Tie-Dye Twill Tape Tutorial

Wednesday, December 11, 2024


Welcome to the fourth and final week of the Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along! Today I have a dyeing tutorial for you!

I'll be updating the Sew Along Page each week with all the posts so that you can easily catch up or reference these posts after the sew along ends!

I hope you'll sew along with us! Sew from the tutorial or the patterns:
Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern


This week's task is finishing our bags! Tackle those drawstring casings, make fabric ties or prep twill/paracord ties. Pull ties through the bags and finish them off with a simple knot or some fun beads! A few posts you might find helpful this week:

- Marking the drawstring casings can be time consuming, especially if you're making a lot of bags. I have a video tutorial for an alternative marking technique that is my go-to method. Find it here: Alternative Method for Marking the Drawstring Casing

- If you're like me and you don't have a free-arm on your sewing machine, I have a video tutorial for how to sew the drawstring casings. Find it here: How to Sew a Drawstring Casing Without a Free-Arm Sewing Machine

- Using beads and want to take them to the next level? I have a tutorial all about how to customize unfinished wooden beads. Find it here: How to Customize Wooden Beads with Paint, Stain, and Dye

- You've made your bags and now you're ready to gift them, why not use some reusable gift tags too! I share five different ideas for tagging your bags in this post: Reusable Gift Tag Ideas for Drawstring Bags

- Working with Paracord can be intimidating if you've never used it before, I've got a post that breaks down the basics for you: Tips for Working with Paracord

- I also have a similar post for using cotton twill tape for ties: All About Cotton Twill Tape and How to Use it for Drawstring Bags


A couple years ago, I remember seeing some beautiful hand dyed ribbon in a gift shop here in CT and snapping a photo of it. Unfortunately I can't find the photo, but I still remember the ribbon. It looked like it had been splatter painted with dye! It reminded me of confetti and I just loved it. I've been wanting to try to recreate it ever since. This tutorial is full of my process and experiments along the way. I am really happy with the different looks I was able to achieve. These dyed twill tapes add something a little extra to each bag.

If you're interested in custom dyeing your own twill but prefer a solid color, I would recommend using the method used in my Dyeing Webbing for Custom Bag Handles Tutorial.

Tie-Dye Twill Tape Tutorial

Skill Level: Beginner
Tie-Dye Twill Tape Tutorial Materials:
- 100% Cotton Twill Tape
- Fabric Dye (RIT or Procion Dye)
- Salt (if using RIT Dye)
- Soda Ash (if using Procion Dyes)
- Small Bucket
- Plastic Tub or plastic wrapped work surface
- Wire rack (optional)


1. In order to keep the twill tape from fraying throughout this process, I went ahead and cut my twill to the length I would need for my drawstring ties, and finished the ends by folding them over and stitching them. This keeps things nice and neat throughout the dyeing and washing process. If you're not sure which bag sizes you want to make yet, or you want to dye a longer length, I would still recommend finishing the ends in some way, even if it's only temporary.


2. If you're using Procion dyes, soak twill tape in warm water. Add around 1/4 cup of Soda Ash per quart of water. Let soak for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze to remove excess liquid.

If you're using RIT dyes, soak twill tape in hot water. Add around 2 Tablespoons of salt per quart of water. This doesn't need to be exact. Let soak for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze to remove excess liquid.


3. Arrange twill tape in a plastic tub or a wire rack. You may choose to scrunch it up or lay it out flat.


4. If you're using Procion dye, sprinkle dye powder lightly on twill tape. Let sit for a couple hours.

If you're using powdered RIT dye, sprinkle dye powder liberally on twill tape. Let sit for a couple hours.

If you're using liquid RIT dye, carefully drip dye onto twill tape. Let sit for a couple hours.


In the process of writing this tutorial I experimented with a number of different dyes to see what kinds of results I could get! I know not everyone has access to Procion dyes, so I like to test out RIT dyes too since they're so widely available. Below you will see the dyeing results of two different brands of Procion dyes and two different types of RIT dyes. Each one resulted in a different look!

