Mini Duffel Tutorial
Not just super cute - this amazing duffel bag may be mini but it's perfect for packing everything you need! Fully lined and with an adjustable strap to boot, this will be your go-to bag.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to find and use the downloadable PDF pattern.
Video Tutorial:
Written Directions:
NOTE: Seam allowances are 1/2-inch unless otherwise stated.
Loop Tabs:
- Working with one piece D, fold one long edge toward the wrong side of the fabric 1/2-inch and press to hold fold. Repeat with second long edge.
- Fold in half, matching long edges with each other, along the folds. The raw edges should be nicely tucked into the inside of the folded strap. Press to hold and pin.
- Topstitch along both long edges, starting and stopping at the same short end each time to reduce fabric twisting.
- Repeat steps 1-3 with remaining piece D.
- Set aside until step 40.
Handles:
- Working with one piece E, fold one long edge toward the wrong side of the fabric 1/2-inch and press to hold fold. Repeat with second long edge.
- Fold in half, matching long edges with each other, along the folds. The raw edges should be nicely tucked into the inside of the folded strap. Press to hold and pin.
- Topstitch along both long edges, starting and stopping at the same short end each time to reduce fabric twisting.
- Repeat steps 1-3 with remaining piece E.
- Set aside until step 21.
Adjustable Strap:
- Working with piece F, fold one long edge toward the wrong side of the fabric 1/2-inch and press to hold fold. Repeat with second long edge.
- Fold in half, matching long edges with each other, along the folds. The raw edges should be nicely tucked into the inside of the folded strap. Press to hold.
- On one short end, unfold all folds and fold short end in half with right sides of fabric facing and raw edges lined up. Sew together along short end, reverse-stitching at beginning and end.
- Cut excess fabric from outside of stitching at the corners along this sewn section and turn right side out. Fold the long raw edges back inside of the piece and smooth flat. Press to hold.
- Repeat steps 13-14 with the other short end.
- Topstitch along both long edges, starting and stopping at the same short end each time to reduce fabric twisting.
- Thread one short end of strap into strap slide and around center bar so about 1/2-inch is folded back on itself. Topstitch along short end to hold in place, stitching the width of the strap, then reverse stitching back the whole width of the strap.
- Thread unsewn short end of strap through D on one swivel hook and then through strap slide--up one half and down the other. Pull through most of the way.
- Thread same short end of strap into other swivel hook and around the bar so about 1/2-inch is folded back on itself. Topstitch along short end to hold in place, stitching the width of the strap, then reverse stitching back the whole width of the strap.
- Set aside until step 48.
Bag Assembly:
- Place one sewn handle on the right side of one piece A with the raw edge positioned along the longest raw edge of piece A, and topstitched edge of handle piece 5" from corner. Bend handle piece to form a U-shape across the main part of piece A with the raw edge positioned along the longest raw edge of piece A, and topstitched edge of handle piece 5" from the other corner.
- Pin handle ends to be perpendicular to long edge of piece A up 3" from the raw edge of handle.
- Topstitch from the raw edge of each handle end up 3" then across the width of the handle and back down the other side along the topstitch lines.
- Repeat steps 21-23 with remaining sewn handle piece and remaining piece A.
- Pin and sew one piece A to each long edge of piece B, with right sides of fabric facing and edges aligned. Open piece A away from piece B and press flat so that seam allowance is behind piece B.
- Fuse interfacing piece C to back of sewn piece, arranging so that bumpy side of interfacing is touching fabric. Careful not to melt the interfacing--use a press cloth or heat the project from the fabric side. Move or fold handle pieces as pressing, if needed.
- Center zipper along one long edge of lining piece C, with back of zipper facing right side of fabric. Pin with zipper tape along raw fabric edge.
- Place matching edge from outside bag piece on top of zipper, so all edges are lined up with lining piece and front of zipper is facing right side of fabric. Pin through all layers to hold in place.
- Stitch in place along the outside edge of the zipper, close to the zipper teeth. Use a zipper foot, if desired.
- Press fabrics so all fabrics are pulled away from zipper and topstitch along fabric edge, through all layers of fabric, to hold fabrics away from the zipper teeth.
- Fold lining piece in half, right sides of fabric facing, to match remaining long edge with unsewn edge of zipper. Center on back side of zipper and pin in place.
- Flip the project over and do the same with the outside bag piece, right side of fabric facing front of zipper. Pin through all layers to hold in place.
- Stitch in place along the outside edge of the zipper, close to the zipper teeth. Use a zipper foot, if desired.
- Press fabrics away from zipper and topstitch. This may be easier to do with the project turned right side out and the zipper un-zipped. Turn project inside out again when finished.
- With outside bag piece folded in half, right sides of fabric facing, pin along longest raw edges. Do the same with the lining piece.
- Sew along all four pinned edges, leaving one 4" hole in the middle of one edge of lining. Reverse stitch at beginning and end of each stitch line and at both sides of the hole.
- Grab both inside corners of the square cut out of the bottom corner--furthest away from zipper--of the lining piece and pull them away from each other. This should create a new raw edge that is lined up in a straight line with the right sides of fabric facing and the side seam in the center of the new raw edge. Pin together and sew along this new raw edge, reverse stitching at beginning and end.
- Repeat step 37 on the other bottom corner of lining and both bottom corners of outside of bag.
- Unzip zipper half-way.
- Fold one sewn tab piece in half, matching raw ends. Arrange on the front of closed zipper end, with raw tab ends lined up with raw edge of bag fabric and loop pointed toward center of zipper. Pin in place.
- Repeat step 40 at other end of zipper, smoothing zipper and pushing zipper teeth together so they touch. TIP: Place two pins in the tab, one on either side of zipper teeth, to force the tab to hold this zipper end in place.
- Grab both inside corners of the square cut out of the top corner--close to zipper--of the lining piece and pull them away from each other. This should create a new raw edge that is lined up in a straight line with the right sides of fabric facing and the side seam meeting the zipper in center of the new raw edge. Pin together.
- Grab both inside corners of the square cut out of the top corner of the outside of the bag and pull them away from each other to create a straight raw edge. Pin this to the lining raw edge pinned in step 42 and sew through all four layers of fabric, reverse stitching at beginning and end.
- Cut off excess zipper length.
- Repeat steps 42-44 at the opposite end of the zipper.
- Reach into the hole left in the lining, through the half-open zipper, and turn right side out. Unzip zipper the rest of way, if necessary.
- Turn raw edges into hole about 1/2-inch, folding fabrics flat so the seam line is on the edge. Topstitch along the edge to close the hole. Reverse stitch at beginning and end. Alternatively, hand-stitch closed for an invisible finish.
- Connect sewn adjustable strap to bag by clipping swivel hooks onto loop tabs at either side of the bag.
Project PDF Pattern
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