Wheelchair Bags Revisited

Last year, for the Quilt Guild, I got into using excess upholstery weight and quilting fabrics to make wheelchair bags for the local VA hospital.  The bags hang from the handles on the back of the chair and are used by caregivers and others to store stuff while pushing the chair around.

Today we made a bunch more and I seemed to have revised the instructions from what we used before.

The original directions are just fine but the way we are doing them now is a lot faster.

Here are the original directions and below are the ones I am using now. 

Wheelchair Bags - revised July 16, 2010


Finished Size: 18” wide by 15” deep

Cuts:


Using Quilting Cottons:


5 pieces approximately 19” x 16” – for the body – 2 for the exterior, 2 for the interior and 1 for the pocket (only three needed for heavier weight fabrics)

2 pieces approximately 13” by 5” – for the straps

Sewing – ½” seam allowances

Pocket – Fold pockect fabric in half, right sides out, lengthwise and attach to one exterior piece by sewing a divider line to make two or more outside pockets.  Press if necessary.


Layer fabrics as follows, carefully lining up the edges:

One lining piece right side up
One lining piece wrong sde up
The pocketed exterior piece right side up
The unpockected exterior piece wrong side up

Serge the sides and the bottom of the bag being sure to catch the pocket in your seams.

Turn right side out by turning the exterior unpocketed piece to the outside.

Press if necessary.

Serge around the top making sure that the exterior and interior fabrics are caught in your seam.

Make the straps by folding the pieces lengthwise, wrong sides together then fold the raw edges into the center.  Press if necessary.  Sew the straps together along the ong sides twice.

Fold the serged upper edge to the inside and pin the straps close to the corners. 

Sew around the top edge twice securely fastening the straps to the top.

Optional - top stitch the side and bottom seams for extra security.

Press, if necessary, add a label and distribute to all those that could use this useful little bag. 

I believe these can also be used as walker bags but I have not tested them for this use. 

Here is a shot of some of what we did today:

And here is the view outside our workroom:

I wonder how we get anything done!