Featured Fabrics: Henry Glass Fabrics Winter in Snowtown by Stacy West (@ButtermilkBasin)

Pattern Design by: Amy Simmonds of Stitched by Starlight (@stitchedbystarlight)

Sewn by: Amy Simmonds of Stitched by Starlight (@stitchedbystarlight)

Everyone knows that gifts don’t all come in convenient easy-to-wrap shapes, but don’t let that stop you from giving beautifully wrapped gifts this year.  Whether it’s a basketball or a loaf of freshly baked artisan sourdough bread; the shape of the item no longer matters; it can be wrapped in under 30 seconds!  Admittedly it’s not really being wrapped at all,  it’s so much more than that – you’ll be enveloping the gift.  Once gifted, you can feel good knowing that a heap of wrapping paper won’t be headed straight to the landfill; the Drawstring Enveloping Bag can be used over and over again!

Skill Level:  Confident Beginner

Skills Learned:  Basic Sewing Skills

Finished Size:

Small:  10” High x 9” Long  x  4” Wide (25.40cm x 22.86cm x 10.16cm)

Medium:  15” High x 14 “ Long  x  5” Wide (38.10cm x 38.10 x 12.70cm)

Large:  26” High x 16” Long  x  6” Wide (66.04cm x 40.64cm x 15.24cm)

Fabric Requirements:

Note:  Throughout the pattern, the primary measurements will be for the Small size.  Additional measurements for [ Medium ] will be in square brackets, and measurements for { Large } will be Curly Brackets.

Small

½ Yard (Bag Exterior) Plaid  (1222-81 Multi)
½ Yard (Bag Interior) Snowflakes  (1223-77 Teal)

½ Yard (Bag Exterior) Diagonal Stripe (1227-88 Red)
½ Yard (Bag Interior) Small Geo Dots (1225-11 Blue)

½ Yard (Bag Exterior) Tiny Tossed Snowman (1221-77 Teal)
½ Yard (Bag Interior) Small Geo Dots (1225-88 Red)

[Medium]

½ Yard (Bag Exterior) Neighborhood Children (1220-18 Multi)
½ Yard (Bag Interior) Tiny Tossed Snowman (1221-11 Lt. Blue)

½ Yard (Bag Exterior) Winter Scene Toile (1226-88 Red)
½ Yard (Bag Interior) Snowflakes (1223-08 Red)

{Large}

2 Panels (Bag Exterior) 24 Inch Snowman Panel (1228p-18 Multi)
1 ½ Yd. Solid White Fabric (Bag Interior)

Additional Supplies & Equipment Needed:

Cotton Clothesline Rope

Cotton Bath Towel

Hand-Sewing Needle

Straight Sewing Pins

Sewing Clips

Thread

Scissors

Rotary Cutter and Cutting Surface, such as a self-healing mat

Clear Quilters Ruler

Sewing Machine with standard sewing foot (or walking foot)

Iron and Ironing Surface, such as an ironing board or wool pressing mat

Seam Ripper   *With luck you won’t need it*

Hera Marker (optional)

Basting Spray or Safety-Pins (Optional)

 

Before you begin:

I highly recommend reading the instructions completely, before starting your project.

NOTE:  a ½” seam allowance is used at all times, unless otherwise noted.

Abbreviations:  RST = Right Sides Together

Tip!  Always backstitch every time you start or stop sewing.  This will improve the integrity and strength of your bag.

 

Gift Bag Instructions:

Step 1:  Gather fabrics and supplies

Step 2:   Pre-wash and iron your fabrics (Optional)

Whether or not you pre-wash your fabrics won’t necessarily change the outcome of your project. However, I choose to always pre-wash fabrics for 3 reasons: To identify any possible color bleeding, to handle any possible shrinkage ahead of time, and to eliminate the manufacturer’s creases.

Tip!  A Color catcher will help save your fabrics if any bleeding does occur.

 

Step 3:  Cutting

From Bag Exterior Fabric, cut the following pieces:

(2)  14”w x 13 ½”h                  [ (2) 20”w x 19 ½”h ]              { (2) 24”w x 31”h }

 

From Bag Interior Fabric, cut the following pieces:

For Bag Interior:
(2)  14”w x 13 ½”h                  [ (2) 20”w x 19 ½”h ]              { (2) 24”w x 31”h }

For Drawstring Sleeve:
(2) 13”w x 2”h                         [ (2) 19”w x 2”h ]                     { (2) 23”w x 2”h }

 

From Cotton Batting,  cut the following pieces:

(2)  14”w x 10”h                      [ (2) 20”w x 15”h ]                 { (2) 24”w x 26.5”h }

 

From Cotton Clothesline Rope, cut the following pieces:

(2)  38”                                    [ (2) 50” ]                               { (2) 58”}

 

Pro Tip:  Wrapping tape around the cut ends of the clothesline rope will help prevent fraying (this will be removed after Step 7)

Step 4:  Quilting the Bag Exterior

Basting: 

Align (1) Cotton Batting piece along the bottom edge on the wrong side of (1) Bag Exterior Fabric.  (For directional fabrics pay attention to the orientation of the design to determine the bottom edge)  Note:  The batting is shorter than the fabric, this is intentional.

