Scrappy Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Hello! Hello! Hello!

It's been forever.  Again.  I really need to be better on updating my blog.  I keep saying that but it seems to always get put on the back burner.  I promise I don't intend it to go that way and I always have fun things to share, it's just finding the time to sit down and share it.  

So today I have a really fun and cute tutorial!!  I could make a million of these!! 

One reason I love this bag is because you can use them for so many things!! Need a gift bag? Whip one up.. Need a knitting bag like I did, whip one up!!  

That actually is what inspired this project.  I have began knitting again *YAY* and I really needed a smaller bag to put my sock knitting in.  My main focus was keeping the yarn away from the kitties so having a drawstring bag allows me to keep my yarn inside the bag and just pull as I go.  No rolling balls of yarn anywhere...lol! 

Ready?  Here we go! 

I am using my Sizzix Big Shot along with the 2 1/2" Squares Bigz Die to help this process go faster! It cuts 4 at a time and up to 8 layers.  

What you need:

88 squares that measure 2.5" x 2.5"

2 pieces of batting that is 15" x 17"

2 pieces of lining fabric 12.5" x 14.5"

2 strips 2.25" x 40" for ties

Let's Begin:

Start by laying out two panels of your 2.5" squares so they are in a grid of 6 across and 7 down.  That is 42 squares per side. You will have 4 left over.  Set those aside. 

Sew the squares into rows pressing seams in opposite directions in each row.  Meaning Row 1 you will press to the right, and row 2 you will press to the left and so on.  Once you have all rows sewn, sew the rows together and press seams to one direction. 

Next you will lay your panel on a piece of batting.  I did not put anything behind the batting because I didn't want it to be too thick and the bag is lined so I didn't feel the need.  You should have your panel on top of a piece of batting.  That is it.  Now quilt it as desired.  If you don't want a quilty look or for it to be a bit thicker, you can skip the batting and the quilting. It will all go tougher the same way regardless. 

Once you are done quilting both panels, trim off the extra batting and square up your panels. They should be 12.5" x 14.5". 

Next we need to add "tabs"  in the openings of where the drawstring will be fed through.  These are added so the fabric doesn't fray when opening and closing the bag.  This will make more sense when you see it. :)

Take one of the extra squares and figure out where you want your drawstring to lay.  I lined up the 4" mark on my ruler with the second seam of the panel and then centered the square.  Make sure right sides are facing.  

Now you need to sew this down.  Sew it using about an 1/8th of an inch seam.  Backstitch at the beginning and the end to secure it.  We only want to sew 1/8" in because we want to hid this in our seam and we don't want the stitching to show. 

Now fold it to the back and press it in place.  Repeat for the opposite side of this panel and also for the other panel.  Make sure you put them in the same place on all 4 sides. 

We want to make an opening that is 1" for the drawstring.  Measure in 1.25" from the edge of the square and place a pin.  Repeat on the other side and place another pin.  Repeat for a total of 4 "tabs" on both panels. 

Note:  In the below photo, the sewn edge is on the bottom so you will measure in from the sides.  The distance between the pins should be 1". 

Time to sew the front panels together!! 

Place the panels right sides together.  You will sew 1/4" around each edge except for the top.  You will also need to skip the sections between the pins.  Backstitch when you get to a pin, then skip over the gap, backstitch and continue sewing.  When you are done you will have three openings.  The top, and the two 1" sections where the drawstring will go.  Be sure you backstitch on either side of those pins as there will be lots of strain in those spots. 

You will also need to sew the lining pieces together.  Place right sides together and sew around each side (taller side = 14.5") , around the bottom (12.5"), and up the other side (14.5").  Be sure to leave about a 3" opening at the bottom for turning. Backstitch at the beginning and end of this gap as well.  

On to boxing the corners!  If you don't want to box the corners, you can skip this step.  The bag will be a bit longer/wider if you don't box it.  

To box the bottom corners, take the bottom seam and the side seam and match them up to make a triangle.  If you push the seams in opposite directions you can get them to nest.  

Lay your ruler down so the tip of the triangle is at the 1.5" mark on the ruler.  Take a Pen and draw a line.  Sew on the line and then trim 1/4" away from the sewn line. 

Repeat this for the other corner of the outer panels and also on the inside lining. 

Turn the outer panels right sides out and place it inside the lining piece that is still inside out.  Sew 1/4" around the edge, matching side seams. 

Time to birth the bag!!! From the opening in the bottom of the lining, carefully pull the outside of the bag through the hole. 

It should look like this. 

Sew up the hole in the bottom of the lining using your favorite method and then push the lining into the bag.  press the top seam so that the lining is rolled to the inside.  Then sew 1/8" around the top edge to secure the lining. 

Now we need to make the channel for the drawstring to flow through.  

Put a pin in place at the top and bottom of the 1" hole we left. Do this on the left and right sides of the bag. 

Using a fabric safe marking tool, draw a line between the top two pins and then the bottom two pins.  Make sure you use a marking tool that will be easily removed. 

Flip the bag over and repeat drawing the marked lines. 

Sew on each line going all the way around the bag, backstitching at the beginning and the end.  

You can see now where the "tabs" were placed created a finished edge. No fraying!!! Yay! 

Alright.. we are almost done!! 

Take the drawstring strips and fold in each of the ends about 1/2" and press. 

Fold each strip in half and press. This creates a center fold line to use as a guide. 

Open up the strip and bring the raw edges of the strip to the center crease you just made.  Do this for both sides. 

Fold the strip in half enclosing the raw edges and then sew down the edge about 1/16 to an 1/8th away from edge.  

Using a safety pin, pin it to the end of your drawstring.  Begin by feeding it in one of the channel openings, pass by the other opening and back out through the same hole you began in.  Even out the drawstring and tie a knot at the end.  

Repeat for the other channel opening. 

Pull on each of the strings in opposite directions and watch your new bag pucker up!!!! 

That's it!! You're done!! Pat yourself on the back!! Super easy!! 

You can also use this same tutorial for a plain panel.  You don't have to use the scrappy square look.  You can also add a decorative top to your bags too.  Here are a couple of examples in different sizes (super easy to adapt to whatever size you want). 

If you make these bags, please share them with me!!! I'd love to see your creations!!!! 

Much Love!!!