fat quarter friday {fabric luggage tag tutorial}

Fabric Luggage Tag Tutorial

(allow 30 minutes from start to finish)

Materials Needed:

*fabric scraps

*batting or stabilizer

*heavy plastic bags (the ones that sheet sets come in)

**Before you get started change, change the foot on your machine to a tephlon or plastic foot. This foot will glide smoother over the plastic when top stitching over the plastic.**

Start by cutting off a 4 1/2" x 3 1/2" piece of plastic from the plastic bag. If the plastic is really wrinkled you can iron them by sandwiching the plastic in between two pieces of fabric. It worked great for me, just don't hold me liable for any mishaps.

Cut fabric to the following sizes:

* one piece 2" x 19" (contrasting fabric will be used for the strap)

* cut 2 pieces of main fabric: 5 1/2" x 3 1/2"

* cut one piece of batting or stabilizer: 5 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Take the 2" x 19" piece of fabric and make a bias strip out of it. Now cut 3 1/2" off from the bias strip you just made. Now you should have a piece that is 3 1/2" long and one that is 15 1/2" long.
Take the 3 1/3" piece of bias tape and sew it onto the top of the plastic.

Top stitch down the middle of the bias tape to make a strap.

Time to assemble the tag. Layer with the batting or stabilizer on the bottom. Then fabric right side up. Place the plastic piece on top, right side up and finish with fabric piece right side down.

Pin in place. Just do not pin through plastic piece. If you need to, you can use masking tape to keep the plastic piece in place, but I was fine without having to tape it down. Stitch around sides while leaving a 1 1/2" opening at the top of the tag for turning right side out.

Trim very close to the stitches and square off the corners. Do not trim the fabric at the opening. Turn right side out.

Push sides out and use a pointy object to push out the corners. Fold in the opening and iron flat. Be careful not to iron the plastic.

Take the strap and insert it into the opening.

Make sure handle is centered. Pin in place and top stitch all around the tag.

Now insert your address and info on a card or insert your business card. To attach luggage tag, just pull strap through luggage handle, open up strap and push tag through the loop. Now pull tag and make it snug.

Now if I only had a place to go! That's alright, I actually made these will someone else in mind. But they do look super cute on my little girls Dante Beatrix backpack, don't they?!

**Please feel free to use this tutorial for your personal sewing projects. You may link this to your blog and use any photo's. Please be kind and give credit where credit is due.**

Any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me. If you make one using this tutorial, please add it to my flickr group. I would love to see it!