Raindrop Drawstring Bag Tutorial

How does the saying go?...Necessity is the mother of invention?  Well that's how this bag came to be.  I needed a little bag that was quick to sew and was big enough to hold a handful of candy and I wanted it to have a unique shape.  It needed to have a wee bit of personality.  

And so the Raindrop Drawstring Bag was born!  These were so fun and fast to make so I decided to share a tutorial here with you.

First of all, aren't these valentine prints so sweet?  It's a little novelty line by Riley Blake Designs called Punny Valentine.  I'm using the teal print but there's also two different pinks plus a couple of other coordinating prints.  See more of them here.  

Alright - ready to make a bag?  Here's what you'll need: 

• A 10" square of fabric for bag **
• 1 yard of 1/4" or 3/8" grosgrain ribbon
• Bag template (download PDF here)
• Helpful tools: Coordinating thread, scissors, pencil, pinking shears, safety pin, iron

**want to make more than one bag?  
-- one layer cake square (10") makes 1 bag
-- 1 fat quarter can make 4 bags
-- 1/4 yard of fabric can make 4 bags

Step 1:  Cut your fabric into two rectangles measuring 5" x 8 1/2"

Step 2:  Decide which end is the bottom of the bag (if you're using directional prints this is important!)  

With a pencil, trace the bag shape onto the wrong side of one of the rectangles.  Really you'll only need to trace the curved bottom edge of the bag since the straight edges of the template will line up with the top and sides of the rectangle.  

Stack both fabric pieces together and cut along the lines with scissors.  

Step 3:  On the wrong side of one of the pieces, make a small marking at 2.75" from the top edge and at 3.5" from the top edge of the bag.  Make the same marks on the opposite edge of the same bag piece.  These markings tell you where to stop and start sewing and will create an opening for the ribbon to be inserted at a later step.  

Step 4:  Along the top edge, fold down 1/2" and press.  Then fold over again 1 1/2" and press.  Press both bag pieces.

Step 5:  Unfold top edge and place the two bag pieces right sides together. Pin together along the sides and bottom.

Step 6:  Using a 1/4" seam, stitch around the sides and bottom of bag, leaving the area between the marked lines open.

Step 7:  With the pinking shears, trim the seam allowance around the curved bottom edge of the bag.  Clip close to the seam, but be careful not to clip through the seam!

Step 8:  Turn bag right side out.  On the inside of the bag, run your finger along the bottom inside seam to gently push out the fabric along the curved edge.  Then lay the bag flat and give just the bottom of the bag a quick press to make that curved edge nice and smooth.    

Step 9:  Fold the top edge under 1/2" along the pressed fold line and then again 1 1/2" along the pressed fold line.  Use a couple of pins to hold it in place.

Step 10:  On the inside of the bag, stitch around the bag opening close to the first folded edge.  Then stitch a second time 5/8" from the top edge.  This will create a channel for the ribbon.

Step 11:  Cut two lengths of ribbon, each 17" long.  Place a safety pin at one end of one of the ribbons.  The pin will make it easier to guide the ribbon through the channel.   

Push the pin through the opening on one side of the bag.  Thread the ribbon around the entire bag, having it exit out the same hole it entered.  

Remove the pin, knot the ribbon ends together and trim with pinking shears to keep them from fraying.

Step 12:  Place the pin on the end of the second ribbon.  Thread that ribbon through the hole in the opposite side seam of the bag.  Push the ribbon around the entire bag, having it exit the same hole it entered.  Remove the pin, knot the ribbon ends and trim ends with pinking shears. 

There should be a knotted ribbon on each side of the bag.  Pull the ribbons to cinch the bag closed.

Your bag is done! Fill it with candy, earbuds, jewelry, more candy, a gift card....whatever!  

Here are my four bags together. I must warn you - these are fast and fun and a little addicting.  I really just needed one bag but these prints all looked so good together so I just kept going!

Want to save this for later?  Pin the image below to your Pinterest board so you can find it when you need to.  And if you make a bag I'd love to see it!  Tag me (@abrightcorner) and use the hashtags #raindropdrawstringbag and #abrightcorner.  

Happy sewing, and enjoy your weekend!

--Andy

A New Quilt Pattern in The Shop - Layer Cake Lucy

Hey there- I'm just stopping in for a minute to let you know that I've added a new quilt pattern to my shop!

This is Layer Cake Lucy, and if you've read my last post then you know all about this fun quilt.

If you have a favorite Layer Cake you've been hoarding saving, this is the pattern for you.  Layer Cake Lucy uses the entire Layer Cake with no waste!  

The finished quilt measures 67" x 77.5" which is a generous throw size but would also work as a twin size quilt.  

For a short time the PDF pattern is just $5 and you can find it here in my shop.  

The quilt on the cover is made with May Belle (buy it here) but would you like to see the quilt done up in some other fabrics?

How about Walkabout by Sherri & Chelsi (Moda Fabrics)

Or Nova by Basic Grey (Moda Fabrics) - I love the colors in this line!

and this one is my favorite, Orchard by April Rosenthal (Moda Fabrics)

Grab your copy of Layer Cake Lucy pattern here and get stitching!

If you make a Layer Cake Lucy quilt I'd love to see it!  Tag me on Instagram (@abrightcorner) and use the hashtags #abrightcorner and #layercakelucy so we can all see what you've created!

Happy sewing -
--Andy

**This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) when purchases are made through links found in this post.

A Pretty Quilt Finish + May Belle Fabric

If you follow me on Instagram you've had the chance to see some sneak peeks as I shared my progress on this quilt over the past week or so, both in my posts and in my stories.

The idea for this quilt all started with a 10" stacker (42 pre-cut 10" squares) of May Belle.  This is a fabric line designed by my friend, Jodi Nelson.  You may know her because of her fun pinbowls, and this is her first fabric line with Penny Rose fabrics.  

