Making a Medieval Wallet (Trundle Bag)
The Piece:
A wallet travel bag is a knapsack like bag used by travelers. The modern use of the word as a flat container to carry money does not appear until the 19th century. Instead, the medieval use of the word referred to a rolled sack or bag.
There is probably no one way to make a wallet, and the instructions below should not be taken as the only or best way to make the piece.
Artwork from the period often shows travelers with a white linen sack with a slit in the middle. Both ends of the sack are full of supplies and possessions. The sack is often shown slung over the shoulder, carried in the hand, or carried on the end of a stick.
A wallet travel bag is a knapsack like bag used by travelers. The modern use of the word as a flat container to carry money does not appear until the 19th century. Instead, the medieval use of the word referred to a rolled sack or bag.
There is probably no one way to make a wallet, and the instructions below should not be taken as the only or best way to make the piece.
Artwork from the period often shows travelers with a white linen sack with a slit in the middle. Both ends of the sack are full of supplies and possessions. The sack is often shown slung over the shoulder, carried in the hand, or carried on the end of a stick.
The size of the item can vary from smaller bags for a few personal items or larger bags to carry provisions and supplies. The meaning of the word wallet informs the use and construction of the item – that is it is a rolled sack. The best way to use it then is to stuff each end with items, roll the sack and sling it over the shoulder or onto a beast of burden.
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Making up:
This is a very easy piece to construct. First, determine how big you want it to be. Mine is about 30 inches long by 48 inches tall. Next fold it in half vertically. This will be the final shape of the item. Then divide it in thirds or quarters. One third (or quarter) will be closed on one side, the next third (or half) will be open and the raw edges finished, and the last third (or quarter) will be closed on the other side.
You can use linen or canvas to make the item. Use a white or undyed natural color for the wallet. The quality of the fabric can be rough and cheap or a nicer linen. I wouldn’t suggest use a fine linen, however.
This is a very easy piece to construct. First, determine how big you want it to be. Mine is about 30 inches long by 48 inches tall. Next fold it in half vertically. This will be the final shape of the item. Then divide it in thirds or quarters. One third (or quarter) will be closed on one side, the next third (or half) will be open and the raw edges finished, and the last third (or quarter) will be closed on the other side.
You can use linen or canvas to make the item. Use a white or undyed natural color for the wallet. The quality of the fabric can be rough and cheap or a nicer linen. I wouldn’t suggest use a fine linen, however.
By doing this you create two pockets in the wallet to hold items and then leave the middle open for placing the items inside. My wallet is divided into thirds, but you can increase or decrease the size of the middle hole as necessary for your needs.
Once you determine how wide to make the opening in the middle, use pins to make a hem on the wrong side of the fabric. Taper the hem as it ends so that it becomes narrower. This will help to finish the inside seams later.
Once you determine how wide to make the opening in the middle, use pins to make a hem on the wrong side of the fabric. Taper the hem as it ends so that it becomes narrower. This will help to finish the inside seams later.
After completing the hemming on the opening, you can now sew the edges of the bag together. I used a run and fell stitch where you stitch the pieces together on the wrong side with a back stitch and then trim the excess on one portion of the seam allowance. You can then roll the remaining allowance over and hem it down. This will enclose your stitching and prevent fraying and wear.
When you come to the opening where you have already hemmed the seams, if you have tapered the hem properly, you will have enough seam allowance to roll the hem into the enclosed seam on the inside of the bag. This will completely enclose both the hem and the structural stitch on the piece and make for a very well finished item.
Of course, this is a travel bag and just as the quality of the fabric can vary, you can also vary the finish on the seams. Still, it will only take a couple of hours to make this item from start to finish, and it is a good place to practice a run and fell stitch or other type of two stage enclosed stitch such as the seam and fell stitch which can actually be sturdier.
Of course, this is a travel bag and just as the quality of the fabric can vary, you can also vary the finish on the seams. Still, it will only take a couple of hours to make this item from start to finish, and it is a good place to practice a run and fell stitch or other type of two stage enclosed stitch such as the seam and fell stitch which can actually be sturdier.
Concluding impressions:
I think this is a good piece to make if you have a little bit of extra linen laying around. It was easy to make could be a good practice piece or something to do with an afternoon. My wallet is a medium sized wallet and it can hold most of an extra set of clothes and other small trinkets and personal items. If I were to make another wallet, I would make it larger but this was a good size and used up a piece of scrap linen I already had.
To use it, just stuff whatever you want into the ends of the bag and then twist it. You can carry it in your hand, over your shoulder, or on a stick if the bag is small enough.
I think this is a good piece to make if you have a little bit of extra linen laying around. It was easy to make could be a good practice piece or something to do with an afternoon. My wallet is a medium sized wallet and it can hold most of an extra set of clothes and other small trinkets and personal items. If I were to make another wallet, I would make it larger but this was a good size and used up a piece of scrap linen I already had.
To use it, just stuff whatever you want into the ends of the bag and then twist it. You can carry it in your hand, over your shoulder, or on a stick if the bag is small enough.