Tutorial: Tokidoki Bag Organizer

Materials

1. fabric that can withstand heat from ironing (ex. cotton)
2. double sided interfacing (Flexi Form)
3. colored thread (similar color to the fabric)

4. needle
5. elastic strips (1 per pocket)
6. ruler
7. scissor
8. [optional] Dritz Liquid Stitch (see pic on the right)

Design for Tokidoki Stellina

• You can shorten the height of the organizer from 17cm slightly.  I found this dimension to be slightly tall.

Instructions - Making your Organizer

Cutting the Materials

1. Outline your design on FlexiForm with a pencil.  Note: each piece is cut independently.
2. Cut out the 5 pieces
3. Use each FlexiForm piece to help you cut the fabrics.
• Place each piece on the fabric, taking note of the pattern of the fabrics.
• Leave about 1-1.5cm of extra space for each side of the FlexiForm piece.
• Cut 2 pieces of fabrics: one for gluing to the front of the FlexiForm piece; one for the back.

Fabric-flexiForm-Fabric sandwich

Binding Fabrics to FlexiForm 
Depends on the interfacing you are using, there will be different ways to bind.  With double sided interfacing, if you want to iron each side separate, you will need a protector to prevent the glue from melting onto your ironing surface. This is the main reason why I bind both sides at once.

1. Carefully sandwich each FlexiForm piece between 2 pieces of fabrics.  Hold the sandwich in position until you are done ironing
2. Heat the iron.  Set the temperature based on your fabrics.
3. Lightly sprayed the fabrics with water before ironing to help the bonding.  
4. Iron both sides of the fabrics to the FlexiForm piece while firming holding the sandwich at one  

Heming the Side Panels
To avoid fraying ends, we want to hide the raw fabric edges.  This is where having the liquid glue speed things up and reduce the oh-so-ugly stitches!  

1. Trim off the hanging fabrics from 1 side of each piece.
   
   
2. Hem the fabrics: Fold an overhanging edge of the fabrics in half.  Now the folded edge again to bring it over to the opposite of the piece.
   
   
3. Sew OR use the liquid glue to bind the folded edge from side #1 to side #2.  
   
   
4. Cut off the end of the folded edge to create a slanted corner.  (see image above)
5. Hem all 4 edges of the piece.  Repeat for the other pieces (except the one that acts as the bottom).  

Heming the Bottom Panel 

1. Take both fabric overhangs, fold them in half towards the opposite side.
2. Glue the 2 folded edge together Or sew.
   
    
3. Repeat for remaining 3 edges.  Since between these glued edges, there are no FlexiForm, essentially you created 4 "floppy" edges.

Some Elastic Pockets Please...

Skip this section if you don't care about having pockets in your organizer. I made the pockets for side panel 1A and 1B.  Feel free to customize.  

1. Decide the final dimension of your pockets.  For side panel 1, my pocket has the dimension 21cm x 11cm. 
2. Measure out fabrics for each side panel.  
• width = 2-2.5 times the final width you want.  Longer piece gives you more pretty ruffles.
• height roughly = final height + 5cm for the hems + height of the elastic band + 3cm.
• ex) 11cm + 5cm + 1cm + 3cm  = 20 cm
3. Cut fabrics. 
4. Hem top and bottom edge with liquid glue as before.
5. Place the fabrics flat wrong side facing up on the desk. Place the elastic strip near the top.
6. Fold the top edge over to cover the elastic.  Sew a straight line to secure the elastic in a small channel.  You must NOT stitch over the elastic! 
7. Next, glue the top edge to the "wrong side of the fabric".
   
   
8. Sew the elastic pockets onto the side panel(s).  
• Make sure you sew over the 2 ends of the elastic strips while sewing.  
• Remember to hide the raw fabric edge by folding in the edge then sew on top. 
• After the first end of the elastic strip has been fixed, you should tighten the strip to the same length as the width of the panel.  Hold the elastic strip then sew the remaining end.
  
9. To create smaller pockets, sew vertical straight line through the pockets and FlexiForm.

Putting the pieces together

Now you want to somehow stick the 4 side panels to the bottom panel.  Here is how the floppy edges will make it really easy for us. I believe in showing the "pretty" side of the organizer when I open my bag.  Having this in mind, the inside of the bag organizer should have the side of the panel with least stitches.

1. Place the bottom panel down on a flat surface
2. Arrange each side panel to cover the corresponding "floppy" edges.  Leave a tiny gap (~2mm) between the Flexiform pieces so the side panel can be stood upright easier.
3. Glue the side panels to the bottom panel. 

Other Thoughts

• I choose to handle the fabric edges by folding hanging fabrics from 1 side over the other.  This way, 1 side of each piece will have no visible seam. 
• You need to use enough liquid stitch glue as some will get absorbed into the fabrics.  When sufficient glue is used, the fabrics will stick within a minute or so.  However, complete bonding takes 24 hours.