Little Lunch Bag Pattern

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Sew your little one a stylish lunch bag, just in time for back-to-school season. A fresh design from Debbie von Grabler-Crozier, this lunch bag sewing pattern is perfect for holding school lunches and showing off quirky prints and blender fabrics. This school sewing project features a hook and loop tape closure as well as a coordinating handle made from cotton webbing. Lunchtime has never looked more stylish than with this cute DIY lunch bag for your kids (or yourself)!

Designer Notes: Please read all instructions and assembly requirements before beginning the pattern. Seam allowances are all 1/4” and have already been added.

Materials:

Fabric: (Note: All fabrics are by Art Gallery Fabrics; the designer focused on the Cottage Grove collection by AGF Studio.)
- 22” strip of food-inspired fabric for the main exterior panel. Our sample uses Eat Your Veggies by AGF Studio.
  - Tip: Debbie chose a directional print and need the fabric length to make it run the right way. If your print is not directional, you can use a 9” strip instead.
- Fat Eighth of coordinating blender for the side exterior panels. The designer chose Chequered Charm Sprout by AGF Studio.
- 1/4 yd. strip of coordinating lining fabric. Debbie used Apple Bites by AGF Studio.
- Fat Quarter of solid fabric for bias binding. The sample uses Garden Fern from the Pure Elements collection by AGF.
Interfacing: (Note: All of the interfacing used is by Vlieseline.)
- 1/4 yd. strip G740 fusible interfacing
- 1/2 yd. Style-vil foam interfacing
8” piece of 1” wide cotton webbing to coordinate with your fabrics
1 1/2” piece of Velcro (hook and loop tape)
Small label (optional)
- Tip: If using, make sure that the label is large enough to cover the Velcro.
Clear drying glue suitable for fabric
Coordinating threads for all fabrics and trims
Scissors
Ruler or measuring tape
Fabric marking tools
Iron

Cutting Instructions:

From the veggie fabric:

1 piece 6” wide x 20 1/2” long for the exterior panel

From the checkered fabric:

2 pieces 4” wide x 7” long for the side exterior panels

From the lining fabric:

1 piece 6” wide x 20 1/2” long for the main lining panel
2 pieces 4” wide x 7” long for the side lining panels

From the solid fabric:

Bias binding cut 1 1/2” wide, joined to make a strip 47” long

From the webbing:

1 piece 7” long

From the G740 interfacing:

1 piece cut to the same size as the veggie exterior panel
2 pieces cut to the same size as the gingham side panels

Tip: There are no cutting notes for the Style-Vil foam interfacing. Instructions will be given as we go along but the basic idea is to press the piece to be interfaced and then pin to a slightly larger (about 1/2” all round) piece of foam interfacing. Use a machine basting stitch to attach the panel to the foam, gently keeping a taut tension on it. Then trim the excess foam away.

Sewing Instructions:

PREPARATION:

Tip: This bag is lined as you go and then the raw edges are bound. Hence there is no separate lining section in this method. This makes a beautifully fitted and smooth lining.

Interface the Exterior Panels:

Fuse the G740 interfacing to the relevant exterior panels (main and two sides). Tip: This cheesecloth weight interfacing gives the thin quilting cotton some structure.

Make the Bias Binding:

Fold the continuous strip of binding in half lengthways with the wrong sides facing and press the long center crease. Open out and then fold the two raw edges to the center crease, also to the wrong side and press again.
Fold along all of the creases and roll until needed.

Make the Side Panels:

Use a small round object to round the two bottom corners of the side panel. Tip: This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Simply find something round that is not too small (harder to sew if the curve is too tight), trace around it and cut the curve out.
Lay an interfaced side panel onto a piece of slightly larger foam interfacing (about 1/2” larger all around) and machine baste with a very narrow (1/8”) seam.
Repeat for the other side panel and then trim the foam back to the fabric edge.
Take a side lining panel and pin, right sides together, to the double interfaced side panel. Sew the top edge only.
Un-pin and flip the layers over so that the right side of the lining and the right side of the exterior panel are facing out.
Machine baste the sides and base edges to keep everything neat. Make sure as you do this that there is no distortion or pulling of the lining. Pin or clip it well before you start and use a long stitch on your machine.
On the top edge of the side panel, measure down 1 1/2” in the center and sew a line, backstitching at the top and the bottom. Tip: This will help the sides to fold in when you put the bag together.
Repeat these steps for the other side panel.

Make the Main Panel:

Attach to a slightly larger piece of foam interfacing as you did the side panels and trim the foam back.
Have a look at the exterior panel. The edge that will be visible when the bag is opened is the one where the print is the right way up on the top edge.
Pin the lining onto this short edge, right sides together, and sew across this side only. Flip the right way out and press the edge.
Pin or clip so that the lining does not pull or distort and baste the layers together.
On the short edge opposite to the one you have just worked on, round the two corners to match the first piece constructed. Cut the rounded corners out and re-baste.

Attach the Handle:

Working on the edge with the rounded corners (this will become the flap), measure in 3 3/4” from the rounded end and attach the handle. The handle ends will be flush with the raw edges on each side.
1. Tip: This makes it easy to hide the raw ends of the handle in the binding.
2. Tip: The handle will stick up a bit. This is necessary to get little hands around it to carry it without pulling or distorting.
Measure in 1” and secure the handle with a stitched square with a cross in the middle.
Use matching thread and sew on both sides.

Attach the Velcro (and Label, If Used):

Still on the flap end of the exterior panel, find the center and mark. Measure in 1 1/2” from the end on the lining side and attach the loop side of the Velcro. Tip: This makes a slightly unsightly seam line on the right side. This is a great place to use a label to cover it.
Use a bit of fabric glue to hold the label and then topstitch it into place.
The hook piece of Velcro goes onto the other end of the exterior piece. Begin by pinning or clipping the central panel to the sides to temporarily fit everything together.
Fold the flap down and mark where the Velcro on the flap naturally sits. For example, it should be centered around 1 1/2” from the edge. Tip: The flap should sit quite snugly and will fold the sides of the bag in slightly where they are topstitched in the center.
Un-clip everything and attach the hook side of the Velcro to this mark.

MAKING:

Construct the Bag:

Pin or clip again as you did when fitting the bag in the last step. The seams will all be to the outside of the bag.
The lining should be beautifully smooth and well fitted.
Sew the seams. Tip: It is worthwhile to clip some small slits (staying well inside the seam allowance) on the corners where the straight center panel has to negotiate the curves of the rounded sides.

Bind the Edges:

Make sure that everything fits well and that the bag closes neatly. When you are happy with the fit, bind the edges either by hand or machine.