Zipper and Strap Tutorial

Here is the first tutorial for the new version of the blog!


I'm sure you've encountered zipper tutorials for the bag's closure. There are many ways to make a zip top. You might have seen the zip top tutorial that explains how to make it the way I will explain next. If you scroll down the page you'll see which zip top I'm talking about. But the problem with this system that you usually see, is you can't insert a strap into it, because it will be squished and not pretty to look at; it can't be used as a regular bag with one strap in the sides. But hey, there is a system that gives you the option to do just that!
Some of you might know the way to do the zip top closure without the strap (not really a bag, just a case usually). But for those who don't, I'll start from the beginning. If you already know the basics, skip most of it, and land on the final steps.
(Of course you don't need to do the pattern I did here, because that's an example tutorial I made with a real bag. Make the bag however you want).

1) Prepare the pieces: 2 exterior, 2 lining, and a long enough zipper:

2) Lay down one of the exterior pieces, right side up.
Place the zipper with its right side (the foot) down on the top edge of the exterior piece.
Add the third layer which is one of the lining pieces, its right side down. You basically sandwich the zipper between the two fabric pieces:

3) Topstitch the three layers:

4) Now flip the whole deal like in the picture:

And do the same with the other side -
Lay down the other exterior piece right side up, then the bunch that you've already made, right side down (in right side down I mean the zipper's foot should be facing the exterior piece). Again, lay the last piece – the other lining piece – on the other layers, right side down. Here you're sandwiching the zipper again. Pin and sew.

(optional but recommended): Sew both sides of the zipper to make it look nicer and add more strength to it. Careful, you need to sew just those exteriors layers, separately, not all of them:

This is what you've got, all layers together:

5) Make the strap.

6) Now sew around. First, make sure the zipper is open almost all the way, or else you wouldn't be able to turn inside out.
Bring together the couples – exteriors together, and linings together. Both right sides facing each other.
Sew all the way around, leaving a gap in the lining:

BUT! Here is the difference that creates the option to insert a strap. Leave a gap also at the sides of the zipper, where the zipper ends come out. Leave a few cms, little bigger than the strap's width. Make sure both sides are the same:

(optional): Make boxing now.

7) Now turn it inside out though the gap in the lining:

This is what you have got:

After turning inside out, you can see the holes in the sides of the zipper. This is where you will insert the strap.

8) Inserting the strap.
Take one end of the strap and insert it into one of the holes in the sides. Pin in place so it won't move.

Note: The strap needs to be pinned only to the outer part of the bag's body, like the way you see in the picture below. Another advice for you, is to place the pin high enough, so you can remove it after sewing, and it won't get stuck inside the fabrics!

Reach into the bag through the gap in the lining and turn just the tip with the strap's end inside out again, just a bit, just until you can sew this part. Now sew it horizontally. Make sure the zipper is also tucked in along with the strap:

Repeat for the other side of the strap.

9) Turn to its right side again and close the gap in the lining.

All done!

Happy to announce…

You've reached the new version of Januar Designs' blog. It's the blog's makeover!! With a new design and a new name. That's right. The blog has a name of its own now. Though the bags are still called "Januar". The blog's official name is now: "CREATIVE CUTIE".

I did the change, the makeover and the name because the blog is one year old, as of this month. So I wanted to make a change to celebrate it. It's also a great way to start a new year.

The blog stays with its original content. It will still have tutorials, information, pictures of my designs, recommendations, etc. so don't worry. Though there are many new things, just look around. Keep browsing, enjoying and being a great follower.
You can also rate entries now, so I will know exactly what you think. You can also tell me what you think (about the blog, the change, my bags, etc.) via the new shoutbox (on the left column).
And let's not forget the brand new message board, which I invite you to read and write in: http://creativecutie.proboards.com

Also, I've put together a new gallery, an album to be accurate, that contains much more pictures of the bags, especially from the kind-of-a-catalog I'm doing for the bags. There are pictures there that you won't see anywhere else. Some of the new bags in there still haven't been "model-shoot", so they don't have a lot of pictures in them yet. But as for the earlier bags, there are many pictures of them for you to see. Also, soon I will present you the new model I've found.
This is the link (which you can also get to through the blog, there is a link on the left column): Januar.myphotoalbum.com

Another change is not exactly a change in the blog, but a new poll about the new version of the blog. Vote your opinion.
Notes there are new things in the sidebars. And about new content, it's all coming soon. Tutorials, articles, pictures, etc. There's a lot waiting in line.
I'm looking to make the blog as enjoyable and helpful for visiting as possible, so if you've got any suggestions and ideas, drop me a word. Also comments or complains… contact me.

That's the update for now. And remember that there's a lot to come, just be patient!
Have a great day and come back soon, I love having guests!

