Drawstring Bags

A good place to start!

I got my a sewing machine at the end of January… I haven’t sewed much at all since my junior high home ec classes in the 90s, and I’ve never had my own sewing machine before. I was excited to find out that all of my basic skills are still available. I sat down with my new sewing machine and remembered how to wind the bobbin, thread the machine, and get started. (Thanks Mom and Mrs. Kasianiuk!) These hands-on skills are encoded in a way that doesn’t disappear over time.

The last time I was sewing often, YouTube hadn’t been invented yet. I’ve been excited to find out how learning sewing skills is a perfect topic for this platform. I find it much easier to learn from a video than an illustration in a book.

I made lots of these little bags. They tend to travel in multiples, and are the right size to hold many little treasures. I’ll remember this design in the future, as it would easily scale larger for other uses. The fabric in this photo is from a much-loved yellow flannel duvet cover and a favourite plaid shirt that was mended many times.

Technical notes: I found a tutorial from Charlotte Kan about how to make a drawstring pouch. The original pattern suggests cutting a rectangle that’s I did some experiments with the dimensions, and found out that 4¾ by 10” works best for the size and shape that I was looking for. The French seam technique allows for a finished edge inside the bag, so a lining isn’t needed. The cotton threads (cotton macramé cord) that I used for the drawstring are each 12” long.

New skills: Reviving my sewing skills, French seams.