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.
I’m not sure what I did but I don’t have the opening to feed the stabilizer through. Guess I missed the part about not sewing it together. I will take a seam ripper to it =)
An easy mistake to make and fix. 🙂 The directions called for basting the short ends of the lining side together. Seam ripper will fix things up. I look forward to seeing yours!
soooooo cute . i love it.. wow
Woow! this is great! Congratulations!! Thanks for share!
Kisses from Argentina!
Gaba♥
I love your suitcases. I have made 4 well I am still doing some finishing hand work on #4 and I have 2 handles to put on so 2 plus suitcases.
When I started I didn’t know you had a pattern so mine are a bit different and similar. Mine have no pretty pipping nor do they have the darling corner detail of coordinating fabric corners.
I used a “regular” type zipper in my first suitcase ( an extra long one and I actually took it apart and added a second zipper pull) but the zipper tape is (was) very small so I really didn’t like that.
So for the #2 suitcase I bought 2 parka zippers took them apart to use the pulls to make one zipper 2 pulls. I liked that better because the zipper tape was wider on the parka zippers but expensive buying two zippers to use one.
Then I saw at Joanne’s they have upholstery zippers you can buy by the yard or prepackaged in lengths that are suitable for my suitcase making and pulls too. The zipper tape is wider than then “colored fashion” zippers……but the down side is here is no color selection either beige or dark brown.
For your suitcases that might not be terrible as the beige is the same color as the duck canvas you used.
I just found you and this tutorial and I am so pleased with my suitcases I just wanted to share about the zippers ….although if you used them it would mean making more suitcases and changing your pattern a bit but someone who is making more than one suitcase might want to use one long zipper with 2 pulls after they make a suitcase and kind of “know the ropes”
My grandchildren love theirs and I use mine for my taking my sewing project to class I have at least 2 more to make for 2 more grandchildren
I use theme fabric for the outside and a coordinate for the I see the first was Paris themed fabrics the second was Cowboys and the third is poka dots outside and mother kitty with kittens inside
The 4 is mine and it has Cats outside and cats inside.
I am having a difficult time finding and deciding on fabrics for my 10 and 11 year old granddaughters I may do an other Parisian theme with different fabrics but the 10 year old I just have not seen her in the fabrics yet.
Colleen
Very fun! I’m glad you enjoyed the pattern!