Finishing Up! (Sidekick Sew-along Day #11)

This is it! The final installment of the Suitcase Sew-along. There is one final crucial step to give life to our miniature luggage. 

The supply list calls for a couple of sheets of plastic canvas, yarn, and a tapestry needle ( a larger blunt-tipped needle appropriately sized for plastic canvas). Pull those out now. Cut out four 4 inch wide strips of plastic canvas, trimming the edge down smooth. Sew the strips together into one long strip using the yarn and needle.

The type of stitches aren’t terribly important. Just make them strong, and overlap the ends by 3 or 4 squares.

Next, find the Side Stabilizer piece, and cover the a short end of the plastic canvas with a short end of the Stabilizer. Whipstitch into place. Be careful not to stab yourself. Those blunt tip needles can do damage.

Remove the basting stitches from the Side Lining seam.

Then feed the Side Stabilizer through the opening and around the sides of the suitcase.

This will take some finagling to manage.

TIP: I attach long pieces of ribbon (or another sturdy string) to the end of the stabilizer. Thread the ribbon through the side “casing” first and then use it to pull the stabilizer through from the other side.

Alternate pushing the Stabilizer through from the beginning and pulling the ribbon from the end.

It looks a little scary for a bit, but you will manage!

Once the Stabilizer makes it through to the other side, trim off the excess and tuck the ends inside, overlapping slightly.

Slipstitch (or ladder stitch) the opening shut.

(And the opening on the Upper Half too, if you forgot about it before now. ahem.)

alternative method of inserting stabilizer
Last time, I mentioned that there was an alternative to topstitching the side lining into place. If you topstitched the Upper Half /Lower Half seam without the lining, assemble the stabilizer and plastic canvas as directed. Then, lay the Stabilizer against the wrong side of the canvas side. Pull the Side Lining up over it and slip stitch the folded edge to the Upper Half /Lower Half seam. This method looks a littler prettier on the inside, but it isn’t as strong as machine sewing.

And that’s it! You did! Do a happy dance! Show it off to family and friends! No one is going to believe that you sewed yourself a suitcase. Then, take lots of pictures to send to me. I want to get excited with you too.

Well done, Sew-along-ers. You rock.

Click here to see the other sew-along posts.