Sew: Lined Drawstring Bag
Abakhan are selling Liberty Cotton Tana Lawn at 11.24 p/m. Yes, you heard that right. Only 11.24 p/m which is half price! This has got to be the best thing since sliced bread. I had never sewn with Liberty fabric before but I've heard such great things about it. This fabric has such a unique feel and look to it, it is unbelievably soft. So if you want to grab this beautiful fabric (or another Liberty Tana Lawn) at a bargain price it is online at Abakhan from today. Get it while you can because once it's gone it's gone.
So on to what I made with the fabric. I decided to make a lined drawstring bag. This project is a quick project and could be sewn in an hour or two. The sewing is simple however the instructions can be tricky to explain and follow. If you are a beginner and want to do this project then make sure you read and understand the steps before starting.
Materials
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| Liberty Tana Lawn Cotton Fabric Paper Roses |
2 pieces of outer fabric cut to 13"x18" (33cm x 46cm).
I used Liberty Tana Lawn Cotton in Paper Roses from Abakhan*
I used Liberty Tana Lawn Cotton in Paper Roses from Abakhan*
2 pieces of inner (lining) fabric cut to 13"x18"
I used some lilac 100% cotton.
I used some lilac 100% cotton.
Strong ribbon.
How to make
First step is to cut your fabric pieces. You'll need to cut two pieces of outer fabric with the dimensions 13" x 18". Then cut two 13" x 18" pieces out of lining fabric.
Now, pin your lining pieces right sides together. Pin 3" from the top on both long sides. Then pin the bottom so that there is a 4" gap in the centre. Add more pins if necessary.
Sew the two pieces together. Do not sew 3" from the top of the bag (if you are using thicker or thinner cord than me you will need to adjust this). Make sure you backstitch here because this part will be under strain. Sew down the sides and the bottom leaving a 4" gap in the centre. Do not sew the top.
Cut two pieces of 3 inch strong ribbon. Fold both pieces in half creating a two loops.
I didn't have any ribbon with me (stupidly left it at home), however I had some black satin binding which is very strong. I finished the open end of my binding then treated it the same as I would with ribbon.
Now it's time to sew the outer fabric. Place one piece of outer fabric right side facing up. Place your ribbon loops 1" from the bottom, facing inwards.
Now place the other outer fabric right side down (so the pieces are right sides together). Sew the sides starting 3" from the top and sew all of the bottom (don't leave a gap at the bottom this time).
Now press the seams open on both the lining and the outer fabric. If you don't usually press your seams it is really important that you do for this project as you will see later.
Turn your outer fabric right sides out and place it inside the lining fabric "bag".
This is where the explanation can get a bit confusing but I hope you can follow. Both the lining fabric and the outer fabric are not sewn at the top 3". Pin one piece of lining fabric to one piece of outer fabric, make sure that the seam is pressed and folded back.
Now we are going to sew the un-sewn edges closed. Sew as I have in the below picture and along the top edges.
Snip the corners off and notch into the inner corners (the V shape at the bottom). Be careful not to cut through any stitching.
So now we pull the outer fabric through the hole in the bottom of the lining fabric. Once the outer fabric is pulled out tuck the lining fabric inside so it looks like a bag. It will make sense as you do it I promise.
You should have something that looks like this.
We need to sew the hole in the lining closed. You can do this by hand by sewing a ladder stitch so that the stitching is barely visible. Or if you are not worried about the stitching showing then you can simply top stitch the gap closed but do try to sew as close to the edge as possible.
This next step is optional. I decided to top stitch the two top flaps so that they lie more flat and to make sure the lining doesn't peek out.
Fold both flaps in half into the inside of the bag creating two channels for the cord to go into. Sew this into place sewing one flap down, then stop. Then sew the other flap down.
Threading the cord.
Threading the cord is a simple process but can be difficult to explain so bare with me while I try.
Your bag should look something like this.
Step 1) Thread your cord up through the ribbon loop on the left.
Step 2) Thread the cord from left to right through the back channel.
Step 3) Thread the cord from right to left through the front channel.
Step 4) Thread the cord again through the back channel (left to right).
Step 5) Thread the cord down through the ribbon loop on the right.
Step 6) Tie the end of the cord to the cord above the ribbon loop on both sides. I decided to sew these instead of tying but it wasn't easy. I sewed this by hand but made sure it was secure.
Here is my finished bag! I actually love it. It is perfect for carry my WIPs (work in progress) between Uni and Home. It also fits a good few balls of yarn which is ideal for when I'm in the middle of a crochet project.
If you enjoyed this tutorial please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Be sure to spread the word about this bargain fabric too (unless you want to keep it all to yourself). Check back soon for some Christmassy tutorials!
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