Make a Miyako Bag!

French aesthetic meets Japanese design with Miyako Bags and we are obsessed! The Miyako Bag Sewing Booklet PDF provides patterns to make bags in all different shapes and sizes and they coordinate with our gorgeous color range of Miyako Leather Handles! We made the Miyako Tote Bag with Fableism's new Checkmate and Sun Stripes collections and everyone is swooning over it! Let's dive in to learn more!

Supplies to make a Miyako Tote Bag (small model) like ours:
Miyako Bag Sewing Booklet PDF
2 Miyako Leather Handles
1/2 yard of exterior fabric
18" x 58" Soft & Stable
1 yard of fabric for lining and bows
505 Spray and Fix
Mini Magic Clips
Water or Air Erasable Pen
Squares Easy

The Miyako Bag Sewing Booklet PDF has instructions for how to make 10 different bags, including the Tote Bag we made! Below you can see some examples. From smaller pouches to larger totes, you'll love whipping up unique bags for yourself and as special handmade gifts for others!

Miyako Leather Handles

These high quality Miyako Leather Handles come in a range of gorgeous colors! Make a slouch bag with one handle to throw over your shoulder or a more structured bag with two handles. Each handle is 20" x 1.5" and they are specifically made for the easy tie on attachment!

Best of all - the handles come with a FREE Furoshiki Bag Pattern. You can see a video version of how to make an easy-as-can-be Furoshiki Bag below.

Check out the Furoshiki Bag we created! It's got a fun bohemian vibe and was super easy to make!

Checkmate & Sun Stripes by Fableism

Miyako Bags can be made from any fabric of your choice, but we fell head over heels for the combo of Fableism Checkmate and Sun Stripes woven fabrics!

To inspire your bag creation, we put together some gorgeous combos below!

Our sample Miyako Tote Bag:
Miyako handles in Curry
Exterior: Checkmate fabric in Jade
Lining & bows: Sun Stripes fabric in Splash

Tips & Tricks

We highly recommend using 505 Spray and Fix to adhere your exterior fabric to the Soft & Stable. There's no need for pins and your fabric will stay put while quilting it. Doesn't the Checkmate fabric look fabulous quilted around the squares!

Be sure to cut your exterior fabric and the Soft & Stable larger than needed before you quilt it. Quilting causes some shrinkage, so cut the exterior to size after quilting is complete.

Our Assembly Method

• Leave a 6" opening on the side of the lining.
• Place the bag exterior inside the lining with right sides together.
• Secure the top edge of the bag with Mini Magic Clips.
• Sew the top edge with a 1/2" seam allowance.
• Pull the exterior through the opening in the lining, and then sew it closed.
• Top stitch 1/4" down from the top edge of the bag.

The pattern comes with a printable template for creating the bag's four bows. You'll sew together two pieces of fabric, right sides facing, and leave a small gap for turning the bow right side out. A Bamboo Point Turner will help you get crisp points.

The bows can be threaded through button holes or eyelets in the bag, however you can use our bow attachment method to go hole free. 

• Fold the bow in half lengthwise and pin.
• Using Squares Easy, center a 1" square template on the bow and trace around it with a Water or Air Erasable Pen.
• Draw an X through the square.

• Count the squares along the top edge. Fiind the center square and mark it.
• Mark the 3rd square to the left and right of the center. This will be where you attach the bows and handles.
• Center each bow on a handle placement mark with the top edge of the bow lined up with the top edge of the bag.
• Clip it in place and sew around the drawn square and X.

Tie each bow in a knot around the slotted ends of the handles and you've just made the cutest bag ever!