'Tis the Season: Scrap Busting Gift Bags Tutorial

I'm working on my final holiday shopping list.  Gift bags for little stocking stuffer items are on my list, but they seem like such a waste of money. However, I already have a drawer filled to overflowing with leftover fabric from Christmases past. This super quick pattern was just what I needed to bust my stash and to have reusable gift bags at absolutely no cost.

Sunday night, while watching a silly holiday movie, I chose the fabrics and cut out the pieces I'd need for these six little bags.  Monday, in under three hours, I completely finished all of them. The sewing, ribbon and all took less than half an hour per bag.

Finished Measurements

These bags are 9 1/2" wide and 10" tall. The base is 4" x 5". They are large enough to hold a large mug and assorted goodies, a scarf or a pair of gloves, a mini loaf of pumpkin bread, or an assortment of all sorts of other goodies. The top can be left open for larger items or pulled snuggly together for smaller items.

The white mug is a standard 12 oz size, 4 inches tall and 3 1/2" in diameter at the top.

Fabrics and Materials

• For the outside of bag: Either one fat quarter of fabric or two rectangles 9 1/2" x 13"
• For the lining: Either one fat quarter of contrast fabric or two rectangles 9 1/2" x 13"
• Two 28" lengths of ribbon for the drawstrings, 5/8" or 3/4" wide. (With a satin or other smooth surfaced ribbon in the drawstring carrier the bag will slide open and closed easily. A textured ribbon like a grosgrain will tend to make opening and closing the bag a little bit harder.)
• Thread
• Fray Check (A half and half mixture of Elmer's glue and water can be substituted for Fray Check

Cutting

•  Cut two rectangles, 9 1/2" x 13", from the main fabric and two of the same size from the lining fabric.
• Cut two strips of contrast fabric, 1 1/2" x 9".
• Cut and remove a 2"x 2" square from each corner of the bottom end of each rectangle.

   

Sewing Instructions
Sew all seams with a 1/4" seam allowance.

1. Fold the long edges of the 1 1/2" x 9" contrast fabric strip in 1/4". Press. Fold the two ends in 1/4". Press and stitch the two ends down.

  

2.  Align the top edge of a prepared contrast strip 2 1/4" down from the top of each piece of the main fabric. Center the strip 1/2" in from each side. Topstitch the long sides of the strips down with a narrow edge seam. Leave the ends open. These two strips make the carriers for the drawstrings.



3. With right sides together, sew the side seams and the seam at the bottom of the bag.

4. Sew the lining fabric in the same way, but leave a 2" space open along one side seam. This opening will be used to turn the bag when it's finished.  

5. Press all seams open. Press the edges of the opening in the lining back so they are even with the seam allowance.



6. Bring the side seams and the bottom seam of the 2" x 2" squares at the bottom of the bag together. Stitch straight across to make the boxed corners.





7. Turn the lining right side out and fit it inside the main bag. Line the seams up, and sew the bag and the lining together at the top.



8. Turn the bag right side out by pulling the entire piece through the opening in the side seam of the lining.

9. Close the opening with hand stitching, or machine sew it together with a narrow edge stitch.

  

10. Fold the lining to the outside of the bag and press the top seam flat. I pressed the lining to lie just barely below the main fabric.



11. From the front of the bag, topstitch right next to the upper edge of the carrier. Stitch all the way around the bag in one continuous seam.

 

12. Turn the bag right side out.

Inserting the ribbon for the drawstrings

1. Attach a safety pin to an end of one of the ribbon pieces. Begin on one of the carrier side openings. Insert the safety pin and pull the ribbon through. Cross to the next carrier and continue pulling the ribbon through that one, bringing the ribbon out on the same side that it went in.

  


2. Pull the two ends of the ribbon so the ends are even. Hold the ribbon ends together, make a loop and pull the ends through to tie in a knot.

  

3. Insert the second ribbon exactly like the first, but start on the other side of the bag.

  

4. Trim the ends of ribbon close to the knots and dab with a bit of Fray Check to prevent fraying.

5. Pull on the ends of the ribbons to close the bag.

Enjoy!!

Last Minute Gifts: Coasters to Potholders in One Pattern

I love easy, peasy projects.

I love quick and easy best when holidays are coming and time is running short. Like now.

That's why I got so excited when my friend, Anne, dropped by with this little coaster. She made in no time, using only five charm squares and a bit of batting. I envisioned so many different uses for this idea.

