Bags and More Bags

Even before my post on Last-Minute Gift Wrap & Tags went live on Sew, Mama, Sew a few weeks ago, you most likely already knew I really like to make and use fabric gift bags. In Color Order's Lined Drawstring Bag has pretty much been my go-to bag ever since I first discovered it, but I needed something a little simpler for this Christmas.

I started off with the drawstring bag tutorial by s.o.t.a.k handmade, a bag I was already familiar with. I cut out 2 at a time, and then alternated the bag exterior and linings, using some Essex linen for the casings, and finishing with chevron twill tape and woven cotton trim as ties.

For some reason that little bit of Essex made me want to try something else, so I used a mini charm pack for a little patchwork to accent a super-sized linen bag. I went so far as using a layer of cotton batt in this one, and quilting it up. Definitely a heftier bag than my norm, but boy was it fun, and I do love linen and patchwork together, don't you?

During the time I was getting going on these bags, I saw the snowman insta-tutorial by beelori1 of Bee in My Bonnet, and I couldn't resist making one up. In my excitement, I forgot about the buttons down his front, but I thought he'd be fun on the front of a bag for grandgirl. I especially like the striped scarf I found for him, and was pretty successful with my second go at sketch-stitching for his face and arms.

Ready to try something else, I decided on John Q. Adams/quilt dad's Patchwork Stripe Bag tutorial from his book Pretty in Patchwork: Holidays, shared as a free tutorial recently on Sew, Mama, Sew. There's actually 3 different options in the tutorial, which is really great. As with my first pair of bags above, I cut out 2 at a time and just switched up the pieces. I find them pretty irresistible. One thing of note in John's pattern is you sew only 1 line for the casing, though the casing holes are 'normal' - just large enough for the ribbon. I was kinda confused about it at first, but look what a sweet effect it gives to the bags. I like it for a change.

After all these, the Trim-Tied Gift Bags I'd already made, plus the random fabric bags I had from last year, I still needed a few more. So it made sense to make them up using the 2 patterns I'd gotten pretty familiar with lately . . . quilt dad's on the left, and s.o.t.a.k handmade's on the right. Just 'plain,' they are both a pretty quick, but still satisfying, sew.

Oh yeah, and then I needed just one more - isn't that how it is? But I loved playing with this Hip Holiday line again!

I still have plenty of Christmasy fabric left, and in a perfect world, I'd get to making some for next year right after Christmas. There's always more to try, and I've been pinning plenty of tutorials on my Bags Pinterest board. But you can probably guess how that will go....so whatever. At least this year's gifts are in the bag.

Fabrics used: photos #1 & #4: A Merry Little Christmas by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake, #2: Solstice by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics with Essex linen blend, #3: Sunnyside by Kate Spain for Moda Fabrics, #5: Yonder Star by De Leon Design Group for Alexander Henry Fabrics (R) + Hip Holiday by Josephine Kimberling for blend (L), #6: Hip Holiday by Josephine Kimberling for blend. I failed to get a photo of the bag I made with the terrific Holiday Socks by Michael Miller.