Monday 11 January 2010

Little Drawstring Bag.




Thanks to Fiona of Marmalade Rose, who gave me a link to a site, I have made a nifty little drawstring bag. If you are into sewing and find making a neat, orderly drawstring back difficult then this is the pattern for you.
However hard I have tried in the past I always find it difficult to get things in the right order when making a bag, but this one, with detailed instructions, is quite foolproof. If you would like the link, then let me know.
Sorry it is such a short post today but it is so cold here and I am typing in the hall before the central heating has come on. Need I say more.
PS It has a lovely neat lining in it too.

27 comments:

Granny Sue said...

How pretty! I used to make these but haven't for some time. I'd like to have one for my lunchbag. Time to get out the fabric and needle.

Gwil W said...

Apropos your cold spell and the short post Weaver you (or anybody else come to that) could e-mail a 3-line haiku about SNOW to 'Asahi Shimbun' before next closing date: 15th January. It's a weekly newspaper in Japan (there's a link on my blog). I already did one. The just took it. So I'm sending another.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Love your choice of fabrics,too!
So cold here as well. Drafty old houses shiver a bit in this sort of weather. Big furry dogs just love it.

Cenya said...

I'd love the link for the pattern. I vowed this Christmas that next year I was not going to buy wrappping paper, but instead "wrap gifts in reusable drawstring bags and tins.
Thanks for such a short, sweet and useful post.
Cindee

Crafty Green Poet said...

I would love the pattern! I have some nice fabrics and would like to make some lined drawstring bags (the scrabble bag on my blog wasn't lined).

Heather said...

That is a very smart drawstring bag Weaver. I love making bags and try not to make any more as I have a bag full of bags! You asked about my stitched photocopy. I used instructions from Maggie Grey's book 'From Image to Stitch'. I trimmed away all excess paper from around a photocopy and cut a piece of Bondaweb to the same size as the design area. I ironed the Bondaweb onto a piece of cotton fabric, peeled off the backing paper and then placed the photocopy face down onto the webbed area. I covered this with a piece of baking parchment and ironed it down. I then damped the photocopy's backing paper and began to rub it away. I found it quicker to place a folded damp cloth over the paper and leave it for a while before rubbing again. Care must be taken not to rub too much or the design could be lost. The result can look rather misty when it has dried, but it is possible to crayon or paint colour back into some areas. I do hope this makes sense - if not, please ask me again and I will have another go.

mand said...

Well done, Weaver. So relieved that you find it tricky too! I thought it was just me.

I grew up with my gran who was such a good seamstress, she really ought to have gone professional. She taught dressmaking and toymaking until her late 70s, and always made my clothes (until i rebelled!). Somehow the consequence is that i'm completely ham-fisted with anything that involved fabric n thread. Even threading up the sewing machine usually defeats me. And yet everything i look at, i can hear the little voice: 'Not paying for that, i'll run one up in a couple of hours...'

I completed my first-ever drawstring bag last year and was so delighted that i photographed it and was going to blog it, though i didn't get round to that. The other day i left it on the electric hob – and it is no more. Now i'm screwing up my courage to face the fabric beastie again. ;0)

So you can believe my congratulations are sincere! And your bag really does look good. :0)

Rachel Phillips said...

It reminds me of my school shoebag.

Unknown said...

Wow! nice bag, I just love little bags - just so sweet and kinda cottagey! I like Cindee's comment about making bags, and using tins for gifts, rather than use wrapping paper - what a great idea. I love it!

Vicky x

Jinksy said...

I know exactly how you feel! Want to borrow my poncho? :)

Ann Christy said...

Very nice little bag Weaver - I too wold love the link to the pattern - if that is ok.

Titus said...

Oh cool. Reminds me of my school shoebag too, except far more lovely. What a wonderful fabric!

I can only sew buttons on, so jealous too!

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

Please send the link! I need to make a bag for soap slivers...

Dinesh chandra said...

Sweet bag , can be , yes you are great , Cold is every where . Pls warm your slef , great post with bag.

Regard

Dinesh Chandra

Cloudia said...

Stay warm!
Bless you & your animals-

Pondside said...

You might want to make a couple of those cute little bags with a nice thick and fluffy lining - and then put your hands inside to warm up!

Elisabeth said...

Too cold to post, but at least not to cold to sew, that is after the heater kicks on.

A cool, change here, so at least we can move again.

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

Looks very Scottish!! Picking up from Titus, we used to have drawstring bags for our PT plimsolls. And one can still get them I imagine for keeping shoes in. What will yours be used for?

Hope you've warmed up a bit.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I have sent the link to those who asked for it - if anyone has any difficulty please get in touch. I am making bags at present in this absolutely foul weather - small, medium and a big bigger are finished - Now I shall attempt a shoe-bag sized one. By that time I should have perfected the technique!

The Weaver of Grass said...

If anyone else would like the link then here it is

http://happythinhs.typepad.com/happythings/2006/04/dsb_301_better_.html


Derrick asks what I shall put in the bags - oh dear, Derrick, I was afraid someone would ask that - at present they just ARE !

mand said...

Just quickly pointing out that the link should be: http://happythings.typepad.com/happythings/2006/04/dsb_301_better_.html ~ you put 'thinhs' instead of 'things', that's all. ;0) Easily done.

I have a feeling this is the same pattern i used. It's a great website.

afraid someone would ask that - at present they just ARE !
Makes perfect sense to me. Like all true art, they exist in and of themselves. :0)

Dianne said...

thanks, I want to teach my teenage boys in California a thing or two about basic sewing. And "Gift Bags" reusable and untearable (unlike paper) would be perfect.
love your story about school uniforms, aren't studies coming out about better learning outcomes in the US at schools instituting this?

Crafty Green Poet said...

thanks for sending me the link to the tutorial, looks excellent!

The Weaver of Grass said...

NB That should read happythings in the link - sorry about the mistake.

BT said...

That is lovely bag Weaver and yes, I'd like the link please. Oh, I've just seen it on your post!! lol. I was making a 'something' yesterday and Jim was asking 'why' and 'what'. I said 'I don't know, I'm just playing'.

Town Mouse said...

I would love to learn to sew - have been thinking about it for a while now. I have a sewing machine and lots of fabric but no skill whatsoever. My mother, on the other hand, made all our clothes and her own as well - suits, dresses, ball-gowns, even fine leather gloves. And I can barely thread a needle! Any suggestions for helpful (beginners') websites, please?

mand said...

Town Mouse, you have pretty well described me only more concisely than i did! I'll second your request if people know of good sites for the basics. I do know About.com is a good place to start for crochet and knitting, so i'd imagine it's equally useful for sewing.