Padded DSLR Camera bag tutorial

I know I'm not the only one who wouldn't mind having a camera bag tutorial, so here it is!
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, leave a comment!

Materials:

• 1 ½ yards main fabric
• 1 yard contrast fabric
• 2” Slide (x1)
• 2” D-rings(x2)
• 2 2” swivel hooks(x2)
• ¾” D-ring(x1)
• ½” swivel clasp(x1)
• purse feet
• zipper—I used a 9” zipper
• Plastic template
• interfacing
• Fusible web
• Something for padding—I used a foam sleeping mat used for camping. You could use a yoga or exercise mat, thick craft foam, or any other type of closed-cell or high-density foam. It needs to be ¼ to ½ inch thick.

Cutting your pieces

 From your main fabric, cut:

            a. Outer—12 ½” x 16” (cut 2), then cut a 2 ½” square from both bottom corners

            b. Lining—12 ½” x 16” (cut 2) then cut a 2 ½” square from both bottom corners

            c. Back pocket—16”x9” (cut 2) then cut a 2 ½” square from both bottom corners

            d. Strap—5” x 44” (cut 1)—(this was the width of my fabric. You can cut it longer if you want a longer strap. If you want to make the strap out of webbing, just cut the length you want from 2” wide webbing.)

 From your accent fabric, cut:

            e. Closure—2”x7” (cut 2)

            f. Strap loops—5” x 3” (cut 2)

            g. Inner pockets—11” x 6 ½” (cut 2) (optional and not shown in picture)

            h. Zipper pocket—9”x13” (cut 1)

            i.  Outer pocket—7 ½” x 12 ½” (cut 1)

            j. divider cover—(size varies depending on size of padding, not shown in picture )

            k. pocket binding—16”x3” (cut 1)

            l. strap pad—5”x5” (cut 2)

            m. Flap—10 ½ x 11 ½ (cut 2), round two corners on one short end, if desired.

Apply interfacing to each piece.

From your Velcro, cut 4 pieces of loop 8” long. Cut 8 pieces of hook about 1” long.

From your padding, cut 7 pieces: (these measurements are for 1/2 “ thick padding)

            a. padding front and back—11 x 8 (x2)

            b. padding bottom—4 ½ x 10 ½ (x1)

            c. padding sides—4 ½ x 8 (x2)

            d. padding dividers—4 ½ x 7 ½ (x2) (not shown)

Assembly:

1.         Take your strap loops and fold the long edges to the middle so the loop now measures 2” wide (or, put short edges wrong sides together and sew short edges together, turn right side out)

2.         place a 2” D-ring on the loop, fold the loop in half, and sew as close to the D-ring as possible (I used a zipper foot).

 3.         Do this to both strap loops. Set aside.

4.         Take your pocket binding. Fold both long edges in, then fold in half. Press.

5.         place back pocket pieces wrong sides together.

6.         Sew to top edge of back pocket. 

7.         Place back pocket on one outer piece, right sides facing you and baste or pin

8.         measure the center point (8”) and sew a line from the bottom of the pieces to the top of the pocket, making sure to reinforce the stitching at both ends. Set aside.

9.         pin your front outer piece and your zipper pocket piece right sides together.

10.       Draw a box, about 7” x ½” about 2” from the top.

11.       sew on the box outline

12.       cut a line in the center of the box until you get about ½” from the short ends, then cut a diagonal to each corner.

13.       flip the pocket fabric to the wrong side through the slit you just made. Press.

14.       Sew the zipper in place, centering it in the slit.

15.       Flip outer piece over. Fold the zipper pocket piece in half and sew up the sides. You don’t need to sew the top; it will be enclosed in a seam later.

16.       Take your outer pocket piece. Fold it in half, right sides together, short edges touching.

17.       Sew all the way around, leaving an opening to turn.

18.       Turn right side out and press.

19.       Center on outer piece right below the zipper pocket. Sew on the sides and bottom of the pocket, reinforcing at the top of each side, making sure not to catch the zipper pocket in your seam.

