Wednesday, August 17, 2016

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

54 comments:

  1. Following on bloglovin. I have embroidery projects started and sitting in my dresser drawers. This makes me want to get them out and finish them. So cute! Thank you, peterstankovich@comcast.net

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  2. I follow on Facebook and through e-mail. I love hand embroidery, it is a great take along project. Thank you for the tutorial and giveaway.

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  3. I follow your blog by e-mail. Love to do hand embroidery.

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  4. I follow your Blog. I have not done any embroidery lately, but I do know how!
    cork@pa.rr.com

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  5. I follow via Bloglovin. I have done hand embroidery but it has been decades. Your bag is adorable and inspirational.
    Renragjdatgmaildotcom

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  6. Oh I love the panel, and the drawstring bag is so cute...I have just started to embroider to help with the arthritis in my hands...This giveaway sounds just perfect....Thank you...I subscribe by email...

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  7. With your cute idea and those panels, I can just imagine gift bags for birthdays and showers. I have started some blocks with pieced baskets and embroidered handles that is looking great, so far! I follow by email.

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  8. I follow your blog by email. Pastels are really not my style, but the bag is cute. I've done a bit of embroidery in my time, but not lately. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  9. I follow by email and Facebook. It has been awhile since I have done any extensive hand embroidery. Mostly I have been just doing stems, etc. on appliqué pieces.

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  10. I follow by email and facebook. I used to do embroidery, and I tried again a few months ago, but put it down as I have to relearn a few techniques before it looks like actual embroidery again.

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  11. FOllowing Inspired by Fabric via email/newletter.
    My mother taught me hand embroidery back when as she made lots of pillow cases and hand/dish towels. Me, I got back in the swing last year and embroiderd cacti on two seperate dish towels. The drawystring bag is great, enough to get me going again and not too much detail. I love it. Thank you for sharing your tutorial.

    bluestarof2(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  12. i follow your blog via email. this is the cutest little pouch. i have embroidered in the past and just dont seem to enjoy it much.

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  13. I follow by email.In the 70's and 80's, I used to embroider a lot of pillow cases and my grandmother crocheted edgings on them. I haven't done a lot of hand embroidery lately but still occasionally buy embroidery thread-love the colors!

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  14. I follow by email and bloglovin and instagram and Facebook (yes a social media junkie here!!!! LOL). I haven't done much embroidery lately but this is really a cute little bag to try!!!Thanks for sharing! mumbird3(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. I follow by email. I have tried ribbon embroidery and floss. Mdmn08 at gmail dot com

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  16. Haven't done a lot of embroidery lately but I use to wield a mean needle and floss! Can you say pillowcases! Now I do more crocheting but as I watch my DIL embroider, my fingers start itching for the feel of the needle. This looks like a fun project. Thanks.

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  17. I follow by email. I have tried ribbon embroidery and floss. Mdmn08 at gmail dot com

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  18. And I follow via email. Thanks.

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  19. Follow by email. Yes, I am doing one embroidery QAL and another QAL which could be applique or embroidery, but I'm using embroidery. Often use hand stitch in my art quilts as well.

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  20. I follow via Bloglovin. I love to do hand embroidery, and have several small projects that I have made with it.

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  21. I follow by email. And I love hand embroidery. That bag is so sweet and thanks for the tutorial.

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  22. Following by email. I have done some embroidery. There are some cute patterns on the ongoing Splendid Sampler block along.

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  23. I follow IBF by email. I hand embroidery and love it! Thank you for the tutorial using the cute fabrics and beautiful threads.

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  24. I follow your blog by email. I love hand embroidery and use it often on my quilts. My mom and aunt taught me to hand embroider when I was only six years old.

    lin.web.28 at gmail dot com

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  25. I follow by e-mail. I learned to embroider as a child. I started with dresser covers that were pre-stamped, made an embroidered jean jacket in the 70's and have done a lot of cross stitch.

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  26. Email subscriber. I have done hand embroidery, & just finished a top that will need to be hand-embroidered before it's quilted. Thanks for the lovely giveaway

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  27. I follow with GFC and email. I learned to embroider when I was about 10 years old.

