DRAWSTRING BAG TUTORIAL

I am writing this tutorial in the hope to reassure those of you who might be reluctant to join in Zoanna's action, because they think they don't have the sufficient skills. Hopefully after reading this, you will realize that making a drawstring bag is very easy!

I am a visual person myself and understand better with pictures... And I imagine that I'm not alone in this case... So last night while making a bag, I took photographs of each step.
I am really going to go step by step so that even the very beginners can feel ready to help!
All the pictures are clickable to larger pictures, so you can take in every detail.

1. Prewash (= preshrink) your fabric (this is essential as many fabrics shrink, and those bags will obviously be much used and washed often!) and iron it. Choose a very lightweight fabric to keep shipping costs low for the organization who will be sending the bags to the shelter.

2. Cut 2 18"x18" (46x46 cm) squares for adults' bags, 14"x14" squares for kid's bags.

3. I find it is more time-effective to mark the folds for the casings now (before sewing). But you can also do this step after step # 6.

How to mark the casing: fold about 5 mm (1/4 inch) of the edge of a side to the wrong side of the fabric. Iron (possibly with steam) to mark the fold. Then fold the edge again - about 2 cm (3/4 inch) this time. Iron again to mark the fold.

4. Pin the squares, right sides together. If you're not experienced at sewing, make sure you put enough pins to hold the fabrics well together. I put my pins far from the seamlines to make sure I won't catch any while I sew (and this way I don't meet any pins on my way while I sew, which means I won't need to stop the machine to remove a pin each time I meet one! This goes much, much quicker. I sew up everything first, then remove the pins).

Here are my two squares pinned together, right sides together (what you see here is the wrong side):

you can see here that I unfolded the casing to one side.

Sew up 3 sides. On one side the seam must stop before the casing, in order to leave an opening!

To make sure I won't forget stopping the seam below the casing, I actually start sewing from there, marking the seam limit with a pin (which I put far from the seamline!):

click on the pic to see the pin marking the seam limit.

How wide should the seam allowance be? It's up to you. In my case, I position my needle to the left (and not to the centre) and I line up the edge of the fabric to the edge of the presser foot. (but I know that not all machines have the option of positioning the needle to the left rather than to the centre...)

A little tip for beginners: When you reach the end of a side, sink your needle into the fabric; put the presser foot up; use the needle as a pivot to turn your fabric at a 90° angle. Put the presser fut down and start sewing again. No need to cut your thread or anything!

5. Serge the edges on the 3 sides(with an overcasting or a zigzag stitch), stopping below the casing. Serge both edges together to gain time.

6. The edges of the casing's opening are still raw. For a nice finish, fold each edge to the wrong side of the fabric (do so for both raw edges).

Here you can see the squares sewn together to 3 sides, serged, and with the casing's edge sewn down:

7. Now is the time to sew the casing.

If your machine is free-arm, remove the box to free up the arm. This will enable you to position the bag all around the arm and sew much quicker and more easily.

Pin the casing down to the inside (=wrong side) of the bag, along the folds you created with your iron. (here again, make sure you put the pins far from the seamline).

Sew the casing down, 3-4 mm (=1/8 inch or just a bit more) from the bottom edge of the casing.

Here you can see how to place your fabric around your machine's arm. This way the fabric will sew up very smoothly, instead of being bunched up to the side (another gain of time!):

And here is your bag finished, inside out:

8. Now all you need to do is thread some cording (bought or self-made, no matter!) into the casing. Et voilà!

(wink to Zoanna: this is the cheerful fabric with African instruments I told you about!)

I hope everything makes sense? Otherwise, don't hesitate to ask any question.
I would appreciate your feedback immensely.

And of course, this is just one way of making drawstring bags! If you feel more comfortable with another method, go ahead!

If you are thinking of joining in, it would be wonderful to include a little note in each bag, with a kind word for the recipient. And remember: no two bags alike!

Sewing for Katrina victims

OK... I've decided to put my sewing and stitching projects on hold for a while...
Zoanna from A Penchant for Pens has asked me to help her make drawstring bags for victims of Katrina who are currently staying in a shelter in San Antonio. People in the US can even make what Zoanna calls "Katrina Kits" - drawstring bags filled with toiletries. All the details are in Zoanna's latest blog entry. Zoanna will kindly fill my bags for me - sending them filled up from France would come up to enormous shipping charges, and I feel it much more useful to give such a big amount of money directly to humanitarian organizations worldwide.

