Drawstring bags

[Keith]

I just finished embroidering a Lotus Flower for a Mala Bag (for a Buddhist friend of mine to keep his "rosary", or Mala in). Problem is: I don't know how to make a bag, or pouch (the kind with the draw string thingy). I've looked up a couple on YouTube, but thought I would ask if anyone here has made such a drawstring bag. 

[Carol-Anne]

Hi Keith, there is more than one answer to this and it depends on the type of bag you have in mind.

One kind (perhaps the most common) would be were you have a two rectangles of fabric ( a front and back) joined at three sided leaving a top opening.

The draw strings go around the top opening,  You need to form a channel for the draw strings.  You can do this by making two parrallel rows of stitches, in which case you will need to an opening for the cords to emerge from.  Alternatively, you could make loops on the outside of the bag to carry the cords.

You need two cords.  I'm not sure how to describe this but one cord starts on the left, feeds left to right through the back channel/loops, then right to left along the front channel/loops - join the two ends of the cord.

The second cord starts on the right hand side, feeds right to left through the back channel/loops, then left to right along the front channel/loops, join the two ends of the cord.

Close the drawsting bag by pulling on the joined ends of each cord (one to the left, one to the right)

I hope that this makes at least a little sense :-)

[Monica]

I think you have described it well, Carol-Anne. I've made this type of bag with one drawstring but you get a better closure with the two cords, as you've described.

Carol-Anne said:

Hi Keith, there is more than one answer to this and it depends on the type of bag you have in mind.

One kind (perhaps the most common) would be were you have a two rectangles of fabric ( a front and back) joined at three sided leaving a top opening.

The draw strings go around the top opening,  You need to form a channel for the draw strings.  You can do this by making two parrallel rows of stitches, in which case you will need to an opening for the cords to emerge from.  Alternatively, you could make loops on the outside of the bag to carry the cords.

You need two cords.  I'm not sure how to describe this but one cord starts on the left, feeds left to right through the back channel/loops, then right to left along the front channel/loops - join the two ends of the cord.

The second cord starts on the right hand side, feeds right to left through the back channel/loops, then left to right along the front channel/loops, join the two ends of the cord.

Close the drawsting bag by pulling on the joined ends of each cord (one to the left, one to the right)

I hope that this makes at least a little sense :-)