eHold

A messenger-style padded bag to keep your electronics safe and cozy. There’s even a pocket for little things.

What You Need

• Pattern for eHold
• Pattern for eHold Pocket
• ¹⁄₂ yard cotton fabric for outside
• ¹⁄₂ yard cotton fabric for inside
• ¹⁄₄ yard for pocket
• ¹⁄₂ yard medium- or low-loft batting (page 72)
• 1 yard of 1-inch-wide ribbon
• Chalk
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Ruler
• Iron and ironing board
• Sewing machine and thread

Let’s Review

• Reinforce stitch (page 34)
• Sew a perfect pocket (page 58)
• Iron safely (page 22)
• Turn the good side out (page 36)
• Machine-stitch a hem (page 50)
• Turn a corner (page 35)

A Note For Grown-Ups

The construction of this bag may be challenging for some sewers, especially when sewing in the batting. When sewing up the sides, help might be needed keeping the handles in place. A larger style sewing machine makes sewing up the sides much easier.

Get Started

1. 1. Fold the outside fabric in half. Find the eHold pattern for the bag in the back of the book. Place the bottom of the pattern along the fold of the fabric. Use chalk to trace the pattern onto the fabric one time.
   
2. 2. Pin the fabric layers together so they don’t shift while you cut. Cut out the fabric. Do not cut the fold. You will have one piece of fabric.
   
3. 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the inside fabric.
   

Make It Yours

• Sew lines down the pocket to make a lot of smaller pockets.
• Make a pocket on the outside of the bag too.
• Don’t add batting and make a simple, lined messenger-style bag.
• Go super simple by using just one piece of felt.

Pocket Time!

1. 4. Now, find the eHold Pocket pattern in the back of the book. Use chalk to trace the pocket onto your pocket fabric one time.
   
2. 5. Cut out the pocket.
   
3. 6. Hem the top of the pocket along one long side (page 50). To machine-stitch the hem, fold the edge ¹⁄₂ inch to the wrong side two times and iron it in place.
   
4. 7. Machine-stitch the top hem of the pocket.
   
5. 8. Fold the bottom of the pocket ¹⁄₂ inch to the wrong side and iron it flat.
   
6. 9. Pin the pocket onto the outside fabric about 2 inches down from the top. Be sure that the hemmed edge of the pocket is at the top.
   
7. 10. Sew around the three sides of the pocket, but leave the top edge open. Turn corners. When you sew across the bottom fold, be sure to keep the pocket flat so that you don’t sew the wrong part.
   

Add Batting

1. 1. Lay the outside fabric on top of the batting with the good side up. Use the fabric as a pattern to carefully cut out the batting around the fabric.
   
2. 2. Put the inside fabric on top of the outside fabric with the good sides together.
   

   The order of the three layers from the top to the bottom should be outside fabric, inside fabric, batting.

3. 3. Pin all three layers together. Find a side where the pocket is sewn. With chalk, mark start and stop lines along the side. The marks should be about 5 inches apart.
   
4. 4. Machine-stitch around all the sides beginning and ending at the chalk marks. Stitch slowly, making sure you are sewing through all three layers and turn the corners. Clip the corners and trim off any extra batting or fabric.
   
5. 5. Turn the bag good side out by reaching through the opening between the two layers of fabric. The batting will come out too and end up in the middle. You might need to push out the corners with the end of a chopstick or pencil.
   

TIP: If the fabric is wrinkled when it comes out, you can iron it flat.

Attach the Handle

1. 1. Lay the eHold next to the eHold pattern with the inside fabric facing up. Position the bottom of the pattern next to the bottom of the eHold.
   
2. 2. Fold the bottom of the eHold up at the dotted fold line.
   

   If the pocket doesn’t show, fold the eHold up a bit more.

3. 3. Find the opening that you made on one side. Fold in the seam allowances and pin them in place.
   
4. 4. Pin the ends of the ribbon at the top of the fold to make the strap. Be careful not to twist the ribbon.
   
5. 5. Machine-stitch along both sides of the pocket. You will be stitching through very thick layers. Take your time, turn the corners, include the ribbon ends in the seams, and close the opening in the stitching. Reinforce stitch when you get to the handles. If your machine can’t sew through all the layers, you can hand-sew the sides together using a whipstitch.
   
6. You are ready to pack your bag and hit the road!
   

I Made It Labels

Look at your clothes, accessories, even your favorite stuffed animal. Labels are everywhere. They tell who made the shirt you are wearing. You make things too, so let everyone know by making your very own labels.

What is your label? Is it your name or a fun saying?

What You Need

• Twill tape, at least ³⁄₄ inch-wide
• Fabric markers
• Scissors
• Fray Check* or craft glue

*Fray Check is special glue that is made just for stopping the fray on the ends of fabric. If you don’t have Fray Check, you can use craft glue instead.

1. 1. Write with the fabric markers directly onto the twill tape. It’s easy to make lots of tags at once and then keep them for when you make something new.
   
2. 2. Trim the twill tape, leaving an edge on both sides of your words or design.
   
3. 3. So that the edges don’t fray, dip them in a little Fray Check or craft glue. Then, put them on a piece of paper to dry.
   
4. 4. When the tags are dry, you can sew them onto your projects using a reinforce stitch (page 34).
   
5. 5. Now everyone will know that you made it yourself!