Here is Zoanna's first message to me:

"I was wondering if you might like to make a difference in the world with the work of your hands? I am sewing toiletry bags for victims of Katrina. They are in mass housing and I thought it would be nice to make something personal that's practical, too. Friends are helping. The idea is that no two bags are alike. The adult bags are about 18x18 , kids' bags a bit smaller. Adults get one each of toothpaste, toothbrush carrying case, toothbrush, soap, washcloth, comb, nail clippers, and a note of encouragement. Kids the same minus nail clippers and deod, but they get a small toy or stuffed animals."

After getting some more details from Zoanna over the last few days, I started making bags yesterday night. I made 2 in an hour (the next bags should go together more quickly now I've figured out the quickest way to do it.)

Bags for adults are about 18x18" square (45-46 cm), and those for kids are 14x14" (35-36 cm).

I do realize this is a trifling help... But I feel it's better than nothing. It is difficult to find ways to help, such a long way from the US (other than sending money I mean).
I was also thinking of sewing items and sell them to charity auctions but
1° I have no idea of how to evaluate my work
2° I guess I like the fact of sewing directly for the victims. Of sewing something that I know will go to that shelter and be used by someone who needs it.

I plan to concentrate very hard in my work today, so I can try and finish my daily reading/note-taking earlier and make a dash to a fabric store nearby (there is little choice in there, but I know they have lightweight fabrics!). The cording I'm making myself with some cotton crochet/knitting yarn (I take 6 strands, put them by 2, and braid them in a jiffy with a hair braider I got for 50 pence (about 1$) on Ebay last week.
Zoanna tells me she especially needs bags with a masculine flair. She has mostly feminine fabrics at hand... So I hope I'll find sober fabrics

To you friends who have a sewing machine, would you like to help? This requires very basic sewing skills (only straight lines) and I would gladly write up a tutorial!

I do have a few things to show you though - Shashi received her parcel, and I made my very first Christmas ornament a few days ago! I'll try to post pictures ASAP...

Everyone have a beautiful day!

:o)

Friends I'm feeling much better today! Throat is still a little sore but that's nothing - my head is clear again, and I've been much more efficient!

I indulged in a treat yesterday evening: Silkweaver is offering custom cuts for the JCS ornaments, and there are at least three of them I absolutely want to stitch and which require fabric I don't have... I ordered #48 for "Nature Sings", #63 for the "Love Christmas Ornament" (oh that one is just my fav! And opalescent Belfast, yum!), and #72 for "Outside My Window" (Sébastien loves that one).

This is all the Ornie Exchange fault! I also need to blame Karen and Katrina, whose ornaments I've been admiring for a while...
I am decided to decorate our flat for Xmas this year and stitch a few ornaments. Maybe we'll even find a mini tree to put on one of the loudspeakers? (That's the only space I see we can free up - right now there are only some of my little sheep toys on there... Each one with a very sentimental story to it )

In other news, all three patterns have found new homes! The Rooster and chick quilting pattern is going to Zalita. I love sending parcels all over the world! I am so grateful for all you online friends.
I will try to mail out the patterns next Monday (tomorrow should be a very busy day)!

Update on the charts :o)

Skyscape is going to Anneke in Holland, and Blossoming Birdcage is going to Carol in New Hampshire.

The Rise & Shine quilting pattern hasn't been claimed yet... Does anyone of you friends want to do appliqué patchwork?
If not, I'll advertise it on my French blog... I believe that my French-speaking readers are more often seamstresses than stitchers, so I'm hopeful it should appeal to someone in the end!

Anyone interested?

First, thank you so much friends, for your well wishes. It's not very bad really, just a silly cold and a sore throat and dizziness keeping me down. I guess I'm more bothered by the fact that this first cold announces autumn... which will lead to winter. The short days depress me...

I've been decluttering things a little in my crafty corner, and realized that I had a couple of charts and a quilting pattern that needed new homes!

