Drawstring bag tutorial

After some months without working and sewing I began doing small activities.
The summer almost gone so I have collected and dried much herbs. I need useful drawstring bag to store them.
I stitched many bags . On each one I have put a label with written letters.
Here is one of them.

Do you like it? Do you need a tutorial? It was so easy to make.
The seam allowances are quarter inch.

1. Cut the following rectangles:

 The size depends on how big bag you need.
I have put them on my cutting mat for easy orientation. (one square is one inch)
I have chosen to make the front panel from canvas. It is heavy cotton so adding a strip on the top edge to put inside drawstrings was a good idea.

2. Preparing the hook.
Fold in half lengthwise and iron the piece.  Then open and fold again to the inside and stitch.

3. Stitch the strip on the front panel right side together. Iron well seam allowances towards upper edge.

4. Place the front and back panels right sides together and stitch both sides and bottom as shown.  Begin and finish the stitch 2 inches from the top end.

5.  Fold the top corner and stitch to the side seam as shown.

Repeat with the other three.

6. Making the tunnel for the strings.
Fold twice the upper edge and stitch. When reach the middle insert the hook.
I usually put a pin as a mark.

This is the finished top edge.

Repeat with the front side.

7. Make a secure stitch about half inch on the side seams both front and back pieces together.

I forgot to put a label at the beginning so stitch at this step. It was not so easy :)
So stitch it at the step 1.

8.Thread the drawstrings.
Thread the first as usual - from the right side to the left in the back tunnel and then in the front tunnel from left to right. Make a knot.
 

The second drawstring goes in opposite way. From the left side in the back tunnel and from right to left in the front tunnel. Make a knot.

9. The bag is finished.

So easy to make.

Another QAYG project

I am back!!!
Almost 5 months away.
I am so happy to be here again. The shoulder pain which caused many problems has almost gone. The movement of my hand is getting better and better.

This project was last I have made, but I could not share with you.

I had to made a single bed quilt for my nephew.
I recycled his jeans, his father's shirt and some blue fabrics.

Having a cushion prepared before I decided to use similar design.

And the back is almost boring :)

A cushion from recycled shirt

This idea is not new, I have made such cushion years ago.
Now I developed the idea much more - I used the pocket of the shirt.
From the front sides of the shirt cut 15 inches square.

As in the old tutorial you can use the back of the shirt.
This time I used another fabric.

Different ways of use :)

Improvisation and QAYG for a big quilt

First quilt for the 2019 is finished. I am absolutely satisfied with the result.

Improvisational piecing within the blocks and strip sashing between the blocks.
I have seen this method some years ago here. I liked it so much and promised to myself to use it one day.
The most beloved thing is that the back side is absolutely different and can be used sometimes too.

I used fabrics from man shirts for the top and fabrics for man trousers :) for the back. I was given many fabrics, bought years ago and want to use them as the main idea of the patchwork is to utilize different materials.

Here is one of the blocks.
First of all I stitched the batting and backing with 4-5 straight lines to hold them together. Then began from the centre like Log Cabin and added different colors and sizes. In fact I have added what I had by hand. At the end trimmed the block to desired size.
Prepared 6 blocks this way.

Then had to stitch together two blocks.
I have Bernina with zig zag stitch, bu at this time I have by hand my Janome 1600P only. It has straight stitch only, so decided to try connecting two blocks with FMQ.
It works!!!! Not perfect stitch but the stripes cover and hide all the stitches.

The edge of the block push other and there was no problem that they were separated.

The look from the back.

I cut 1,5 inches stripes for the back and 2 inches for the front.
First added on the back then on the front.

 


Definitely this was the fastest sewn quilt ever.

Excuse me for some "night" pictures, but I was in a hurry to see the final result.