Project by Marie Pickles
Create a lovely drawstring cosmetics bag with this simple tutorial.
What you need:
Gorgeous fabric – fat quarter set from Craft Cotton Company (Press all fabric well and choose your 2 Fat Quarters)
Cotton batting the same size as your FQ (18” x 22”)
Bias binding (bought or home-made)
Ribbon or cord
Fabric marker of your choice
Large plate or circle template
(Optional) eyelet set & small hammer
Fabric sandwich
Fold fabric in half and in half again (9”x11), draw round your plate or template to made your circle; I went as large as possible giving approximately 17.5” diameter. Repeat for batting and second FQ.
Cut 3 circles
Pin and sew with 1/4"seam
Layer your sandwich; right side down on the batting and the second circle right side down on the other side of batting. Use some pins or clips and sew around using a ¼” seam leaving a small gap to turn through.
3 layers pinned ready to sew.
Trimmed & notched
Trim close to your stitching before you turn through leaving sufficient fabric sandwich at the opening to be able to catch to close. Make a few “V” notches to ensure it lies flat. When its right side out, finger press the open gap and press lightly. Sew round the edge making sure the opening is caught in this stitching. I allowed slightly over the ¼” for the top stitching.
Press well on both sides, finally choose which is the ‘out’ side and place this down with the “in” side facing you.
Using your bias binding carefully pin this round the edge approximately ½” – ¾” from the edge.
This spacing defines how the bag will sit when pulled closed.
The bias binding has to be able to contain the width of your ribbon/cord.
Line marked for bias tape.
Bias tape on with gap for cords
Fold the bias over to leave a clean edge that won’t fray at the start (and the end) of the tape. Press before you start stitching into place.
The bias binding will need to be manipulated in place and will need a wee bit of fixing and fiddling to take account of the reducing size of the circle. To make this easier, first sew the outside edge of the bias then you have a stable platform to finish stitching the channel into place. Make tiny pleats to accommodate the reducing circle and keep the tape taut.
Leave a ½”-1” gap between the two short bias edges as this is where your pull cords will be.
Gap for cording
Feed cords through to pull closed
Using a bodkin, safety pin or something similar thread the cord/ribbon through, measure the cord to fit the circumference of the bag and there will be a good length to tie off and close the bag.
Cords can be brought through to the outside of the bag if desired. To keep the fabric from tearing as the bag is pulled open and closed, the holes where cords come through must be reinforced in some way.
There may be an eyelet stitch or a small buttonhole stitch on your machine which will enable a cord to be pulled without damaging the fabric as it reinforces the aperture with close tight stitches.
Eyelet kits can be bought from most haberdashery shops and come in a variety of different finishes.
Alternatively, you may wish to use an eyelet kit (same as I used in my bag). The tool punches a hole and removes the fabric then two rings of metal or plastic are hammered together leaving the fabric reinforced and safe when pulling the cords.
Your bright zingy wake up make up bag is now finished, well done!
Made by Marie Pickles for The Craft Cotton Company 2021