As you will know by now, there have been lots of goings on with my blog and some changes being made (some not so sensible as it turns out). I have a few posts that never got past the draft stage so I went digging through them and I found this one. It was  born out of a winter hill walk while we still lived in the UK but I reckon that it is just as relevant for now. You could make it a bit more summery with a nice bright patterned outer fabric too.

This tute shows you how versatile this pattern is and it goes through the steps on how you can adapt it to any bottle size. I have put some photos in of the actually scenery in the peak District where we went too. It is a totally beautiful area of England and so different to Germany. I had a bit of trouble with the lack of trees to begin with but it has its own sort of appeal and when you are in the landscape, it feels so right.

Well anyway, let’s cut to the tute. I wrote this one in 2017 so it is perfect for Throwback Thursday and you may notice some style differences to my work now! The photography is certainly different – shows what a more professional setup is worth. So do forgive the shadows and lighting tantrums.

So let’s have a look at the place. We went to Castleton which is fabulous for hill walking and this was our second trip out with the club.

The trouble is, the first time, I packed more for a person who has been forced to flee their home in a disaster and can only take what they can carry!

Very different story this time. I am paring right down and I am only taking a small bag. This leaves the problem of water supply. I don’t want too much – not in England in January anyway and also because there are not too many places to…um…get rid of it! So I have my trusty Green Canteen which holds enough but not too much.

Middle class problem #256….I HATE to carry things in my hands when I am out and about! I want to stride out without fighting my clothing and every stupid thing that I have convinced myself that I will need. It is honestly not easy being a pared down gear freak!

I am going to make a water bottle bag and I thought that you might like to see it and make it too. There are some rules though (of course!). It has to fit across my body and it has to fit my water bottle. It has to be hands free! You will want to fit your water bottle too and not mine so instead of a pattern, I am going to show you how to make your own by measuring the bottle that you like best. Don’t worry, it is actually easy.

So what will we need?

• FQ of outer fabric -mine is Charcoal solid smooth denim by Art Gallery Fabrics 
• FQ of lining fabric -mine is he loves me by Amy Sinibaldi for Art Gallery Fabrics 
• FQ interfacing. I have used #272 Thermolam by Vlieseline
• Scrap (about 10 cm sq. or 4 in) Decovil fusible interfacing (Vlieseline)
• 2 m (80 in)* coordinating webbing for the strap, tabs and trim. Mine is 2.5 cm (1 in) wide.
• 1 x 2.5 cm (1 in) silver bag slider
• 2 x 2.5 cm (1 in) silver D rings
• 2 x 2.5 cm (1 in) silver swivel trigger clips
• 2 x #20 Kam snaps in dark grey
• small label (optional)
• double sided tape
• coordinating threads for topstitching. I have navy for the strap and trim, grey for the quilting on the denim and plum for the bobbin to coordinate with the lining. More about that in a while.
• your normal sewing needs including a removable marker.

*you may need more or less depending on how big the wearer will be and where they want the bottle to sit.

Begin by taking your bottle and a piece of paper. Make the base of the bag by drawing around your bottle and then adding about a centimetre (3/8 in).

Cut the paper circle pattern out.  Cut a square of outer fabric a bit bigger than your circle of wadding. Mine is 12 cm sq. (4 3/4 in). Cut two pieces of Thermolam the same size and one of Decovil. Fuse the Decovil to one of the pieces of Thermolam….

Lay that, wadding side down onto the wrong side of the fabric and then put the other piece of wadding on top. 

Mine are staggered to show you the exploded ‘sandwich’. When you do it, they will be perfectly aligned.
You now have a sandwich of outer fabric, wadding, interfacing and wadding. Pin or clip them and then turn them so that the fabric is uppermost. Draw a circle using your paper pattern on the fabric….

Thread your machine with a coordinating thread and quilt the base. I have used a classic channel quilt pattern but it really doesn’t matter.

Cut the base out using your circle as a guide. Remember, you already have the seam allowance so just follow the line…

The base is ready and we can work the sides out next. The base is not lined yet but that will come! For the side, you will need the height of your bottle but the circumference of the base that you just made NOT the base of the bottle itself. No seam allowance or ease you see. There is some maths to do this accurately but let’s just wing it shall we? Measure the height of your bottle and then add 1.5 cm (5/8 in). That will give you the seam allowance for the top and the bottom.

Next, measure around the base and add 1.5 cm (5/8 in). 

Cut a piece of outer fabric and a piece of lining using this measurement. Lay the outer fabric onto a piece of Thermolam and quilt it. I have used a random wave pattern this time – you know, because it is water.

Trim the outer back to the size that you measured. Put that aside for a minute and let’s make some trim and tabs. Cut a piece of webbing to fit across your outer….

Now cut two tabs 7 cm (2 3/4 in) each and enclose a D ring in each like this. Just fold them over and then put a stitch in the bottom.

Fold your quilted outer and find the vertical centre. Mark it somehow ( a removable line is the first that comes to mind).

Measure down 7 cm (2 3/4 in) from the top and make a line and then measure 7.5 cm (3 in) each side of the centre line and position a tab like this….

TIP: if your bottle is very big or very small, fit it on the bottle that you have and adjust the position accordingly. It may change a bit. Check it anyway. It is important for the way the bottle carrier hangs.
Sew the tabs on and then put some double sided tape onto the back of the strap that you cut.

Position the strap so that it covers the tabs. use a coordinating thread to attach the strap trim with a line of thread along the bottom and top.

Time to do some assembling! Sew the back seam of the outer and then check for fit on your base disk.

When you are happy, attach the outer to the base disk with right sides together. Notch the edge of the base disk but be careful not to clip the seam. These small notches will make it neater when it is turned the right way out.

Time for the lining now. Cut a disk of lining and cut a piece of lining fabric the same size as your outer. Sew up the back of the lining and leave a turning gap. Attach the base disk but don’t turn the right way out this time.
With the outer the right way out and the lining inside out, pull the lining on over the outer and pin the top. Trim if necessary. Here is what you have now….

Sew around the top edge. Turn the bag out through the gap and topstitch the top edge.

TIP: remember to use a coordinating thread in the top and the bobbin and that these may be different. It is a bit of a palaver but worth it in terms of style.

Add some Kam snaps to the top next to keep everything together nicely…..

Finally, we need to make a strap. Take your long piece of webbing and attach one end to the middle bar of the slider like this

Stitch firmly and then take the strap through one of the swivel trigger clips and back through the bag slider…

Secure it at the other end onto the other swivel trigger clip.
You now have an adjustable and removable strap….

And that’s it! Your water bottle carrier bag is finished. 

Thank you so much for your visit. I enjoyed making this and I hope that you do too.
Love and hugs
Debbie
xxx

Aaaand back to the present day! I actually love these throwbacks even if only to show myself how far I have come! I shall have a dig into the archives and find another one for you for next time.

Happy sewing!

Debbie xx