Stowe Bag Supply List
Today we're talking about the supplies you'll need if you'll be following along with the Stowe Bag portion of our Holiday Sew-Along series! This project bag is super quick and comes in two sizes, though we'll be showing the smaller size in this sew-along. Both sizes are great for keeping supplies together, but they also make great reusable wrapping for other gifts. They work up very quickly so if you follow along with us step-by-step you'll have a Stowe in no time!
1. Stowe Pattern: You can find the pattern here.
2. Fabric: We recommend medium weight woven fabrics such as denim, linen, twill, and canvas, however, fabrics over 9oz are not recommended for this pattern. This is because of potential sewing machine difficulty when sewing through a few of the more bulky seams.
3. Bias Binding or Fabric to Make Binding: You can use pre-made bias binding to finish the edges of your bag, or make your own using matching or contrasting fabric. We'll show you how to do both during the sew-along.
4. Thread: I prefer to use standard poly thread for my projects. I like poly because I pre-treat my fabrics and I know that poly won’t shrink when laundered, keeping my seams nice and neat. Try to use high quality thread as it’s kinder to your machine.
5. Marking Chalk: You’ll need chalk or your favorite removable marking pen to both trace out your pattern as well as trace your pocket lines onto your pattern. This is my favorite chalk tracing pen, but use whatever works for you!
6. Scissors: I’m not much of a rotary person, but the scissors I find most useful for almost every project I make are my Gingher bent handle shears, embroidery scissors, and thread snips. I couldn’t sew without them.
7. Rulers: For this project I use all three of the above measuring tools. My trusty measuring tape for laying out my pattern pieces on grain, and the clear plastic rulers for truing my pocket lines.
8. Pins: Whatever pins you usually use should be just fine for this, just make sure they're strong enough to go through two layers of your fabric and you're all set.9. Tape Measure: You’ll need a tape measure to take your measurements as well as lay out your pattern pieces for cutting.
10. Regular Machine Foot: I love my 1/4″ foot (which BERNINA calls the Patchwork Foot) because of the accuracy it provides but I recommend using whatever you’re used to.
11. Edgestitch Foot: We use this foot when sewing down bias binding to make sure that we have an even stitching line, but it is optional. If your machine has one, it should look something like this.
12. Bias Tape Maker (optional): If you’re making your own bias tape you might want to consider a bias tape maker. These are super easy to use and come in a variety of widths. You just pull your bias strip through it while ironing the fabric as it comes out the other side. For the Stowe you’ll need your finished binding to be approximately 1/4" - 3/8" wide, so keep that in mind when purchasing a bias tape maker. We have this kit which is great and includes every size we could possibly need!
