What you will need:
Sewing machine with matching threads
Half a metre of each of the princess fabrics, I used the blue and the pink combination.
4 yards of cord to make the drawstring, 2 pieces measuring 2 yards – you can always cut this down if it’s too long for the person who will be using the bag.
I have used a quarter inch sewing seam.
Making the drawstring backpack: Step 1
Cut 4 pieces of fabric 27” x 11 ½ “. Two are for the lining and two for the outside of the bag.
If you are using directional fabric as I am, then you will need to cut the four pieces but if you are using non-directional fabric, then you could cut two larger pieces, one for the outside and one for the lining, and then fold them in half, just double up the length if you do it this way.
Step 2
Cut 4 pieces of fabric 9 ½ “ x 3”. These are for the top of the bag where the drawstring goes through.
Step 3
Cut one piece of 1 ½ “ x 7” fabric, this is for the two tabs at the bottom of the bag, that hold the cord.
Cut two pieces of cord, each 2 yard long.
Step 4
Next take the outside fabric and pin the shorter edges together, this will be the bottom of the bag so making sure that the direction of the fabric will be the correct way up.
Step 5
Sew the outer fabric along this seam and press the seam open.
Step 6
Sew the lining fabric along this seam making sure that you leave a 3” gap for turning in the middle of the seam, press the seam open.
(You’ll notice that I forgot to leave the 3” gap for turning! I went back and unpicked it, it is easily done! )
Step 7
Next mark ½ “ from the bottom seam, either with a pen or a pin, this is the mark where you will be placing the tabs.
Step 8
Take the piece of fabrics that measures 1 ½ “ x 7” and folder each long side inwards towards the right side of the fabric and press.
Step 9
Then press both sides together with the folded fabric inside.
Step 10
Sew along the edge, as close as possible to the edge.
Step 11
Cut this length of fabric in half, this will make the two tabs that you will sew at the bottom of the bag.
Step 12
Place the edge of a tab against the half inch mark at the bottom of the bag and pin, then pin the other end of the tab just above it, repeat on both sides.
Step 13
Turn the right sides together to form the bag shape and pin along the long sides, ensure you add plenty of pins to the tabs, this will make sure that they don’t move when you machine the sides up.
Step 14
Machine both long sides. I sewed over the tabs 3 or 4 times, just to give them more strength as this where the cord will be threaded.
Step 15
Now take the four pieces of fabric that are going to form the top of the bag and this is where the cord will be threaded through to make the drawstring.
Take two pieces, with right sides together, sew along 3 sides, leaving one long side unsewn.
Step 16
Clip the corners and turn the fabric to right side out and press.
Then fold these along the long side again and press again.
Step 17
I used both colours of fabric for this, using the blue inside and the pink outside.
Now pin the tops of the bags – along the unsewn side, to the top of the large bag pieces, there will be a gap either side as the top band is shorter than the bag.
Step 18
Next place the pinned bag and top inside the lining – the lining should be right sides in.
Step 19
Now you are going to pin all the pieces together along the top side of the bag. First of all match the side seams and pin those together.
Step 20
Next pin all along the top, taking the pins from the inside, where the bag and tops are pinned together, and place them on the outside, pinning all the layers together, you will need to add more pins just to make sure that nothing is going to move when you come to sew them up.
Step 21
When they are all pinned in place, sew all around the top. I found it easier to take the extension table off the machine at this point.
Step 22
Now the bag is ready for turning to the right sides out. Gently pull the bag through the 3” gap that you left in the lining (if you forgot to leave a gap you can just unpick 3”).
Step 23
This is how the bag will now look. Give it a good press making sure you press the bottom seams together along the 3” gap ready to sew.
Step 24
Sew along the 3” gap, close to the edge, using the machine or hand sew it. This seam won’t be seen as it is the lining.
Push the lining inside the bag ready to thread the cord.
Tie an end of one of the cords to a safety pin and thread this through one side of the gap at the top of the bag, out of the end and then back into the other side of the bag so it forms a loop around the top of the bag.
Pull both ends of the cord to make sure they are the same length.
Take one of the lengths and thread it through the tab, then tie a knot in the end.
That is one side of the cord threaded and now do the same to the other side, making sure you start the threading at the top, from the other side of the bag.
Your drawstring bag is now complete!
Made by Sally Mitton for The Craft Cotton Co 2017