From the Machine: Handmade Project Bags and Crochet Organization

Friday, July 05, 2013

From the Machine: Handmade Project Bags and Crochet Organization

As my love for fiber art grows, so does my interest in the tools that help me improve and fall even more in love with yarn. I have spent time on Etsy and Pinterest, and I have seen all the cute little project bags that people are making. Mine are not as “cool” and do not have designer fabric like many of those, but they function just the same, and mine were free in a sense because I already owned the fabric, machine, ruler, and other needle tools needed to make them.

The only thing I need to find now is a proper drawstring cord. Currently, I am using a cheap ribbon, and it does not work as well as I would like. I made three bags, and I plan on making more.

The sewing machine I have is the Brother SQ9050, and you can find out more about it here. I did not pay the full $299.99 price for mine, though, as I bought it cheaper.

Inside the wavy one

Looking at the bags in the photo, let’s talk sizes.

I am beginning to knit, and I need something to hold my larger needles and my work in progress. So, looking at the top right corner of the picture, the wavy 1970s-style fabric bag is my largest one. It measures approximately 16 by 8 by 8 inches. You can also see that it is lined with a brown silky material, which helps keep anything from sticking or snagging. I added one tall pocket inside to hold the needles, and a small pocket on the other side to hold stitch markers and other small tools.

Inside that bag, you can see the lining up close. The white with pink flowers bag in the middle is slightly smaller, and I also lined it with a silky pink fabric. It has one pocket inside, and I added a handle so I could carry it easily. I love this little bag. It measures about 12 by 10 by 5 inches. Both it and the wavy bag have square bottoms, which makes them a bit harder to sew, but not really difficult. I wish I had a pattern, but I did manage to find a method similar to what I used on YouTube. The video did not show handles or pockets, though, so I added those on my own.

Last but not least is the floral paisley bag on the far right in the top photo. This one is the easiest to make. You simply cut a long rectangle of fabric, make buttonholes at all four corners, fold, sew up the seams, and trim the edges. This bag is around 11 by 11 inches. It is also lined, and like the others, it currently has ribbon drawstrings, which I plan to replace eventually. This is the style I will make more of since it is the type I use most often, and they are super fast to make.