bag

Sewing Tutorial: Swimming out of the craft pile – a fish drawstring bag!

hookstitchsewLeave a comment

I wanted to make a drawstring bag as a gift, but wanted to make something a little bit different to usual, so while thinking few some ideas I came to think about the possibility of making something ocean themed and from that I came to the decision to make a fish themed drawstring bag. I had also thought of a octopus or squid theme but the thought of all the legs put me off a little….maybe something for another time!.

I added a little eye detail to the bag to make it really stand out but I think it would good without the eye if you didn’t want to be looked at!

Fabric was gifted by The Craft Cotton Company.

Fish Drawstring Bag Tutorial:

You will need:

Fabric:

  • One colour for the main bag.
  • One colour for the bag lining.
  • One colour for the strip of fabric for the drawstring top section.

Ribbon for the drawstring (50cm).

White felt for the eye.

Grey felt for the eye.

To Make the bag:

  • Draw a fish body template (with the top edge 22cm wide, and 30cm long) and a separate wide paper strip (24cm long by 7cm wide).
  • Cut out 4 fish body pieces (two in each of the 2 colours so you have two main bag pieces and two lining pieces) and 2 pieces of the fabric strip with a 0.5cm seam allowance.
  • Take the wide strip of fabric fold in the side edges by 1cm and fold in half with right sides facing outwards.
  • Take one the of fish body pieces and place the raw edge of the folded fabric strip against the raw edge of the top of the fish body and sew along to secure.
  • Fold out and press.
  • Place the two fish body pieces right sides together and sew around the edges to secure leaving the top edge and the fabric strip section unsewn. Turn out the right way.
  • Take the two lining pieces, place right sides together and sew around to secure. Do not turn out. Fold the top edge over by 1cm.
  • Place the lining inside the main bag so the top edge of the lining is just below the drawstring fabric strip and sew around to secure.
  • Cut out 2 circles (4cm diameter) from the white felt for the eye, and 2 circles (2cm diameter) from the grey felt.
  • Take one white and grey circle and sew the grey circle onto the white and then sew onto the bag. Repeat with the remaining 2 circles.
  • Take the ribbon and thread through the drawstring section.

Sewing Tutorial: Quick Drawstring Project Bags

hookstitchsewLeave a comment

WIP Projects are getting out of hand – time to sew more bags to contain them all!

I’ve been struggling to focus on my projects lately which has resulted in two things, one – hardly anything has been completed, and two – a ridiculous number of new projects have been started!

I try to keep each project in a separate bag as otherwise they all get knotted together and I loose bits of projects and have to remake them. However, with the amount of new things I have started all my project bags are full and I have projects all over the place – just waiting to become tangled up!

I know I won’t get anything finished quickly enough for these projects to go into my existing bags so it’s time to make some more! I had some lovely fabric by The Craft Cotton Company in my stash so I got cracking and made some drawstring bags!

Fabric was gifted by The Craft Cotton Company.

Drawstring Bag Tutorial:

To make one of these bags you will need:

  • 1 piece of fabric 60×14 cm
  • 1 piece of fabric 60×30 cm
  • 1 piece of fabric 60×6 cm

1. Take the 60×14 cm fabric and fold it in half (wrong sides together) so you have a piece of fabric 60x7cm.

2. Take the folded piece of fabric and place right sides together along the top edge of the 60×30 cm fabric piece, with the raw edge of the 60×7 cm piece placed along the raw edge of the 60x30cm piece. Sew along the edge to join.

3. Fold the joined fabric in half with right sides together. Next sew down the side and bottom of the fabric. When sewing down the side edge sew down to 2cm from the top then leave a gap of 2cm before sewing down the rest of the side edge. Turn the fabric out the right way.

4. To make the drawstring take the 60x6cm fabric and fold right sides together so you have a piece 60x3cm. Sew down the side edge and along the bottom edge leaving the top unsewn. Turn out the right way and sew the top edge closed.

5. Thread the drawstring through the gap on the side of the bag, use a safety pin to make this easier.

Sewing Tutorial: Drawstring Easter Chick Bags

hookstitchsewLeave a comment

With spring approaching it’s time to get making some spring chickens!

With spring sneaking up on me I decided it was time to get making some spring themed makes so I wouldn’t get behind (Like normal) and end up making things in a panic at the last minute.

First up are some drawstring chicken bags. I used a pattern I put together for The Craft Cotton Company last year for these and some Craft Cotton Company Fabric (Chickie fat quarter set) from in my stash that I used to make the original one.

Fabric was gifted by The Craft Cotton Company.

Pattern to make these is over on The Craft Cotton Company blog.

First Of Two Triangle Patchwork Drawstring Bags With Pom Pom Tie Detail

hookstitchsew1 Comment

It seems to happen every year, no matter how early I start with the Christmas makes I always seem to be running out of time by the end! It’s starting to happen already this year and I am seriously starting to doubt whether I will get all the things I had planned made in time for Christmas.  


On a happy note I have managed to complete the first of two drawstring patchwork bags I had planned for gifts. I saw this pattern in Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine (issue 40) and knew it would be perfect for some gifts this year, I love the Pom Pom detail on them it really adds to them. 

This lovely fabric is from atbe penguin ski fat quarter set gifted by The Craft Cotton Company. 

I’ve got the next one cut and ready to be sewn together so hopefully it won’t be too long until it’s finished. In the meantime I need to speed on with all my other Christmas makes in the hope I manage to just get finished in time!