How to make a shoe bag

1. Materials & tools

Materials (indoor-shoes size)

• Fabric (quilted or oxford, medium/heavy weight) — about 110 cm wide × 40 cm
• 1 D-ring (25 mm inner width)
• Handle: self fabric or webbing

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Accessories” → “Shoe bag” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the finished width, height and the handle length. Presets fit indoor shoes.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Cut the body
   Fold the fabric right sides together and cut the body as one piece with the base fold on the fold.
2. Cut the handle and tab
   Cut 1 handle and 1 D-ring tab.
3. Finish the edges
   Zigzag or serge the side edges.

4. Sewing

4-1. Make the handle and tab

1. Fold the handle and tab in quarters and edgestitch both sides.
2. Thread the tab through the D-ring and fold it in half.

4-2. Fold the opening and add the handle

1. Double-fold the bag opening (top edge).
2. Tuck the handle ends and the D-ring tab into the opening and topstitch all around.

4-3. Sew the sides

1. Fold the body right sides together and sew both sides.
2. Finish the seam allowances with zigzag or bias.

4-4. Finish

1. Turn right side out, push the corners out and press.

5. Tips & variations

• Sturdier bag: quilted fabric protects shoes and holds its shape.
• Boxed base: box the corners for a wider bag.
• Name tag: add a label or initials for school.