Dharma Trading Co Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes

These dyes are my personal favorite for any kind of dyeing. I especially love them for ice dyeing and they worked really well for this application too. I love how the dye colors separated as it sat on the twill. This dye is intensely pigmented, so the amount you use makes a difference! I did two experiments with this dye:


For this twill I used a black dye which separated into a rainbow very nicely! I set it on a wire rack and tried to use a small amount of dye powder. The result is a beautiful watercolor effect.


For this twill I used the same black dye, but used quite a bit! I also dyed this twill in the bottom of a plastic tub, so the colors stayed a lot more intense. If you want to easily achieve a multi-colored look, this is the way to go in my opinion!

Jacquard Procion MX Fiber Reactive Cold Water Dye

This dye is what I started using when I first got into dyeing. It can often be found at art supply stores and even some craft stores. The biggest difference between this dye and the Dharma for this application is that the colors don't separate out. So if you'd like a multi-colored look with this dye, you'll need to apply multiple colors.

For this hot pink twill I dyed it in the bottom of a tub. Look at those nice speckles!


This was another set of twill done with the Jacquard dye, this time in black. I dyed it on a wire rack and again it resulted in a more watercolor look.

RIT All-Purpose Powdered Dye

The RIT powder was really interesting to work with. It was less powder-like than the other dyes and more like a salt consistency. The results are more on the subtle side, and look more like a mottled solid dye.

RIT All-Purpose Liquid Dye

This was the only experiment I did with liquid dye. I dipped an old toothbrush in the dye liquid and used it to gently "splatter" the twill. This resulted in a very subtle twill. It may be hard to believe, but I actually used the color Wine here, which is supposed to be a very dark burgundy.


As you can see, there are lots of different effects that you can acheive depending on the method you use and the dye. Dyeing is such a fun thing to play with, and you never really know what you're going to get!

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! I can't wait to see your bags! Please share them with me on instagram @jenib320 + #lineddrawstringbag or via email (jenib320 @ gmail.com)!

Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference!

Happy Dyeing!

Tips for Sturdy Lined Drawstring Bags

Wednesday, December 4, 2024


Welcome to the third week of the Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along! Today I'm sharing my Tips for Sturdy Lined Drawstring Bags!

I'll be updating the Sew Along Page each week with all the posts so that you can easily catch up or reference these posts after the sew along ends!

I hope you'll sew along with us! Sew from the tutorial or the patterns:
Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern


Before we dive into the post, let's talk about our to-do list for week 3 of the sew along!

This week's main task is sewing, hooray! Sew your bags through step 10. If you're making a lot of bags and you're short on time, I highly recommend making them assembly line style. A few posts from the archives you might find helpful this week:

- I recorded a video tutorial that covers making the bags from start to finish. It's a bit long, but it's meant to be comprehensive! It covers everything from cutting to finishing. Find it here: Lined Drawstring Bag Video Tutorial

- If you need a little extra guidance when it comes to the gussets, I have a video for that too! Find it here: How to Put a Gusset on a Bag Video Tutorial

- Want to try something different with your gussets? I shared a tutorial for exposed gussets last year that I think is rather cute: Exposed Gusset Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

- Check out this post that will help make your drawstring casing openings extra tidy: Tips for Tidy Drawstring Casing Openings

Tips for Sturdy Lined Drawstring Bags

For this week's post I wanted to share some tips and ideas for making your drawstring bags extra sturdy. Most of the bags I've made throughout the years have been made with quilting cotton, and I'm happy to say they've held up great. But sometimes it's nice to make something that feels a little more hardwearing and structured. And you all have had questions over the years about adding interfacing or even quilting. So I finally did some experimenting and this post is the result! Let's get into it.

