This post features my FIRST EVER Drawstring Bag! Can't tell you how pleased I am with myself.
I was determined to use only 2.5" squares from my stash and had originally decided on a blue, green, orange and yellow colourway. But when I set them out on my "Design Floor" (aka the carpet in my sewing room!) the arrangement didn't thrill me.
It looked dull and boring and very "un-zingy". So I left it, did something else and went back the next day when I decided to only keep the green squares and use pink and purple for the rest of the patchwork. Much better!
After that I added another row across and jiggled around with the placement a bit.
I have never made a proper Drawstring bag before and my friend Sarah suggested I follow an excellent tutorial on the Pink Penguin blog. It's actually for a Reversible Bag but I just used a piece of purple Moda marble fabric for the lining.
Then, as Sarah told me, I carefully followed the blog's instructions.
I have a real problem with Spatial Awareness so I couldn't see in my head how the instructions for joining the casing to the front of the bag and then to the lining would work out. But they did! I threaded 2 lengths of cord through the casing as instructed and - hey presto! - I had a bright, colourful Drawstring bag that worked!
The Back:
The Front:
And the drawn-up bag:
It measures 12" x 14" which I think should be the right size for a small pair of trainers, T shirt and shorts.
I have just popped round to Rosie's Granny's house with the two finished bags and she was equally delighted. Hope Rosie likes them too.
Isn't it a great feeling when you try something new and it works out well?
Just realised that I used 154 x 2.5" squares from my Stash and I didn't have to cut one specially for these projects. Proves that a few moments spent cutting scraps into squares when you finish a project does pay dividends. Now I need to cut more squares, especially pink, purple and green as I am virtually out of those colours.
That is a brilliant idea, to cut up squares as you go. Would solve a whole lot of storage issues, and might inspire me to get on with my quilt. I could get my daughters onto that job.
ReplyDeleteLove the drawstring bag. You are so clever!
Thank you. I'm not clever, that's the Pink Penguin and my friend Sarah who told me to follow the instructions to the letter! It is great having a stash of squares ( I also have 3", a few 4" including my Crumb blocks!, a handful of 4.5" & 5"). A really easy Quilt and very effective, is made completely from 2.5" squares, sewn into blocks of 16 squares, 4 x 4. I have an example on my Flickr Photostream, a cot quilt I made for a friend's baby( she is now 5 years old). I'll go and look up the details and add another comment for you. You do use a rotary cutter for cutting squares etc, don't you?
ReplyDeleteHello again, Jo.
ReplyDelete2 quilts in my Photostream:
So many squares Baby Quilt for Serena,( made from 2.5" squares) photo taken March 4th 2008 made by using the 4x4, 16 squares to a block method &
Vintage Patches Baby Quilt for Gemma's baby ( made from 3" squares) Made by setting out the squares in rows, then joining the rows together. The 16 Squares to a block method is better for a beginner quilt.Photo taken 29th July 2012
Both found in my Set called "Baby Quilts".