Are we really still talking about Bento Bags? Yes we are. After trial and error, I have devised a method to making lined, reversible bento bags using one-third the fabric of the last tutorial that I used. Directions and photos below.
The previous method used two rectangles of fabric three-times the length as the height. This method uses two squares of fabric.
Cut your squares, the same size, and then cut the squares in half along the diagonal, so that you end up with 2 right triangles in each fabric.
Next, align the triangles right-sides together. We are going to sew along the two short sides of the triangles.
But first, clip the corners that touch the long side of the triangle. Now with the corners clipped, you can sew the short sides, and then turn at this clipped corner and sew all the way to the edge. Turn and press.
Now, working on the large side of the triangles (the only side that’s open), you are going to fold under the edges and press.
Once the edges are pressed, overlap the triangle halves as shown. We are going to sew together that overlapping section, tracing the edges of the triangles that overlap. You can see where I’ve pinned. That square in the middle becomes the bottom of the bag.
Once that’s done, fold the bag in half along the long open sides of the triangles, aligning the edges and points. Insert one folded-under-edge into the other and pin them together.
Straight stitch the sides together as pinned above, starting from the point at the top and working as far down on the machine as possible. Make sure you’re catching all 8 layers of fabric. You won’t be able to get all the way to the bottom with the machine. To finish this seam, I took the bag off the machine, laid the bag flat, and did a straight stitch over all layers of the seam, which because it’s still folded in on itself, looks like a french seam when finished. One side will show this seam and the other will not, but most of the seam is the same on either side, just not the very bottom where the machine can’t reach. However, you could also choose to hand-stitch this part for a cleaner result.
You can see what I mean above at the bottom corner of the bag. But reversed below, there is no excess.
Cute bag, right?
