Diaper Clutch Tutorial, Part 2 of 2

Welcome back! Now that all the prep work is done, we can really start putting this baby together! Random Factoid: Did you know that if you clicked on the photo, it will take you to an enlarged shot?

Diaper Clutch with Built-in Changing Mat
tutorial part 2

Pre-Instructions (no tutorial pictures available).

Earlier you put one half of a snap or magnetic snap closure, or a button hole, onto the Bag Flap. This process will put the other half of the closure onto the Bag Front.

Step 1: Open the Bag Front onto the work surface, wrong side facing towards you. The contrast piece should be on the top, and the regular fabric piece should be on the bottom. We are only working on the regular fabric piece. Find the center point of the bag and draw a line from top to bottom, from seam to the bottom of the Bag Front. You can do this by measuring, or folding the Bag Front in half.

Step 2: Measuring from the bottom of the Bag Front, along the line towards the seam, make a mark at 3"and a second mark at 5". These two marks are the center points for installing the button, snap or magnetic snap closure. Sew or attach here.

Special Step for Snap/Magnetic Snap Closure Users: Install using the manufacturer's instructions. Be sure to install the usable part of the snap/magnet on the right side of the fabric, and only attach to the regular fabric. You will notice you have one closure piece left over. This is because there is only one closure half on the flap, but two closures halves on the bag itself. It is vital that if you put the female part on the flap, you use two male parts on the bag (or vice versa).

Note: You will not see any closures on the Bag Front or Bag Flap used in the following tutorial pictures.

First Part: Assembling the Bag

We are going to make, in essence, a fabric sandwich. I took a picture of what the sandwich would look like if we peeled apart the layers. What you see, if you look at it from left to right, is:

• the contrast fabric is like the bread, with the right side of the fabric towards the middle of the sandwich.
  
• the Bag Sides & Bottom is the filling in the sandwich. Notice how the Bag Sides & Bottom's contrast side touches the bag body's contrast side, and the two regular sides touch each other. I ironed a crease down the middle of the Bag Sides & Bottom to help identify it in the picture.
  
• the regular fabric is the other piece of bread, with the right side towards the middle of the sandwich

This first part will use The Bag Front (this is the two 12.5 pieces you have sewn together along the top only) and the The Bag Sides & Bottom (this is the two long 27x6 pieces sewn together). It may seem strange to show you the end result first, but I find it is easier and more comfortable to take all the steps along the journey if you know where you are headed. Here is what we are going to achieve in the next few steps:

Really, it only looks much trickier than it is. And no, experience in origami is not required. We are going to put our fabric sandwich together just like a regular sandwich. For a regular sandwich you: put down the bread, then add the filling, then top with the other slice of bread. For our fabric sandwich we are doing just the same thing.

Step 1: Place the Bag Front on the work surface in front of you. It needs to be open, with the right side facing towards you. The contrast should be on top, and the regular fabric should be on the bottom. We are going to ignore the contrast half for now, and work only with the regular fabric half. Consider this the bottom piece of bread in the sandwich. Now that this is down, we need to add the filling.

Step 2: Place the Bag Sides & Bottom over the Bag Front in a sort-of u shape. The key concept of this step to get it roughly in place so it doesn't matter if it isn't lined up, it's messy, or the Bag Sides & Bottom is poofing up strangely. The only important element is that the 6" side of the Bag Sides & Bottom should be resting somewhere near the Bag Front's seam, and the "u-shape" should follow the Bag Front's un-sewn sides and bottom.
Note: Review the fabric sandwich picture (above) for which way the contrast/regular fabric go if you need to. Just remember, the matching fabric patterns are always facing/touching each other (regular faces/touches regular and contrast faces/touches contrast).

Step 3: Now we are going to tidy up the u-shape. Align the 6" (sewn) side of the Bag Sides & Bottom with the Bag Front's seam. There are two unsewn sides of the Bag Sides & Bottom you will have to worry about. One side will naturally fall somewhere in the middle part of the Bag Front, and the other side will fall naturally along the edge of the Bag Front. We will only be pinning the side that falls along the edge of the Bag Front.