I fell in love with the colors of this line first (you know I'm a big fan of red florals, right?)  And then the more I sewed with these prints the more I loved them all.

The variety of different florals in this line give it such a soft, pretty feel. And the scale of the plaid is just right.  I do love a good plaid!

As I considered what to create with this 10" stacker, I knew I wanted to come up with a design that used every bit of it --with no waste, and no leftover.  And I'm really happy with the results!  

I'm writing up the quilt pattern to share and I'll have it ready on Wednesday - to be sure to check back (or better yet, subscribe to my newsletter so you can be notified when the pattern is ready!)

**updated to add:  The pattern is called Layer Cake Lucy and is available in my shop here!**

You can find May Belle fabrics at the Fat Quarter Shop here.  They should also be in your local quilt shop as well.  

Quilt Details:
67" x 77.5"
Pattern:  Layer Cake Lucy (find it here)
Fabric: May Belle by Jodi Nelson for Penny Rose fabrics
Quilting:  Knit 1 Purl 2 computerized edge-to-edge design
Backing:  Confetti Cottons Petal Pink, Riley Blake Designs

Happy sewing everyone!
--Andy

A Tote Bag + Fruitful Pleasures Fabric

Hey everyone!  

I'm just popping in to share a couple of quick tote bags that I whipped up over the weekend. 

I used my French Market Tote Bag tutorial (click here for tutorial), and the first one sewed together quickly so I decided to make another!

The fabrics for these bags are prints from the Fruitful Pleasures fabric line.  It's designed by Lila Tueller (Riley Blake Designs) and it's filled with lovely, saturated colors and pretty florals.  

For one bag you'll need:
1/3 yard main bag print
3/4 yard bag liner & handles
18" x 45" piece of interfacing

For the stabilizer I used my favorite - Pellon Decor-Bond Fusible Interfacing (Pellon 809).  It provides great structure without being as puffy as a fusible fleece.  I buy yards and yards of it when it's on sale at JoAnn so I always have some on hand.

And in case you're wondering about how the Pellon 809 holds up, I've been using my first French Market Tote for over a year and a half now and it looks as good as the day I made it.  It comes with us to church each week and sometimes takes a beating as we pack it full of things.  But it still holds it's shape and isn't showing any wear & tear.  

Here's the second tote bag I made, this time with a fun, fuchsia lining. It really pops against the navy floral, doesn't it? I love using a contrasting fabric for the bag liner!

The finished tote bags measure 11"(H) x 14" (W) x 3"(D)

You can find the French Market Tote Bag tutorial here.  And if you make a tote bag I'd love to see it! Use the hashtags #frenchmarkettote and #abrightcorner so we can all see what you've created!   

Happy sewing!

--Andy

Varsity Fabrics + Line Up Quilt Tutorial

Happy Friday!  We've been enjoying some beautifully warm weather all week and the sunshine has been doing my soul some good!  I admit that it's fun to pull out favorite boots and sweaters each fall, but I'm NOT a fan of cold weather at all.  

In our house not only does fall mean colder weather, but it also means it's football season and more importantly, marching band season!  Our high school football team has finished their regular season games already but we've still got plenty of college games to watch in the next month or so.  

Over the past week I've been sewing with these fun football prints from a new fabric line called Varsity.  It was designed by one of my favorite designers, Deena Rutter for Riley Blake Designs.  The brown texture print and the green yardline prints are so fun!

I'm always on the lookout for a great way to use pre-cut squares so I designed this quilt for either 5" squares or 10" squares, but you can totally also use fat quarters, or even just yardage like I did!

Here's how to make your own Line Up quilt (finished quilt measures 58.5" x 70"):


You'll need-

143 total 5" print squares

• 1 layer cake / 10" stacker
• or 4 charm packs / 5" stackers
• or 12 fat quarters
• or 9 prints, 1/3 yard of each

1 1/4 yards white solid fabric

1/2 yard binding fabric

3 3/4 yards backing fabric

Cutting:

Cut all print fabrics into 5" squares.  You'll need 143 total. 

From the white solid fabric cut:

     15 strips, 2" x width of fabric

     3 strips, 3" x width of fabric

From the binding fabric cut:

     7 strips, 2.5" x width of fabric

Quilt Construction:

1.     Divide squares into 11 rows of 13 blocks each.  Arrange into rows.  

2.     For all odd numbered rows (1, 3, 5, 7, 11) sew squares together into one long row.  Cut 1/4" from just the two squares on both ends of the rows. Rows should measure 58.5" long.

3.     For all even numbered rows, cut one square in half and place the halves on each end of the row.  Sew squares together into rows.  Rows should measure 58.5" long.

4.     Sew the 2"-wide white strips together end to end to make one long strip.  Cut into ten, 58.5"-long strips.

5.     Sew the 3"-wide white strips together end to end to make one long strip.  Cut into two, 58.5"-long strips.

6.     Sew the pieced rows and white strips together as shown in the diagram.  The first and last white strips will be the 3"-wide ones.

To keep the rows from shifting as you sew them together, find the center point of each row and mark with a pin.  When you sew two rows together, match up the center points and then pin along the length of the row. 

Quilt top should measure 58.5" x 70"

If you make a Line Up quilt I'd love to see it!  Tag me on Instagram (@abrightcorner) and use the hashtags #lineupquilt and #abrightcorner so we can all see what you've created!  

Have a fantastic weekend, and I hope you're able to squeeze in some sewing!

Quilt details:

58.5" x 70"

Pattern: Line Up quilt tutorial

Fabric: Varsity by Deena Rutter for Riley Blake Designs

Quilting: Two Scoops (edge to edge computerized design)

Backing: Riley Blake Confetti Cottons solid