support. this is your opportunity to do it. you can provide support that provides inspiration, education, as well as entertainment. we hope you're enjoying what you're watching. so consider this an opportunity to join us at public television by pledging your support. pledging your support not just for yourself, but for the future and for others, because it's very easy to do. you just decide, just like when you're sewing what stitch you choose, you decide what level you pledge at. but you can stitch us all together. consider this a great, great opportunity to call now, to join our friendship group here

of public television supporters. give us a call at the number on the screen. >> we appreciate your call and we hope that you, when you see the booklet, you'll be able to use it with great confidence, because we have all 12 of the bags described in here. really easy, really simple to do, just like it is to call the number on your screen to make your contribution to show your support to your local public television station. our volunteers will walk you through the process, and if you've never contributed to public television before, now's the time. this way you'll keep sewing inspiration coming to your community, you'll get education coming to your home every week, or how often you receive sewing with nancy on your airwaves. so again, thank you for calling. >> your gift makes such a big difference, so call that number on your screen right now, and

get some of these thank you gifts that we have to support sewing with nancy and sewing on your public television station. call and make a gift of $60 and we will send you that full-color booklet which has instructions for all 12 of the handbags that nancy's demonstrating today in "12 easy sew bags." make a gift of $120 and we will send you the booklet and also the dvd of all three episodes of "12 easy sew bags." and then make a gift of $200 and we will send you the booklet, we will send you the dvd, and we will also send you a very key template that is used in most of these handbags that we're watching today. let me also remind you that with any gift of $60 or above, we will send you the "nancy's notion's" catalog, and this is just a wonderful resource that's gonna fill any need that you have, any sewing need that you have, whether you're an experienced sewer or a new sewer. the "nancy's notions" catalog is awesome, and it also includes a $10 coupon for any purchase of $50 or more.

so again, any gift that you make of $60 or above to public television today, you can get the catalog as well. the important thing is to make that investment in public television, make that investment in sewing, make that investment in sewing with nancy. your gift makes a difference, please call now. handbags are the feature of this sewing with nancy mini-series with the common denominator being easy! in this third episode of "12 easy sew bags" you'll learn to create the final four options. the collection includes classic shapes and styles that can go with pretty much anything from jeans to business wear. they're simple, stylish, versatile pieces. let's begin with an adjustable strap option. you might like a shoulder bag or during other times, a shorter strap. both options are available on one easy bag with easy-to-sew fabric strap slides. it's a clever way to personalize a bag. "12 easy sew bags" that's what's coming up next on sewing with nancy!

sewing with nancy tv's longest-airing sewing and quilting program with nancy zieman is made possible by baby lock a complete line of sewing, quilting and embroidery machines and sergers. baby lock, for the love of sewing. madeira, specializing in embroidery, quilting and special effect threads because creativity is never black and white. koala sewing cabinets hand built in the usa by american craftsmen customized for you. clover makers of sewing, knitting, quilting and embroidery products for over 25 years. experience the clover difference. amazing designs and klassé needles. if you were able to join us for the first two programs of this three-part series you know that you can work with any bag pattern template or tote pattern to make the bags personalized. that's the same case with the adjust-a-strap

using fabric slides to change the length of the strap. to work with this the key will be the interfacing that you'll use for the strap itself. we've used perforated interfacing made for straps. it comes in two widths. the narrow 5/8" width, or the 1" width. in each case, you're going to cut two lengths. two lengths that are 36". then you'll have a leftover piece of the fusible interfacing that you'll use for the slide portion of the strap. the fabric is cut the same width and the same length as the fusible interfacings so in this instance, it's 2" x 36". in the narrower width, it's 1-1/4" x 36". just fuse, meeting the wrong side of the fabric and the fusible side of the interfacing and press together. i'm sure you've used products like this in the past. they just kind of save time, make things accurate.

after pressing the interfacing to the wrong side then just fold the fabric along the lengthwise perforations and press so that you have a nice even size. now, to position the fabric slides we need just one quick mark. the mark is the center point. i'm meeting end-to-end and then with the tip of the iron or even just finger press that area. so either way, you're going to do a marking. i've used a contrast fabric to create the fabric slide. again, press the ends to the middle but then do one more pressing. press the folds to meet each other and then edge stitch so that you have a narrower strip of fabric. now to measure, we're going to use the unpressed width of the strap as a guide. sometimes it's just easy to do a quick measurement by eyeballing.