20.       Fold your closure pieces wrong sides together with the long edges together. Sew and turn right sides out. Press so the seam is in the center.

21.       Center one closure piece on the outer front, one raw edge on the lower edge, then topstitch down at least 3”, leaving the other end free.

22.      place the ¾” D-ring on the free end, fold the end over twice, and stitch down, securing the D-ring in the second fold. The amount can vary. I stitched it at this point, and adjusted it later.

23.       Place the swivel clasp on the other closure piece. Fold the raw edges together, centering the clasp.

24.       Place the flap pieces right sides together, and sandwich the closure piece between the flap pieces on one short end (the rounded one, if you rounded ).

25.       Starting at the opposite short end, sew around the other three edges. Turn flap right sideout. Topstitch.

26.       Center 2 pieces of loop velcro on each lining piece, about 3 3/4” inces from the bottom, and 4” apart. Sew down.

27.       place lining pieces right sides together and sew one side seam.

28.       Take the inner pocket pieces and match the short edges, wrong sides together. Sew around raw edges, leaving an opening for turning. Clip corners and turn right side out.

29.       make an inch pleat on both sides and press.

30.       center the pocket on the lining side seam. On each side, sew only through one pocket layer. At the bottom of the pocket, sew through ALL layers, keeping the pleat folded. This will let the pocket open.

31.       Sew the other lining side seam and apply the other inner pocket as described and sew the bottom seam of the lining.

32.       To square the corners, line up side and bottom seams and the raw edges. Mark where to sew by measuring where the seam is 5 inches long (see photo)

33.       Sew the marked seam.

34.       Place outer pieces right sides together. Sew side and bottom seams.

35.       square the corners of the outer and turn right side out.

36.       Apply purse feet by following this tutorial: http://nicolemdesign.blogspot.com/2009/07/simple-purse-feet-tutorial.html

37.       place the right-side-out outer inside the wrong-side-out lining. Sandwich the flap and strap loops, making sure the flap is centered at the back of the bag and the loops are centered on the side seams.

38.       Sew around the top of the bag.

39.       rip the stitches from the bottom seam of the lining and pull the outer through.

40.       fit the padding into the outer, starting with the bottom, then the sides, and finally the front and back. They should fit snugly.

41.       Cut 2 pieces of Fusible web to fit the front and back pieces of padding. Stick it to the padding, then position the lining so it lies tight and flat. Press according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (don’t iron directly onto the Velcro—it WILL melt. Use a pressing cloth. Ask me how I know…)

42.       hand stitch the opening in the lining closed.

43.       Take your strap piece and fold it wrong sides togeter, long edges meeting. Sew down the long edge and turn right side out. Press, with the seam centered

44.       thread one end of the strap through the slide. Fold over the end ¼” to ½”, and sew. Thread one swivel hook onto the free end, then thread it back through the slide. Then put the free end of the strap through the other swivel hook. Fold the raw edge over and sew.

45. for the strap cover, I used this tutorial: http://makeitandloveit.blogspot.com/2009/05/seat-belt-covers.html

46. To make the padded inserts, take your divider covers, fold them in half wrong sides together, and sew along the two sides, leaving the raw edge opposite the fold open. Turn right side out.

47.       sew along one side about an inch from the side seam, and stop about an inch from the open side.

48.       Insert the padding divider, and pin along the long side that has only one seam, stretching the fabric so it fits the padding snuggly. You want about an inch of unpadded fabric on both sides.

49.       Once you have it fitted as tightly as you want it, remove the padding, and sew where you’ve pinned. Then sew the hook Velcro onto the sides, matching the distance between with the distance between the loop Velcro on the lining.

50.       insert the padding dividers into the fabric covers, turn raw edges under, and hand sew the opening closed.

Now all you have to do is insert the dividers and attach the strap. 

Admire your beautiful padded bag after all that hard work! You deserve it!