Sewing a cosmetic bag from Nicki fabric: Do you also have great Nicki remnants? With these 8 tricks, you'll create beautiful cosmetic bags from Nicki fabrics!
Sewing a bag from Nicki remnants: It works with these 8 tricks!
Do you also love clothes made from super-soft Nicki fabrics, but have no idea what to create with the fabric remnants? Then I have good news for you: You can sew more than just beautiful things to wear from this wonderfully soft fabric! It's also great for incredibly cute cosmetic bags!
What to consider when sewing with Nicki fabrics
Don't expect your new Nicki bag to be as neat and sleek as bags made from cotton or bag fabrics. Even with interfacing, Nicki bags are soft, flexible, and cozy. Not for perfectionists! ;) When I showed my cosmetic bag made from jersey here on the blog a while ago, many were quite amazed at what wonderful bags you can sew from stretch fabrics! And what applies to jersey also applies to Nicki. :) I've compiled my best tips & tricks for sewing with Nicki fabrics in a detailed blog post. However, bags made from Nicki are another topic altogether. Nicki fabric is a great, versatile material. But it's also not something that's easily suitable for beginners: What makes Nicki so pleasant to wear is what can drive sewing beginners to despair during their first Nicki sewing experience. The fabric rolls, "floats," and stretches in every direction imaginable. And yet we want to sew a cosmetic bag from Nicki? Of course! 
Sewing a cosmetic bag from Nicki fabric: Materials needed
- Nicki fabrics*
- Interfacing H 250*
- if necessary, iron-on elastic interfacing*
- reinforced cotton fabric* for the lining
- Thermolam* or Soft & Stable*
- alternatively: quilted bag fabric as lining*
- Zipper*
- Fabric clips*
- color-matched sewing thread*
- Tailor's chalk*
- Sewing machine
- Rotary cutter*
- Fabric scissors*
- for decorating: Beads, e.g. made of glass* or gemstone*
My tip: It looks especially beautiful when the colors of the Nicki fabric are reflected in the beads. The different surfaces create an interesting contrast. I used colorful glass beads* with small irregularities and surface texture, which I think is particularly beautiful for this project.
Trick 1: How to reinforce Nicki fabric
Before you start cutting, you should reinforce the Nicki fabric. And that's the first hurdle. Some Nicki fabrics simply won't bond with interfacing because of their elasticity. You should try this out beforehand on a sample piece. Even Nicki fabrics from the same fabric series can behave differently. Important: The interfacing must only be ironed on with pressure. This means simply lifting and moving the iron gradually. Do not slide the iron over the fabric under any circumstances. Otherwise, it will stretch and distort. If you, like me, get Nicki that doesn't want to bond with the H250 interfacing even with a lot of patience, you can use a little trick. First reinforce the back of the fabric with elastic iron-on interfacing. This can usually tame Nicki very well. I like to iron from the right side of the fabric and unroll the fabric edges while ironing so that they can be firmly ironed onto the interfacing in the next step.
Let the fabric cool down briefly. Then you can easily iron the H250 interfacing onto the interfacing.
Trick 2: How to cut Nicki fabric
After the fabric has completely cooled down, you can start cutting. Lay the pattern on the fabric and secure it well.
Avoid using scissors if possible: Nicki can be cut much better with a rotary cutter and ruler. The less the fabric is moved, the more accurate the cut! You can see here that the reinforced fabric edges practically no longer curl. This makes sewing much more pleasant for you! 
Trick 3: Reinforcing the lining
However, reinforcing the Nicki fabric is not enough to achieve a really well-shaped bag: The lining fabric should also have good firmness. You have several options here. Option 1: If you want to keep it simple, choose the reinforced bag fabric from the material list. It is nicely firm thanks to the quilting and supports the bag from the inside. Option 2: Reinforce the lining fabric with H630 interfacing Option 3: Reinforce the lining fabric with Thermolam. Simply place the cut piece on the Thermolam and topstitch it firmly within the seam allowance using a straight stitch. From the left side, it looks like this: 
Then you cut the cut piece as usual. 
Option 4: Reinforce the lining with the same technique using Soft & Stable. This is a special bag interfacing that gives bags a lot of support and shape. You should use this option especially for larger cosmetic bags. Soft & Stable practically pulls the bag open from the inside and beautifully brings out its shape.
Trick 4: Sewing Nicki fabric
Nicki can be sewn without problems with jersey needles. You can use a normal all-purpose thread, that works perfectly. If you have an walking foot, you can use it for this. The same applies to a darning plate with a small hole: I have found that the start of the seams can be difficult with Nicki. That's why the combination of a walking foot and a darning plate with a small hole is great: The walking foot ensures that the Nicki is transported nicely, while the darning plate with a small hole prevents the start of the seam from disappearing in the hole of the darning plate. You can also sew Nicki with a normal zigzag foot. In our bag project, you can sew with a longer straight stitch. 3 - 3.5 mm is perfect for Nicki. 
Trick 5: Proper handling of seam allowances
Because Nicki is so flexible, inaccuracies in the seam allowances show. To give your bag a beautiful shape despite all its flexibility, you should trim the seam allowances evenly. This applies especially when you are working with Soft & Stable as lining interfacing. The corners of the Soft & Stable press unpleasantly through the Nicki fabric and should be trimmed neatly. 
Trick 6: The zipper as the backbone
This means in this case: The softer the bag, the more important the zipper. Choose a beautiful wide spiral zipper that gives the bag support and shape. You can also take another look at my tips and experience reports on handling endless zippers . My tip: Cut the encased zipper 2 - 3 millimeters deep on the sides before sewing it in. This way, the seam allowance lies much better against the curve of the cut piece. 
Trick 7: The decoration makes the difference
With a bag made from Nicki, the decoration is more than just pretty embellishment. Because remember: Every additional seam, every quilting and every webbing stabilizes the cosmetic bag additionally! This is ideal, because Nicki fabric can be wonderfully combined with all kinds of decoration. My secret tip: Instead of a webbing, try using a strap tape! It looks great and brings the bag beautifully into shape! 
By the way, using a pompom trim also works really well, which you can simply enclose in the dividing seam! 
Trick 8: Choosing the right pattern
Do not use a complicated pattern for a bag made from Nicki. Ideal is a pattern that has a division. The dividing seam, additionally beautifully topstitched, makes the little bag nicely stable! Perfectly suited are my patterns Rheingold and Alsterprinzessin!
Especially if you are not yet so experienced in handling Nicki fabrics, I would recommend the Alsterprinzessin as a pattern. Why? It has a straight top opening and can therefore be sewn a little easier than the Rheingold.
Do you like my cosmetic bags sewn from Nicki? Then sew a few of them yourself! They are sooo cute, I think! Feel free to leave me a comment too! :) Happy simple sewing, your Sabine 
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