Measure down 1/2" from the Bag Front's top seam and pin the Bag Sides & Bottom to the Bag Front along the outer edge from top to bottom. Do not pin the corners or the bottom edge- that's coming later.

Note: It may help to put an extra couple of pins along the 6" sewn edge of the Bag Sides & Bottom just to keep it from moving around while we do the next few steps, especially since the bottom of the u-shape and the stuff towards the middle is rather floppy still.

Step 4: Now for the corners. Traditionally in sewing you should "ease" the corner in. This gets pretty darn fiddly and can be very frustrating. So, if you are master sewer and would like to ease the corners in... be my guest and ease away! For this tutorial, however, we are going to use the "cheaters method" of getting around the corner.

Note: In these pictures, I used a piece of fabric to cover up the bits of bag that are unnecessary for the corners. It was very confusing with all that background noise of the blue fabric, and I thought it would be easier to follow the corner process with it "hidden".

part 1 of the corner: Line up the bottom edge of the Bag Sides & Bottom to the Bag Front. Just hold it in place, no pinning yet! Notice how the corner puckers up in a sort of ice-cream cone shape.

part 2 of the corner: Slightly press the cone down to flatten. As you do, try to keep a nice, even triangle shape.

part 3 of corner: A few inches up from the corner point, stick a pin in the flattened ice cream cone to hold it in place.

Step 5: Now that the sides and corners are finished, pin the bottom. What you have in front of you should now look like our starting point picture.

At this time I would like to point out that sometimes measurements can get a wee bit off and you may not have enough fabric in the u-shape to follow the edge fully OR you have too much fabric in the u-shape and there is a pucker in the middle. It is more important that the seams on the Bag Sides & Bottom are even, so there is an allowance for you to "fudge" this step a bit if necessary. If you are short fabric.... un-pin everying, increase the 1/2"gap, and re-pin following the instructions. If you have too much fabric... un-pin everything, decrease the 1/2" gap, and re-pin following the instructions.

Step 6: Time to complete the sandwich! We are now no longer ignoring the contrast bit that is sewn onto the Bag Front. Fold it down along the Bag Front's top seam. It should naturally cover all the parts you just pinned. Very carefully, one pin at a time, un-pin each pin holding the Bag Sides & Bottom to the Bag Front 's regular fabric piece. Re-pin in the exact same spot, only now be sure include the Bag Front's contrast fabric piece as well. Any extra pins that are just holding the Bag Sides & Bottom in place- such as the flattened cone pin, or along the seam at the top- should be left in place.

Here's my partially completed sandwich view. You can see I am rounding the corner now. If you look, you can see a hint of the flattened ice cream cone. Notice how the flattened cone "place holding pin" has not been removed. It's still in there holding the cone in place.

Step 7: Sew along only 1 of the 2 sides and "bottom" of the Bag Front. On the third side, sew around the corner but do not sew the last 4 inches (or so). This needs to be left open for turning. Reach inside and carefully remove all the pins you used to hold things in place (if any). Clip the corners, turn and press. Press the non-sewn portion, first folding in the rough edges, to make a nice, crisp line as though it was sewn. Pin in place. Your bag should now look like this.....

Step 8: Carefully and slowly topstitch all along the Bag Front. This process will re-enforce the seams AND close up the portion you used for turning. I recommend you stop every few inches to make sure you haven't caught any bag parts by accident. If you find those corners to be too tricky to manouver, just hand sew the opening shut (both inside and outside) using tiny stitches (hidden stitches if you know how to do this).

Step 9: Now that we have done it once, repeating the process for the Bag Back is going to be much easier! Start with laying the contrast piece of the Bag Back (this is that last rectangle of 12x8.5 in contrast fabric) on the work surface, right side up (the bread). The "Bag Sides & Bottom and Bag Front unit" you just completed is going to be the filling on this fabric sandwich.

We are ready to pin. Please note the gap measurement is now 1". Pin just the sides of the Bag Sides & Bottom to the Bag Bottom, leaving the corners and the bottom open.

Note: If you had to adjust the gap on the Bag Front, you will probably have to adjust the gap here as well. A quick trick is to hold everything in place before you start pinning, and use a ruler to ensure both sides of the Bag Sides & Bottom are equal distance from the top edge of the Bag Back.

