Essential tips for sewing bags: Mastering the Art of Boxing Corners
Boxing the bottom of a pouch or bag is one of the first skills we usually learn—likely on the very first day! There are several ways to do it, but I’d like to show you a technique I learned later in my sewing journey, just a few years back. It’s an important technique, though it is not used too often!
But first, here are the two techniques that are often used (illustrated on a pouch, but the same techniques work for bags):
1. You start with a rectangular piece of fabric and cut out squares from the bottom edge. Stitch the piece as usual. The result is a pouch with a trapezoidal shape, with the top edge longer than the bottom edge.
2. If you want to change the shape of the pouch, you trim from the top edge; in this way, you shorten the top edge of the pouch and the pouch will have a rectangular shape, with top and bottom edges about the same size.
3. And here is the technique I want to share:
- I started with 7” x 10” pieces of fabric (faux leather, actually)
- Cut out the bottom squares (1 1/2”)
- Mark 1 1/2” from the left edge of the piece on the top edge
Align the 1 1/2” mark of a ruler at the corner of the cutout square – see the red arrow; position the ruler so that at the same time its left edge reaches the 1 1/2’’ mark drawn on the top edge (see the yellow arrow).
Draw or trim directly along the ruler as shown below.
Repeat for the right edge of the piece; here is how to position the ruler.
This is the final shape of the piece.
See it compared with the usual shape of a pouch.
Sew the pouch as usual.
Cut the lining pieces.
Sew the zipper.
Sew the outer pouch and the lining.
Sew the corners; you will notice that with this technique, it will be easier to align the edges of the corners.
Here are the pouches stitched with technique #2 and #3.
From these pictures, you can’t say there is a big difference between them.
Here is the difference:
- on the green pouch, the bottom seam slightly curves (see the picture below)
- on the pink pouch, the bottom seam is straight.
This means the pink pouch has a nice, flat base compared to the green pouch, allowing it to stand up easily. Plus, the straight seam makes it easier to sew the corners of the pink pouch.
Until you try this technique, it’s hard to fully appreciate how it enhances the design of a pouch or bag. But once you learn it, I think you’ll love it and use it often!
Here are some pouches boxed in the way explained here.
Pattern for these pouches here.
I adore these pouches!
This post is part of the series
Happy sewing!
This is brilliant! I plan to try this soon. I’ve never liked this finished shape of boxed bags-now I know why. Thank you.
Thanks for teaching a perfect way to make box corners!