Belt Loop Bag

Pattern Markings

Transfer all pattern markings to the fabric using a disappearing ink pen or tailors chalk.

OPTIONAL Bias Binding

If you are sewing the OPTIONAL ID Pocket Vinyl and are not using store bought binding, you’ll need to create double fold bias binding to finish the raw edges of the vinyl.

Follow this free DIY Bias Binding tutorial to create the bias binding.

Fold the OPTIONAL Inside Pocket in half widthwise, matching the short edges right sides together. Pin around raw edges.

Stitch using a ½ inch seam allowance, leaving about a 1 ½-inch gap for turning.

Clip the corners to reduce the bulk.Be careful not to cut into the stitching.

Trim the seam allowance in half.

TIP – Use pinking shears to trim the seam allowance all the way around the pocket.

Turn the Inside Pocket right side out and press.

TIP – Push out the corners with a blunt object, like a chopstick, so that there are crisp, sharp edges and corners.

OPTIONAL – Topstitch the top folded edge of the Inside Pocket using a ⅛ inch seam allowance.

Place the Inside Pocket onto the Back Lining piece at the pattern markings. Pin.

Stitch using a ⅛ inch seam allowance. Start at the top of the Pocket’s side. Backstitch at the beginning and the end. Do not stitch the opening (the top side) of the Pocket to the Back Lining.

NOTE – This stitch will close the gap.

OPTIONAL – Topstitch a vertical line onto the Pocket to divide it into two smaller pockets.

If you are familiar with making double fold bias tape, please use this. If not, don’t worry, just follow along here!

Fold the Tab in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Press.

NOTE – Pre-made bias tape can also be used.

Open the Tab then fold the two long sides into the middle and press.

Refold the Tab along the first middle fold, folding the raw edges to the inside. Press.

Topstitch the open side using a ⅛ inch seam allowance.

OPTIONAL: Topstitch the folded long side using a ⅛ seam allowance.

NOTE – You may need to flatten the tab at this point with a clapper or gently with a hammer to make it thinner and easier to sew through.

Thread the Tab through the swivel clasp, centering the Clasp at the fold. Pin.

Place Tab at the pattern marking on Fabric Back and pin.

Baste using a ¼ inch seam allowance.

TIP – Basting is just like normal stitching except the stitches need to be long and loose so that they can be removed later, if needed. Stitch within the seam allowance, so that the basting stitches are not seen in the final garment, while keeping the stitches loose enough to pull out just in case they are visible. The purpose is to hold a piece of fabric in place until that section is properly sewn. Set the machine to a long loose stitch. Test it on a piece of fabric first to make sure that the stitches can easily be removed. Do not backstitch at either end. Leave the ends loose, with approximately 1 inch of thread tails at either end of the stitching.

NOTE – You may need to flatten the tab at this point with a clapper or gently with a hammer to make it thinner and easier to sew through.

TIP – Sew slowly through the tabs and if necessary use your handwheel to go through the tabs if they are too thick for your machine.

Repeat steps 2.1 to 2.8 to the other Tab piece.

Make Bias tape as in Step 2.1-2.2. Refold the tape along the first middle fold, folding the raw edges to the inside. Press.

Place the bias tape onto one of the short edge of the vinyl, sandwiching it inside the bias tape.

TIP – If the vinyl has wrinkles, you can do 2 things: place it on the ironing board, put a towel on the top and steam it. This will work with vinyl with more than 6 gauge.

The other option is to use a hot iron to warm up your ironing board. Then place the vinyl onto the warm ironing board and use your hands to smooth out the vinyl. However, do not use direct heat on vinyl as it will melt.

TIP – Do not use pins. It is important to use clips as vinyl is not self-healing. The fewer holes put into it the better.

Topstitch using a ⅛ inch seam allowance from the edge of the fabric.

TIP – To make it easier to stitch through the vinyl, lengthen your stitch slightly.

TIP – Place masking tape / ‘washi tape’ either side of the plate on your sewing machine. This will help the vinyl glide through and avoid sticking.

TIP – Use a Teflon zipper foot to help guide the vinyl while stitching.

Trim the excess bias.

Fold ¼ inch of the bias tape back towards the wrong side and press.

Align the fold to the corner of the vinyl. Pin the bias tape to the other 3 edges, neatly folding around the corners.

Cut the bias ¼ inch longer than the vinyl and fold back ¼ inch at the other side of the bias just as you did at the beginning.

Topstitch all three edges using a ⅛ inch seam allowance from the edge of the fabric.

Place the vinyl pocket onto the Main Back piece at the pattern markings.

TIP – If you use pins, be careful to pin only the areas covered by the bias so the holes in the vinyl will be invisible.

Stitch the pocket over the previous stitch lines. Stitch only 3 sides, leaving a short edge open.

Lay the Main Front Top right side up. Place the zipper on top, with the right sides together, matching the edges. Pin.

TIP – To help prevent the zipper from shifting or the fabric from distorting when sewing, use washaway sewing tape to secure the zipper.

