2025 Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along

By now you probably know.... it's tradition! I'm talking about the Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along hosted by Jeni Baker @jenib320. I've been participating as long as it's been held - 2020 or 2021? - and making Jeni's bag pattern long before that. It all started when my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness began making these reusable gift bags years ago, the family (and friends!) liked them and grew to expect them, so I joined in the effort and started making them too. After family Christmas, Rachel and I return all the bags to the appropriate maker, so we each have our own hand-made stash to start with the next year. For birthdays, though, we seem to assume the gift bag is part of the gift. Go figure!

At any rate, before joining Jeni's sew along this year, I got out my Christmas bag stash to see how many and what sizes I had. Nearly 40! And that probably would have been enough. BUT. There's always the random present that no bag will fit, or some new fabrics to add to the collection. There's a variety of reasons to need to make just a few more.

Since it's always hard to guess what sizes will be needed, I just started making. Happily, I found a few partially-constructed bags in my Christmas fabric stash, so that's where I started (above). Left to right, there's an Artist bag with mini accent, a two-fabric DVD bag, and a Snack-size with mini accent.

Then, wouldn't you know it, one of my friends who always loves my handmades, asked for a few bags in a variety of sizes as her gift this year. So for her, I made an Artist bag and a Project bag, both with a mini accent; and one of Jeni's new Scrappy Color Blocked Lined Drawstring Bags in the snack size.

Then there was another Snack size bag with a mini accents for another friend's gift.

AND I just really needed to make some new bags for Rachel in blue Christmas-y fabric. It's all Deco Frost by Giucy Giuce. I made a trio, all the Artist bag size, in a variety of the fabrics and bag designs - (right to left below) a mini accent, a traditional, and a two-fabric variation.

Another friend got an Artist bag using the Peek-A-Boo Lining variation....

And finally, I tried Jeni's Leftover Quilt Block bag, which is a new size - 12" wide x 16.5" tall - the same width, but just a few inches taller than The Project Bag. Actually, the block I used - from the Block Studies Collective Star Brite prompt - was just 11" square, but the tutorial is easily adaptable, which is great.

Well, I think I outdid myself this year! Twelve new bags in all. Honestly, it never gets old.

Block Studies Collective | Star Bright

Another month, another challenge and bit of color exploration with Block Studies Collective and Tara Faughnan @tarafaughnan. The theme, Star Brite, was basically a chance to master y-seams. There were all sorts of star variations we could try, and I decided to go for the scrappy string piecing option.

I worked from stash this month, pulling solids as close as I could to Tara's selection, saving my favorite for the background. Thanks to two zoom meetings on the same day, I was able to completely piece my star. I sent a picture to my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness, who thought it looked very springy, and perfect for a gift bag. Lightbulb! Jeni @incolororder had just posted a lined drawstring gift bag pattern for leftover 12.5" quilt blocks. Well my block wasn't actually leftover, but I still thought it sounded perfect to use this block to try Jeni's new bag variation.

My block was just 11", but it was easy to adjust the pattern to suit my block. I just made the accent 4.5" rather than 5" wide; thus the lining was cut 11" x 15".

So it may have taken me over four hours to piece that multi-colored star, but it only took about 30 to sew it into a bag. Can't beat that. I got to try out the y-seam challenge, and still have a finished project in record time.

2024 Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along

As usual, I've been following along with the Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along with Jeni Baker @jenib320. Her reusable bags are very popular in our family, so need them or not, I always add a few to our collection each holiday season. First up, I had to try her new Wreath Block Drawstring Bag Tutorial, which makes a cute, festive bag approximately 10" tall, 7" wide, 3" deep. I think it turned out really cute!

Next up, I tried Jeni's new Book Drawstring Gift Bag Tutorial in two sizes - see upper left and lower right in the photo below.

I also made the two penguin bags this year using the mini accent variation in Jeni's Expansion Pattern, as it's pretty much my favorite bag style. The one in the upper right is the Everything Bag size; in the lower left is the Project Bag size. I also have a few other bags cut out and ready to sew, but I think I'll wait and see if I need them this year. 

In case you're interested in making some lined drawstring bags using Jeni's pattern, she offers A LOT of tips and ideas on her Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along page, and every year she adds more and more. This year she added really helpful Tips for Sturdy Drawstring Bags and Tie-Dye Cotton Twill Tape Tutorial in addition to the new Wreath Block Drawstring Bag Tutorial and Book Drawstring Gift Bag Tutorial. There are SO many ideas and options. We really enjoy using them year after year.

It's the Little Things

Last year on International Scrap Sorting Day, I actually managed to sort my print scraps by color, though I chose not to press any of them or cut them into any particular sizes. And that's how things have remained, and it's been fine. Though I didn't really participate on the day this year, other than play with piecing scraps together, it was the impetus to make several small projects.

First up was a set of four orange and black potholders.

With two round 'corners,' and two square, they are my favorite potholder shape. I put the same backing on all of them, a favorite orange print from my stash, the same as some of the scraps on the front.