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And finally, most importantly, the blog has a new address:
www.creativecutie.com

Plus, the new email is now:
daphna@creativecutie.com


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Being Poor and Successful

I've been buying bag supplies and fabrics through the internet for a long while now, because it's comfortable, and it's not so easy for me to get to the center of the country where the big "going on" is. Also, the area I live in doesn't have much, sewing notions wise. So it's very easy to do it through the net. But either way it costs a lot of money. This business costs a lot of money. But I really like bag making, so I don't have any plans to stop. So I decided to stop the massive shopping for a while, say 2-3 months. It's been more than a month already, since I bought from the internet, and somewhat from the live stores. Because I decided to only buy things I absolutely MUST. This means I can't buy fabrics, rivets, rings and even tailor's chalk (because I have some, but could use new ones). But I do not plan not to make bags, no. The new plan for the little while, is to get by with what I have at my house. Use everything till it all runs out. This means that I have to use all the fabrics I haven't used yet (and I like that I have a big selection, so…!) and if I want to make a particular design and I don't have the notions for it, I just don't do it. I pick another design with the things that I do have; and the design I wanted will have to wait until I can buy things again. And if I can't find the right lining fabric for a bag, I just pick other fabrics I want together.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I want to show you how to reduce and save. I want you to see that even though you don't have the money, you can still succeed with the business you do. Pick the right things that you must have in order to still create things and not stop, and put aside the things you don't have to buy. Postpone some stuff and DON'T STOP CREATING. Get by with what you have. It's a big money saver. Learn how to compromise for your money's sake. And try to draw it out as long as you can.
This is also a big challenge for a designer. It gives you the chance to prove yourself to yourself. It tests your abilities.

There are big inventers in the history of the world that started out with nothing, no money in their pocket and now are huge and successful because they knew how to make something big with a small budget. This only proves that you don't have to have much in order to make a great creation.

Another way to save is not to not buy at all, but to find cheaper things, from other resources. You can get fabrics for free from a friend. Donations, and more… With fabrics, you can also use leftovers and make patchwork bags. Or smaller accessories that have something to do with bags, such as small clutches, organizers, small all purpose cases, etc.

This is something I realized. You have to save but you shouldn't stop. And this is how I do it.

The Bag Age

I've talked before about matching your bags to the season, to the purpose, to your style versus other's style… But there is another matter to consider when making bags. The age matter. The right evening bag for you might not be the best evening bag for your mother. It starts with the purpose, and then goes to the sub-matter which can be the age matter, or other matters. Let's focus on the age matter this time.

Age can be defined by a lot of things. It can come from the inside as well as the outside. So an "old style" bag doesn't always fit to a woman who is mature yet young spirit. The opposite will happen also: a girl who wants to feel and be older than her real age.

Age in bags can be defined by the purpose. If for example the bag is for an older woman, that woman might need the bag for work. Or if it's a young girl, she might need the bag for school or a club.
Age in bags can be defined by color. I figure mature women are less likely to want a pink bag to carry around as opposed to a teenaged girl. Mature women are likely to like mature colors.

Same with fabrics. For little girls you can choose to make the bag with more childish fabrics – colorful and cartoon-y fabrics. You can also feel more free to combine crazy fabrics together. You don't have to be afraid that it would look too "insaney".
With older fabrics, most women I know would want fabrics that are more solid, and not crazy. Of course there are young older women who like to feel young, as I've said earlier.

Another thing to consider in the age matter, is the different details you add to the bag. Old women might find it difficult to open a certain bag closure. Zipper closure maybe. So maybe a magnetic snap or Velcro will be the right way to go.
Mature women own a key, several usually, that they take with them. So it might be nice to add a hook for keys inside the bag.
As you grow, your bag gathers things you need, I reckon. So many pockets might be important.

The point is, age can be defined by a lot of things. It doesn't only depend on chronicle age, but also the bag carrier's spirit and taste. But when you make a bag for someone, be sure you pick the right elements for them, considering their inner side and their out side. You wouldn't want the bag carrier to look or feel ridiculous or uncomfortable. You would want them to feel proud and fun to carry your bag.

Tutorial – Crossing Lines System

This system is good for anything that needs to be centered. For example, snaps. I call it: The Crossing Lines System.
You can't just place the snap wherever, you need to find the exact spot to put it. This is gonna be a short tutorial for this system, because it is important when making bags, and most of all, makes it easier.

