thecrookedseam

A couple of weeks ago, I made up this pattern for, what I'm calling, a lunch bucket! My daughter says it should be called a Girlie Lunch Bucket as no boy would ever carry it! Whatever! I like it and it's nice and roomy for hauling my leftovers to school for lunch. It seems to be highly complimented by the teachers in my school so I thought I'd share the tutorial in case you're looking for teacher-gift ideas for the holidays. Also, I made the whole thing for around $5 which is my kind of price with the holidays looming...

Finished Lunch Bucket

You will need:

2 pieces of outside fabric cut 10"X12"

2 pieces of lining fabric cut 10"X12"

2 pieces of thermal lining such as Insul-Fleece cut 10"X12"

1 piece of outside fabric for the handles cut 5"X 20"

1 piece of top fabric (yellow floral in the tutorial) cut 10" X 24"

Supplies needed.

First, make your handles. Iron the long strip of fabric in half and then turn under each long raw edge about 1/2" and iron. Iron the whole thing flat. Top stitch down the outside edge and cut into two equal 10" pieces.

Two equal handles

Next attach the outside fabric to the thermal lining. I serged mine together on the serger but you could just as easily sew it together with a narrow seam along the edges. It will all be turned inside of the lining so the raw seams will be hidden.

Next attach the handles to the l2" side of the outside fabric. I sewed each end of the handles 3 inches in from the edge of the fabric.

Attached handles

Next you are going to make the top of the bag where the drawstring will go. Turn in a 1 inch section of the fabric on the short sides and press.

Now fold the entire piece in half lengthwise and press.

Then slip one end slightly into the other end with no more than 1 inch of overlap in the fabric and pin. Sew this seam together leaving the inch closest to the fold unsewn. Make sure to backstitch your stops and starts on this seam.

Now sew a seam all the way around this piece about 1" down from the fold. You are making the channel for your drawstring.

Next you will sew the outside of the bag together. Place the two outside pieces with the handles right sides together and sew a 1/4" seam around the sides and bottom of the bag.

Next, you will box the corners of the bag so it can sit up by itself.

Pull the bottom corner of the bag into a triangle shape like the above photo. Match up the side seam with the bottom seam. Mark a straight line across the triangle 2 1/2 inches from the point. Sew across this line then cut off the triangle part leaving about a 1/2 inch of excess before the seam. Do both bottom corners.

The bottom of the bag after the corners have been boxed and trimmed.

Next you will attach the top fabric to the body of the bag. Push it into the bag, line up the raw edge with the top edge of the bag and sew them together.

Turn the bag right side out.

Now sew the lining pieces together leaving the top open. Box the corners for the lining using the same method as above.

Fold the top of the bag down against the body of the bag like the photo below.

Place the bag inside of the lining, lining up the side seams. The lining will be inside out and the bag will be right side out.

Sew around the top of the bag/lining leaving about a three inch space unsewn so you can turn it right side out.

Turn the bag right side out. Pin the lining to the bag turning under a 1/2 seam where you left the opening. Pull the lining into the bag, press flat and topstitch around the whole top just below the handles.