Place the Front Top Lining on top, with the right side down, sandwiching the zipper between the fabrics. Pin.

They will now be layered in this order: Main facing up, zipper facing down, Lining facing down.

NOTE – Check the zipper finished length required for your Front Pocket. If your zipper is longer, trim it to the correct length and stitch a bar tack to close the zipper, as shown here.

Using a zipper foot on your sewing machine, stitch them together using a ⅜ inch seam allowance.

TIP – You might not be able to sew the zipper on with a ⅜ inch seam allowance depending on the width of your zipper tape. Sew the seam allowance with whatever width you can.

Flip the Lining over, so wrong sides of the Main and Lining are facing. Press.

OPTIONAL – Topstitch along the zipper tape, ⅛ inch from the fabric edge.

Pin the Main and Lining together.

NOTE – Trim your zipper now if necessary.

Repeat steps 4.1 to 4.5 to attach the Main and Lining Front Bottom pieces to the other side of the zipper.

NOTE – This will now be called the Front.

Place a Front Bottom Lining piece right side facing up. Put the Front on top of it, right side up. Pin around.

NOTE – If you were not able to sew the zipper on using a ⅜ inch seam allowance, the Front Lining and Front will be slightly differently sizes. Trim the bigger one so they are the same size.

Baste together using a ¼ inch seam allowance.

Lay the Front right side up. Place the zipper on top, right sides together, matching the edges. Pin.
4.10

Place the Front Lining on top, right side facing down, sandwiching the zipper between the fabrics. Pin.

They will now be layered in this order: Main facing up, zipper facing down, Lining facing down.

Using a zipper foot on your sewing machine, stitch them together.

Repeat steps 4.9 to 4.11 to attach the Main Back and Back Lining to the other side of the zipper.

NOTE – Do NOT Topstitch along the zipper tape of the second zipper.

Open the zipper on the top. It is really important to open the zipper so you will be able to turn your bag right sides out.

Flip the Linings and Mains together and pin them rights sides together. Lining to Lining and Main to Main.

Stitch all the way around using a ½ inch seam allowance, leaving a 2-3-inch gap for turning on the bottom side of the Lining. Be careful not to catch the hardware into the stitching.

TIP – It may be difficult to stitch through the Mains and Linings at some points. If you find it a struggle, try one of the following: lengthening your stitch, using the handwheel on your sewing machine rather than the foot pedal, using a larger needle or using a wedge to lift the presser foot up before placing the fabric under the presser foot.

TIP – Stitch carefully over the zipper teeth, use the handwheel if necessary.

Clip corners and snip into the seam allowance along the curves, getting close to the stitches without cutting through them.

NOTE – Clipping the seam allowance reduces the amount of fabric in the seam at the curve and allows the fabric to move so the seam will lay flat.

TIP – Use pinking shears to trim the seam allowance. It cuts triangles into the fabric which cuts the fabric on the bias. Because it’s cut on the bias, the fabric won’t fray much.

NOTE – The pictures used are from a different pattern, however, the techniques are the same.

Turn the Bag right side out.

Pin the gap on the bottom of the Lining closed.

Stitch the gap closed using a ⅛ inch seam allowance.

Push the Lining inside the main. If you are doing the OPTIONAL Strap, skip to step 5.

If you are not doing the OPTIONAL Strap, congrats, your Belt Loop Bag is finished!

Fold the Strap in half lengthwise, right sides together. Pin one short edge and the long raw edge.

TIP – If making the Belt Loop Bag for a child, measure the strap on your child now and shorten if necessary.

Stitch using a ¼ inch seam allowance.

NOTE – You are leaving one short edge unstitched for turning.

Turn the Strap the right way out. Press. If you have a favorite method to do this, please use it. Alternatively, here is how I like to do it.

TIP – It is best to use a blunt object like a chopstick.

Open the seam allowance stitched in step 5.2. Insert the chopstick until it reaches the stitching along the short edge.

Push the Strap over the chopstick, pushing the Strap all the way over the chopstick, until it is turned right
side out. Push the chopstick back out through the gap.

Fold the open of the short edge ½ inch toward the inside of the Strap. Pin.

Press the entire Strap.

Topstitch around all of the edges using an ⅛ seam allowance.

Thread one end of the Strap through each side of the slider.

Place the Strap with the wrong sides together, approximately 1 inch from the slider. Pin. This will attach the Strap to the middle bar.

Stitch using a ¼ inch seam allowance, stitching 3 to 4 times back and forth to secure the Strap.

Thread the other end of the Strap through the O-Ring.

NOTE – Either a D-ring or an O-ring can be used for the Strap. In the photos an O-ring is shown, however, the techniques are the same for both.

Thread the Strap through each side of the slider.

Thread it through the second O-Ring.

Fold the Strap wrong sides together approximately 1 inch from the O-Ring. Pin.

Stitch using a ¼ inch seam allowance, stitching 3 to 4 times back and forth to secure your Strap.

Use the swivel clasps to connect the Strap to the Belt Loop Bag.

Congrats, your Belt Loop Bag is finished!