First, there's a brand new chart which I received as a prize from 123 Stitch. It's a lovely pattern, but not really my style, so I don't think I'll ever stitch it (given all that I would like to stitch already!).

Would anyone like to have it?

Then there's the chart for Skyscape by Barbara Thompson, which I stitched for Seb's birthday:

And for you sewing and quilting friends, would anyone wish to make a quilt like the one I made for my Dad? It is called Rise and Shine and I would gladly send you the pattern and explanations.

That's all friends... Just add a comment if you would like something from those...

Shashi, I mailed off your little parcel this morning... Can't wait for you to get it!

A happy dance... which I can't share!

I just finished stitching my square on Zohrah's RR fabric. Zohrah wants to keep the surprise full until she receives her fabric back in February, so... I can't share it here! (should anyone wish to see it, though, I can email you a picture)

And dear Shashi is back from her trip to India! This morning I finally received what I needed to complete her gift (after waiting for 3 weeks!). I'll finish everything tonight and send it off to her tomorrow, along with the kimono pattern which was the object of our little trade...

Apart from that, I'm sick and it's been hard to concentrate on my work. Ah well. No choice, eh?

Reading...

And reading and reading. That's how I've been spending my days lately. I'm in a phase of my PhD when I have tons of books to read and to take notes from. Now the academic libraries have finally reopened, I read and take notes at the library during the day. Back home in the evenings, I choose a reading that does not require taking notes, so I can read on the sofa. And Violette is very happy...

Why does she so love to show her tummy? Is it because it is so impeccably creamy-white and delightfully fluffy? Is it because she knows we will fall for her everytime she does this?
You can't see it really well, but her little paws are on my arm - her way of saying, "Hey! I'm here, and lovely - and much more interesting than that book! So, pet me!"

I received a present yesterday, from Carol! Yes, again! It is Truswell Designs' Esmeralda. Thank you Carol, it's lovely! My little sis just spent two days in Paris to find a place to live next year and to attend a meeting about her internship (it starts in late October). She spent the night at our place and she was at home when I opened the enveloppe - she thought it was beautiful too! It felt so nice to be able to share my enthusiasm, as Seb is not too keen on this type of design...

Time to leave now! (library opens at 9...) Hope everyone have a lovely day!

Goals

I know most of you are setting goals at the beginning of the month, but well... I first had to finish the presents for Dad and my sis, and I found it difficult to look ahead of that deadline. Now this is behind me, I am thinking of the stitching and sewing goals I would like to achieve over the next few weeks.

~ Stitching ~

1. Round Robin: Stitch my square on Zohrah's fabric. I started that yesterday night. Can't show it to you though, since Zohrah wants a complete surprise! Zohrah, your fabric is so cute, you just can't imagine!
2. Christmas Ornament Exchange: Karen emailed us our names this weekend for the exchange she organized over Becky's board. I am so excited about that! I haven't decided on a design yet, there are so many lovely ornament designs out there...
3. After that, of course, the Petal Fairy will come to the foreground again. I need to check out with Mandy how she wants us to go on over the next few weeks.

~ Sewing ~

I'd like to take a short break from gift-sewing, before I start making gifts for Xmas. I really need a few new clothes!

1. I want to make a sheath dress in a velvet fabric my dear BIL gave me for my birthday. I tested a small sample in the washing machine, it came out and dried fine, so the whole chunk of fabric has now been prewashed and is ready to sew. A sheath dress should be easy and quick to sew.

2. I would also like to make a box-pleated skirt in a jean fabric. This is technically difficult but I am looking forward to learning a new technique!

OK, I know I'll still be making a few gifts for friends... looks like I can't help it. And dear Shashi spoilt me so last week: we had agreed on a pattern exchange (kimono pattern vs doll pattern), but along with her doll pattern she sent me the most beautiful Indian fabrics and trims to make the doll. I was over the moon with her parcel!

I'm nearly done with her gift, but I need a special trim which I had to order... Trim not there yet... Luckily Shashi is still in India and therefore not waiting for the parcel.

Birthday weekend

Hi everyone. Hope your weekend was lovely! Mine was.
Seb and I spent the weekend at my parents' as the whole family gathered to celebrate my father's and my younger sister's birthdays.

