Baggin' It

We have a local charity that collects new and gently used clothes and shoes for kids and teenagers and gives them out throughout the year.  A lot of these kids are in foster care and often quickly leave their homes with very little of their own stuff.

Instead of letting the kids carry a garbage bag with their belongings to their foster placement, they like to give the kids cloth bags for their things.  I teach one of the kids of the founder of this charity, so when I heard about it, I asked the girl to bring in a sample of the bags and I'd make some.

They are a simple pillow case type of bag with a drawstring.  It's a yard of fabric, so it works out really well to just get a yard and then sew it up.

My mother recently made someone pillow cases to match a quilt and talked about French seams.  I've been curious about them for a while, so I thought that since my serger was buried behind a pile of crap (my sewing room is in perpetual disarray) I'd try the French seams.

Super easy and I'm not sure it took much more time than whipping it through the serger.

My favorite combination is this one.  The quality of this material was awesome.  It felt so good to the touch.  Like old, soft sheets with a good heft to them.  I'd like to have some nightgowns made out of it!   It was on super clearance but was still pricey, so I didn't get more than the one yard.

I could have just folded over the top to make the channel for the drawstring, but I thought a contrasting top would be fun.

I also need to find some "boy" material.  It seems that everything I already have is very feminine.

After I made a couple, I told my mother about them and she was like "oh yeah, I made a dozen of them last week for her."  And, it turns out, they put the drawstrings in for you.  I made my own but it wasn't much of a big deal because I sewed the channel around it so I didn't have to thread it through.

Can't wait to find some boyish fabric and make some more!

Linking here:
http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/12/chic-and-crafty-party-12-12.html
http://www.flamingotoes.com/2013/12/think-pink-sunday-143/
http://www.cherishedhandmadetreasures.com
http://www.skiptomylou.org
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2013/12/wednesdays-adorned-from-above-link_17.html
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/2013/12/wow-me-wednesday-134.html