Free arm sewing- easy way to finishing bags

Are you new to bag making? I thought to share with you a little trick that makes the finishing of a bag easier. Sometimes we assume that an information is well known by anyone, but I found myself that this is not true!

So this little trick is about free-arm sewing and how to use it when stitching bags.

Can you remove the bed of your sewing machine? In this way, the sewing machine is converted from flat-bed sewing mode to free-arm sewing mode. It’s a big help when you have to stitch tubular items, like the hem of sleeves or pants.

Or  when you have to attach the lining to a bag! You have a tube that you wrap around the free arm.

See below how easy it is to move the piece under the foot (do not sew over pins – remove them just before you reach them with the needle).

I do the same free-arm stitching for the final topstitching around the top edge of a bag.

I do this for all the bags, no matter the size; while the big bags could be stitched the regular way, for small bags, the free arm is an invaluable help.

But what if the piece is too small and can’t be wrapped around the free arm?

You have to stitch it this way: I hope the picture is clear – you will sew along the inside of the piece.

I became more aware of this trick while sewing these mini bags.
I hope this helps some of you and makes your sewing easier and fun.

More about sewing mini bags in a couple of days.

This tutorial is included in the SEW BETTER BAGS ebook.
If you want to learn more about sewing quality bags, download the free ebook below.

 

Have a productive sewing week!