AHHH! My first tutorial- with pictures! (admittedly terrible pictures taken with my phone. I have been working off a small chest in out living room- which doesn’t have the best light, and our camera is states away right now!)
Its graduation season, and a lot of my close friends are graduating. I wanted to do something special for each one. Something personal but usable! And low on my basically non-existent budget. In searching pinterest for #DIY grad gifts, I came across a collage, and one of the pictures was an odd tube-like bag for laundry. I was unable to find the website it was from, so I continued looking at bags on pinterest.
I took my inspiration from these two tutorials->
http://georginagiles.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/tutorial-drawstring-bag-2/http://theclassypunk.blogspot.ca/2013/03/tutorial-tuesday-diy-hanging-laundry-bag.html
So here is the hanging dorm laundry bag! My idea behind this was to have it take up as little space as possible, but will be able to hold a lot of clothes- so as clean clothes get taken out of the closet, they get put back in the bag- same amount of space, and the empty bag only takes as much space as a t-shirt
Step 1- pick your fabric! (one of my favorite parts!) I would say you need about a yard in total (I didn’t actually measure it… shhh) I used about 3/4 yd of the light purple fabric, and about 1/4 yd of the dark purple.
(the color contrast gives this bag a structural look and keeps it from getting too childish looking)
Step 2- attach both fabrics using a 1/4 inch seam allowance- straight stitch the two pieces together
Step 3- trim excess-> as you can see, my light color was larger than the dark, either rotary cut or cut in a straight line or cut at an angle till it evens out
Step 4- Make tube, right sides together, straight stitch down the sides, starting at one end.
Step 5- Make bag –> aka stitch the bottom. For this step, use a 5/8th inch seam allowance. Stitch across, and then INTO the seam allowance, double stitch 1/8th of an inch in. Use pinking sheers on the edge, or serge if you have the option.
Step 6- This is where I messed up originally, I used bias tape, which I didn’t totally think about.
(I gathered the top of mine first, because I was using a scrap of bias tape, I would NOT recommend doing this! Use enough to go all the way around)
a) Fold under each side of the bias tape, (no picture) simply open the tape, fold up the ends, and continue on. ( I always use double fold)
b) As you sew, make sure the raw edge of the bag in under the bias tape, when you get to the ends, do not sew the ends together/ underneath each other.
Step 7- Using a safety pin, thread a ribbon or soft rope through the bias tape. (you want to thread it on the outside of the bag edge on the inside of the bias tape)
Step 8- Add a letter or other applique. I simply cut out a letter and zigzagged it onto the contrasting bottom. It adds a great personal touch. I added mine to the “middle” of the bag, but in others I’ve made, they have been on the sides.
Step 9- Add buttonhole! Put the buttonhole on the top, on the back side (not with the applique), in the estimated middle. This should NOT be where the drawstring comes out! It should be about the size of a dress shirt button hole.
Step 10- Hang on the hanger and gift!
The Ultimate Adventures of The Teenage Crafter 