Parachute Bag
May 18, 2017
Real Parachute Bag and Reproduction
The parachute bag is based on a product of the same name from the Portable Product company. It is a six compartment bag with drawstring closure. I got turned onto them years ago by Jimmy Diresta and have found a few on eBay but they are getting more expensive and harder to find. The bags are great for storing hardware such as nails and screws or anything else fitting in the pockets. I use one of mine to store an assortment of adhesives, another has various screws, and another holds nails.
The realbag is made of cotton duck canvas heavier than the 9 oz I found. I’d suggest using a #10 or #12 cotton duck canvas. For durability, it may be a good change to incorporate a leather bottom like some canvas bags have.
Plans with full size templates are available for purchase here.
Parts:
3 panels 7″ tall and 11″ long (dividers)
1 panel 7 inches tall and 32 1/2″ long (outside)
1 panel 11″ circle (bottom)
48 1/4″ grommets (4 in every section)
3 pieces parachute cord 36″ long
Directions:
1. Cut all pieces to size.
2. Mark rectangular panels along long dimension on one edge at 1/4″ and 1 1/4″ from the edge for the top hem. Mark 1/2″ on all other sides of rectangular panels and 1/2″ in on circular panel as sewing guides. Mark 5 1/4″ inch increments along inside (opposite hem) of 32 1/2″ length, being sure to start at 1/2″ mark from previous step. These are the sew lines for the interior dividers. Fold the bottom circle in half an then into thirds to make 6 creases where the interior dividers will be sewn.
3. Fold, iron, and sew top hems on all panels. The finished hem should be 1″ wide with 1/4″ folded under.
4. Once all top hems are sewn, align all three small panels and mark middle of 11″ dimension of divider panels as a sewing guide. Sew along this line to join all three small panels together to form the interior dividers.
5. Sew the outside panel ends together with the hem facing out. Sewing 1/2″ in from each end will ensure the ring formed will join to the circular bottom.
6. Working inside out, align sewing alignment marks on the bottom edge of the outside panel and the bottom circular panel. Sew around the full circumference to form a pouch or bucket.
7. Align ends of dividers with the marks on the outside panel. Sew along the alignment lines down sides and across the bottom to the center. Repeat for each divider segment.
8. Each section gets 4 evenly spaced grommets in the top hem to allow for threading the drawstring closure.
9. Thread about 1/4 of the parachute cord drawstring from the center out each side through the grommets. There will be loop in the center to form a handle and a knot secures the end after the last grommet. I like to tie an overhand knot around all of the lines to keep them together.
I think I’m going to make up a few extras and put them on the gloves I keep in my pockets too. I usually keep one pair that I wear on each call in one set of pockets and a spare pair that I don’t wear too often in another pocket.