1) Take the already made piece of fabric you want to put the (for example) snap in, wrong side up. Take a measuring tape and decide on the height you want the snap to be, from the top down. If it's for a bag's closure, I recommend that the height from the top down, will be between 4-6 cm. This will be fair, what with the seam allowance.
Place the measuring tape vertical-wise where you think is more or less the width's center. Just by eye. Now mark both sides of the tape where you want the height to be in, by the cm you picked:

2) Take a ruler and complete the two lines, into one straight line:

3) Now the center. Same thing. But first you need to measure the width of the fabric. Place the measuring tape on the line you've made before, horizontally-wise and see what's the width of the fabric:

4) By that, find the center (by the cm's). Do as you did with the first line – mark both sides of the measuring tape. And here, this is what it looks like:

5) And again, take a ruler and complete this line as well:

Now you have a cross. The spot where the two lines meet is the exact center.

If you're applying a snap, place its plate - the plate's middle hole right on the spot where the lines meet and mark what's needed:

Now, say you want more lines, more snaps, say for two snaps closure, you can do that by finding the center of the left, and the center of the right of the middle line. You basically do the same thing, according to the middle line you've already made:

Tutorial – Applying a Slide Adjuster

Slide adjuster is sort of a buckle that gives you an option to adjust a bag's strap - if you want it to be longer or shorter. It looks like this:

I made the strap for the tutorial with 2 fabrics, 2 sides, so that the directions of the strap will be clear.

To make an adjustable strap, you will need a very long strap strip, much longer than the usual length of the strap. You will also need a shorter strap. AND a ring. You can choose it yourself, but remember that it's best to use a ring that is in the same size as the slide; same meaning, it will have to fit the strap's width, like the slide:

1) Make the strap pieces (2 of them – one short, one very long. Remember? I made it a little bit too short for the tutorial itself, so ignore it):

2) Take the ring and bind the short strap around it. Then sew the edge so that the ring won't be able escape. These seams won't show later, so make sure to sew it close to the edge:

There you go:

3) Now the longer strap, the main strap.
The slide has a bar in the middle. Slide the strap over the bar, through the ring of the shorter strap, and continue on, back to the slide:

When getting to the slide, slip the end of the strap in, under the already there strap part, over the bar (wrong side up), and fold the end inwards:

4) Now stitch this part as well:

5) And that is all! Now you can attach both ends of the strap to the bag, just like any other regular strap!

Outside the Box

In the fashion industry you must stand out in order to succeed. Originality should take a big part in your work.

If you've been reading my blog, you'd know that I'm the kind of person who hates to do things like other people; have to walk my own lane, swim in my own current. Therefore I can't make a design that me or anyone else has seen before. I can't make a bag without some special elements in it, either. It's hard to come up with a new special, never seen before design every time. But I do it every time, and time after time. After years of making bags, sometimes I'm running out of ideas. But then find the right way to go, I come up with something different. So how do I do that?
I have a system in my head, which I also use along with the Puzzle System I came up with (the Puzzle System post, if you haven't read it). I like looking around for ideas. I look at other bags. But not stealing designs of course. I see some detail in a bag and I say to myself: "what if that part was made differently, in other side, longer, bigger, other way around, rounded, shaped differently, this thing come out from here instead, more extreme", and so on and on…
Now that I have a few options, I can play with it. Here comes the Puzzle System. Mix the whole thing up and come up with a new design.

Know some techniques. Once you learn some techniques, you will have the right mind and you will be able to come up with designs that are original enough, much much easier.
Let's take pleats for example. Do you have any idea how many options there are with this technique? There is the regular design where you pleat the bag's body vertically and had a band on the top. Now you have to admit it, you've seen it a hundred times. But think what you could have done with this pleating technique. You can change its direction, its place, its amount, pleat something else that is not the bag's main body… again, the possibilities are endless. You just need to play with it in your head. Train your imagination. And don't be afraid to make something new. People will appreciate your originality, and even learn from you, and "hopefully" will copy you.

Another way to be original is through the fabrics. You see fabrics around, same fabrics you've seen many times. And they're combined together in a combination that is not that original. Popular fabrics tend to be combined in a combination that is too obvious and/or same combination as others. Here you can play with the fabrics. Because even though you're using not so original fabrics, fabrics you see everywhere, you can pull off a wonderful originality.

But how would you know what's original and what's not?
Look around , study your surrounding. Take notes in your head. After a few bags, you'll know yourself if what you're seeing is original.
If you see something that seems original, learn from it and try to think how you would make it differently. Take something original and make another original thing out of it. If some detail is placed somewhere original, place it somewhere even more original. Always find a whole new way to make the design. Don't copy! Make it better, make it yours. Direct yourself toward the best of the best, so people would find it difficult to make a design that's more original than you. Think outside the box. That's very important if you want your work to be different, and by that stand out.

In fashion schools, I must add, they're looking for the most original designs, the most creative, not just the most wearable. Of course in bags, the bags are supposed to be also practical. So watch it, make something creative, but also practical.

It's hard work, but after some time, maybe you'll be in a place where you just must do it the best, and you'll be fresh!