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  28. I follow with email. I do hand embroidery as little as possible but this little bag is so,cute I may try again. I'd like to make it.w

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  29. I have only done a tiny bit of hand embroidery -- mostly to add facial features to animals on baby quilts and the like. Learning to embroider properly is on my to do list! I follow via GFC.

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  30. I follow via email and the blog. My mom taught me to embroider when I was 5 years old--a long time ago. I still enjoy embroidery, but haven't done any lately.

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  31. I love embroidery, and have been getting into redwork lately. Easy to do on the go, no thread color changes or counting involved. I receive your blog announcements via email.
    basaran.family@rogers.com

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  32. I am a Bloglovin' follower. I have done quite a bit of hand embroidery, mostly when my kids were younger and I could sit near them while playing or studying. Now that they're grown, I've moved on to using my sewing machine, but I still love to embroider. It's such a soul-calming activity.

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  33. I follow thru Email, Bloglovin & Pinterest too! :) I used to do alot of embroidery, haven't done much until recently..teaching Grangirlie now. (am also teaching her to sew...this lil' Bag would be perfect project for us!! Thanks for the Tutorial too!)

    Thank you for chance to win your Give-a-way!! :D

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  34. I follow on email. I have done embroidery a long time ago, but would like to do machine embroidery too. Great way to highlight some great embroidery. jarvenpa1ne(at)gmail(dot)com

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  35. I love to do hand embroidery because it is a portable project to do on the go and it's also very relaxing. Following via Google Friends Connect.

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  36. I follow you via bloglovin. I have done a bit of embroidery on small projects. I used to do a lot of hand work and am trying to get back into it. It's nice to have something to do away from the sewing machine once in a while. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
    kakingsbury at verizon dot net

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  37. Cute!! Hand embroidery was my first love, then cross stitch then quilting, but I always go back to embroidery. I follow via email.

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  38. I'm a happy blog follower and a happy embroiderer. I've made two embroidered quilts and am currently working on another for Halloween. Quilting and embroidery go together like chocolate and peanut butter!

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  39. I did hand embroidery when I was little, and enjoy Sashiko now. I occasionally work on other designs, too. I follow via email. Thanks.

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  40. I've done a little hand embroidery. My daughter does a lot. She loves the process, the finished look, the color ways that make it her own. She'll love this idea. Follow the blog via email.

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  41. I've done a little hand embroidery. My daughter does a lot. She loves the process, the finished look, the color ways that make it her own. She'll love this idea. Follow the blog via email.

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  42. I am a follower of the blog and I love to do embroidery!

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  43. I follow your blog and haven't done any embroidery in many years. I used to do embroidery work on my blue jeans when I was a teenager.

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  44. I follow via bloglovin. I somethimees do handembroidery, mostly crossstitches

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  45. I follow your blog. I hand embroidered a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt and other projects as well.

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  46. I follow by email and yes, I do hand embroidery! It is such a relaxing part of my life. Plus, all of the fabulous threads available to use to create any type of project. I really enjoy creating in the hoop wall hangings. The chain stitch is my favorite stitch and it can be done in so many ways. Thank you for sharing this lovely project and for the chance to win this awesome prize! Have a fantastic creative day!

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  47. I follow on Bloglovin. I used to do a LOT of hand embroidery I loved it, but then I discovered quilting! Thanks!

    Please click on the delaineelliott above for my email link.

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  48. I follow you by e-mail so I don't miss anything. I have done assorted embroidery and needlework projects most of my life, although I have had to give up my favorite intricate work because of arthritis and numerous resulting hand surgeries. I still do some.

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  49. I follow via email. Yes, I love hand embroidery. I like making blocks and then make them into quilts! Thanks for the great tutorial and giveaway.

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  50. I will follow the blog by email. I haven't done any hand embroidery since I was in high school. I have been wanting to try the Aurifloss. I would love to win this.

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  51. I am following your blog via email. I enjoy embroidering very much. Mostly tea towels. :)

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  52. I follow your blog via FB and Bloglovin'. My embroidery is mostly Christmas ornaments and red work. It's in the rotation with cross-stitch!

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  53. I am following your blog by email. I love to hand embroidery, I used to hand embroidery words on my Hip hugger Jeans like, the word LOVE on one leg and PEACE on the other, trimmed with embroidered flowers. I would love to win the FQ bundle and Aurifil Thread collection as well! :)

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