Sewing

February 25, 2013

Make Your Own Little Drawstring Gift Bags…{Great for Easter!}

Posted by By Julia

I am joining the sweet Jen Rizzo for her 6 Days of Spring Linky Party.
I love this time of the year and what fun to share “springy” ideas!

Spring is upon us and I can’t wait for warmer weather, flowers, and Easter!

We usually celebrate Easter with simple little gifts, so yesterday I started making these darling little drawstring bags to hold goodies.

This project is perfect for using up scraps of fabric that you have collected.

Here is what you will need:

{Makes a 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 inch bag}

2 pieces of your choice in fabric, cut 6 1/2 inches wide by 9 3/4 inches long

18 inches of cotton string/cording

Safety pin

First, cut your fabric and then hem three sides using a 1/2 inch hem.

Now you will make the sleeve for the drawstring.

I love that the end project has finished edges inside and out :).

Iron down about 1/4 of an inch all the way across.

Now fold over one inch and press.

Repeat with the other piece of fabric and double check that they line up perfectly.

Stitch along the lower edge of the sleeve, back stitching at each end.

Place right side together and match the tops exactly.

Pin together if you like.

Sew around the inside of the finished edges…LEAVING at least a 1/4 inch from the top open {from the bottom sleeve seam}.

You will need some room for the cord to freely run through the top.

I back stitched 3 or four times at the top corner to give the bag some strength.

I hope this picture makes what I am talking about a little clearer.

I stitched close to the edge of the hems all the way around and left about a 1/4 inch open at the top.

Make sure you reinforce with the back stitching!

Now turn your little bag right side out.

Give the corners a little push with a blunt edge and iron flat.

You are ready to insert the cotton string.

See how the top has a little extra room?

The inside of the bag has nice finished edges.

Attach the safety pin to the end of your string and start threading through the sleeve.

Thread through both sides until you have the ends of the string out one side of the bag.

Neatly tie a little knot at the end…leaving at least 2 1/2 inches out.

That’s it!

It took me around 15 minutes to make one, so this is a relatively fast project and so fun!

I made them in a couple of different patterns, and for those of you who would rather just purchase one all ready to go, I have a few in my SHOP…

just in time for Easter!

You can make them in all colors and they look darling stuffed with little gifts.

Because they are made so sturdy, the bags would make a great eyeglass case, pouch for nail polish and other things, or even to reuse for another gift!

Happy Spring!

~Julia

February 28, 2012

Make Your Own Everyday Dish Cloths

Posted by By Julia

Posted in Farm Life, Home Keeping, Mother's Day, Sewing

In the next couple of weeks, I am really focusing on Spring cleaning.

It is always a little daunting, thinking of all of the work, but I sooo love the end result.

Organizing, cleaning out, giving away…it just makes me feel good!

Usually I “Spring clean” all year and just take a room a month and deep clean.

This year, life was busier and I am back to doing most of it at once.

So, why not make it a pleasant experience and spice things up with some pretty dish cloths?

They are made from old towels and lovely scraps of fabric.

{Do you find you need to replace towels in the Spring, too?}

I prefer to have absorbent cloths because when I clean…I really clean!

And these are not meant to be kept stain free…they are meant to be used!

I have other pretty towels that I save for drying dishes or my hands after cooking.

I want to emphasize that anyone can make these!

They are super duper simple, quick, and such a money saver.
{I don’t use paper products in the kitchen at all.}

You will need:

old towels

several cotton fabric scraps at least 12×12 inches

you could also use old sheets, flannel shirts, or other cotton clothing for the top {use what you have on hand}

Cut a 12×12 inch square out of the towel and a matching piece of fabric.

Place together.

Sew about 1/2 inch all the way around, leaving the edges raw.

Wash, and the edges will fray nicely.

You have a pretty way to clean!

These cloths also make a nice gift for Moms…maybe even a new Mom with a little one?

If you want to add even more pretty things to your kitchen, you could try making my Everyday Napkins or Ruffled Dish Towel.

Happy Spring cleaning!

~Julia

January 28, 2012

Make Your Own Everyday Cloth Napkins

Posted by By Julia

Posted in Farm Life, Sewing, Tutorial

In an effort to save a little, I decided it was high time we had everyday cloth napkins.

In my Grandma’s day, it was all they used and I am not sure why I haven’t made the switch before now!

They are sturdy, practical, money saving, and charming.
They would also make a lovely gift!

I bought a vintage sheet at Goodwill….the colors are so cheery and Spring like!

It was also made really well.
When looking for fabric for cloth napkins, you need to keep in mind that they will be heavily used.
Cotton fabrics are a great choice as they wash easily and are soft and absorbent.

My sheet was fairly thick and washed well.
I don’t believe I will iron the napkins unless we have company:).

I cut 8 napkins to a generous 21″ x21″, so that the final result is 20″x20″.

Make sure that you cut a perfect square.
I used my cutting mat and rotary cutter to measure perfectly.

I also made a few in a darker color for those meals that may possibly stain:).

The fabric is from my stash and I thought this was a perfect way to use up old material!

I found a great tutorial on mitered edges from Amy at Homestead Revival.
Hemming in this way gives your napkins a really finished look.

Use your iron to press the hem first…this really helps!

First, you will need to fold down the corners.
Measure 1.5 inches from the tip of the corner down each edge.
Fold down on these marks to make a triangle.
Press each corner down.

Snip off about a 1/2 inch of the triangle.

Press down each side about a half inch.

Fold over a second time…about a half inch…and press.

Repeat on all four sides. You may have to adjust things a bit to make everything fit perfectly.
The two hems should meet nicely in the middle like this…