Pro Tip:  I use a basting spray to secure the layers; basting with pins is another great option. 

Marking:

Using the Hera Marker (or other marking tool such as chalk, or disappearing pen) to mark a line on the fabric at the top edge of the batting.

Quilting:

Quilt as desired below marked line.   (Top section that does not have batting should be free of any quilting.)

Repeat:

Repeat Step 4 to quilt the second Bag Exterior piece.

 

Step 5:  Making the Drawstring Sleeve

Pressing:

Using the two Drawstring Sleeve pieces, press approximately ½” of each end to the wrong side.

Press fabric strip in half, along the length to create a center seam.

Open fabric strip, and press both sides of fabric strip towards the center seam.

Top Stitching:  Top stitch near the edge, along the 1” side of the Drawstring Sleeve.

Sewing:

Using your clear quilters ruler, measure 1” above the line marked in step 3.  Center Drawstring Sleeve along the edge of the ruler, pin to secure.

Stitch close to the edge along the length of the Drawstring Sleeve.  Do this on both sides of the Drawstring Sleeve.  Do not Stitch along the 1” sides.

Repeat:

Repeat step 5 to prepare and install Drawstring Sleeve on second Bag Exterior piece.

 

Step 6:  Bag Assembly

Preparing Box Corners:

Align the (2) Bag Exterior Pieces, RST, ensuring both edges with the Drawstring Sleeve are at the top.

Clip Along the edges to secure.  (Leave these clips on, after cutting the corners.)

Cut a 2” [ 2 ½” ] { 3” } square from the bottom right and left corners.

Pro Tip!  I use pre-measured, labeled cardstock squares as a template to cut corners to avoid measuring every time!

Align the (2) Bag Interior Pieces, RST.  (For directional fabrics pay attention to the orientation of the design to determine the top/ bottom edge)

Clip Along the edges to secure.  (After cutting the corners, these clips can be removed.)

Along the 14” [ 20”] { 24” } wide bottom edge, cut a 2” [ 2 ½” ] { 3” }  square from the bottom right and left corners.

Bag Bottom (Exterior):

Sew along the bottom edge of Bag Exterior pieces.   Press Seam Open.

Joining Bag Exterior and Bag Interior:

Align Bag Interior top edge, RST, with Bag Exterior top edge, clip to secure.  Stitch along top edge, then press seam towards Bag Interior.

Repeat this process to attach the second Bag Interior piece to second side of the Bag Exterior.

Align front and back sides of bag, RST, aligning at seams and corners.  Stitch along both sides.

Roll the cotton bath towel to create a surface you can iron the side seams on without creating creases elsewhere.  Place rolled towel inside bag and press seams open on both sides of bag.

Bag Bottom (Interior):

Clip bottom edges of both Bag Interior pieces together.   Find the center of the bottom edge.  Insert a straight pin 3” to the left of center, and 3” to the right of center.

Stitch along the bottom edge, backstitch at first straight pin.

Change to basting stitch length, stitch until second straight pin.

Change to regular stitch length.  Backstitch, then continue stitching across the remaining distance of the bottom edge.

Press Seam open.  Use seam ripper to remove basting stitches, this will create an opening for turning the bag.

Finishing Box Corners:

Align the side seam with the bottom seam, clip to secure.  Stitch.

Repeat this process to finish all four corners.  ( (2) exterior corners and (2) interior corners )

Turning:

Using the opening in the bottom of the Bag Interior, gently pull the Bag Exterior through the opening.

Closing the Opening:

While the Bag Interior is hanging out, take a minute to close the opening.   Align both edges of the opening, clip (or pin) in place, and stitch as close to the edge as possible.

Pressing Top Edge:

Tuck Bag Interior inside the Bag Exterior.  Press the top edge of the bag for nice crips seams.

Tip!  Roll the fabrics back and forth gently between your fingers to help coax the seam to the edge, this will also finger press the seam before ironing.

Top Stitching:

After pressing, using a slightly longer stitch length, top stitch the perimeter of the bag’s top edge.

