#ZWWave Hack: lined & compatible with one-sided fabrics
The zero waste wave bag pattern (zwwave) is designed to be unlined and for fabrics that are (more or less) the same front and back e.g. cotton canvas, bull denim, twills, etc. However, by just duplicating a couple steps with two additional pieces of fabric, you can use the pattern to make a fully-lined bag that works with any type of fabric, all while staying zero-waste. Let’s go!
Take the fabric rectangle that’s remaining after cutting out the two strap pieces; cut a second rectangle identical to this one.
When cutting out your body pieces with the pattern, make sure to “mirror” the wave the second time e.g. trace the pattern on to the “wrong side” of the fabric. The result of this should be the four body pieces as shown.
The next steps aren’t unique to this hack but I wanted to take this time to let you know some tricks that I usually used when making my zwwaves.
(If you aren’t interested in making the circular strap detail and want to stick to the more beginner-friendly rectangular strap detail, feel free to skip ahead!)
Trick no. 1: Sourcing second-hand leather
I recommend finding a local cobbler or a small business that might work with leather and chances are, they have offcuts/scraps they would be happy to give away or sell at a low price. This teeny tiny offcut was going to be thrown away by a cobbler! Other options are thrifting an old belt or using some bag that might be falling apart.
Trick no. 2: Sewing leather
I NEVER use the foot pedal when working with leather; partially because I don’t think my machine could handle it but also because these circles are so small that I don’t think I could get a clean result doing this. I 100% “hand-crank” it (sewing manually with the hand wheel) onto the bag body—it might take an extra minute to do each one but it’s totally worth it.
Trick no. 3: Finishing
Instead of back-stitching, I use a needle to bring the thread ends to the back and then tie them into a knot to secure. This keeps the detail from the front of the bag super clean :)
Steps 3-4 in the pattern remain unchanged except for the fact that you have to duplicate each step for the two body pieces without the straps that will form the bag’s lining.
Slip the lining (right-side out) into the bag (inside-out). Wrong sides together, fold over the top fabric edges towards the lining and pin generously. Take your time on this top curved, seam! It’s the last step before turning inside-out and using your fully-lined zero waste wave bag <3 <3
As always, I am available for answering any questions you may have. I love this pattern hack and its resulting bag, and hope you do too!