I had gone to bed late the night before to add the finishing touches to their presents!

Here is my father's quilt, quilted and bound:

(You can see the details better in the picture above, but the real colours are those below:)

Dad really likes it. I'm glad! I added a habging sleeve to the back.

For my sister, besides the purse and the Popcorn bear, I made her a small basket (in French we call those "vide-poches", because you can "empty your pockets" in them)

Back and inside:

The print fabric is the same cotton I used to make a skirt for Hélène, a couple of months ago (I had made one for me too!). The fabric inside is towelling. I interfaced the print fabric for more stiffness and sandwiched a layer batting between the cotton fabric and the towelling fabric, to add softness. I quilted the bottom to flatten it.

Finally, I embroidered her a towel (click for a close-up):



I chose the colours to make the kitten look like Violette (Hélène is very fond of her too!).

Those were merry birthday celebrations. With everyone's work obligations we don't get the chance to be all together often (we are four siblings), so we try to enjoy those times to the utmost.

Thanks everyone!

Oh you're all so kind... Thank you so much for the lovely comments!

San, you're right, the stitch used is a blanket stitch. Except that instead of alterning a straight stitch and a sideway one, you do three straight stitches along the fabric for every stitch that goes into the fabric.

Since my last entry, I've changed my mind about the quilt for my sister. I feel it is a bit to close in time to the one I made for Seb... So I will make it for Christmas. And perhaps I am getting a bit "burnt out" with my father's quilt?
Instead, I made her a little fabric basket/tray (where for instance she can put her jewelry and hair things when she comes home from work). I made it in the same fabric I used for her skirt.

And I will embroider a kitty on a towel. A kitty that I will try to make look just like Violette...

The camera is acting up tonight, so I'll take a photo of the basket tomorrow morning...

~*~

Instead I'm gonna show you a picture of a little parcel of goodies I sent to a friend - she received it today!
I had sent it registered and express (guaranteed to arrive in 2 days), but the registered number never worked on the internet and it took 7 days instead of 2. Well, the main thing is that Laure received it at last.

The only thing I made was the small frame with kitties who seem to peer from the frame as from out of a window. This was not my idea though... but that of a lovely lady from Normandy. Who gave one to me a few months ago and told me to copy her idea by all means, to make gifts fot others. So...

Can you make out the picture on the pattern? It is one of Scarlet's dresses in Gone with the Wind (you know, the one she has Mama sew in the green curtains at Tara?). Laure had been wanting this pattern for a while and since it could only be ordered from an American website, she asked me to do it - so I decided to buy it for her.
The fabric is just because it is completely in Laure's style!

Now I'm so glad and relieved she finally received the parcel... That's why I couldn't help blabbering about it!

Quilt top finished!

I finished appliquéing and embroidering on my father's quilt top yesterday night. I sill haven't removed the chalk markings and it is all creased, sorry about that... But at least you can get an idea of what I've been working on!

My parents just redecorated the kitchen in their countryside house (in a very rural area). They painted it white and the walls now need some adorning with bright colours. This is what I have had in mind in making this quilt...

This was my first try at patchwork appliqué and even though I found it tricky at first, I must say that I am finally happy with how the stitches turned out.
Everything is appliqué but for the beaks and the chick's legs, which are embroidered (satin stich and chain stitch).

Next step tonight: quilting and (hopefully) binding the quilt.

Tomorrow: starting on the quilt for Hélène, whose birthday is today!

Thanks everyone for the lovely comments. You can't imagine how encouraging they are - they gave me wings to finish the quit top yesterday night!

You need to know that my sister being only a year younger than me, we are very intimate... She has always been my very, very best friend. And she'll be living in Paris starting next November!! She'll be an intern in Neurology (she passed the exam this Summer and I'm so proud of her!) and she chose to work in Paris so we could be together again.

My sister's purse is done :)

My sister's monogrammed purse is all finished, look!

(click on pics to enlarge)

Front and back:

Open :


It is lined with thick white cotton.

It was the first time I used a snap closure, but it was a breeze to sew. The purse is made with suede, I love that fabric! San and Carol, you know that fabric, I used it on the back of your needlework sets