This post is about something I really love: making present! Present is not just a ‘thing’ but also the ‘think’. When you make a present you think about someone, about what he or she would like.
If I have enough time I love thinking about present, looking round for the perfect gift or maybe doing it. Unfortunately we have always a lot of things to do and less time for doing so making present is something rare.

My adoration for cotton bags originates from this love for ‘doing’ and making unique present and the necessity of doing them in short time!

Here below you can find how realize a symple and quickly, even if lovely and original, gift bag. I have found the idea in the book Siguiendo el hilo so, all the credit goes to Anne Pia Godske Rasmussen.

For this project we will use two different patternered fabrics, the first for the ‘body’ of our bag and the second for the upper part, the one we will use to close it.

We will need: basic-sewing kit, fabrics in different colours or patterns (I usually use cotton fabric), strings or ribbon to close.

A) Start with measuring the gift you want to put in your bag and define the exactly size you need. Always remember, if you are not sure, big is better!

In my case the body of the bag is 6×8 inches (15x20cm). Considering the sewing borders we draw on the back of our fabric a rectangle of: 7×18 inches (18x45cm) and once sure cut on the line.

B) Take the shorter edge and reverse 0,2 inches (0,5cm) on the back of the fabric, make it twice. Pin and sew them in place to finish. Take the second shorter edge and do the same. We want this two edges refined.

 

C) Now take the second fabric, the one you want to use for the upper part of the bag, draw on the back two rectangles 5×2,8 inches (13x7cm) and cut them off.

To finish the edges of the rectangles: reverse 0,2 inches (0,5cm) on the back of the fabric and pin them (this time one reverse is enough). On the corners, leave one of the edges reversed and open the second, on the reversed one take the corner and bend it inside creating a triangle (1), the edge of the triangle will be 0,2 inches (0,5cm). I hope the picture is clearer than the text. Reverse the second edge and pin it (2). Once you have done the same on all the four corners sew all the edges (3).

D) Now we have to fix this second rectangles to the body of our bag. Band in half (back on back) the first rectangle of point (C) and pin it in the middle of one of the shorter edge of the ‘body’. Check that the rectangle is exactly in the middle and than sew it in place.

Make the same with the second rectangle (C) and the second shorted edge of the body. Now you will have a long piece of fabric with two ‘eyelets’ on the shorter edges.

E) Take the fabric and band it in half, right side on right side. You would have the two rectangles (C) one above the other. Once done pin and sew along the vertical edges.

DONE! Now you have to turn your bag inside out, take the ribbon, pass it trough the eyelets and close.

If you want tou can finalize the long edge with a zig-zag stitch or you can make a little trick, I will tell about it in a future post. Stay tuned 🙂