Bamboo Ring Handled Bag

This bag is a commission job for a friend of mine. She wanted a bag big enough to carry everything. I think, with a rough measurement of 24" x 22", it fits the bill.

I wanted to find a tutorial online to be sure the construction method I had dreamed up in my head would work. Honestly, I'm not too good at the internet search engines and all, so after "how-to" and "tutorial" and whatever else I had typed in, I figured, surely what I planned would work. {thankfully, it did.} The key to getting the fabric onto the ring is IRONING. You need to iron in the folds/hems for the two top edges before you get over to the sewing machine. That way when it starts to bunch up (pictured below) you're fabric already knows it wants to fold 'here' and 'here'. Ironing is pretty critical to most sewing projects, in my opinion.

Its kinda tricky to get that ring under the sewing machine. It was definitely easier than I had estimated, but boy- When I first saw the design she wanted I thought, "Ok, its just a ring on a casing, like elastic or a drawstring." I neglected to realize you cannot sew the casing first, like you can with elastic or drawstring. And the rings, are about 1/2 wider in diameter than the area under my sewing machine, so I couldn't just pull that ring on the right hand side forward or slip it through to the back. It worked out though. I'm looking into other types of rings. Maybe *my source* will be able to brainstorm a way to secure the ring into a continuous loop AFTER you feed it through a stitched casing. Hopefully I'll have more on that later.

This bag is reversible and the "other side" is also Alexander Henry. These are coordinating prints called Kleo, the selvage edge also says 2005. I love this fabric, though. Its so funky and floral without being way too femme.


Thanks for checking out the Bamboo Ring bag. Its a great big summer or to-the-pool kinda bag. I think, after more rings have been sourced, I will certainly make more of these.

One other thing- Big HOOORRAAAAY! Goes out to BeckyM! She is having her felt foods (bowtie pasta) in the Chicago Children's Museum. SWEET! Congratulations.

~jen~

Bamboo Ring Handled Bag