PRINTED DRAWSTRING BAG
Stitch and print a bag to carry flowers, foliage and inspiration.
You will need: ½ m cotton fabric Pins Cotton Rope Safety pin Fabric paint (Use a selection of colours or stick to one. We used Deco Art So Soft fabric paint) A new potato Paint brush
1 Using an A4 piece of paper cut two pieces of fabric 5cm longer and 2cm wider than the sheet of paper.
2 Fold the top edge of each piece of fabric over and hem by sewing all the way along the top. Place the right sides of the fabric together, then measure 3cm down and place a pin on each side and then place another pin 1cm lower. Sew all around the sides and the bottom of the bag, leaving a gap where the 1cm space is between the pins.
3 Trim the bottom edges and a triangle from each bottom corner to stop the seams becoming bulky. Press side seams open. Turn the top edge over, so the top end of the 1cm gap sits at the top of the bag. Sew along the top of the bag to create a channel for your drawstring rope.
4 Turn the bag the right way out. Attach a safety pin to the end of your rope and thread it through the channel at the top of the bag, then get another piece of rope and do the same on the other side. Tie the ends of the rope together to create the drawstring.
5 Using a sharp knife, slice the potato in half and half again to create your scallop shape ready to print. Pop your paint into a dish so that it’s easy to access as you are printing.
6 Cover your potato with an even layer of paint, using the paint brush to spread it about a little rather than just dipping it into the paint dish.
7 Start on an edge and begin printing onto your bag. Push the potato down and apply pressure to create each print. You can use the paint brush to even up any areas of the shape.
8 Print your shapes sat next to each other almost touching to achieve the scalloped effect. Repeat as many lines as you want across the bag. Maker’s notes: Iron your bag before printing to achieve a nice smooth print. This simple pattern can be adapted to create a full scallop look, or smaller scallop detailing. You could also use a carrot or a parsnip to print a polka dot effect.