Step 7:  Preparing the Clothesline Rope

Using a piece of thread that is approximately two arm-spans long, fold thread in half, then in half again.  Thread second fold of thread through eye of Hand-Sewing Needle bringing needle to the center of the 4 strands of thread.

Hold thread ends approximately ¾” from one end of the clothes line rope.  Wrap thread tightly around the Clothesline Rope, repeatedly, making sure you also wrap over at least ¼” of the thread ends.

Once you’ve wrapped to the point where the needle is close, hold wrapped thread tight so it can’t loosen, then pass needle under all the wrapped threads.  Pull needle and thread tightly to lock the threads in place.

Cut off the threads ends that are hanging out.  If you previously taped the ends of the Clothesline Rope, you can now remove the tape and gently fray the ends.

Repeat this process to wrap each end of both pieces of Clothesline Rope.

 

Step 8:  Finishing

Secure a large Safety-Pin to the end of (1) piece of Clothesline Rope.

Insert Safety-Pinned end into one side of the front Drawstring Sleeve.

Using the push/pull method, guide the safety-pin/rope completely through the front Drawstring Sleeve.

Once fully through the front Drawstring Sleeve, pull rope through leaving a 5” tail at the starting point.  (Be careful to not pull the tail through completely!)

         

Flip bag over and insert the Safety-Pin into the back Drawstring Sleeve.  Using the push/pull method, guide the safety-pin/rope completely through the back sleeve.    The safety pin and rope will exit the back Drawstring Sleeve right next to the front starting point.

Remove the safety pin and tie a knot near the ends of the Clothesline Rope tails.

Repeat Step 8 using the second Clothes line rope.  Be sure to start and finish on the side Opposite from the knotted tails.

Congratulations, your Enveloping Bag is Complete!

 

Gift Tags Instructions:

Does your Enveloping Bag need a tag to identify the recipient?

Gather some scraps from making your bag, and let’s make one!!

Supplies Needed: 

4 ½” x 11 ½” Scrap of fabric

4 ½” x 11 ½” piece of Lightweight Interfacing (such as Pellon 911FF)

3” x 4 ½” piece of Clear Vinyl

24” +/- of Ribbon, Baker’s Twine, or String

Interfacing:

Using manufacturer’s instructions, apply interfacing to the wrong side of your fabric.

Marking:

Mark the following lines on the wrong side of your fabric:

1 line, side to side, 5 ½” from bottom edge

Above the 5 ½” line:  Mark 1 ½” from right and left sides

Below the 5 ½“ line:   Mark 5/8” and 1” from right  and left sides

Mark 5/8”  and 1” from bottom edge

Cutting:

On the line marked 5 ½” from bottom edge, cut in 3/4” from the edge, on both the right and left sides.

Cut bottom corners, diagonally from the 1” marking on the side, to the 1” marking on the bottom.

Pressing:

Above the 5 ½” line, on both right and left sides, fold edges to the 1½” line, press.

Below the 5 ½” line,  press bottom edge up to the 5/8” marked line and press.  Fold again up to the 1” line and press.

Below the 5 ½’ line, on both the right and left sides, fold edge to the 5/8” marked line, and press.  Fold again to the 1” line and press.

Pro Tip!  A Tailor’s Clapper can be used to help hold seams down as they cool, resulting in a crisp long-lasting fold.

 

Top Stitching:

Above the 5 ½” line, Top Stitch close to the raw edge along both right and left sides.

Assembly:

Partially open the side and bottom folds.  Pull top edge of fabric down to tuck inside the folds on sides and bottom.

(Note:  There will be some slack at the top edge that will not be tucked into the folds, this is intentional)

Lay Vinyl atop the fabric that has been folded down, align inside the folds on sides and bottom.

Re-position the folds and clip to hold the layers in place.

Top Stitching:

Stitch close to the inside of each press-folded edge (left side, bottom, and right side).

Stitch one line above the vinyl, but do not stich through the vinyl.  This creates an opening through which you can insert a name-tag.

Finishing:

Run your Clothesline Rope (twine, string or ribbon) through the opening above the vinyl and tie at knot with the loose ends.

Your re-usable nametag is now ready to display a handwritten name or message be hung on your Gift Enveloping Bag!

Washing and Care:

It’s best to spot clean your Gift Enveloping Bags.

If you really need to machine wash  your bag, remove the Clothesline Rope first.

Happy Sewing!

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Fabric Details:

To view the complete Henry Glass Fabrics Winter in Snowtown by Stacy West (@ButtermilkBasin), click here.

To find a retailer near you click here.

Learn more about Amy here.