FreeSpirit Fabric: 12 Weeks of Christmas-Week 3!

Hi, I am Bianca and I blog over at Sweet Diesel Designs, where you will find that I love to blog about my sewing adventures. I hope that you'll pop in and say hello! It's rather hard to believe that we are quickly approaching the holiday season. And what better way to package your special gifts than by using a handmade drawstring bag. I am excited to be the next stop on the 12 weeks of Christmas and to share with you my quick and easy drawstring bag tutorial. All right, let's get started...you will need the following fabric.

1- 9" X 21" exterior fabric 2- 11" X 10.5" interior fabric 2- 3" X 9" top panel fabric 2- 2" X 30" drawstring fabric 1. Place 1 top panel on each short side of the exterior fabric, right sides together. With 1/4" seam allowance, sew the panel and exterior fabric together and press the seams open.

2. Place 1 interior fabric on each short side of the top panels, right sides together. Sew and press seams open. You will have one continuous long piece of fabric.

3. With the right sides together, fold the fabric in half and match the interior fabrics together. Pin along both sides and the bottom, leaving a 4" opening at the bottom of the interior fabric for turning. Sew and press seams open.

4. To gusset the bottom corners, take your ruler and measure 1" from the interior seam allowance and with your pencil, draw a line making a box. Cut along those 2 lines.

5. Fold the fabric to match the seam allowances and pin. Sew 1/4" from the edge. Repeat on both interior lining corners.

6. Turn the bag inside out, matching your top panels seams together. The top panel will be 1" wide on the exterior and interior.

7. Once the bag is turned right side out, sew the opening in which you turned the bag closed.

8. To make the casing for your drawstring, sew 1/2" above and below where the seam of the exterior and top panels come together.

9. Take the drawstring and fold the ends over 1/4" and stitch down, creating the finished end to the drawstring.

10. Take the drawstring fabric and fold it in half, press. Open and then fold each side to match your press line.

10. Then fold in half again to meet the side edges.

11. To create the opening in the casing, carefully take your seam ripper and pick out the stitches in both side seams.

12. Take a safety pin at the the end of the drawstring and carefully feed through 1 1/2 times so that you have 1 drawstring out of each casing hole that you created.