Whenever I travel, I like to take multiple pairs of shoes (as I’m sure you do) but I don’t like packing my clothes around those dirty shoes in my suitcase. Of course you could just pack them in a plastic bag, but why not create something that is practical to use, but also pretty to look at, like this Shoe Love Bag?
This simple-to-sew shoe bag is embellished with a vintage image. In the Vintage Market, which is my online digital library of vintage images, sewing books and tutorials, you can find sewing, collage, retro, background and fashion images. You can use your favorite image on the shoe bag, although I think the fashion ones are especially nice for this project. Below, you can see some of my favorites…
This tutorial uses machine embroidery for the “If the shoe fits…” featured at the bottom of the bag. If you don’t have a machine that embroiders no problem – just make it without. Or, why not use hand embroidery to add your saying. You could even do something as simple as cross-stitching “shoes”. How cute would that be?
Materials:
13″ x 34″ piece of fabric for bag
1 yard of ribbon or cording for pull ties
1 yard of large rick rack
Shoe Love Image: Find image here (or use whatever fashion image you prefer!)
Embroidery Machine
Instructions:
1. Fold the piece of fabric in half, bringing short sides together. Press
2. Unfold fabric. Prepare embroidery machine. Size wording “If the shoe fits…” to 7″ across. Center it on one half of the fabric, about 3″ up from the fold. Embroider.
3. Print image (sized at 6″ high) to transfer sheet, following manufacturer’s instructions. Cut image out along edges. Remove paper backing. Center the image above the embroidered words and from side to side. Fuse in place following manufacturer’s instructions.
4. With right sides together, fold fabric in half, short ends together. Stitch the sides in place using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Press seams open.
5. Turn the top down 1/4″ to the inside. Press. Turn down again 3/4″ and press.
6. Unfold what you just pressed. Measure down 1″ from the top at one side seam on the right side of the fabric. Mark. Measure 1/2″ to each side of this and place a mark. Make a 1/2″ long buttonhole at each of these two marks.
7. Refold the top of the bag to the inside on the previously pressed lines. Stitch close to the bottom of this folded piece to make a casing for the pull ties.
8. Pin the rick rac to the inside of the top of the bag. Topstitch in place.
9. Use a safety pin to help pull the ties through the casing. Tie each end in a knot.
