Joyous Project Bag

I am absolutely in love with drawstring bags right now!  Anyone else involved in this craze??  Years ago a friend of mine carried her yarn projects in a adorable little project bag with a handle on one side.  I fell in love with it immediately and put it on my list to make.  Fast forward a few years and I have finally sat down and done so.  I have scoured Pinterest for a tutorial on how to make these and could only find paid patterns so I decided to give it a go and make my own.  And that is how the Joyous Project Bag came to be.  

To make a two tone bag, you will need fabric for the top and bottom outer, as well as lining fabric, the drawstring casing fabric and handle fabric.  You will also need some kind of interfacing.  I used Decor Bond from Pellon, but Shape flex or fusible fleece would also work - depending on how stiff you want your bag.

 

I made two bag sizes, but you could definitely play with the dimensions if you wanted something smaller or larger.  

For the large bag, cut the following:

Outer top: cut 2 - 8x14

Outer bottom: cut 2 - 7x14

drawstring casing:  cut 2 - 13x4 (if you want a larger ruffle, 13x3 if you want a smaller ruffle)

handle:  cut 1 - 3x12

For the smaller bag, cut the following:

Outer top: cut 2 - 7x12

Outer bottom: cut 2 - 5x12

drawstring casing:  cut 2 - 12x4 (if you want a larger ruffle, 12x3 if you want a smaller ruffle)

handle:  cut 1 - 3x12

For the handle, you can make it however you typically make handles - for this one I ironed some shape flex on the back, folded it in half  wrong sides together and stitched along the long edge.  Then I flipped it right side out and stitched on both outside edges and along the center.  You could also fold it in quarters and stitch down as well.  

Next, take your drawstring casing pieces and fold 1/8" on the short ends two times so you have no raw edges showing.

Do this on both pieces and stitch down 

Next take your top and bottom pieces and stitch them together.  I like to press the seam toward the top 

Then iron Decor Bond onto the two outer pieces and top-stitch close to the seam

At this point I used my outer pieces to cut my lining pieces so they are the same size.  Then I layered all four pieces together and cut out a 2.5" corner for the large and a 2" corner for the small

If you want a pocket on the inside - this is totally optional - cut 2 pieces of coordinating fabric at 13x8 for the large and 2 pieces at 7x5 for the small.  Place fabrics wrong side together and stitch all the way around leaving a small opening for turning.

Turn right sides out, iron and stitch along the top edge.  Center on the lining fabric, making sure to keep it far enough away from the edges so it won't get caught in your seams when you sew it together.  I stitched a line down the center to make 2 pockets - but you can customize however you like!

For both lining and outer, place right sides together and stitch along both side edges and along the bottom edge - just be sure to leave an opening in the lining bottom edge for turning later

Turn the outer piece right side out, leaving the lining wrong sides out

Take the handle and cut both ends at an angle - making sure they are both cut the same way - see pic for clarification

Take the outer bag and fold so that both side seams are touching each other.  Place the side seam on a line on your cutting mat

Then take your handle and place the inside edge roughly 1.5" from the side seam

clip in place and do the same for the other side - the handle should be about 3" apart

You can stitch the handles down or just leave them clipped.  I left mine clipped and flattened the bag with the seams back on the side.  Then place the drawstring casing aligned with the top unfinished edge and centered on the fabric.  

Do this to both sides making sure when you look at it from the top they are lined up

Take the lining - wrong side out - and place it over the outer bag (which is still right side out), making sure to match the side seams

Clip in place and stitch all the way around the top 

Turn right side out through the hole in the lining and stitch the gap closed

Iron the edge of the bag near the drawstring casing and stitch 1/4" from the casing all the way around the bag.

If you want a ruffle on your drawstring casing, stitch roughly 1/2" from the edge of the bag across the casing - backstitching at beginning and end of casing.  Do this to both casings.

Insert your drawstring.  You can use leather cord, nylon cord, twill tape ribbon, regular ribbon - use your imagination!

If using nylon cording, its a good idea to burn the edges after tying the knot - otherwise it frays terribly!!

And you are done!  Here are the inside pockets

Now go make a bunch and fill them up!  Tag me on instagram #joyousprojectbag so I can see your finished products!

