Handmade Travel Kit Bag
with Ellie Lum
Handmade Travel Kit Bag
Made with waxed canvas exterior and canvas lining,
Tools
leather trim and pull tab, and metal zipper and rivets,
this dopp-kit-style bag (the Klum House Woodland Bag) •• All-purpose thread
is your perfect go-to for every journey. Waxed canvas
•• Denim needle
makes it water-resistant and designed to age with
character — you'll want to make it again and again. •• Fabric clips (such as Wonder Clips)
Finished Size •• Fabric marking tool
9" long x 4" high x 4½" deep •• Quilting ruler
•• Rotary punch or drive punch (3/32" or 2.3mm)
Supply List and mallet
M AT E R I A L S *
•• Zipper foot for sewing machine
•• ½ yard exterior fabric (recommended:
medium- to heavyweight fabric such as
canvas, waxed canvas, or denim)
•• ½ yard lining fabric (recommended: medium-
to heavyweight fabric such as canvas)
•• 12" metal non-separating zipper, preferably
with large hole in slider to accommodate
zipper pull
•• 5- to 7-oz medium-weight leather: one piece
¾" x 8", one piece 4½" x ⅜"
•• 5 small double-cap rivets with post length of
¼" or 6mm-7mm
*See Pattern Inventory on Page 8 to help you assemble
everything you need.
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Handmade Travel Kit Bag
Prepare Materials
Fabric
For drafting directly onto fabric, use a ruler and
fabric-marking tool to transfer all marks. Waxed Right side of fabric
canvas shows all the folds and creases; avoid folding.
DO NOT iron directly on fabric because the wax will Wrong side of fabric
melt. Refer to Page 8 for the pattern layout and
measurements. Prepare all non-waxed canvas fabric
by using a steam iron to remove any creases or
Metal Zipper
wrinkles.
Leather Pull
Leather
Using the measurements on Page 8, cut out all
the leather from midweight leather (5–7 oz).
Mark and punch all hardware placement holes
using a rotary punch with a 3/32" (2.3mm) barrel Leather Tabs
Metal Rivets
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Handmade Travel Kit Bag
Step by Step
Insert the Zipper
1. With right sides together, align one edge of the zipper 4. In preparation for sewing the other side of the zipper,
tape with one of the shorter edges of the exterior fold the exterior and lining fabrics away from the
fabric. Pin or use sewing clips to hold in place. zipper, revealing the zipper.
Exterior Fabric
2. Using a zipper presser foot, sew the zipper tape to 5. Working with the other side of the zipper tape, align
the fabric with a ¼" seam allowance. To keep your the short edge of the exterior fabric with the top
stitching line straight and avoid stitching next to edge of the zipper tape, with right sides together.
the zipper slider, follow these four steps: Repeat Steps 1 and 2.
a. Set the needle into the fabric halfway Note: The exterior fabric should now be making a loop, with
both short edges of the fabric sewn to either side of the zipper.
b. Lift the presser foot
d. Pull the zipper slider back past the needle
Exterior Fabric
d. Put the presser foot back down
3. Attach the lining to the zipper, right sides together,
along the same edge of the zipper tape. Align
the zipper tape with one short edge of the lining
and pin or clip in place. The zipper should be
Lining
enveloped between the lining and exterior fabric
and should not be visible! Repeat Step 2 to sew
the lining to the zipper.
6. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to attach the other short side
Tip: Sew with the exterior fabric face up and "chase" the
of the lining to the zipper. Ensure the zipper is
previous stitch, using it as a guide (see Glossary, Page 9).
enveloped in between the layers of fabric and is not
visible. The exterior and lining fabrics should now be
making two separate loops with both short edges of
Lining
Zipper faced the fabric sewn to either side of the zipper.
down
Lining
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Handmade Travel Kit Bag
Step by Step
Turn Out The Bag Mark the Boxed Corners
1. Open the zipper and flip the whole pouch right Using a quilting square and fabric marking tool, draw
side out, setting the exterior and lining fabric loops rectangles in all four corners of the pouch. Each one
into each other, creating one loop. Then flip again, should measure 2" in from the raw edge and 1½"
turning the whole pouch inside out. in from the folded edge. Note: This measurement
2. Close the zipper and flatten the fabric loop so that allows for a ½" seam allowance on one side of the
the zipper is center-aligned with fabric extending boxed corner.
equidistant from the zipper above and below.
Tip: Clean up raw edges that are not aligning with a rotary
1½
cutter or scissors.