And then I actually used some charm squares to make a lined drawstring bag to hold my older granddaughter's birthday gift. After miscutting my lining fabric, I ended up with a combo of the Simple Patchwork Drawstring Bag + Mini Accent Drawstring Bag variations from the Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern by Jeni Baker @jenib320. Actually, I'm quite happy with it, and might make this combo again on purpose!

This last make wasn't actually made from scraps, per se, but it seemed to fit the 'Little Things' category. And it's a Pop Open Pouch made for my daughter-in-law, Lindsey @lindsjeske, who we happily got to celebrate with on her birthday this year. The pattern is one by Aneela Hoey @aneelahoey, and is actually one of my very favorite zipper pouch patterns to make and to use.

So all three of those projects were most enjoyable to make. Now back to finishing up a quilt back for my Like, Totally BOM quilt and this month's Block Studies Collective project, which I have yet to start. Onward.

2023 Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along

I had intended on making a bunch more fabric gift bags during Jeni's @jenib320 annual Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along, but when I gathered what I already had in our stash (43! See them all here.), I settled on just two. 

First, I'd already begun working on a Simple Patchwork Drawstring Bag from Jeni's Expansion Pattern. It's a Project Bag size, with the exterior pieced from a Flurry Charm Pack Christmas Collection by Ruby Star Society that my daughter Rachel @snippetsofsweetness had tucked in my stocking last Christmas. I used 1/2" cotton twill tape for ties, accented with 3/4" beehive wooden beads purchased from In Color Order.

Then I had to try Jeni's new Peppermint Stripe Lined Drawstring Bag tutorial using red scraps. It's the Everything Bag size, and I think a super cute variation. For ties, I used 3/4" red and white twill tape, which I buy by the roll and keep on hand.

So those two satisfied my urge for this Christmas at least, though I know I'll be making more throughout the year to come. It's what we do. ;-)

More Small Makes

Soooo.... there wasn't much quilting going on this last month, but small random projects - oh yeah. I've already shared about all the gift bags, the hand-stitched oven mitt (which I am really enjoying using!), the embroidered snowflake ornaments, and the Quilted Fabric Basket. But there was also a pair of cute pillowcases for my granddaughters using my favorite tutorial by The Twiddletails Blog. Thanks to my friend Sharon @redapplestitches for sharing the print fabrics with me, which I subsequently paired with Kona Petunia.

There was another hand-stitched oven mitt inspired by the workshop with Aaron Sanders Head. I stitched the back with a different stitch than the first, which I really like. The exterior fabric is Essex Homespun, just like the first, and I really like it for this particular project.

And then there were a whole bunch more stitched ornaments, though quite different from the first. There were Bitty Brush Trees....

  

  

  

  

and a pair of Snowflake Season, both patterns by Cheri @tinkerellen.

 

The designs fit in 3" wooden hoops, and were lots of fun to stitch and gift. Using beads isn't my norm but perfect for the little trees! You can see somewhere along the line, I changed from 'potted' trees to trees on a stand. For some reason, the simplicity of those stands really charmed me.

So that's it for finished projects in 2022! I have just a couple of WIPs moving into the new year with me, and a new quilt already going up on the design wall. Looking forward to what the new creative year holds for all of us!

2022 Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along

Back in mid-November, Jeni Baker @jenib320 began the 2022 Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along, and I was all in. Our family loves repurposing fabric giftbags each Christmas (and other times of the year!); but every year it seems I (and my daughter, Rachel @snippetsofsweetness) need to make more to add to our stashes. 

Though I ordered just a few pieces of new holiday fabric to mix in with what I had, I mostly planned to make as many bags as I could with my current stash, and that worked pretty well. I did, however, need to place an order in Jeni's shop for some supplies for bag ties. In addition to my favorite twill tape, I also ordered some paracord to try. Also shown are some fun beads I plan to use on future bags, and some cotton webbing just to have on hand.

In Week 2 of the sew along, Jeni shared a new tutorial for a Patchwork Star Lined Drawstring Bag, which I definitely wanted to try, and I made it the first new bag I sewed up. Cute, isn't it?!

After that, I focused on more basic bags without a pieced front, basically for the purpose of speed. I used the basic pattern in Jeni's Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern - the same as her free tutorial, except with 8 sizes + instructions for a custom size. And then I also referenced her Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern, which has my current favorite, the Mini Accent variation (see the navy one on the left, below, the three aqua ones, and the gray one in the lower right). The expansion pattern also has the alternative gusset method that is my go-to now.

As you can see, I used a variety of options for ties, depending on what each bag called for - twill tape, cotton cord, and of course the paracord, which was fun to try! I was a bit ahead of the sew along, as just today, Jeni shared a really helpful post on Tips for Working with Paracord. I obviously figured out how to finish off the ends of the paracord, but I learned a thing or two from her post for next time. Meanwhile, I have 10 new bags for this season - three each Artist-size and Project-size, and four Everything-size. Unfortunately that's absolutely the only thing I'd done to get ready for the season, but it's something!