Step 10: Make the corners the same way you did before by creating a cone shape and flattening it. Keep in mind that this time, however, you have extra fabric and the bulk makes it awkward and not as pretty as the first set of cones. Once the corners are pinned, pin the bottom.

Step 11: Time to complete this fabric sandwich! Place the Bag Back regular fabric (the last 12x8.5 rectangle) over the top and pin the sides and bottom. Sew around the three sides, leaving the top open. Reach inside and carefully remove all the pins you used to hold things in place (if any).

Step 12: Use the opening at the top to turn- we are just about ready to press the bag. First, push the Bag Sides & Bottom in towards the center of the bag, ensuring the Bag Front and the Bag Back are lined up evenly (don't forget the Bag Back is 1/2" taller at the top!). The side should fold like a letter V or a zig-zag.

note: I pinned the top back a bit so you can see what is going on in the picture. Your bag will be pin-free.

Step 13: To make the corners, first pull the Bag Top and Bag Bottom apart at the corner, making sure the Bag Sides & Bottom section is taunt. Let go, and slowly run the pointer finger of each hand along the middle of the Bag Sides & Bottom towards the corner. One finger will be on the side of the bag, and one finger will be on the bottom of the bag. Try to push your finger tips together. In doing so, the corner will make an almost diamond shape. This whole shape you fold in half.

Step 14: Press. Press it again. And press it some more. The steam from the iron will help set all those folds and creases. It doesn't hurt to open the bag and slide your iron inside to press directly on the zig-zag/v-folded side and bottom sections. Just be careful the steam in the bag doesn't burn you.

You have now finished all 3 sections of the bag, and are now ready to put everything together.

Second Part: Putting it all Together

Step 1: Lay the Changing Mat contrast fabric piece right side up on your work surface.

A note about bag placement....... We are going to attach the various smaller pieces we made earlier to the lower left hand side of the bag. If the mat were a clock, all the pieces would go in the quadrant between the 6 and the 9.

I chose this side because I prefer to hold the baby with my right arm (I am right-handed so it's stronger and I feel less likely to drop a wriggling baby). That leaves my left hand free to flail around as awkward as it normally is since all I am doing with it is folding or unfolding the changing mat. I also use my right hand to hold the baby (and reinsert pacifiers or play with its nose to make it coo) while my left hand digs around in the bag to pull out the diaper.

If you are left-handed, or prefer to use your left arm to hold your baby, then all you have to do is mirror image the next steps. You will install the pieces into the quadrant between the 3 and 6 (assuming, again, the mat were a clock).

Step 2: We need to find the center attaching point for the bag part installation. This will be the middle part of the bag itself, including future seam allowances, and the handle will need to be placed at equal distances away from this point. You could get pretty flashy and do lots of math OR you can:

• fold the Bag Flap in half to find the centerpoint
• lay the Bag Flap next to the Changing Mat in the location where it will eventually be attached
• move the Bag Flap towards the middle of the Changing Mat by 1/2"
• make a mark on the Changing Mat, the same spot as the middle of the Bag Flap.

At this time, make the exact same mark, in the same place and manner, on the regular fabric piece of the Changing Mat, and set aside.

Step 3: Find the middle point of the Mat Flap. Place the Mat Flap's middle point right on top of the mark you just made on the Changing Mat (the centerpoint for the bag area). The magnet side should be facing down, towards/touching the Changing Mat. Fold the Bag Handle loosely in half and place directly on either side of the Mat Flap. Be sure there is no twist in the Bag Handle.

Note: In the picture, I put the Mat Flap "on top" of the Bag Handle so you can see it more clearly. It easily slips through the Bag Handle into it's proper place, so you can also pin it this way if it makes it easier for you to line it up on the center point.

Step 4: Pin the Bag Flap over the top of the Mat Flap and Bag Handle, ensuring the middle point of the Bag Flap is in the exact spot as the mark on the Changing Mat. The regular fabric side will be towards the Changing Mat, and the contrast side will be facing you.

