Tutorial - Bottle Gift Bag

  Quick & easy, this tutorial shows you how to whip up a lined bottle gift bag in next to no time. 

After searching for the measurements for a bottle gift bag, I found I had to either purchase a pattern or print off a PDF download ensuring my printer was set to "tile" the pattern piece, so an hour or so with some fabric, a bottle & tape measure & I came up with this quick & easy tutorial. This method also means very few seams & no fiddly measurements for casings for the tie. It is a generous size to allow for different sized bottles.

Materials needed:

**this quantity will make 3 bottle bags**

 1/2yd (50cm) main fabric

 1/2yd (50cm) lining fabric

(optional - 1/2yd  wadding for padded bag or interfacing to line bag)

 2 -3 yds ribbon for the 3 ties - for each bag 20" (50cm) of  3/8" (6mm) ribbon to wrap a few times around.  ** I use 35" (90cm) as I like the effect of wrapping a couple of times round the bottle neck before tying the bow.

Equipment Needed:

Rotary cutter / scissors
Pins

Machine

Thread

Iron

Preparation:
Press fabrics

All seams 1/2" unless indicated.

Step 1:
Cut out bags - for each bag cut main fabric & lining fabric 17" high x 13 1/2" wide ( you can cut 3 bags across each width of fabric)

Step 2: (optional)
If you want to pad the bag or line bag for added stiffness or to soften effect of lining colour cut out wadding/interfacing piece 17" x 13 1/2" and if iron-on, press to back of main fabric piece now.
This is also the time to add any embellishments to main fabric piece. I would recommend interfacing or wadding if you are adding a feature such as the ribbon Christmas Tree (see photo at end of post) for easier attachment & a better finish.

Step 3:
Join main piece to lining piece at top of bag with 1/2" seam (check it is the top if you are using directional patterned fabric)

 Press to lining side.

 Step 4:
Pin ribbon tie which has  been folded in half (if ribbon has pattern, patterned sides together) 4" (10cm) from top of bag on main fabric side. I also pin the ends of the ribbon to avoid them getting caught in seams = pin is removed when bag turned through. To strengthen tie, sew a couple of times over the ribbon fold before joining side seams.

 Step 5:
Stitch up main fabric & lining fabric piece, leaving a gap of about 3 - 4" for turn through using 1/2" seam. Press seam open.

Step 6:
Fold bag in half, with seam in middle of bag.
Stitch across the bottom of each end.

Step 7:
Mark & cut out 1 1/4" square on each corner at each end.
Note - measure up from the seam not raw edge of fabric across base.

Step 8:
Pinch corners together, ensuring the seam is in the centre, finger press bottom seam open & stitch across each of the 4 corners with a 1/4" seam.

Step 9:
Turn bag through, before stitching gap closed, make sure all the corners have been pushed all the way out then hand stitch or machine close to edge to close the turn through gap.

 (Note - I have stitched the sample with a contrast thread to show you how close to edge you can stitch & also used a long stitch so it was easy to pull out before stitching with normal length stitch & matching coloured thread.)

 Push lining down into the bag.

Press if needed.

Here is a back view of the bag, showing how the ribbon is attached ready for tying.

Step 10:
Add bottle, tie bag & it's ready to give!

 You can also decorate your bottle bag before construction.
 Next tutorial will show how to sew the ribbon tree either for a bag or decoration. And of course, you could make the bags out of other fabric to use throughout the year when gift giving.

Tutorial - Christmas Ribbon Decorations

Today's tutorial shows how easy it is to make stunning Christmas decorations using ribbons. This is an ideal project to use up some of your wadding & fabric scraps as well.

Materials needed:
Ribbons (gross grain or satin, any width, patterned or plain)
Wadding scraps
Fabric- for base piece plus backing
Buttons (optional)
Thread
Decoration shapes on paper
Equipment needed:
Machine
Scissors
Thread
Pins
Needle to hand sew closed
Machine feet - normal to attach ribbon + 1/4" to sew decorations
**if you have difficulty attaching ribbon, use your walking foot if you have one** (I found it easier to do this with some ribbons)

Step 1:
Choose your shapes - there are so many options, draw your own, look in colouring books, or google Christmas shapes in images & find some free downloads.

If they are not the right size, enlarge on copier or as in example below, trace then keep enlarging size till happy with finished size. **Remember to include 1/4" seam allowance**

Step 2:
Choose a variety of ribbons for your shapes. The patterned grossgrain I used in my first designs came in my Sew Box Subscriptions Nov Box, the patterned satin ribbons came from my local Spotlight. The plain grossgrain I had on hand.

Step 3:
Gather wadding scraps & Christmas fabric for backing, plain fabric for base piece under ribbon. **Ideal time to use up some scraps**

Step 4:
Cut rectangle of wadding & base fabric that you will be attaching the ribbon to. (You can sew ribbon directly onto wadding, but it is ideal to have a piece of fabric under ribbon which avoids wadding showing if any slight gaps between ribbon strips.)

Step 5:
Cut strips of ribbon & place on fabric/wadding base ready to attach.

Step 6:
Sew ribbon onto fabric/wadding base piece - I used a normal stitch but you could choose a fancy stitch if you wanted.

Step 7:
Place ribbon piece right sides together with backing piece.
Pin on pattern piece and cut out.

