Tutorial :: How to Make a Lined Drawstring Bag

A lovely reader Sarah (Hi Sarah!) - noticed that all my old posts were gone and was desperate for my drawstring bad tutorial.  So much so that she tracked me down on Facebook and pleaded with me for it, - not really, but it does make the story more fun!

Luckily for Sarah, and for you, that I have everything archived.

So here it is!  This was first posted in September of 2011.

Happy sewing Sarah, I hope you enjoy.  I'd love to see your finished project too.  Just upload it to my facebook page!

 


In the comments of this post about how I organised my bobbin and thread collection, Bells told us that she keeps hers in the very first drawstring bag she ever made.  I thought it was such a good idea that I decided that I would keep mine in a drawstring bag too.



Luckily, I know how to make a great lined drawstring bag.  Wanna know how I did it?

My bag is 8 inches wide x 10 inches high.  I will tell you how to make a bag to your own measurements at the end of the post.

You will need:

1. Cotton fabric for the outer and the lining


2. Cording or ribbon, something for the drawstring


3. General sewing supplies - rotary cutter (or scissors), sewing thread, pins etc


4. About an hour

There are two different ways to cut your fabric depending on whether or not your fabric is directional.

My owl fabric is directional so I cut three pieces.  Two for the outer - 10.75 x 8.5 inches each and one for the lining - 19 x 8.5 inches.

For non-directional fabric, cut one piece 21 x 8.5 inches for the outer and one piece 19 x 8.5 inches for the lining.

I don't know why I measure in inches, might have something to do with my quilting ruler being only in inches.  I measure everything else in my life in centimeters.



If you are using non-directional fabric, skip this next step.

Place the two outer fabric pieces together and pin along one short edge.  Sew a 1/4 inch seam.

Press the seam open.



For both directional and non directional fabric, place the outer and lining pieces together with right side facing,




and sew a 1/4 inch seam along both short ends.



Fold the bag in half so the two seams that you just sewed, match and the right sides are facing.



Pin to secure, and sew a 1/4 inch seam down both sides.  Make sure to leave a space on the lining fabric to turn the bag out the right way.

I find the turning space will lay flatter and make it easier to close later if you leave the unsewn area just away from the edge.



Turn the bag right side out and press.



Use a ladder stitch to close up the turing area.

Tuck the lining into the outer, make sure the lining is all the way down.  See how the outer fabric is pulled down inside the bag?  We will use this to make the casing for the drawstring.



Press the bag.  Turn it inside out.

Sew around the bag, just inside the seam between the outer and lining fabric,



and then again right along the edge of the casing



Turn the bag back out the right way and unpick those stitches of the side seam, between both sets of stitches of the casing



Using a bodkin or a safety pin, insert the cording into the casing,



Tie the ends together, and you are done!



Now fill it up with whatever you want!



To make this bag in any size all you need to do is make the outer and lining fabrics the same width, and the lining fabric two inches shorter than the outer fabric.

What would you fill yours up with?

Linking up with Our Creative Spaces.

 

Showcase :: Damask Baby Shoes

I have been invited to participate in a number of showcases on Facebook in the coming months.  I have been busy making lots of Poppets, but for To Market, To Market's upcoming showcase I decided to go back to the beginning of Precious Little Poppets and create a gorgeous pair of newborn mary janes.

They are made with black and white damask fabric and hot pink chiffon flowers.  As with all the embellishments on my dolls the flowers were handmade by me.  I hate chiffon, it is slippery and won't do what it is told, but I managed to wrestle it into submission and I love the final outcome!

Aren't they the cutest!  Only four inches in length.

They will be available at To Market, To Market's Dandy Damash Showcase, starting on the 7th of June.

Starting Over :: A New Blog, A New Look

For followers of the old Precious Little Poppets you will notice that is has been a while since I have updated the blog.  You will also notice that it looks completely different and that all past posts have been deleted.

I have moved Precious Little Poppets in a new direction in the last year, and I really wanted to add another layer.  I want to be able to show you another side to my crazy life.  There will be some posts about The Smalls, some crafty tutorials, and lots and lots of dolls.

Thanks for coming on this ride with me.


Now onto something fun!

A giveaway!

Would you like to win a pincushion?  Just visit my facebook page and find the album that has all the pincushion fabric choices, then leave me a comment, here on the blog, telling me which one is your favourite.  Make sure to leave your email address!!

I'll choose someone next Saturday.