The button isn't necessary, but it adds interest.

Scrap busters, stocking stuffers, little gifts for friends and neighbors, are all rolled up in one very quick and easy pattern. This is my kind of pattern!! I love the versatility, too, as these can be made any size you like. Each piece is made from five squares of fabric and a piece of batting The finished project will be 1/2" smaller than the size of the fabric squares. Anne's gift is 4 1/2" square.

I started with 5 1/2" squares of leftover holiday fabric, and made 5" coasters . These went so fast, that I made two sets of four in one short afternoon. It wasn't necessary at all, but I sewed flat buttons onto one set so as not to throw a cup off balance. I wrote "Merry" on the other with my sewing machine's alphabet setting.

A larger set came next. These finished at 6 1/2" square and I lined them with Insul Bright instead of batting. They make great mug rugs or small hot pads. 

Finally I made a potholder. 

Zip, zip, and done. 

Tutorial for the Potholder:
(To make coasters or mug rugs use only one layer of either batting or Insul Bright, and leave out the loop for hanging.)

Materials: 
Five 8 1/2" squares of fabric
One 1 1/2" x 6" rectangle of fabric
One 8 1/2" square if batting
One 8 1/2" square of Insul Bright

Fold four of these squares in half with the right sides facing out, and press. The unfolded piece will be on the back of your potholder.

Make the loop for hanging the potholder.

Fold the small rectangle of fabric in half lengthwise. Press. 

Fold one long side of the rectangle in to the center fold. Press.

Fold the other long side over the top.

Press and tuck it under the first fold.

Stitch along the outside fold.

Fold the loop in half and stay stitch to a corner of the unfolded 8 1/2" square of fabric. 

Layer the fabrics for sewing.

Layer the fabrics in this order from bottom to top: Batting, Insul Bright, the unfolded square of fabric. The fabric should face right side up. 

Arrange the folded squares out, one on each side of the square. Make sure the folded edge faces in toward the center. 

Lay the folded bottom square onto the layered batting and fabric. Line it up with the edges. 

Lay the folded square on the right hand side onto the layered squares. Half of the bottom square will be covered.

Lay the folded square at the top onto the layered squares next, covering half of the square on the right. 

Lay the folded square on the left onto to the layered squares covering half of the square on the top. 

The folded square on the bottom is now completely covered. Lift up the portion under the folded square on the left and lay it over the top of that one. 

Double check to make sure all the folds are at the center and all the sides are lined up carefully. Pin together.

Sew the potholder together.

For best results, sew with a walking foot. 

Sew all around the layered fabric square using a 1/4" seam allowance. Stitch a curve going around each corner to reduce bulk. You could draw the curve or just wing it.

Trim the fabric back to 1/8" to 3/16" all around. 

Slip your fingers under the layers at the center to turn the potholder inside out. 

Use a tool to push out and smooth the corners. I used a knitting needle - carefully so as not to poke a hole in anything.

Press.

The back of the potholder

It isn't really necessary, but I secured the squares of fabric in the center of the potholder with a bit of embroidery floss tied in a knot. 

There you have it. To make other sizes, simply cut things smaller or larger. There's nothing quite like quick and easy gifts all ready to go. 

A Thanksgiving Day Birthday Cake

If you love chocolate and if you love cake, I have the link to a perfect recipe for you.

Every Thanksgiving Day, after turkey and all the fixings have had time to settle, I bring out dessert. I don't serve pumpkin pie or any other kind of pie. For us it's a chocolate birthday cake and a celebration of the three family birthdays that fall within a few days of Thanksgiving.

The cake is always our favorite chocolate truffle cake - the downright decadent, drown yourself in chocolate heaven, once a year only cake that we share on Thanksgiving. It's become our own family tradition.

The recipe is from "Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts". I bought it years ago, but now the entire book is now available online. This is the link:
 https://books.google.com/books?id=4kGDCeDcxaoC&pg=PA94&dq=good+housekeeping+chocolate+truffle+cake&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW6t_97KzJAhXMRyYKHaseC8EQ6AEIOzAB#v=onepage&q=good%20housekeeping%20chocolate%20truffle%20cake&f=false

I always bake the cake well ahead of time.
It will keep for a two or three days in the fridge, and it freezes well. 

I need to get back to my fleece! 

There's work to do!!

Only 28 days till Christmas!

Wishing you a beautiful week as December comes marching in!!