vinyl-lined makeup bag

May 17, 2008 @ 7:47 pm · Filed under Sewing

While I was in the UK, my sister handed me a piece of fabric (a gift from Jodi) and asked me to make it into something for her. We decided a makeup bag would be a good choice for the cute fabric, and I had the brainwave of adding a layer of clear vinyl over the lining, to protect the lining fabric from getting makeup smudges all over it.

I used splityarn’s zippered wristlet tutorial because it’s worked out for me before, but I skipped the wrist strap and layered a piece of thin clear vinyl over the right side of each lining piece before assembling the bag.

It was… not easy. The vinyl wanted to stick to the base plate of the sewing machine, and kept moving with respect to the lining fabric. It was really tricky to keep all the layers in position to sew the bag together. About halfway through, I realised that sewing the vinyl to each lining piece (around the edges within the seam allowance) before I started would have kept the pieces together – isn’t hindsight great?!

But I struggled on, and eventually finished the panda bag. And now I see that the vinyl lining, because it is clear, doesn’t show up at all on any of my photos! But trust me, it is there, and the panda faces on the inside will be protected

And then – the very same day – I saw Jessica’s post about iron-on vinyl. It would have been perfect for my project, had I only known it existed a day earlier… So, if you decide to make a clear vinyl-lined bag, I recommend you try the iron-on vinyl, if you can find it, and make your life easier!

Dawn: hope this is what you had in mind! I’ll send it to you soon xx

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10 Comments »

dawn said

May 17, 2008 @ 7:55 pm

Yay!!!!! Thank you! XxxxxxX

Jana said

May 17, 2008 @ 11:27 pm

Nice! I will have to look for that iron on vinyl when I go home in August! Surely they would have it in Atlanta, GA! I wonder if you could iron it directly onto a crochet piece? That would be a great and easy way to line a crocheted purse!
I just finished the head and body of my fuzzy rat! I think I told you that I got Paton’s Divine for it? Anyway, I thought I would go crazy working with it at first! I COULDN’T for the life of me find the BACK loops! So I ended up going through BOTH loops for the first 6 rows or so, and then MIRACLE I managed to SEE the back loops and stuck with them from there! Amazing! I couldn’t believe I was actually crocheting with that stuff! But FUN! Yesterday I finally got the 3 balls of Lion Tiffany in Camel that I ordered! Have you ever see it? Sooo soft! After the Paton’s, it should be a breeze to work with!

Josefin said

May 18, 2008 @ 4:05 am

It looks really nice!
I have a tip if you are going to sew on more vinyl, that arent the iron-on. Use some freezer tape. And tape the pieces that are going to have seams (just where the seams are gonna be are fine), then it will be more friendly and move along when you sew.

futuregirl said

May 18, 2008 @ 12:18 pm

Too cute! I made a vinyl dress back in the day and to keep the vinyl from sticking to the face plate, I covered the face plate with a piece of tape. It totally worked and it comes off easily when you’re done.

Rebekah said

May 19, 2008 @ 3:48 am

I just found your blog! Love it! You are so creative! Cant wait to catch up on reading your blog! Keep up the good work!

caro said

May 19, 2008 @ 7:33 am

That fabric is all kinds of awesome.
Another trick for sewing with vinyl is to put painters tape on the bottom of the sewing foot and anywhere else that the vinyl sticks. Works like a charm and doesn’t leave any residue behind.

msnotty said

May 20, 2008 @ 1:43 am

It looks cute! The panda design makes it nice!

Jodi said

May 20, 2008 @ 9:55 am

Yay! I knew you’d do a much better job making something with it than I could

val said

May 26, 2008 @ 9:54 am

very cute. I also read to use tissue under the plastic to keep it from sticking….never tried it….just read about it on a tutorial for covered coasters.