Sew Divertimento: Drawstring Bag Tutorial ! ~ IC 39

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Drawstring Bag Tutorial ! ~ IC 39

Iron Craft this week we were challenged to make something that will hold something else. I've been needing a drawstring bag to hold all of my knitting for a while now. I made this bag really 'tall' so that my knitting needles would fit!

Here's a quick tutorial so you can make them too! Drawstring bags are MY FAVORITE 'go to' bag!!!! It only took me about 15 minutes to make this! This is a great alternative to wrapping paper too!

I cut ONE piece of fabric for this bag. The short ends are my TOP.

sooooo you'll cut your fabric 2x the finished length by the width. You also have to account for seam allowance and 2" per top side to create the channels for the string.

example:

If you want a finished bag that's {6" wide X 10" long} then you would cut a piece that's {7" wide (6" plus seam allowance) X 24" long (10"x2 + 4" for channels)}.

Hopefully that makes sense!!!!

Serge around the entire piece to finish the edges! (If you don't have a serger just zigzag!)

Fold over one of the TOP edges (short edge) one inch and press (or if you are lazy, like me, you don't really have to press.)

Sew your channel down just on the other side of the finished edge.

Repeat for the other end!

Put right sides together with both channels matched up!

Sew down each side. I use a 1/4" seam allowance. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end. I start sewing at the FOLD. When you reach the top DO NOT SEW the channel. Just backstitch right before it!!!

Repeat for other side, starting at the fold and sewing to the channel.

Bag turned inside out!

Cut two 'drawstrings' double the width and about 2-3 inches longer on both ends. So if your width is 10 inches then your drawstrings will be around 26 inches each.