I’m calling this a knitting bag but really the recipient could use it for anything she wanted.
Last year I discovered a friend was a knitter. I also discovered like myself that she likes to knit whilst out and about. For her Christmas present I thought why not make her a project bag that she can carry her knitting in. After making M6338 as a knitting bag for another friend I automatically went to it again for this bag. The fabric I used is the same I used for the rectangle knitting bag as I cut both patterns out at once. The print looks like yarn all mixed together without it actually looking like a ball of yarn. I could be interpreting the print all wrong but that is what sprung out to me when I first came across it.
This time making the bag I didn’t use any interfacing at all in any part. The fabric is a quilting cotton. Not all quilting cottons are made equal. Some a light weight and flimsy, some are thicker but more flexible and some are really stiff. This fabric fitter in the thicker but flexible category which meant it was stable enough to hold its shape without interfacing. Without adding the interfacing it made this a quicker make as there wasn’t the additional time of cutting out all the interfacing and then cutting the interfacing out from the seam allowance to reduce bulk once seams were sewn. I don’t talk money when it comes to gifts but yes it did save on using interfacing so it was a bit more frugal. Construction wise once again I assembled the bag different to the pattern instructions. To assemble it the pattern has you stitch the top closure gusset to the inner bag, on the outer bag iron a hem all around the top of the bag and then place the inner bag inside the outer bag and stitch them together around the folded hem of the outer bag. Attaching the 2 bags together is very tricky as you have to ensure the gusset sections remains flat and you don’t catch it in the seam line. It is very bulky trying to maneuver it around the free arm of your sewing bed. By assembling it in a more traditional way of leaving a gap in the inner bag, placing both bags rights sides together, sandwiching the gusset piece in between so that all raw edges are facing up, stitching around the top of the bags and turning the bags right side out via the gap in the inner bag you get a much neater finish. There is less bulk as all of your fabric is moving around the free arm of the sewing machine on one side. The only thing is you need to remember is to place your gusset piece so that the drawstring opening gaps are facing outwards, if you follow the rule the openings face the outside of the bag whilst pinning you will have no issue.
Without the interfacing inside the bag collapses more flat when not in use which if you are space poor can be an important thing to consider. I’m glad I tried it this way as it gives me another option with this pattern when I make it again in future and I will make it again as this is my go to drawstring bag pattern.
Cassiy