We had met Kathryn before and her interest, experience and skill for her work showed from the beginning. She explained how she has developed a range of techniques and styles to bring her bag making very much up to date. We all imagine bag making as a simple ‘tote’ but with new materials bags can be more sophisticated. Kathryn explained a range of fabrics which she has used and trialled in her bags from ‘Timtex’, which is like pelmet Vilene but a little more spongier, through to foams to form the inners, some of which have one or two sides which are fusible. | She now uses SF101 ‘Shapeflex’ which is a woven interfacing and has a similar movement to the fabric being used for the bag and ‘Headliner’ a light, flexible and stitchable material, which is used in car roofs. Kathryn also explained how she is very particular when using fabrics making sure the patterns are in line and centralised on the bag. |
Next the pieces were prepared ready for stitching. The bag fabric was ironed and the Headliner placed white side down onto the wrong side and then sandwiched between with the SF101 piece, which was placed with the rough side down. Then using the ‘monster’ steam iron the pieces were fused together. | |

The back room ladies appeared to have great fun throughout the day catching up with each other’s news as well as managing to do some stitching.
After lunch Kathryn demonstrated how to sew a zip into an internal pocket. Our design didn’t have one but it was useful to know how to do this for future reference. When the bag was turned through a few of us panicked as we thought we had sewn the pocket on the wrong way but soon realised it could be turned to the front of the bag very easily. The finishing touches included cutting out, folding and stitching the strap and making the tab for the fastening. | |
The lining was stitched with a gap at the bottom to turn the bag the right way round eventually and once the connectors and tab had been positioned the lining was stitched onto the bag and turned through (or birthed as some would say). We used magnetic poppers to fasten the bag and connectors to attach the bag strap to the bag, which gave them a professional finish alongside rivets on the handle. It was a very full on day and although not all the bags were finished great progress was made and several were photographed. I am certain they will add another dimension to our exhibition in February. | |
Ann Reading