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But because my zipper was too short, I had to cut off the ends and sew it all directly down to the front of the bag. It doesn't look bad in any way, it's just not typical. Cross grain, also called the Crosswise Grain, is the grain that runs crosswise (at a right angle) to the selvage. The third picture in this step shows a clear layout of how to determine the different parts of the fabric (selvage, cross grain, and bias). The fourth picture shows how to cut out pieces to cut on the cross grain. Just make sure all the pieces are cut in the same direction as the first one. Then sew the top and bottom parts of each ear together, RIGHT sides together, leaving an UN-SEWN EDGE on the bottom of each ear, and then flip out to reveal the finished ears.
Fold the fabric lengthwise, and sew with 1/2" seam allowance along the raw edges (keeping the RIGHT sides together). Do this for both pieces. This will make a "housing" for the pads to slip into (therefore, avoiding any extra seams on the long side, except the one). DO NOT sew the two short ends of either piece. Also, KEEP THE FABRIC WRONG-SIDE OUT. When I chose faux suede as my fabric for this project, it was both out of desperation (because my store didn't have pleather in the colors I needed), and because I wanted a textured fabric (and real suede is a type of leather so faux suede was my best bet). I had never worked deliberately with this material before, so I didn't know it was considered a fairly difficult fabric to work with. Not to mention it requires lots of pre-knowledge you need to understand before starting a project with it. When using a fabric with a nap (such as the faux suede I'm using), knowing the nap is important to determining how you set out and cut your pattern on the fabric. When cutting fabric with a nap, it is important to keep the pattern pieces going in the same direction: either "with the nap" which means the fibers will feel smooth and are in a downward direction, or "against the nap" which means the fibers will feel rougher and not as smooth and are in an upward direction. NOTE: The extra dark brown piece you see in the first picture that has curved edges will be used in a future step. So cut it out for now using the dimensions below, then set it aside. Set the tension to a weaker setting to avoid making tons of holes and, therefore, weakening the fabric.
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Nap is the texture of a fabric with the raised fibers of the fabric going in a particular direction (this property of fabric is woven into it). To get the nap, a secondary yarn is woven through the cloth which creates that raised fibers property. NOTE: You can make your shoulder straps longer if needed. I just used this size because it worked well with the size of the bag.
NOTE: I didn't line mine, but if you were hoping to line yours, line it BEFORE you sew it down to the bag. This part is actually much easier than everything you just did. And now that you've sewn the bag together, this should be a much simpler duplication of that process. Also, you will only make the lining go up HALFWAY up the sides, as the zipper panel's raw edges won't be noticeable once the bag is turned right-side out. However, you can make a lining that covers up the zipper panel's raw edges, too, if you want (if you choose this approach, you would sew up to the zipper instead of just half way). Fold over the top of the shoulder straps and slide those under the brown horizontal strip too, as shown. I had the seams of the straps facing outward, because it matched my inspiration picture. Plus, it made a great way to line up the hanger/handle with.
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The top piece (green) is 6-1/4" tall x 10-1/2" wide (This includes 1/2" seam allowance on all sides). NOTE: the height will be shorter on the curved edges, but the middle of the top of the curve should be 5-3/4" tall. Delivery is estimated at 5-10 days, however these times can be slightly extended during particularly busy periods or periods of national inclement weather (UK or the country of delivery) NOTE: Your finished piece will be different from mine. I got too small of a zipper, but it was all I could find since this pandemic has limited what's in stores. So, if you can get ahold of a 12" zipper, you will be good to go (and will avoid the problem I ran into later)! Yoda and Baby Yoda have one big important detail that makes them the cute little creatures they are: their ears!
tall x 10-1/2" wide (with curved edges matching the sides of the green top piece, or trim it to the shape after sewing the seams) dark brown piece, set aside Slide in the interfacing like you would elastic. I used a safety pin on the end of the interfacing to help guide it through the long tube. You should spot clean faux suede, or wash it on a gentle cycle and hang dry or spot dry. When washing, use cold or warm water with little detergent and little softener. Because this bag has interfacing, DO NOT put it in the dryer! Steam press if wrinkles occur with a damp pressing cloth. I'll save you the hours of research and countless videos I watched, and just summarize the information I learned for if you choose to work with faux suede for your project, too. You can thank me later!
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First things first...with faux suede you need to know the nap. Now, Jar Jar Binks may want to take in a good nap, but that's not what we're talking about here. Next, match up the side seams (where the green and brown fabrics collide on both the front of the bag and the side panel) Did you know you can sharpen a regular piece of chalk in the larger hole of a regular sharpener to make fabric chalk? Who knew!? If you are using faux suede like I did, use a rotary cutter and a cutting mat to avoid the shredding sides that I got because I cut the faux suede with fabric shears. Faux suede isn't known to shrink too much, I've read, so it's really only necessary to preshrink the interfacing IF you want to be able to wash your bag without trouble. If you are wanting to wash your bag and are scared the faux suede may shrink, feel free to pre-shrink all your materials (except the foam padding).
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