Make a FREE Wetbag Tutorial

Its summer here in New Zealand and of course I make Swim Nappies, Pull-ups and swim wear over here at Picklefish Products NZ. I decided I need an easy add-on product to provide my customers with something useful. So I looked everywhere for a basic wetbag tutorial and found plenty but nothing quite like I wanted so of course I designed my own. Quick, easy and just the right size for tucking in wet swim gear and of course one of our Picklefish Swim Nappies. These bags are also handy for a trip out, pop in a nappy, bib, cloth and you just might be able to squeeze in a change of clothes. I think at least a tshirt or shorts depending on your kids size would easily fit into these medium sized Wetbags. As it was nice and easy and I am sure others would love to make these themselves I decided to document how I made one and of course blog a tutorial for all our OTY Fabrics NZ Fans out there. Cassie over at OTY has lots of gorgeous prints that look just as good in swim fabric as it does in PUL. So without much more chatter lets head on to the tutorial. You should have one made within half an hour easy.

What you'll need:

• PUL (Mine is from OTY Fabrics NZ) - you'll need about a FQ to make these bags but less than a FH.

• A 20cm dress zip (Closed end)

• Thread, Scissors, and Wonder Clips (I don't recommend pins on PUL)

• A standard sewing machine with a Universal 90/14 or Ball Point Needle inside

• 2 x KAM Snaps (1 x Socket and Cap, 1 x Stud and Cap)

• (Optional) paper and pen, to create a template (I did this so I could cut multiple quickly without having to keep marking out where to cut)

How to Sew up your Wetbag:

Create a template for cutting by marking up a long rectangle 26cm wide by 39cm long. Also measure across one end approx 7cm and draw a line across the short end. This will make sense later why.

Weigh the template onto your folded PUL so that you cut two rectangles as shown

Grab one of the rectangles and folding your template to the 7cm line cut this strip off one of the pieces. You'll use this piece to create your hanging handle.

You should now have one long rectangle a slightly shorter one and a long tab.

Grab the tab piece and fold in half longways so that the edges meet in the middle.

Fold again so the folded edges are inside. Clip together with wonder clips. Grab one short end.

Tuck over one end catching in the folded edges. Fold again so all edges are inside and clip in place.

Sew all around the tab handle catching in folded edges and continuing on to topstitch the folded side. You have now created the tab hanging handle for your wetbag. Set aside till later.

Cut a scrap of the PUL about 6cm long by 3cm wide.

Unzip your zip a little and cut the scrap in half. With right side of Zip facing you clip scraps of PUL to each end right side down. See next picture to see how it should look on the wrong side of the zip.

You'll see how the end of the zip needs to be aligned to the scrap so that the zip will still zip up correctly. Take care to ensure they line up when you clip it.

Using a zipper foot stitch across each end of the zipper catching in the scraps of PUL as you sew. (You'll see the finished Tab Handle in this picture too)

Align zip right side to upper short edge of the longer rectangle. Clip zipper to that edge and stitch down using a zipper foot.

Align other side of the zip to the short edge of the shorter rectangle piece, right side to right side. Stitch zip in place against the edge. NB: If you have a directional print take care to ensure the print runs the correct way (downwards from the zip) when attaching.

With right side facing topstitch all the way around the zip edges. Clip the tab handle above the zip on the longer rectangle piece above the zipper end. You can baste in place at this point if you would like.

Fold wetbag right side to right side matching up edges and clipping together. Also clip in the handle as shown in previous step.

Starting at one top folded edge start stitching all around your wetbag catching in the handle raw end as you go. NB: I recommend opening the zip a bit as you will be pulling the bag out through the zipper opening at the end.

Clip corners and turn bag out through the open zipper as recommended in the previous step.

Pull out through zip opening as shown.

Smooth down edges and topstitch all around the wetbag. This makes sure the raw edges are trapped within the topstitching helping to make it even more waterproof.

Attach socket snap to one end of your tab handle and the stud end approximately 2-3cm up the attached end of the handle. Make the snaps both on the same side. So the caps should be on one side and the snap closure ends the other.

You now have a finished Wetbag you can use! Congrats! And enjoy making even more cos they are rather addictive to make, and are excellent gifts for friends and family.

Thanks for reading my Tutorial

Vivien

Picklefish NZ

PS> Did you know OTY Fabric NZ also sell Thread, Snaps and Zips? So you can get all you need for these wetbags from one source! Bonus.