Antenna Bag ∙ How To by Switch Craft on Cut Out + Keep

About
Published about 3 years ago

Time

Time:2h00

Difficulty

Tricky

Posted By

Switch Craft

Unknown Location

2010

1 project · 1 follower

Never miss a call again!

Never miss a call again because your cell phone is buried deep in your bag and you can't hear it ringing. With the Antenna Bag you have a sophisticated and stylish caryall that will light up when your cell phone rings. No matter what the occasion- be it in class, a business lunch, or a girl's night out - the Antenna Bag can always catch the signal.

Remix
- Add the electronic portion of the Antenna Bag to an existing bag instead of making it from scratch.
- Replace the circles with your own design.
- Modify the bag by attaching an outside pocket or making it smaller.

Crafts

1 sample project

Extract from

Switch Craft: Battery-Powered Crafts to Make and Sew by alison lewis

Published by Potter Craft

F.I.T. meets M.I.T. in Switch Craft, a book of 20 ultra-modern projects that are equal parts fashion and function. From a skirt that can streak trails of light on the dance floor to a laptop sleeve that’s the first to know when you’re in a Wi-Fi zone, these projects are made for the wired (or wireless) world. Without sacrificing style or being more complicated than sixth-grade science class, they integrate lights, vibration, and sound with sewing to create edgy, attractive accessories and clothing. So if you’re ready to take your crafting not only to another level but another frontier, let Switch Craft bring your handiwork into the twenty-first century.

Buy Now from Amazon >>

Instructions

Project Cost: Reasonably Priced

1

Cut the pattern and make a phone pocket

Cut out 2 sides Panels, 2 straps, and the Body pieces from fabric A. Cut out 2 Side Panels, the Body, and the Battery Pocket from fabric B. Mark all the symbols and fold lines with a fabric-marking tool.
2

Make a patch pocket for your mobile phone using fabric A. Sew the phone pocket onto the Bag Body exterior where marked.
3

With the right sides together, sew the exterior Side Panels to the Bag Body (B).
4

Create the bag body and the strap

On the Bag Body, snip into the fabric about 3/8" (9.5mm) on the fold lines. Fold and press the Body at the fold lines to give it a rectangular box shape (A).
5

Create a strap by sewing both Strap pieces with right sides together with a 1/4" (6mm) seam, leaving one end open. Turn the Strap right side out, press, and topstitch 1/8" (3mm) from the edges.
6

Baste the Strap to the right sides of Side Panels where marked (C).
7

Cut the three circles from the Bag Body as marked on the pattern (D).
8

Cut three circles out of fabric B that are 1/2" (13mm) larger in diameter than the circles that you just cut out from the exterior Bag Body. Use Fray Check to seal the edges.
9

Baste the circles to the back of the circular holes. Following the diagram, make small stitches perpendicular to the circle edge around the circles with your embroidery floss (E).

Tip: If you are using a fabric that frays excessively, you may need to clip and fold back the edges of the circles to the inside and topstitch them to the pocket.
10

Make the bag lining and the battery pocket

Using a zigzag or buttonhole stitch on your sewing machine, create a buttonhole on the Lining Body, as marked, for the Battery Pocket.
11

Make a patch pocket from the Lining Battery Pocket piece. Sew one side of the Velcro strip to the Batter Pocket and the other to the Lining Body as marked.
12

Line the Velcro pieces together and topstitch the Battery Pocket onto the Lining Body as marked (F).
13

With right sides together, sew the Lining Side Panels to the Lining Body. You do not need to press and fold the Lining Body.

Tip: If you are using a lightweight fabric, such as silk, for the Lining, you should interface the Lining and the battery pocket for stability before sewing.
14

Prepare the call indicator

Create a Call Indicator with 3 light-up circuits. Solder the [+] and [-] wires of the 9-volt battery snap to the respective [+] and [-] wires of your Call Indicator (G).
15

Cut a 3" (7.5cm) diameter circle out of the sheer fabric square and sew the three circuits of the Call indicator to the fabric by wrapping and stitching the thread around the wires and the units. Make sure that they are securely fastened (H).
16

Leaving the battery snap out, hand-sew the fabric piece with the Call indicator to the Bag Body behind the largest circle, with the lights facing the Bag Body (i).
17

Put the bag together

With the Lining Body wrong side out and the Bag Body right side out, place the Bag Body into the Lining Body. Sew around the bag opening and the flap, leaving an opening as marked on the pattern (J).
18

Turn the bag right side out and push the Lining into the bag. Pull the battery snap through the buttonhole on the Lining Body, threading it into the Battery Pocket.
19

Reinforce the strap connection by machine straight stitching around the surfaces where the Strap and the Side Panels meet. Also stitch diagonally across the surfaces. The resulting stitches should look like an X inside a box on both surfaces.
20

To finish, slip stitch the opening closed.

Use & Care
- Place your cell phone in the phone pocket, close the flap, and watch your circle illuminate with every incoming call.
- For cleaning, remove the battery and spot clean. Do not machine or hand wash.