Rounded Drawstring Pouch

I'd had my eye on the Rounded Drawstring Pouch tutorial by Sunny Day Supply for several weeks, so when it was time to whip up a little something-something for my grandgirls for Easter, it seemed perfect timing to give it a try.

Small projects like these are the perfect chance to dig into stash for some cute prints. I totally forgot to get a photo of the bag linings, but trust me, it was fun to coordinate them with the exterior and casing fabrics. And isn't the rounded shape of these bags just the cutest?

The finished bags measured about 7" high by 12" wide, and were a super quick sew.... perfect for squeezing into a busy day plus taking a short breather from the larger work in progress! Thinking I should make a few more just to have on hand.

Newest Round of Giftbags

When Jeni Baker announced that her Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along was back for another year, I ordered up some twill tap and beads (a first!) from her shop, and pulled out my stack of Christmas fabric. I did purchase one new piece of fabric - Skinny Stripe in Crimson from Between the Lines by RJR Studio. I had in mind to make one style of bag from Jeni's Expansion Pattern, and use the crimson stripe as the accent on each. So the body and linings of the bags would all be different, but the trim would be the same. And I love how that worked out!

I chose the Mini Accent Drawstring Bag, and made eight! I made one each of the CD, Snack, Project, Everything, and Laundry Bags, and three of the Artist Bags, so a full range of sizes. I kind of like this variation of Jeni's basic Lined Drawstring Bag because it maximizes the space in the bag. And it seemed to save time to make the same style bag in several sizes, as I didn't have to look back at the pattern so much. So win-win there.

There were two different ties that I used - a red striped twill (my 'normal') and then some 1/2" neutral cotton twill tape that I purchased from Jeni. I also made some fabric ties for the first time for one bag (see top right bag above), because that seemed the best option. 

And as I mentioned above, I used 3/4" Round Wooden Beads that I also purchased from Jeni. She had a great post on How to Customize Wooden Beads with Paint, Stain, and Dye. I chose the spray option (white paint + clear acrylic coating), making use of what hubby happened to have on hand. My novice process also included some wooden chopsticks to hold the beads, a vice to hold the chopsticks while I sprayed, and a piece of repurposed styrofoam to hold the chopsticks while the beads dried. I had intended to spray them all with the clear acrylic, but being unfamiliar with the garage work bench, I grabbed the can of white by mistake. Oops! So that's why I have a few white beads, but the rest have a clear finish as intended. Just for the record, once the white paint was dry, I sprayed them with the clear acrylic as well.

Anyway, they were a fun add-on for a change. I found that depending on the twill I used, some beads needed a knot on either end, while for some, one knot at the end was enough.

In addition to those coordinating bags, I also decided to make the simple patchwork variation from Jeni's Expansion Pattern. My daughter Rachel/@snippetsofsweetness sometimes sneaks charm packs into my Christmas stocking, and I had this mini of Kate Spain's Aurora which worked perfectly to  make an Everything Bag.

Soooo, we'll see if this big batch, along with bags from previous years, gets me through the gift-giving season. Even though our family reuses the bags we exchange, inevitably some are gifted to those who like to keep them, and rightly so! That means, of course, that every year, Rachel and I stock up on a few more bags. Also a good chance to add some new holiday fabric into the mix.

Bags and Bags

Drawstring fabric gift-bags continue to be de rigueur around here, and I got an early start this year due to a couple of circumstances, the first of which was Jeni/In Color Order announcing a Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along. And yes, I've made oodles of them over the years, but the sew along encouraged me to make more.

Jeni does a very thorough sew along, and in addition to providing a brand new video on how to make one of her bags, offers helpful Tips for Choosing Fabrics for Drawstring Bags. So if you're new to her patterns, she's got you covered.

In the last couple of weeks I've made five, one using Jeni's original pattern, and the others all from her expansion pattern, some with boxed corners, some without:

• (left to right) Peek-A-Boo Lining Project Bag, The Original Tiny Bag, Easy Going Two Fabric Project Bag. 

• Mini Accent Everything Bag

• Easy Going Two Fabric Project Bag

Then, we had a three-generation family Zoom event last weekend. For years, this family group has celebrated Christmas together weeks before the actual holiday, quite often on Thanksgiving weekend. Anyway, the plan this year was to gift each other ornaments (mailed ahead). I decided to make hand-sewn gift-bags for each one, and since I was mass-producing (16-6" bags) I went with the pattern by Svetlana/Sotak Handmade. Svetlana has a growing YouTube channel, and among her videos it one to make her drawstring bags! It's so easy to adapt this pattern to any size bag as I did for mine. Svetlana also has a tutorial for the bags on her blog if you prefer that. Either way, they are quick and easy.

Funny thing. Invariably when I gift in a handmade bag, I get the standard 'thank you' for the gift of course; then that's almost always followed by, 'Can I keep the bag?'