SHEILA WONG FASHION DESIGN STUDIO LTD
  • Home
  • Book Sewing Lessons
  • Set Course Offerings
  • Rates
  • Blog
  • Contact

Sew-a-Long: Draw-String Backpack

1/28/2019

0 Comments

 
​Time to stitch with us in our latest sew-a-long! We received a ton of requests for a tutorial on our drawstring backpack, so here it is.
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Materials

  • 0.5 Meters of cotton fabric (medium weight woven)
  • 3.5-4 Meters of cord
  • ​2 Grommets (14mm)
  • ​Thread Scissors
  • Sewing Machine
  • Safety Pin
  • ​Matching Thread
  • ​Iron
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 1

Create paper patterns for the following patterns, or mark directly onto fabric. Seam allowance included in dimensions: MAIN BODY, EXTERIOR POCKET & GROMMET EXTENSION.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 2

Cut out all fabric and mark notches.
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 3

 Over-lock top raw edge of the EXTERIOR POCKET piece. Alternatively, you can zig-zag or pink your raw edges too to avoid fraying.
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 4

Mark and fold in top of the EXTERIOR POCKET by 1”, press in place. Pin and stitch at ¾” seam allowance.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 5

Place the EXTERIOR POCKET on top of one MAIN piece, lining up the side seams and bottom. Pin and stay-stitch pieces together. Stay-stitching is a stitch done to hold two layer of fabric together prior to being attached onto another layer of fabric. It is typically done in a longer stitch length (4mm) and done within the seam allowance to hide it away.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 6

Create separate pockets on the EXTERIOR POCKET. Mark a vertical line wherever you wish, pin and top-stitch in place. We decided to create 2 pockets equal in size.
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 7 

​With right sides of the fabric facing each other, pin and stitch the top and bottom seams of the GROMMET EXTENSION pieces. Repeat to the other piece so you have two in total. Clip away excess fabric in the corners. Flip and press.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 8

Create a small hole in the center of the GROMMET EXTENSION, just enough for the male piece of the grommet to fit through. Place the female grommet under and hammer in place securing the grommet.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 9

Stay stitch the GROMMET EXTENSION to the side seams of the MAIN piece, lining up to notches marked on the MAIN pattern piece.
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 10

​Over-lock separately each side seam and bottom of the MAIN pieces.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 11

With right sides of the fabric facing each other, pin and stitch the MAIN pieces together. Starting at the top opening notch, going down a side seam, pivoting at the corner, across the bottom, pivoting again and back up the other side seam stopping at the opposite notch.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 12

​Press seam allowances open, continue to press the remainder of the side seam up to the top edge of the bag by the ½” seam allowance.
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 13

​Press in top along fold line #1(½” seam allowance) and then fold line #2 (1 ½” seam allowance). Pin top of bag folded edge in place and edge stitch.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 14

Divide your cording in half, so you have 2 pieces that are approx 1.8 m in length each. Depending on your height, you may need a longer amount. This size is good for a 5' 4" person.
Striped Draw-String Backpack

Step 15

One piece of cord will have its ends tied together and live behind one grommet. Starting with one piece of cord, feed it through the front top hem tunnel, turning in towards the back top hem tunnel. The two ends of the same cord should be coming out the same side of the backpack. Take those ends and feed them through the grommet and tie them together to create a knot. Repeat the same to the opposite side using your second cord piece. Use a safety pin to help feed cord through.
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Striped Draw-String Backpack

​Final Design

Ta-da! You've just made your own Draw-String Backpack. Tag us on social media to show us your creation. 
Striped Draw-String Backpack
Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios
0 Comments

Latest Design: Tailored Culottes

1/15/2019

0 Comments

 
Going into 2019, we are still deeply in love with wide pants. Our latest design pushes the limits on how "wide" wide pant legs can be. Do you think there is such a thing as too wide? We believe that if you can imagine it, you can make it. This blog post will give you an insider view of our Tailored Culottes. By the way, the fabric was purchased from Nippori Textile Town in Tokyo, Japan.
Wide Leg Culotte Pants

Project Specs

  • Drafting to final stitch 9.5 hours over 2 weeks
  • ​2.2 Meters of a cotton polyester mix fabric
  • 0.2 Meters of fusible interfacing
  • 1 Back invisible zipper
  • ​1 spool of black thread
  • Stitched using a JUKI DDL 8300 straight stitch industrial machine
  • Raw edges over-locked on a JUKI MO-6816 Industrial  over-lock (serger) machine​

Design Elements

There is nothing super fancy about these pants. The usual elements of a waistband, pocket, zipper, hook closures and darts are present. The following elements are our favorite elements to share with you.

Fully Enclosed Waistband

Wide Leg Culotte Pants
Getting the waistband to sit cleanly takes a ton of pinning, stitching, pressing, clipping and REPEAT. We wanted to reduce bulk in the waistband, therefore the initial waistband seam was graded (SA's cut at different widths). We also over-locked and exposed the interior waistband edge on the inside of the garment. From the exterior, we 'stitched in the ditch' to maintain a really clean look.
Wide Leg Culotte Pants
Picture

Slash Pockets

A slash pocket is very common in commercially made clothing. BUT if you have ever pattern drafted one, you can easily get confused. When drafting the working pattern, we color co-ordinate each pattern piece nestled on top of each other. By doing this, it makes it easier to extract the final pattern pieces. ​
Wide Leg Culotte Pants
A slash pocket involves main fabric, lining fabric and interfacing. It can also be comprised of up to five pattern pieces. We recommend creating a color legend on your working pattern like us!
Wide Leg Culotte Pants

Waist Darts

Damn girl! Not going to lie, the back view is the best view on these culottes. The darts create shaping around the waist and hips, while the slash pocket creates a very slimming line along the side seam.
Wide Leg Culotte Pants

Wide Legs

Just to give you an idea of how wide these pants are, we had to photograph them in widescreen like this for ya! One leg opening has a circumference of 42". That measurement beats many of the skirt hems we've designed.
Wide Leg Culotte Pants

​Final Design

​Here's our completed design. In true culotte fashion, it appears like a skirt, but it is not! How would you style these wide leg pants? Let us know below! 
Wide Leg Culotte Pants
​Happy Sewing!
Designed, photographed and written by Sheila Wong Studios
0 Comments

    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013


    RSS Feed

Contact

​Phone
1.604.685.8997
​
Location
Suite 122 (2nd floor) 1020 Mainland Street
Vancouver BC Canada
Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10am-6pm. By appointment only. Call or email for availability. Studio gets booked up at least 3-4 weeks in advance.
​
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR NEW CLIENTS

​We are taking on new clients for a few course offerings being offered as semi-private lessons. Go check out our course offerings to see which ones.
Starting Jan 2023, we are also taking on a limited amount of new clients. Please reach out to book an initial consultation meeting.
Thank you for your continued support!
About
our communicable disease guidelines
JOIN OUR TEAM
Copyright © 2023 Sheila Wong Fashion Design Studio Ltd. All rights reserved.
Picture
  • Home
  • Book Sewing Lessons
  • Set Course Offerings
  • Rates
  • Blog
  • Contact