hobo bag

Check Out My Phat Hobo Bag.

The tutorial for this li’l treasure can be found here at craftster (my new favorite place!). The crafster tutorial and ensuing versions of the bag speak for themselves and I won’t repeat the directions, but I will post my directions for the ruffled snap-closure pocket – sturdy and cute – that I embellished mine with.

These instructions will yield a 5 1/2″ wide by 5″ tall pocket. Use 1/2″ seam allowances.

Cut out the following:

What to cut to make a fabulous pocket.

From pocket fabric:
1 strip, 6 1/2″ by 1 1/2″
main pocket piece, 6 1/2″ by 6″

Interfacing:
5 1/2″ by 5″

From contrast (for ruffle):
1 strip 12″ by 2″

Don’t forget – 5 1/2″ of 3/4″ snap tape.

Fuse interfacing onto WS of large pocket piece, leaving an even 1/2″ allowance on all sides.

Finish one long end of small pocket piece (6 1/2″ by 1 1/2″ strip) by zig zag. Sew snap tape on to RS of this piece, making sure to place snap tape clear by 1/2″ from all sides. Sew other side of snap tape onto appropriate location on body of purse (duh!).

To make ruffle – I have a cool ruffle trick taught to me by Pam from the sew-whats-new forums! First, fold ruffle piece lengthwise, WS together. Press. Take a piece of floss or fishing line and zigzag OVER the floss on the raw edges:

My *bombastic* ruffling trick…

Pull floss, ruffling the ruffle piece to size – about 5 1/2″, remember? Pin ruffle to top of pocket with RS together (raw edges matching). Baste 1/4″ from raw edge, making sure ruffle does not extend into 1/2″ SA of pocket. Pull out floss / fishing line.

Sandwich the pieces so that the RS of the strip and the RS of the pocket are facing one another, with the ruffle in between:

Pocket Sandwich.

Sew top raw edges with at a scant 1/2″. To finish top edge of pocket, sew 1/2″ at sides like so:

A half-inch seam allowance on top & sides o’ pocket (before clipping).

After you sew this seam, clip close to the seam allowance on the top part of the pocket, then turn right-side out. Push out top corners, press top and edges, and mitering bottom corners. Pin to purse body – on top of snap tape – and topstitch, ending with a triangular reinforcement stitch.

Closeup of pocket closure.

Finish bag a la tutorial and..

Voila!