2"
Same distance
Lining wraps around Lining
the exterior fabric loop
Same distance
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Handmade Travel Kit Bag
Step by Step
Sew the Side Seams Sew the Boxed Corners
1. Sew the boxed corners as follows: Working with
1. With the zipper three-fourths open, secure all
one box at a time, grab the inside corners and
layers of fabric together along the raw edges.
pull apart, aligning the raw edges of each side of
Using a ½" seam allowance, stitch from one boxed
the box with each other. Fold the seam allowance
corner mark to the other on the short sides of
away from the zipper. Pin or clip in place. Stitch
the assembly, remembering to backstitch at the
together with a ½" seam allowance, backstitching
beginning and the end to prevent the stitch from
at the beginning and end of your stitch. Repeat
unraveling when cutting out the boxed corners in
for the remaining three corners. Tip: Pull from the
the next step. The open ends of the zipper will want
center of the pouch to ensure the raw edges align
to separate, so position them next to each other
with each other, and the fabric folds at the corner
and backstitch for reinforcement.
points. (Ellie calls this "bossing the fabric" into
position!)
2. Finish the raw edges of the seam allowances with
your method of choice to prevent fraying.
2. Using a zigzag stitch, a serger, binding or pinking
shears, finish the raw edges of the seam allowances 3. Turn the bag right side out through the zipper.
to prevent fraying. Note: If finishing with a zigzag
stitch, it should be as wide as possible and close
together (stitch length between 1 and 2).
3. Cut out all four rectangles on the boxed corner lines.
Tip: Do not finish the raw edges of the boxed corners yet!
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Handmade Travel Kit Bag
Step by Step
Install the Leather Tabs
1. On one bag end, measure ½" down from the side 5. Use an industrial hand press with the correct
seam and mark a horizontal line. Align the top of a double-cap rivet dies.
leather tab with the horizontal line, centered on the
pouch width.
Install the Zipper Pull
2. Use the pre-punched holes in the leather tab as Thread the leather zipper pull through the zipper slider.
a template. (If you're working with the Woodland Align the two punched holes in the pull, wrong sides
Maker Kit, holes are punched for you; if you've cut together. Set the rivet using one of the techniques
your own fabric and leather, punch holes in the described in Step 3.
leather tabs as indicated in the Pattern Inventory
on Page 8.) Mark through the holes to make rivet
placement marks. Repeat for the other side of the
pouch. Punch all four of the rivet placement marks
through the exterior and lining fabrics, using a
rotary punch set to the 3/32" or 2.3mm barrel, or a
drive punch on top of a cutting board with a mallet.
3. Take the stem end of two rivets and thread them
through two holes in the fabric, coming from the
interior of the pouch. Place a leather tab through
these rivets from the exterior. Place two rivet caps
on the stems, enveloping the leather tab and pouch
fabrics in between. Repeat for the other side of the
pouch. Set the rivets for both tabs using one of the
following techniques:
4. Place the rivet directly on stone, metal, anvil, or
other hard hammering surface, and use a hammer
to secure the rivets together.
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Handmade Travel Kit Bag
Pattern Inventory
4½"
1"
FINISHED DIMENSIONS:
9"L X 4"H X 4½"D
NOTE: Refer to these measurements when
drafting directly onto fabric.
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Handmade Travel Kit Bag
Glossary
Bossing the fabric: Ellie's phrase reminding you to engage
your hands to manipulate the fabric in order to get it into
the correct position to stitch together.
Chase the stitch: Sewing a line of stitching over a
previously sewn line of stitching.
Finger press: To use the pressure of your fingers or
fingernails to create a fold in fabric.
Rotary leather punch/Drive punch: Tools used to create
accurately sized holes in leather and fabric. The rotary
punch creates holes with the squeeze of a hand, while
the drive punch is used with a mallet. See manufacturer's
instructions.
Waxed canvas: A water-resistant canvas fabric produced
with wax embedded into its fibers, characterized by its
ability to show wear and the story of use over time.
Resources
Klum House kits, finishing kits, and bag-making tools and supplies: klumhouse.com
Tandy Leather leathercraft supplies: tandyleather.com
If you'd like to wax your own canvas, check out the video instructions in Sewing with Waxed
Canvas: The Cross-Body Bag, Lesson 1, on Craftsy.
About Ellie Lum
Ellie Lum, designer of the The Woodland bag, is the founder of Klum House Workshop, a bag
pattern and kit line, collaborative sewing studio and creative education space in Portland,
Oregon. Learn more at klumhouse.com, and check out Ellie's full-length class,
Sew the Fremont Bag, on Craftsy.
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