7.27.2013

Back 2 School Drawstring Backpack Tutorial

Back 2 School Drawstring Backpack 
a free tutorial
featuring Embroidery Applique
 
 

I've never been one to get too into the whole back to school thing... but this year I have a child going to school for the first time and I don't know who's more excited, me or my daughter! Kathleen and I created this fun little drawstring backpack tutorial and my daughter LOVES them. So, why not share a tutorial.

Materials needed:
1/3 yard Twill Fabric
(you can make 2 bags from 1/3 yard)
1 Fat Quarter
Coordinating Thread
Cut:
Twill into a 12"x30" rectangle
From Fat Quarter:
2 strips 3"x14" (bands)
4 strips 2"x14 1/2" (drawstring/tube)
Begin by appliqueing design onto top center portion of Twill. 
For our bags we used Sail Away With Me and Back 2 School embroidery applique's.
Press your 2"x14" strip 2 times. 1/4" and then 1" making your band 11 1/2".
Top stitch along the inside of that strip securing the inner edge.
Sew your 2, 2"x14.5" strips together end to end. Press seam open.
Fold the long strip right sides together and then sew across one end and down one side, making a long tube.
Use a pencil and turn the long strip right side out. Press flat. 
You will have 2 tubes/drawstrings.
Sew the long tubes into the inside of the 4"x11 1/2" bands.
Sew one going each direction, one attached to the right side and one attached to the left side.
Fold the bands in half, press. Pin to the 2 ends of the Twill. Make sure that one tube is going towards the left and one is going towards the right.
Sew across the tops.
Because I do not have a serger I stitched 1/4" in and then stitched a tight zigzag stitch along the edge to finish it off.
Now you will feed the tube/draw strings through the opposite pocket, creating a circle and the tubes/drawstrings coming out the opposite side.
Turn the bag inside out, right sides facing each other, feed the tubes/drawstrings down the inside coming out the bottom corner. Sew along the side, again I used a straight stitch and then a zigzag stitch to finish the seam.
Turn the bags right side out and press.
The bags will never lay completely flat.
Above is the backside of the bag.
Below is the front side of the bag.
Fabrics shown are by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics, Road 15.
All sewing and embroidery is done on a Bernina Aurora 440QE.

3 comments:

  1. Very cute bag made from an excellent tutorial! Wish I had a little one to try it out on! Wish I had TIME!!

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  2. I am going to try this for the grandkids ; thanks . :D

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