Step 8:
Remove pins & pattern piece, set backing piece aside for a moment.
Cut small piece of narrow ribbon for hanging loop. Stitch this securely to decoration shape. If adding button at base of bell, also add small strip of ribbon ready for button.

Step 9:
Repin backing piece right sides together with ribbon front piece & stitch around with a 1/4" seam. Leave a gap for turning through. Look for the 'straightest' part of your shape for this gap.

**If you want to 'fussy cut' your decoration as I did for the bauble shape, cut out shape, attach ribbon as per step 8, pin to backing right sides together, stitch seam, then trim off extra backing & proceed to step 10.**

Step 10:
Clip curves & cut off the corners. Turn through, push out corners carefully with preferred implement.
Pin gap closed & slip stitch gap.

Step 11:
Audition buttons for bell shape.

Add button to bottom loop of ribbon.

Step 12:
Hang on tree & enjoy. I also use mine instead of gift tags on gifts.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

I love, love, love Christmas! And this year I am finally able to get to the sewing machine & whip up some Christmas gifts, decorations & items for the home. As I mentioned last post, I recently subscribed to Sew Box Subscriptions & as part of my personal challenge to create more, have had heaps of fun creating different things with the contents of the Nov box (plus a bit of fabric from the Oct box thrown in).

I pop on some Christmas music & happily spend time in my craft room. My all time favourite Christmas album to sing along to is Casting Crowns, Peace On Earth. Along with traditional carols, they have some of their own songs, celebrating the birth of the saviour of the world.

Here is a summary of the past few weeks sewing creations.

"All Wrapped Up", a Christmas hanging I designed (tutorial on this hanging here.)

Decorations & gift wrapping ideas all sewn up. 

Christmas in the kitchen.

The tea towel was a great way to use up some of the scraps of Christmas fabric, simple applique using visoflix plus a button hole stitch on my machine. 

The green apron is based on a tutorial from the Missouri Quilt co, but I created my frill a little differently.

Half apron, also using a tea-towel.

Stay tuned, over the next few posts I will be sharing tutorials for the wine bags, decorations & aprons.

And finally, a very quick & simple project using some Christmas ribbon to decorate a hand towel, ideal as a gift or for your own bathroom.

Tutorial -All Wrapped Up - Christmas Hanging

I recently signed up for Sew Box Subscriptions, and when my November box arrived, found all these wonderful Christmas inspired treats inside. 

As part of the personal challenge I have set myself this year to create more, I set about designing a Christmas Hanging.

 I had so much fun playing with the fabric, trim & buttons. Here is a quick tutorial on how this came together.

Requirements: (to make hanging finished size 13" x 18 1/2")
Background & backing fabric: 40cm piece (NB for this one I used different backing fabric)
Fabric for frame: 40cm (needed for directional fabric, for all over pattern, 20cm)
Trim: 1yd/mt
Buttons: 6
3mm ribbon: various colours
Gold star button
Wadding or pellon (iron-on if preferred) 14" x 20"
Thread: to match fabric & also trim when attaching tree.
Hanger of your choice - 14" for these measurements

All seams 1/4" (except the join in backing piece - see notes)

1. Cut background fabric to required size (mine was  9  x 14 1/2")

2. Add frame strips = cut two 3" x 14 1/2" for sides, two 3" x 13/12" for top & bottom (NB - cut length of fabric for sides & across fabric for top/bottom if fabric directional)

3. Attach a piece of iron on pellon to back of framed piece (if you're not using iron on, would need to pin or tack wadding in place)

4. Pin on trim in tree shape (just letting you know I actually repinned & then sewed mine 3 times till I was really happy with result)

 

5. Add button as wrapped gifts at base of tree, the number of buttons to your liking or depending on size of your design.

 To make wrapped buttons. Sew a piece of the 3mm ribbon at back of button - leaving button holes clear, once secure cut off excess.
(Sample picture using contrast thread to show step, could also use glue gun.)

 Then wrap from back another piece in opposite direction & tie a bow. Trim ribbon. 

To attach to hanging, I sewed on using button holes as guide, coming up one hole, from above the ribbon, then going down other hole below the ribbon. Next stitch I came back up the first hole from under the ribbon and crossed over going down the other hole above the ribbon - this formed a cross stitch effect securing the ribbon bow as attaching the button.
(Sample picture uses contrast thread to show cross stitch effect.)

6. Attach button/star/decoration of your choice to the top of the tree.

7. Attaching the backing:
  Cut backing fabric into 2 pieces - 13 1/2" x 16 1/2" and 13 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Join across the width (13/12") of the backing pieces with 1/2" seam.

(Handy Hint -I use two backing pieces with gap across back of hanging for turn through -  this method means I sew completely around the hanging when joining the front to the back, turning through the gap made in the backing piece. This ensures a much neater finish to the hanging.)

join the two pieces with a 1/2" seam. I change stitch length to a long stitch for about 3-4" in the middle of this join, then change back to normal stitch length to finish the seam (reverse stitch at each end of short stitched line). Press seam open then unpick the long stitches - giving you a neatly presses gap to turn through before sewing up.

8. Pin hanging & backing right sides together. Sew all around with 1/4" seam.

 9. Turn through the gap in backing piece, slip stitch gap closed.

 10. Attach your hanger and display your finished 'All Wrapped Up' hanging.