Hexagon Bag Tutorial

HEXAGON BAG TUTORIAL

You can make this with any size hexagon.  You could make stitchery hexagons or use different main fabrics for each hexagon.  It is not a particularly quick project to make, especially if you are sewing by hand. However if you prepare first by doing all the cutting it is a great portable project.

Bag measures approximately 17" wide, 6" deep and 9" high without the handles.

For this you will need:

50cm of Main Fabric
80cm of Lining Fabric
Wadding of your choice
2 pieces of iron-on vilene each measuring 12 x 2"

Hexagon templates - your choice of size - I used a hexagon with 4" sides for the lining and 3" sides for the main fabric and wadding.

Normal sewing stuff, needles, pins, thread, scissors etc.

Trace 16 main fabric hexagons.

Place these, right sides up, on the wadding

Cut 16 lining hexagons

Carefully centre the main fabric hexagons and wadding on the lining fabric.  Begin to double fold the lining over the front. Turn every other side over and secure with pins.

These are the 'under' sides.

Fold the remaining sides over - these are the 'over' sides. The top edge on the photo below is an 'under' side.

Tack down and carefully stitch with matching thread.  You can also machine this using a decorative stitch if you prefer.

Now lay out the hexagons in rows of:

• two
• three 
• six
• three
• two

First sew together the vertical seams - oversew from the back if doing by hand, or zigzag together if doing by machine. Then sew the rows together using the same method.

At this point I ironed the hexagons which actually made the bag feel firmer.  If you ever make one with stitchery hexagons I wouldn't recommend ironing. The two lines of two hexagons form the placement of the handles and the line of six hexagons will fold in to form the sides. (Small bag is shown here)

Fold the sides up and pin the end hexagon to the edge of the top hexagon - the photo below shows which edge should be sewn to which.

After sewing the side seams wrong twice I found the best way was to start at the top and follow the seam down, even though you are sewing into a dead end. The start is shown with the butterfly pin in the photo below.

Sew all four side seams

 To make the final bag shape.

Cut the handles out:

• Two pieces of main fabric, each measuring 2 1/2" x 14"
• Two pieces of lining fabric, each measuring 3" x 14"
• Two pieces of iron-on vilene, each measuring 2" x 12" (you could use wadding instead)

Make the handles by placing the main fabric right sides down, the iron-on vilene - spotty (glue) side up. Fold the fabric over this and iron in place.

 Iron over a quarter inch hem on the lining

Place the stiffened main fabric in the centre and fold hems over again.  Repeat with other side. Pin and stitch. Make two handles.

 Fold raw edges under and pin in place on the inside of the bag.

 Tack in place then slip stitch. (or machine stitch place)

Make sure the centre of the handle lines up with the point of the corresponding hexagon.

If you like you can sew buttons on the front.

I made a stiffened base using mount board and covered it with spare lining fabric. You could also use heavy-weight vilene or any stiff card.  For the large bag I used a piece measuring  15 x 5 1/2" and a piece of lining fabric measuring 31" x 6 1/2"

Fold the lining fabric in half with right sides together. Sew the lining fabric on the longest edges, push the mount board in,  then slip-stitch closed.

Place in the base of the bag and you are ready to go.

I hope you are not too confused by the size of the bag in the photos compared with the measurements given - the photographed bag is going to be a little sister and is big enough to take a pair of embroidery scissors, thread, and other little sewing accessories. It measures 7" wide x 2 1/2" deep by 4" tall excluding the handles and was made using a main fabric hexagon with a 1 1/4" side.  This pattern is made and tested but if you have a problem or spot a mistake please let me know - thank you!