Bows and Snails by Natasha

Directions for putting together the drawstring bags for our project.

Place the fabric folded together with right sides facing each other.  There will be 2 lines drawn at the top of each bag.  This will be where we leave an opening for our cording.  We will not sew between those lines.  You will sewing using a 1/2" seam allowance and back stitching at places where you start and stop to make sure the seams to not come apart.

Step one:  sew the side seam, leaving an opening between the lines. Video 1

Step 2:  Press open your seam where the opening was created  and stitch in a rectangle around the opening, back stitching to reinforce the seams.  Video 2

Step 3:  Once the opening has been stitched around, fold the top of the bag down to create the casing for the cording. Fold down so the upper edge of the opening is on the inside of the bag near the top.  Stitch around the bottom edge of the casing with a 1/4 to 1/2" seam allowance.  The casing will be about 1.5"-2" wide.

Step 4:  Cut the cording to be 70" long and thread it through the casing in the top of the bag.  Straighten the cording so both sides are about the same length.

Step 5:  Now as the cording comes out of the opening create an "X" with the cording so the cord that is on the left goes to the right bottom of the bag and the cord on the right goes to the left side of the bag.  Line up the side seam to go down the middle of the bag. This will leave the cords in the middle creating the straps for the backpack style bag.

  Leaving about a 1" tail with the cording, pin the bottom together.  You can take a tuck in the corners if you like to help secure the cording.  Sew along the bottom of the bag back stitching over the corners to secure the cording.

Step 6: Fold the bag inside out and you are finished!