Nantucket Mini Charm Bag

 Today I bring you, not a tutorial on how to make something, but a tutorial about a free pattern from Moda that I modified for my needs.  On the Moda website, they offer a free pattern for the Nantucket Mini Charm Bag - https://modafabrics.com/webfiles/fp_NantucketSummer-ZipperPouch.pdf 

This is such a cute zipper pouch and the moment I saw it, I knew I had to make it!  I also knew that I would make a few tiny modifications for my personal use.

Let me see if I can explain my modifications.  I used the Moda Fabrics mini charm pack "My Country"

I laid out 40 mini squares as instructed in the pattern and sewed them together.

Then I ironed Thermolam on the back and quilted the front panel.  Here is where I strayed from the pattern.  I did not quilt the lining with the front.  Instead I ironed Shape Flex to the lining and added some mesh pockets.

After attaching the mesh along the bottom, I drew lines 3.5" from each side using a Frixion pen and my ruler.  I drew straight across the bottom from the binding on one pocket to the binding on the other pocket.  That way when I stitched I didn't have to start and stop.  I stitched from binding to binding.

From here I followed the pattern  - with the exception of the zipper.  I installed the zipper between the outer and lining just as I would for a standard zipper pouch.  

Don't you just love the pockets on the inside!

I love this pattern and look forward to making many more in the future.  

Thanks Moda Fabrics for the free pattern!  If anyone has any questions please comment below!

Fat Quarter Project 3: The Open Wide Pouch

 

Here we are at Project 3!  

If you have been following my blog, you know that I have made 3 projects from one fat quarter. 

You can find project 1 here: https://kristensewkrafty.blogspot.com/2021/04/fat-quarter-project-one-headband.html

and project 2 here: https://kristensewkrafty.blogspot.com/2021/05/fat-quarter-project-2-sunglasses-pouch.html

Now we move on to project 3:  The wide open pouch.  This is a cute little pouch that I found on Pinterest and just HAD to make!  When my daughter asked for a pouch to hold her Garmin watch along with an extra band and charger, I knew this was the perfect project!  I used this tutorial here - https://sewingtimes.net/diy-mini-pouch-bag/ - to make the pouch, but modified the size in order that I could use a smaller zipper that I already had on hand.  I cannot improve on the original tutorial.  The link above is so awesome and thorough.  I will post pics of what I did and the measurements that I changed, but you really should watch the video in the link to learn how to make this pouch.  It looks complicated, but when you follow her directions, she simplifies it so much!!

I used a 7" zipper, because that is what I had on hand.  I changed the measurements from the origianl tutrial to match the zipper.  

Start by cutting 2 pieces of outer fabric, 2 pieces of lining fabric and 2 pieces of interfacing (I used Shape Flex) 7.5" x 3.5".  For this project, I used the same fabric for the outside and the lining.

Iron the Shape Flex onto your outside pieces

Next, fold each piece in half and mark 1" in from the fold and 1.25" up from  the bottom

cut out the rectangle.  Your pieces should look like the next picture

this is what it looks like unfolded

cut the same rectangle out of the lining pieces

Add a zipper by placing one outside piece face up and the zipper face down on top of that, being sure to line up the top edge, as below

place a lining piece on top of that face down and pin or use wonder clips to secure

open up the fabric and fold each piece back onto itself.  the iron and topstitch

do the same thing for the second side

iron and topstitch on the second piece as well

fold the outside pieces together, right sides facing each other

and the lining pieces together, right sides facing each other, so it looks like this:

stitch across the shorter sides, making sure to line up the zippers with each other

this is where it gets a little tricky.  I took pics, but they are very confusing.  I will put them below, but in order to really understand what to do, you should refer to this link https://sewingtimes.net/diy-mini-pouch-bag/.  She mkes it so much clearer than I can!!

After sewing the sides, unzip the zipper all the way.  Open the pouch and pinch together the zipper on one end to the zipper on the other end.

Sew across each side where the clips are - making sure to leave on opening on the lining side for turning later

now we are going to box the corners.  pinch the corners together on one side of the lining and one side of the outside and clip together

stitch across, and repeat for the other side

turn the pouch right side out

stitch the opening closed

push the lining inside the pouch and you are done

 Such a cute little pouch!  I love how the shape is different from what you usually see!  I made another one out of floral fabrics and filled it with candy for my purse.  These little pouches are so versatile!

Let me know if you make one.  Leave any questions or comments below!

Happy Sewing :-)