Cleaning Up The Act - Peg Bag and Used Carrier Bag Tutorial

Well, before I start with the tutorial this week, I have to say a big thank you to all of you who stop by my blog because last week I had my 100,000 hits... which considering I had 20,000 in my first year is a bit scary cos that means I had 80,000 hits in five months.  So thank you all for stopping by. :)


And now let's hop to it, as the weather has been unseasonably warm this week, it has been a great day for watching washing billowing on the line in the lovely warm weather, which got me to thinking that maybe I should run up a new peg bag and with the left over fabric, a bit of recycling with a used carrier bag holder for the kitchen

You will need:

1/2 metre of fabric
Scraps of fabric for an applique design
Pins
A child's coat hanger or an adult's for a larger bag
Iron and ironing board
Elastic
Safety pin
Tape measure
Scissors

Lie the coat hanger on the fabric and cut it 2" wider than the coat hanger is at the widest point, mine was 10", so I cut a rectangle 12" x 14", followed by two more pieces 9" x 12 and another piece which was 7" x 12".


Press a 5/8" seam over at the top of the middle sized rectangle, this will be the bottom of the front of the peg bag and is the piece were I am going put on some applique, as my fabric is printed bunting, I thought I would add to it with some of the real stuff.  I cut out 2" triangles with pinking shears, I am not going to sew them down completely which is why I am not using any interfacing but you could put any design on there, the word pegs or perhaps a washing line of miniature clothes.

Pin your pieces in place and sew them down, I used a satin stitch to create the bunting tape.  


Now sew along the seam that you have folded down 1/4" from the edge.  On the smallest rectangle press over 5/8" at the bottom of the fabric and sew it down 1/4" from the edge.

Place the top rectangle under the bottom rectangle over lapping it by 1/2".  Sew in 2" and then sew back on both sides .

Put the wrong sides together, pop the coat hanger at the top and draw around it, cut off the excess fabric.


Starting at the top, sew around the bag, we are going to make a french seam, using a 1/4" seam allowance but remember to leave a small opening at the top to put the coat hanger through.  Turn the bag inside out and iron the seams and sew a seam 3/8" (this will hide your raw seam) and remember to leave the gap again.

Put the hanger in place and there you have your peg bag ready for the line.


Cut a piece of fabric 18" x 14" and another piece 12" x 3", pin the wrong sides together of the first piece of fabric and sew a 1/4" seam down the longest side.


Turn it inside out and sew a seam 3/8", yes it is another french seam.  


Fold over 1 1/4" at the top and bottom, the fold over another 1/4" from the raw edge and sew around  the tube, leaving a half inch gap.  

Take your elastic and put a safety pin through one end and thread the elastic and pin through the casing you have created, when you get the elastic all the way round cut it and lay 1/2" on top of the other end of the elastic and oversew them together.  Ease the elastic into place.


Now with the other strip, fold it in half down the centre, sew across the top and all the way to the bottom using a 5/8" seam.  Trim the excess and turn it right sides out, fold it in half and pin it together.

Place the strap on the seam, 1/4" from the top and sew it in place using the square with the cross technique we have used with other bags. Now repeat what we have just done at the other end to insert the elastic.

And there it is, a plastic bag recycler for your kitchen.


As tomorrow is Monday, why not take a look at Handmade Monday and see what all those clever crafters have been up to this week?