Salem’s Sling Bag
Our newest DIY is knot simply a place for plants; it’s décor for your home! Ideal as a unique, custom gift, handmade with love; you can use it to hang herbs in the kitchen, plants on the balcony or lively décor anywhere! Love macramé? You’ll love this Salem’s Sling Bag DIY!
Difficulty Level: Easy
What you need:
- 2 Metal D-rings (33mm)
- 1 Closed-End Zipper (9” or as close to as possible)
- 1 roll Pellon® Iron-On Buckram
- 1 metre of Main Fabric
- 1 metre of Main Fabric
- 1 metre of Lining Fabric
- 0.5 metre of Faux Fur
- 1 Tailor™ Bag Strap
- Thread
- 1.5” bias tape maker or 2.5 metres of 3/8” Double Fold Bias Tape
- Dritz® Washaway Wonder Tape
- 20” of 3/4” size (2 x 3” pieces & 1 x 14” piece) Webbing
- 5 Eyelets (6mm)
- 1 Rivet (6mm)
- 1 Buckle (5mm x 19mm)
Other Handy Tools
- Cutting Mat
- Revolving Punch Pliers
- Scissors
- Thread Snips
- Sewing Machine
- Rotary Cutters
- Basting Spray
- Clips or Pins
- Iron
- Pressing Mat
- Optional: a little bit of stuffing to make the cat head rounder, top stitching thread or embroidery thread to make spooky aesthetic stitches around the edge.
- Washaway marker or other marking pens.
Fabric Recommendations
Non-Stretch Heavy weight fabric, non-stretch, such as:
- Bella Casa Velvet Fancies (Used In Examples)
- Brocade (Used For Examples)
- Canvas
- Vinyl
- Home Decor fabrics
Tips before you start
Non-Stretch Heavy weight fabric, non-stretch, such as:
- Make sure your cat body & buckram pieces are the same size and shape. Whatever you do to one piece around the edge, do the same on the other piece.
- Keep your needle down in the fabric when lifting the pressure foot to pivot around a corner.
- Add a little bit of stuffing to the lining of the head area to make it a little more round and aesthetically pleasing.
- Use basting spray to help keep the lining, buckram & main fabric together.
- Use embroidery thread to add spooky stitches around the edge.
Instructions
Step 1: Prep Pattern Pieces
Use the black line and black diamonds to line up your pieces, and the pages matching letter to letter. Tape them together and then cut out the individual pattern pieces.
Step 2: Cut Buckram Pieces
Cut 2 pieces of the buckram cat body out of the buckram, one with the zipper opening and one without. Cut 1 piece of the buckram bag bottom piece out of buckram.
Step 3: Cut Main Fabric Pieces
Cut 2 pieces of the main cat body out of your main fabric. Cut 1 piece of the bag bottom out of your main fabric.
Step 3: Cut Lining Pieces
Cut 2 pieces of the main cat body out of your lining fabric. Cut 1 piece of the bag bottom out of your lining.
Step 4: Prepare your main cat body pieces without the zipper opening
- Iron the buckram cat body without the zipper to the centre of the wrong side of an main fabric piece.
- Place 1 piece of the lining cat body right side up on top of the buckram and main fabric piece you’ve prepared. The buckram will be sandwiched in between. (Pro Tip: Use basting spray to hold the lining in place.)
- Fold the seam allowance around the entire edge of the buckram, cutting notches as needed to help the fabric wrap around the buckram evenly. Pin the fabric towards the lining as you go.
- Straight stitch all the way around the cat body pieces 1/4” from the edge. (Pro Tip: if you want the cat head of your bag to be more puffy, add a little bit of stuffing in the lining of the head area.)
Step 5: Prepare your bag bottom pieces.
Follow the same steps for the bag bottom, ironing the buckram to the wrong side of the main fabric piece. Then, place the lining on top of the buckram and pin the 3 pieces together. Stitch 1/4” from the edge all the way around.
Step 6: Prepare the remaining cat body pieces with the zipper.
- Prepare the outer cat body: Take your fabric with the buckram attached and cut a straight line out of the centre of the zipper slot. First, cut between the drill holes indicated on the pattern piece, then cut at a 45° angle from the end of the line to the top corner of the zipper opening. Fold the cut fabric around the buckram zipper opening and press.
- Prepare the lining: Repeat the same cutting method on the lining piece using the drill holes marked on the pattern piece. Fold the cut edges out to the wrong side of the lining and press. This will create the 5/8” opening for the exposed zipper.
- Use some washaway double-sided wasaway tape to help hold the zipper in place. Cut 4 strips the length of the zipper. Stick one strip down onto each side of the right side of the zipper, near the edges, and pull the paper backing off. Lay the zipper right side down onto the buckram side of the outer cat body. Apply some pressure and the tape will help hold these layers together.
Step 7: Attach the D-rings to the cat body bag and bag bottom.
- Cut 2 x 3” strips of your webbing. Finish the ends by carefully melting them with a lighter.
- Feed the webbing through a D-ring and fold it in half. Place it on the outside of the cat body bag, centering it over the drill hold (x marked on the pattern). Use some double-sided washaway tape to hold it in place as you sew.
- Secure the pieces by sewing around the edges of the webbing and then an X through the centre. Backstitch at the beginning and end.
- Repeat this for the bag bottom.
Step 8: Cutout the cat tail.
- Place the cat tail pattern piece on the wrong side of the faux fur with the pile direction running upwards (as marked on the pattern piece). Trace the pattern piece with a wash-away fabric marker.
- Cut the faux fur. If you need more guidance on how to cut faux fur, a link with some tips is included in the Tips Before You Start section.
Step 9: Attach the cat tail pocket.
- Sew the tail piece to the fabric side of the cat body piece without the zipper. Leave part of the tail open for the pocket opening (as indicated on the pattern piece). Backstitch at the beginning and end.
Step 10: Stitching the pieces together
- Pin the bag bottom to the cat body with the lining sides together. Match the centre of the bottom of the bag to the centre of the bottom of the cat bag (as indicated on the pattern pieces). Sew along the same 1/4” seem used on your pieces. The bag bottom should sit evenly between the shoulders of the cat shape, as indicated on the pattern piece.
- Pin the pieces of the cat head together and stitch with the same 1/4“ seam allowance.
Step 11: Finish the raw edges inside the bag.
- Now that your bag is together. turn it inside out and trim back the excesses seam allowance to 1/4” so it’s all even. You leave yourself a 1/4” lip to attach your bias tape to. Use a bias tape maker to create your own bias tape or purchase some pre-made double fold bias tape.
Step 12: Making the cat collar
- Cut your remaining 14” of webbing to desired length.
- Use Revolving Punch Pliers to make holes for the rivets and eyelets.
