DIY AoT 3D Maneuver Gear Purse

For our dapper Attack on Titan survey corp uniform cosplay, I knew we'd need matching purses.  First I thought I'd make a titan head pouch, but then I thought of something better - maneuver gear! It'd work out well since it naturally falls at the hip area anyway.

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Those box things at Eren's hips.  We're going for a super deformed version anyway. 

I've long been enticed by those 2D cartoon bags, so that's the style I envisioned (albeit much more handmade..)

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With that in mind, let's make a 3D maneuver gear purse!

First, I sketched a (definitely not to scale) maneuver gear box on some newspaper.  With the general shape and size in mind, Sak helped me re-draw it on the computer.  I printed and cut out the shapes, which fit on two pieces of paper, and taped them together for my "pattern".

Next, I traced the pattern onto two sheets of craft foam, cut and glued the foam together.  This will give the bag a sturdy, yet pliable shape.

Use the pattern once more to cut out two pieces of grey fabric.  I used a somewhat stretchy fabric so that there wouldn't be any wrinkles once finished.  Remember to leave a 1/4 to 1/2 inch margin around the entire shape for your seam allowance (depending on how much seam you like to sew with).

I also cut two more pieces of grey fabric, in a small rectangle shape, to use for the pocket.  Now, you could also make a proper purse/bag by making an entire box covered in fabric - but I only needed to hold a wallet and a phone, so I went the lazy way with just a pocket.

This one is just one rectangle folded in half, but 2 pieces of grey work as well. You just want to be able to turn the unfinished edge in after you sew.

First, sew up your pocket. I used half of an elastic hairband for the button loop.

Leave a space to turn it inside out, and then sew up the opening for a nice finished square/rectangle.  Well, somewhat nice.  I can't sew stretchy fabrics very well, so it's all slightly warped :P

Pin it where you'd like to one of the "backsides" of your main grey fabric, and sew down.

For pocket stability, I sewed a grey canvas strap to either side of the pocket.  My strap was 1.5 yards long I think. Adjust to wherever you'd like the bag to hang.

Sew a button for your pocket loop. I used whatever I had on hand, doesn't really match or anything.

Now the fun part! Sandwich the pocket, strap, button, etc. with the remaining grey body piece.  Sew (slowly and carfully!) around the entire shape, leaving the back end kinda open to turn it inside out and to insert the foam.

(This is actually a pic of the second bag, which was mirrored, but you can see how I sewed around the whole thing leaving the left side open.)

Turn inside out, and insert the foam piece, trimming as necessary to get the right shape.

Had to trim this foam because I didn't leave enough seam allowance :P

The main body should be done!

Sew up the open back.  I used hand stitching since the foam wasn't co-operating with my machine.

Next, I ironed on a black heat transfer vinyl sheet I cut from the computer using the template shape we created.  The vinyl was cut in 2 parts, and overlapped.  (More on heat transfer vinyl in my Hataraku Maou-Sama tutorial).

I was worried the iron might melt the non-cotton fabric, or the foam underneath, but no melting occured (YAY).  There was a bit of stretching between the vinyl and the grey fabric, but it's not too noticeable.

All done!

I love it!  The second one I made for my sister came out much better than the first, since I left a bigger, more forgiving seam allowance.

Backside

Fits my phone and wallet perfectly.

It's relatively no-frills, but I think it complimented our outfits nicely.  Would work well for casual cosplay as well.

Now, on the negatives, Penga-Sis thought the pocket was too small, and would have appreciated a "beefier" bag.  So either more layers of foam or a full box-style bag might have been a better choice for her. She can make the next set herself :P Haha.  I also need to learn to sew stretch fabric..cleaner. It's a little wonky on some of the seams.

Anyway, I still have the template file, so feel free to shoot me an email if you'd like it.  The cut file is fairly simple and could probably be done by hand, or even with fabric paint instead.