Sewing the rear panniers together

After cutting out the canvas pieces with heavy scissors,
I sewed the side panel to the back by hand using a strong stitch called the back stitch. I had to do this because the fabric was too heavy for my machine to handle.
Use of a strong thimble became necessary, because sewing such heavy material wears out the fingers rapidly.

At the top of the back panel, it was tricky to sew the side piece on because of the shape of the top flap.



So as to keep the seam on the inside, I had to sew the side panel to the inside of the flap. You can see how I laid the seam allowance against the back panel, and sewed the side flat to it in the same direction. I had to cut a small slit so the seam could fold smoothly to the inside.






After sewing both the front and back panels to the side strip, a stiffening and shaping piece needed to be inserted.

 I preferred to use something biodegradable. Aluminum rods were lightweight, bendable, and natural, so I decided they would do the job.  1/4 inch rods 3 feet in length were found at a hardware store and bent to the proper shape.  I made them a little wider at the  top than the pannier was, so they would stretch the canvas tight.

Here is how they were laid in the seam before sewing into place.








Before the rods were inserted.....

After they were sewed in.  You can see the seam along the edge, outlining the rods.

 Shaping the flap to make it fit around the top of the pannier and keep out the rain was difficult.  I finally decided I would fold the corners up, roll the raw edges under, and sew them down.

Here is the (almost) finished pannier.  It just needs the leather trim, hooks for attaching it to the rack, and closure straps.                                                       

Front

Back