Sew a Weekend or Gym Bag with a Compartments and Zipper Closure

By Debbie Colgrove, About.com Guide

This bag was designed to fill my needs for a gym class I was taking. It turned out great for a weekend get away. The divided compartments made keeping organized easy and they kept my shoes out of my clothing. The secure zipper closure, kept everything in the bag.

Materials

• 3/4 yard of 60" wide sturdy fabric Such as denim, canvas
• 1 yard of 45" wide fabric for lining the bag
• 1/2 yard of 60" wide Lycra/spandex fabric for the interior pockets
• 18" Purse Zipper
• 2 yards of 1" wide webbing
• Thread
• Optional: All purpose zipper for interior pocket
• Optional: Two packages of Wright's Maxi Piping

Cutting

• Cut two 20" by 16" pieces of the main fabric for the front and back of the bag.
• Cut two 20" by 7" pieces of the main fabric for the top and bottom of the bag-- Cut one of the pieces in half lengthwise for the zipper.
• Cut two 16" by 7" pieces of the main fabric for the sides of the bag.
• Cut two 20" by 16" pieces of lining for the front and back of the bag.
• Cut two 20" by 7" pieces of the lining fabric for the top and bottom of the bag-- Cut one of the pieces in half lengthwise for the zipper.
• Cut two 16" by 7" pieces of the lining fabric for the sides of the bag.
• Cut one piece of Lycra/Spandex 24" by 9" For the bottle pocket.
• Cut one piece of Lycra/spandex 24' by 21". Fold the 24" length in half to form a 12" by 21 " piece. Measure in 1" on both sides of unfolded 21" edge. Draw a line from the 1" in mark to the top folded corner and cut on the line so that the folded edge of the rectangle is longer than the bottom edge.
• Cut the webbing into two even pieces and melt or zig zag the ends to stop the webbing from fraying.

Previous

• Matterials and Cutting
• The Bottle Pocket
• The Shoe Pockets
• Assemble the Lining
• The Zipper
• Assemble the Body of the Bag & Straps
• Lining and Attaching the Zipper

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