Insulated Lunch Sack Tutorial {Velcro version}

I’ve been busy working with Warp & Weft and Sew Mama Sew to make another tutorial! This time around, it is for a flat-folding lunch bag tutorial, and I got to work with the new Anna Maria Horner collection – Pretty Potent! (Woot Woot!)

When I thought up the idea of making this lunch bag a few months ago I was thinking about how amazing it would be to make this type of lunch bag. You’ve likely seen similar ones at for sale… they fold flat with a zippered closure and lovely oval shaped handle cut-out? Unfortunately for me, some of the details on this bag were stupid complicated extra fun to figure out! Especially if your aim is not to use bias tape because you can never sew it on around curves (or is that just me?) Lucky you – because I’ve done all of the hard work, you can make it the easy way the first time around! (And I get to have extra workable-but-not-quite-right lunch bags around for… umm… using… for stuff… hooray for stuff!)

All kidding aside – I LOVE this tutorial and will likely use it to make my kids’ lunch bags from now until they are finished University. They are insulated with Insul-Bright, and water resistant because they are lined with ripstop nylon. Of course, all of the materials are washable – so they are kid-proof as well! They are very simply constructed, especially the Velcro closure version – since you can omit the longer zipper insertion instructions. I’ve listed a few ideas for how to use them on the main Sew Mama Sew tutorial, and here are a few more. Teacher gifts? or maybe the bus driver, piano teacher, swim instructor or a coach. Maybe you could even make some to use on picnics – everyone packs their favorite meal in their own bag!

Can I talk about the Anna Maria Horner fabric for a while? To be honest, I haven’t been a long-time fan of her work. I have always considered her work interesting, but not interesting enough to buy. But… this collection changed everything, I think I’m now officially hooked and may soon become one of “those people” who are geekily showing off their knowledge of and devotion to AMH! The deep bold colours are beautiful. And somehow she’s managed to mix varying types and styles of art into a cohesive collection. I can think of so many ways to use these individually, but I think my favorite would be an amazing quilt with blocks made of a mix of each print – all together. No solids added. Is that crazy?! (If you want some, you can get the fabrics I used in this tutorial from Warp & Weft!)

Are you ready to make one? This tutorial is a short supplement to the main tutorial posted on Sew Mama Sew and only covers how to use a Velcro closure instead of a zipper closure for the lunch bag. Please be sure to read the directions posted on their site and the instructions below before you begin.

In addition to the main tutorial’s materials you will need:

• one 13” piece of ¾” Velcro – with hook and loop sides together (omit the 12″ separating zipper from the main tutorial’s materials list)

Step 1: Align and pin straight edge of lower lining and straight edge of upper lining, right sides together. Stitch with a ¼” seam. Repeat for other lining side.

Step 2: Finger press the seam allowance to the lower lining side. Align one half of the Velcro to the lining, centering it over the seam. Pin the top only. (Do not iron, the nylon lower lining may melt!)

Step 3: Stitch the Velcro close to the top edge. Pin the bottom edge of the Velcro, making sure that the seam is flat underneath the Velcro.

Step 4: Stitch the Velcro close to the bottom edge. Trim any extra to the width of the bag.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 2-4 of this tutorial to attach the Velcro to the other lining side.

Step 6: Place one side of the lower lining right side up on your work surface. Align one side of lining base right sides together with the base on top and pin. Stitch with a 3/8” seam allowance. Start stitching at one marked dot and stop your seam at the other marked dot.

Step 7: Fold stitched side of base up out of the way and align and stitch the other side of the lower lining to the other side of the base. Start and stop your seam at the marked dots, as in the last step.

Step 8: Fold the base pieces together and align and pin both sides of the lining. Pin and stitch with a 3/8” seam. Begin stitching where the base stitches meet and finish stitching at the top of the bag.