Made by Maria Reardon Capp.
Fabrics from Rose & Hubble and South Sea Imports.

At our office, we often celebrate birthdays with gifts wrapped in favorite fabric or vintage remnants because we are such fabric lovers. If you'd like to make a gift extra special, use your favorite fabric to sew a bag -- each of these took about fifteen minutes to make. Or the bags by themselves would make great presents!

This quilt pattern appeared in the September/October 1999 (No. 69) issue of Quiltmaker magazine.

Instructions

Step 1 About the Bags

One yard of fabric will yield either 2 large bags, 4 medium bags or 8 small bags, including their linings. Or, because these bags are reversible, use one fabric for the bag and a different fabric for the lining as we have done.

If you like, add a favorite applique motif or embellishment to personalize a bag for the lucky recipient! 

Step 2 Getting Started

Lightly mark lines A, B and C on the right side of the bag. Mark line A on the right side of the lining. On the wrong side of both, mark line C and 1/2" seam lines as shown. Add any special touches to the bag now.

Step 3 Adding the Fusible Web

Fusible web will help prevent the clipped edges from fraying and hold the inside casing edges in place.

Cut 8 strips of fusible web, each 1/2"x 3 1/2". Following the manufacturer's instructions, iron the strips on the wrong side of both the bag and lining where indicated. Clip 1/2" in from the raw edges of the fused fabric as shown in Step 4.

Instructions

Step 4 Making the Bags

At one end of the bag, fold on line A, wrong sides together, and press lightly. The fusible web will hold the fold in place (fig. 4a). Then fuse both 1/2" side seam allowances from the clip to the fold (fig. 4b). Repeat at the opposite end. For the lining, at both ends, fuse the side seam allowances first and then press line A (fig. 4c).

With right sides together, fold the lining in half and lightly press the fold. Repeat for the bag.

Align the folded bag on top of the folded lining and, with 1/2" seam allowances, sew together on the marked lines. Backstitch at both ends and clip the corners (fig. 4d). 

Inserting your hand into the bag, grasp the bottom fold of both bag and lining and turn right side out. Use a blunt tool to gently push out all four corners.
 

Step 5 Finishing Up

Tuck the seam allowances of the bag inside those of the lining. Topstitch along the top fold, line B and both sides.

To complete the casing for the drawstrings, topstitch line C, encircling the bag. Secure across the seam lines with extra stitches.

Make cording as explained in the tip "Do the Twist" or use a purchased cording. You will need 2 pieces approximately 32" long for the medium and large bags, and 2 pieces 16" long for the small bag. Thread the cord through the left front edge of the bag, threading it around and coming out the back left side. Repeat with another piece, starting from the right front side.

Tie the tails together in a single overhand knot at each side.

Do the Twist

Making your own cording is easy and fast. For some of the cording shown in the photograph, we used embroidery floss. One skein of floss will make approximately 32" of finished cording. You will need one skein for a small bag and 2 skeins each for the medium or large bag.

Unwind an entire skein and bring the two ends together. Fold in half, making four strands. Knot the strands together at the raw ends; the other end will have two loops. Slip the knotted end over your sewing-machine spool spindle and slip a pencil through the loops at the opposite end. Keeping slight tension on the strands, twirl the pencil. When the strands tighten around the pencil, place your finger approximately in the middle and fold in half. The floss will twist around itself. Run your hand along the cording a few times to straighten out any kinks. Remove the pencil and tie overhand knots 1" from both ends. Cut the loops to make fringe. Repeat to make another cord for the medium or large bag, or cut in half and knot the raw ends for the small bag.