Somebody stop me...or don't. :)

I went a little crazy on drawstring bags this weekend. I didn't sew all weekend long. I had other things I needed to accomplish--like getting groceries, cleaning the kitchen, and doing laundry. But I spent pretty much the rest of my time at the sewing machine, ironing board, or cutting table (which wasn't really a table...it was a 2x4 foot piece of masonite on the floor in the living room).

I started with two headbands. I figured that would be a good way to get my feet wet. But, I forgot to take pictures of them. I used this pattern for a 10-Minute Headband and this pattern for a  Double-Sided Headband. Success with both! I really like the double-sided one, but will need to alter the pattern to fit my giant head.

Buoyed by this success, I decided to jump in with both feet and improvise my own draw-string bag pattern, complete with lining. How hard could it be, right? Well, it's functional, but the proportions are a little weird. It's wider than it is tall, and very closely resembles a shoe box. It's a little weird. But I learned from it. A) How to make a casing for a drawstring. B) How to do fairly decent top-stitching. C) How to appropriately adjust thread tension. D) Don't try to improvise your own pattern before you really know what you're doing.

So, then I chose to actually follow a pattern. The Easy Cotton Drawstring Bag. I cranked out two of these puppies in what seemed like no time at all. In reality, it took almost an entire afternoon. :)

The one on the far left is the weird shoebox-shaped one, but the other two were created following the pattern. I love them! The fabric is from a single collection of fat quarters. Each bag uses two fat quarters: one for the lining and one for the outside.

Sunday, Victoria and I went on a mission for more sewing supplies. She decided she wanted to make a bag too, and I needed more fabric. We went a little crazy, and came home with more than we should have. By the time we were done with our errands, and got the laundry started, I only had time to turn out one more bag.

This one was inspired by the really really cool knitting wristlet sold by Chicken Boots on Etsy.com. To make mine, I used the pattern mentioned above as a jumping off point. I omitted the drawstring, added a separate top with a casing for elastic and a wrist strap...and voila! My own little cute sock bag. And it looks really springy, don't you think? Also, don't look at the top stitching. Ick.

So that was my weekend. It was really fun. I'd like to make a few more of the sock bag, with a slightly shorter wrist strap. Maybe next weekend, I'll tackle some bigger bags.