WARNING!! Before you attempt this, DON"T!!! Read the entire blog and then go ahead and attempt it!! Eye-yie-yie!! What a sewing project this turned out to be and it should have been easy!!! I will be sticking to hooking after this! Not really, but, ugh . . . Everything written in red was added after I laundered this item and began to insert the drawstring.
Summer is a great time for me to try new projects, be creative and, you know, make stuff!
I like quick projects when I have other things going on, and after completing my Sunny Baby Granny Blanket, I sewed up some quilted rag letters as another gift. The problem is I had nothing to put them in. I thought about crocheting a basket and decided against that. I wanted the letters to be more of a portable toy, so . . . I searched Pinterest for ideas and came across several patterns for drawstring bags. Not being the best at following sewing patterns, I ventured to make my own :0
Here is a somewhat step by step version of what I did. There are a couple of things I would do a little differently, but this is what I did this time.
I started out cutting 4 12" squares. 2 pieces for the outside of the bag and 2 pieces for the lining.
The colored polka dot fabric is the lining and the white minky fabric is for the outside of the bag. I took one front panel and one back panel and placed them wrong sides together. I did this for each "side." I then sandwiched them together with the linings facing each other and sewed one seam down the side.
I then opened it up like a book with the right sides facing me. Next, I cut the seam with pinking shears.
This is what gives the bag that rag effect. On top of this, I placed a strip 4" x 24" across the top of the soon to be bag. The strip is placed wrong side up. This will make a pocket to house the ribbon I will use as the drawstring and closure for the bag.
I sewed the seam there where my pins are. My next step was to fold the strip an inch onto itself and then fold that down to make the pocket and also make a neat seam. This photo is the after, but hopefully it shows what I mean with the folds. I then used my pinking shears to cut the fabric away and to help create that raggy edge.
Once I got to this stage, I closed the book, sewed the bottom shut, and made my way around the last side. I stopped sewing when I got to the bottom of my drawstring pocket.
I trimmed the remaining edges with my pinking shears and then when needle and thread I tacked the upper corner of the pocket.
After a quick wash and dry, I added the ribbon drawstring.began to insert a chain I crocheted out of cotton. I got part way around the pocket and noticed a seam. I thought to myself. "Self, you sewed through the pocket!!! The chain can't get through!" How frustrated I was. I decided I would "fix" the problem. I turned the bag inside out, folded the pocket over, and sewed around.
So the inside became the outside and the outside became the inside. No more rag bag :(
You want to know the real kicker?! Upon closer inspection after I did this, the pocket WASN'T sewn through!! It would have worked just fine had I not had my head on backwards!! It will still hold the cute little rag letters, but I think I will save this little bag for me and start over on a new one. Then again, I may just crochet up a little drawstring bag for them. That sounds safer :)
Maybe I shouldn't have stopped midway through to get a manicure??????
Nahhhhhhh!!!!!!!
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