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Tuesday 1 June 2010

Project Bag Tutorial

Over the years I've acquired quite a few vintage table cloths and runners, some from my mother's aunt, some from my DH's grandmother and some from fairs I've attended.  Usually they just lie in a drawer, occasionally I use them.  What will happen to them when I go - they probably will get thrown away.  So I decided to make something useful out of some of them and ended up using one for a project bag.


Cut out the piece of cloth you want to use in your project, I cut a piece of card the size I wanted and then drew around it with a water soluble pen. 

Mine measured 8 ¼ inches wide x 6 inches long.

Cut out a piece of coordinating fabric the same width as the embroidered piece and approximately 7 inches long but you can decide how long you want this piece. Sew these two pieces together using a quarter inch seam.  
 

Cut out three pieces of fabric the same size as the embroidered/patterned piece.
I used calico/muslin.

 Sew together as shown.

With the two lengths right sides together and starting at the plain end (this will be the lining), sew around the whole piece leaving a gap for turning.

Turn right side out and sew the gap closed.

Tuck the piece that has the plain fabric inside the piece that has the embroidered/patterned front and plain back.

On the inside of the back, stitch a loop and on the inside of the front, stitch a flat loop, the back loop will pass through the flat loop as the hanger. You can use ribbon or a strip of the fabric for these loops.

Any problems understanding my instructions let me know and I'll help.

Once you've made one of these you'll realise how quick and easy they are and how many decorative ideas you could use.  I've made them in Christmas themed fabric and used them as gift bags.

4 comments:

Gillie said...

Thannk you for the tutorial, Ann, what a good idea!

Peggy said...

Hi Ann, great tutorial very easy to understand, thanks.What a good idea to use your vintage pieces while you still have editorial control so to speak!

Melissa Price said...

Wonderful tutorial, Ann! I'll have to give one of those a try some day. I admit that I'm a winter seamstress. In the summer I much prefer to be outside in my garden. And I was sorry to read about your MIL. I'll be praying for you and Graham. : ) Melissa

nic @ nipitinthebud said...

thanks for taking the time to right up your tutorial (I know how long it takes!).
I'll do a better job of bag making next time I try (unlike last time when I stitched up the sides of a bag I wanted to run a draw string through!). Your loop handle technique worked a treat for salvaging it :o)