Okay, so I found this pattern online for this darling vintage drawstring bag (
http://cobblerscabin.wordpress.com/happy-hookin/vintage-style-drawstring-bag-free-crochet-pattern/) and I decided to make myself one. Before I knew it, everybody wanted one and I made a ton! My drawstring bag is made from worsted weight yarn (any brand, really) and the yarn isn't doubled. Otherwise, the pattern is the same. :D
You'll use about 150 grams of your yarn, or about half of a medium-sized package. The final drawstring bag has a height of about eight inches and opens up to about nine inches.
Materials:
-Worsted weight yarn (150 grams)
-Crochet needle size G6 (or whatever suits your fancy :D)
-Thread similar in color to your yarn, and a needle
-A fat quarter of cotton fabric that matches your yarn
Lining Tutorial:
Okay so if you try to use your newly created drawstring bag as-is, you'll notice that stuff falls out: make-up, pens, potentially embarrassing things....So! There is an easy solution here. Pick out any fat quarter of fabric from your favorite retailer that matches your bag. It should be cotton, unless you sew like a pro (and I don't...).
1. Measure your bag from the little opening at the bottom all the way to the row before you make the spaces for the actual drawstrings, not all the way to the top. You only want to line the part of the bag that will hold your things. Measure twice, cut once! :D
Tip: Stretch out the yarn a bit as you measure so that you don't end up short.
2. Find the fold on your fabric that is the center. Mark this with a pencil on the wrong side of the fabric. If your fabric is mostly dark (where you can't see the pencil marks) you can use a dark blue sharpie.
3. Measure out from the center point the length that you got in step 1 as if you're making a square. This length is the radius of the circle. At the end of the measurement, draw a two inch horizontal line. It doesn't have to be perfect; it's just a guideline. You should have four lines equidistant from your center point.
4. Use the guidelines you made to make a circle on your fabric (the wrong side!). You can use a compass, but I freehand it. To do this I extend the guidelines a bit further, and then curve them outward gradually. Always try to make your circle fat; if not, it might end up looking like a weird oval-thing.
5. Cutting time! Grab a sharp pair of scissors and cut around your circle leaving about a quarter of an inch to hem the fabric. You can save the scraps for something else. :D
6. Fold your little margin in on the wrong side (so that the other side is completely right side) and sew all around. When you're done, you should have a nice neat circle for your bag! :)
7. Take your thread and make a big knot at the end. Push your needle through the center point (so the knot can be seen on the right side) and then through the opening at the bottom of your bag from the inside. Being careful not to sew the rest of your circle lining, secure the lining to the bag and tie it off. You can sew into the first row of the bag if you like.
8. Here comes the hard part: sew the edge of your circle to the row right below the openings for the drawstring of your bag. Pleat the edge of the circle a bit as you sew but be VERY careful not to pleat so much that you can no longer sew the lining onto the bag without compromising the width of the bag. Also, make sure you don't accidentally sew the drawstrings to the lining. I've had to cut the string and start over more than I'd like to remember.
Voila! You now have an adorable drawstring bag that can hold all of your stuff without dropping any of it. If you'd like, you can add cell phone pockets and zippers by sewing squares or rectangles to the right side of the circle before you attach it.
Happy crafting!
