Summer of Sewing: Embroidered Drawstring Bag

Welcome back to our Summer of Sewing tutorials here at Inspired by Fabric! 

We'll be featuring regular tutorials as part of our Summer of Sewing series, all using our newest fabric lines that you can find at your local quilt shop! Our tutorials will include a chance to win a bundle of the fabric line being used, so make sure to enter each time!

Today's tutorial once again uses Barbara J. Eikmeier's Vintage 30's Ruby's Treasures collection and is once again a drawstring bag (see our previous patchwork drawstring bag tutorial here). But...it's totally different! We've embroidered a flower block from the collection's Flower Garden panel and used it as the centerpiece for a sweet (and slightly smaller) drawstring bag. We've also shared a different casing technique for creating the bag closure itself. And, if as you read this, you're thinking that hand embroidery is not for you, we urge you to give it a try! Much like hand stitching a binding to a quilt, it's a relaxing and satisfying activity, and the results are gorgeous! 

By the way, did you know that Barb has a collection of Aurifloss (that would be embroidery floss from Aurifil!) that coordinates with the Vintage 30's Ruby's Treasures fabric line? Find it here!

Let's get started!

You'll Need:

1 Flower Garden panel

5 Vintage 30's fat quarters (one for the backing; from the remainder you'll just need a strip each--we used two blue print and three pink print)

1/2 yard solid white for lining

1/4 yard solid blue for drawstrings

12" square of muslin

Coordinating embroidery floss and needle

Embroidery hoop

Cutting:
From each of two blue print fat quarters:
(1) 2-1/2" x 8" strip

From one pink print fat quarter:
(1) 2-1/2" x 12" strip

From a second pink print fat quarter:
(1) 5" x 12" strip

From the last pink print fat quarter:
(1) 12" x 14-1/2" piece (for backing)

From the solid white: 
(2) 12" x 14-1/2" pieces

From the solid blue: 
(2) 2" x 42" strips

From the panel:
Choose one embroidery design and cut out a 12" square (this leaves room for the hoop)

Make the Bag:
1. Layer the embroidery square with the muslin square and secure in your hoop, centering the design. 

2. Using coordinating embroidery floss and your stitches of choice, embroider the flower design. 

3. Remove the embroidery from the hoop and trim to measure 8" square, centering the design. 

 4. Sew the (2) 2-1/2" x 8" blue print strips to the sides of the embroidery square. Sew the 2-1/2" x 12" pink print strip to the bottom edge and the 5" x 12" pink print strip to the top edge.

5. Sew the bag front to the 12" x 14-1/2" pink print bag back along the bottom short edge. Sew (1) 12" x 14-1/2" solid white piece to the opposite short edge of both the bag front and back as shown. 

6. Fold the pieced strip in half right sides together along the seam between the bag back and front, aligning the edges. The raw edges of the two lining pieces should match up as well. Pin edges to secure. Using a fabric marking pen, measure 2" from the top edge of the embroidered square and mark a line as shown. Measure and mark a second line 1" from the first line.

7. Stitch around the three open sides, leaving a 4" opening for turning on the short edge of the lining pieces. DO NOT stitch between the marked lines on either side of the bag front. Backstitch as you approach the line to secure, skip over that 1", and then backstitch as you start again. 

8. Turn the bag right side out through the lining opening. Stitch the lining opening shut. Tuck the lining into the bag and press the top seam. Poke bottom corners out as needed. 

9. Using the existing marked lines on the bag front (re-measure and redraw if you can't see them--ours bled through the fabric enough that we could see them), continue the lines onto the back side of the bag as well. Stitch on each of these marked lines, being careful to only stitch through one side of the bag at a time. (It will be as if you are stitching a tube--you'll be stitching through the bag front and lining sandwiched together, and rotating as you sew, until you're stitching through the bag back and second lining piece.) This creates the casing for the drawstrings. If you stitch through all layers at once, your bag won't open!

10. Press each 2" x 42" strip in half lengthwise. Open and press both long edges in to the center fold.

11. Refold on the center fold line and topstitch along the entire strip to create the drawstring. Make two.

12. Using a safety pin, feed one drawstring into the casing from the left side. Feed through the bag front and bag back, exiting on the left side. Tie the ends together in a knot. Feed the second strip into the casing from the right side. Feed through the bag front and back, exiting on the right side. Tie the ends together in a knot. 

The finished bag!

For a chance to win a FQ bundle of Vintage 30's Ruby's Treasures AND a box of the coordinating Aurifloss, make sure you follow our blog! Leave a comment below letting us know that you do, as well as telling us if you've ever done any hand embroidery. The giveaway is open through Sunday, August 21st at 11:59 pm EST. We'll draw a winner and share it next week. 

Congratulations to the winner from last week's Sophisticates bundle: Kira