Step 5: Install one half of the magnetic snap closure on the Bag Unit following the manufacturer's instructions. Its position is on the Bag Back, at the bottom, as near to the seam as you can go without crossing over the seam.

You will have to reach between the regular and contrast fabric sections of the Bag Back to install it, as it should only attach to the regular fabric and not go through the contrast fabric as well. Use the same side of the magnetic snap as you did on the Mat Flap. It doesn't matter if they are male or female halves, as long as they both are identical.

Step 6: Pin the Bag Unit over the Bag Flap, ensuring the middle points are the same. The Bag Front will be facing the Bag Flap, and the Bag Back will be facing you.

Carefully flip the Bag Unit out onto the work surface after pinning. Pin the Bag Front top piece down out of the way so it doesn't get caught in the sewing process, but be careful that you don't pull or tug on the pinned area. Once pinned, carefully flip it back into place.

Step 7: It's time to put the remaining two magnetic snap closures on the regular side of the Changing Mat. Install these closures in the exact same "quadrant" on the fabric that you used for the bag. This means that if the bag were a clock, you would be installing them in the area between the 6 and 9. (or, if you are doing the mirror version, between the 3 and the 6). Install according to manufacturer's instructions.

Use the mark you made earlier in Step 2 as the horizontal line along which the middle of both magnet halves will rest. Do not draw an actual line on the fabric. You can lay a ruler or other straight edge on the fabric temporarily if it helps you. From your left (mirror image sewers, it is from your right), heading towards the center of the Changing Mat, make a mark at 2" for the first closure half and a second mark in the very center of the Changing Mat for the second closure half. You can find the center of the Changing Mat by measuring or by folding it in half.

Step 8: We are nearly done now! You should have the Changing Mat contrast side in front of you, with all the bag pieces neatly pinned. Take the Changing Mat regular fabric side, the one you just installed the closures onto, and put it on top with the right side facing in.

Note: In the picture I pushed the Changing Mat regular fabric up a bit so you can get a better view. Note the placement of the magnetic closures in relation to the Bag Unit. Ensure your pieces are placed in the correct direction before pinning and sewing.

Step 9: Pin all around the Changing Mat on all sides. Mark an opening or space, roughly 8"across and centered along the top of the Changing Mat. This area will be left open for turning.

Sew along the outer edge of the entire Changing Mat except for the 8" area you just marked. Take extra care and go very slowly as you sew over the Bag Unit area, easing the machine along by hand if necessary. Clip all corners

Step 10: Turn and press. Press the rough edges along the opening in towards the center of the Changing Mat. Top stitch only the Changing Mat (do not catch any of the bag pieces by accident) all the way around. The top stitching will seal off the opening used for turning. You may have some issue top stitching near the bag area due to thickness. You can either skip this area entirely, or stitch at 3/8"instead of 1/8" to ease the sewing machine foot along.

Final Part: Finishing Touches

Just to be sure everything is in tip-top condition, and the Changing Mat folds up properly, you will need to do one last pressing with a steam iron.

Step 1: Fold the Changing Mat over, with contrast side toward the middle. It should be in line with that edge of the Bag that is closest to the middle of the Changing Mat. The top part of the Changing Mat (that you just folded over) will hang over the bottom edge of the Changing Mat. Tuck this "dangling part" in towards the center. Your mat should be roughly folded into thirds, as wide as the Bag. The thirds will not be equal. Press the folded Changing Mat with a steam iron to set the crease.

Unfold once and press the top "third" area a second time just to make sure that fold is really, really creased.

Step 2: Refold the Changing Mat into thirds, then fold again in half. You will see the magnetic closure that rests near the edge of the changing mat. Press a third time with a steam iron to set all fold lines. If you look at the picture above, you can see my creases/fold lines.

Step 3: Fold the Changing Mat up fully, and use the magnetic snaps to ensure it's closed securely (click here for the demonstration, if you need it). Double check to make sure the Bag Unit is properly situated (corners tidy, Bag Sides & Bottom neatly tucked in). Give the entire Diaper Clutch one final pressing with a steam iron.

This completes the Diaper Clutch with Built-in Changing Mat tutorial part two.
Congratulations on your successful bag!!!