Make Project Bags of Course

(Like six of them!)

Someone on Ravelry linked to this tutorial for making drawstring bags which they thought would make a good sock project bag. I looked at the tutorial and it seemed easy enough so I decided to make one.

I don't actually have a fabric stash. When we cleared out my mother-in-law's house I brought back with me quite a bit of her fabric. When we moved 2 1/2 years later I had not touched any of it so I gave it all away. Apart from fabric for two designated projects, the only fabric I have are scraps which I am gradually sewing together.

To make the bag, all that was needed was 3 fat quarters and some ribbon for the drawstrings. Easy enough I thought, just buy a pack of fat quarters and sew. No deciding on matching or contrasting colours or designs. So what did I do when I got to Jo-Ann's? Buy three packs of fat quarters. Because if I am trying to use up my yarn stash, why not start a fabric stash?

I set aside some time to make a bag so as not to be interrupted by pesky things like housework or eating. Chose three fabrics from one of the packs and got going. I completed one bag apart from the drawstrings and decided I had time to make more. I wondered if I could streamline the process - stack fabric for cutting, sew the seams in a continuous flow etc. This worked except when you are making five bags and you make a mistake it is likely to be repeated across all five. You know that old adage "measure twice, cut once"? There's a reason for it and the five bags are narrower than the original. When cutting the first piece I read the numbers on the ruler from the wrong side. Oh well. The bags are still sock project size or can be used for gifts.

Rather than buy more fabric for the drawstrings, I used the fabric left over from the main piece. Instead of 2 pieces cut to the required width, I cut 4 of the required width and 1/2 the required length plus extra for joining. I used a diagonal line to join 2 strips together and then continued as the instructions.

I am pleased with my bags. The instructions say three fat quarters plus fabric or ribbon for the drawstrings. You can make one bag out of three FQs but two bags can be made from four FQs as one FQ is enough for accent and lining fabric. There are more bags in my future. I have 3 FQs that have not been cut plus I have started a patchwork bag out of the scraps of fabric I did keep. And by finishing the bags this weekend I did not add to my pile of unfinished projects. I am very pleased with myself.

And as I had the sewing machine set up I completed a few repair jobs that I had been putting off because I didn't want to set up the sewing machine for one small job. (Even though I had three small jobs.)