Featured fabric: Studio E Fabrics Seas the Day by Diane Eichler

Pattern design by: Lindsay Conner

Sewn by: Lindsay Conner

Sewing your own bag is a cinch—especially this drawstring beach bag! Perfect for a day at the beach, this bucket bag has a mesh bottom. Not only does the mesh dry quickly, but the sand falls right through, so you don’t bring it home with you. Toss some plastic beach toys, sunscreen, and a drink in your new drawstring tote bag! The outer pocket will hold a pair of sunglasses so you can relax in style.

Beginning sewists should be able to make this mesh bottom bag from start to finish in a single day! Once you’ve cut out the materials, it’s a fairly quick sew. Note: This pattern calls for a mesh bottom, and an upcycled laundry bag works great! If you don’t have a 10” diameter dinner plate to cut the mesh circles, measure across the center of your plate and multiple that number by 3.14. Then round up to the nearest inch and that will be the new length of your outer and lining fabrics. For example, this project calls for 32” because 10” x 3.14 = 31.4”, or 32” rounded up.)

Technique: Machine sewing

Skill Level: Beginner

Finished Size: 16” tall x 16” wide (40.64cm square) when flattened

Fabric Requirements:

Outer fabric: ½ yard (.46m)
- 6209-66 Green || Seas The Day Whales

Lining fabric: ½ yard (.46m)
- 6208-11 Multi || Seas The Day Anchors on a Stripe

Pocket fabric: 1 Seas the Day panel or 10’ ¼” (3.12m) fabric square
- 6206-11 Multi || Seas The Day Six Block 24 in Repeat

Casing fabric: 1/8 yard (.11m)
- 6219-18 Multi || Seas The Day Vertical Stripe

Mesh laundry bag or 1/4 yard (.23m) of mesh fabric

10” (.25cm) diameter dinner plate for tracing

58” (1.47m) of cording

Plastic single hole cordlock

Equipment needed:

Sewing machine

Iron

Fabric cutting tools (scissors or rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat)

Safety pin

Fabric clips

Cutting Directions

Outer and lining fabrics: From the outer fabric, cut (1) 32” x 17½” strip, with the print running in the direction of the 32” side. Repeat with the lining fabric.

Mesh fabric: Cut (2) circles from mesh fabric using a 10” diameter plate as a template.

Casing fabric: Cut (1) 32½” x 2½” strip.

Make the Pocket

1. Cut out one of the square designs from the Seas the Day panel or choose a coordinating 10¼” square of fabric for the pocket.

2. Fold under the top raw edge of the pocket ¼” toward the wrong side. Press. Topstitch 1/8” from the folded edge, making sure to backstitch at both ends.

3. Fold the left, right, and bottom raw edges of the pocket ¼” toward the wrong side. Press.

4. Center the pocket on the outer fabric as shown. Pin in place with sewing pins.

5. Starting at the top left of the pocket, stitch around the left, bottom, and right sides 1/8” from the edge, making sure to backstitch at both ends. The top of the pocket will remain open.

Sew the Bag and Lining

1. With the pocket attached, fold the outer fabric in half (right sides together) so the shorter ends meet. Pin the short ends together and stitch a straight seam 3/8” from the raw edges to make a tube. Begin clipping the mesh circle to the bottom of the tube, adding another clip every 2” to 3”. Smooth out the mesh across the bag bottom as evenly as possible.

2. Take the bag bottom to the sewing machine. Carefully remove one clip at a time and stitch the mesh layer on top of the outer fabric using a ¼” seam allowance and a straight stitch.

3. Go around the perimeter using a zigzag stitch to further secure the edges.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 above to sew a tube from the lining fabric and add the mesh circle to the bottom.

Add the Drawstring

5. Press the 32½”x 2½” fabric strip in half so the longest edges are touching (wrong sides of fabric together). Unfold. At each short end, fold and press the fabric ¼” toward the wrong side and then fold another ¼”. Stitch 1/8” from the folded edges.

6. Slip the entire lining inside the outer bag so the wrong sides of both fabrics are touching. Line up the seams. Refold the casing in half where you pressed it. Starting ½” from the center seam, clip the folded casing to the bag and lining, making sure to line up the raw edges. The casing should end about 1” from where you began.

7. Stitch ¼” through all layers you clipped together, making sure to backstitch at both ends.

8. Flip the casing up and press into position.

9. Use a zigzag stitch to sew 1/8” below the casing, going around the entire bag. This will secure the raw edges of the casing against the lining fabric and prevent fraying.

10. Attach a safety pin to one end of the cording. Use the safety pin to snake the cording through one end of the casing and feed it through to the opposite end. Pull the ends of the cording so they are even.

11. Insert both ends of cording through the single hole cord lock. (A safety pin might be helpful for this step as well.) When they are both through the hole, make a large knot from both cord ends.

We hope you enjoyed this beach bag sewing tutorial! Happy sewing, and let us know if you have any questions along the way.

Fabric Details:

To view the complete Studio E Fabrics Seas the Day by Diane Eichler collection click here.
To find a retailer near you click here.

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Learn more about Lindsay here.