Choosing Vinyl

This is a quick little post about buying vinyl for any of my bags. But today, it's focused on vinyl for the Happy Trails Travel Bag!

For the Happy Trails Travel Bag, a lot of different vinyl type fabrics can work. If you want it see-through, pick the one you like best: frosted or matte, crystal clear, colored, or printed. The vinyl isn’t the bag structure and it doesn’t need to be a soft finish for anti-cracking (‘soft’ is a designation in vinyl manufacturing). It's primarily there to act like a window.

I traditionally use 12 gauge (refers to weight, the higher the number the thicker the vinyl), matte or frosted vinyl. Matte/Frosted vs Clear is a preference. Matte can be less sticky/tacky and it doesn't glare- which was very important in a lot of Chicken Boots bags.

There are a lot of sources for vinyl. And a little goes a long way. I would look for fabric that is shipped rolled or doesn’t have to travel far if it’s being folded.

Unpack it immediately.

If there are wrinkles, either embrace them or lay on a warm surface. Don’t iron. But you can iron the ironing board and lay the vinyl on top to relax it. All vinyls are different so test it first. I don’t know about them all. :)

Get a teflon sewing foot if you’re sewing a lot of vinyl, or be strategic and try not to have it against the presser foot. Be wary of it coming in contact with your feed dogs with a lot of pressure though- feed dogs are very sharp and can mar the vinyl surface. 

You can also add tape to the underside of your foot or tissue paper.

In general, your foot won’t come in to much contact with the vinyl while sewing the Happy Trails Travel Bag.

Vinyl is washable but if you left something against the surface like a printed page, it may transfer.

Here are some links to some vinyls that will work with the Happy Trails Travel Bag but feel free to search-there are so many choices!

I can't wait to see your Happy Trails Travel Bag!

https://www.onlinefabricstore.com/12-gauge-frosted-vinyl-.htm

https://fashionfabricsclub.com/products/clear-vinyl-12-gauge-fabric-vy0012

https://fabricdepot.com/products/clear-vinyl-12-gauge-fabric-vy0012

https://amzn.to/3EA3bMb

Printedhttps://amzn.to/4jeaMz7

(Amazon links are affiliate links).