Using Canvas or Home Dec Fabrics

Probably the most straightforward way to make a sturdier drawstring bag is simply to use a thicker fabric. I've had great luck using mid-weight canvas fabrics for both the Exterior Main and Exterior Accent. I would avoid using super stiff canvas fabrics for the Accent so that the drawstring still closes easily.

Using Canvas, Waxed Canvas or Cork for a Bottom Accent

One of my favorite ways to make an extra sturdy drawstring bag is to use a thicker fabric for a bottom accent. This is one of the variations included in the Expansion Pattern. Since the drawstring is not on the accent, it allows you to use a heavier fabric. I've made a few bags using cork fabric as the bottom accent, which worked really well!


For this post I experimented with using a waxed canvas for the bottom accent. I love the resulting bag. I paired it with a home dec fabric for the exterior main and the entire bag has a really nice weight to it.

Adding Interfacing

Interfacing is a great way to add some extra structure to light-weight fabrics like quilting cottons. If I'm going to use interfacing I prefer something quite light for the accent, like SF101 by Pellon. For the exterior main I've used SF101 with great results. If you'd like you could use something thicker for the exterior main like fusible fleece.

Quilting the Exterior Main Pieces


This is something I've had questions about over the years and now I can finally give you a good answer! Quilt away dear readers, adding quilting to the exterior main makes for a great sturdy bag. I layered quilting cotton and quilt batting (with no backing fabric) and quilted it with some wavy straight lines. I added light-weight interfacing to the Exterior Accent on this bag, so that the texture would blend well with the quilted Exterior Main.

Finish Raw Edges

If you plan to wash your drawstring bags, I would definitely consider finishing the raw edges of your fabric. My preferred way to do this is to serge or zig-zag stitch the edges of all my cut pieces before I start sewing. This way you can assemble the bag as usual you don't have to stop to finish seams as you go, with the exception of the cut edges of your gussets.

Topstitch Seams

Adding topstitching to the seams on the outside of your bag not only adds a visual detail, but can help make your seams extra sturdy.

Tips for Washing Your Drawstring Bags

I would exercise great care when washing your bags. My recommendation would be to hand wash only and hang dry. Since the bags are constructed with 1/4" seams, you could have a seam fray open during a trip in the dryer.

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! I can't wait to see your bags! Please share them with me on instagram @jenib320 + #lineddrawstringbag or via email (jenib320 @ gmail.com)!

Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference!

Happy Sewing!

Wreath Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Wednesday, November 27, 2024


Welcome to the second week of the Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along! Today I'm sharing a tutorial for a Wreath Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag!

I'll be updating the Sew Along Page each week with all the posts so that you can easily catch up or reference these posts after the sew along ends!

I hope you'll sew along with us! Sew from the tutorial or the patterns:
Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern

Here are a few to-do items for week 2 of the sew along!

The main task for this week is cutting! Finalize those fabric choices and cut out all the pieces for your bags. Here are a few posts from the archives that you might find helpful:

- If you're not comfortable using a rotary cutter, or just want to streamline your process, you won't want to miss my post about making templates for cutting out your bags. Find it here: Making Templates for the Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern

- Looking for ways to dress up your bag? Check out these tutorials: How to Use Trim or Ribbon to Embellish Your Drawstring Bags and Adding an Exterior Pocket.

- Take your eco-friendly wrapping to the next level by upcycling a button down shirt! Find my tutorial for that here: Upcycled Lined Drawstring Gift Bags + How to Cut up a Button Down Shirt


Almost every year of the Sew Along I share a tutorial for a holiday themed quilt block to add to the front of a drawstring bag! This year I decided on a Wreath Block! This block is really simple to make, it's a basic Shoofly quilt block, with the colors arranged to look like a wreath. I think it all comes together when you add the bow, but of course you may choose to leave it off! You could also add a ready made bow or other embellishment like buttons or a patch.


I thought it would be fun to see all the block tutorial bags together! Here are the corresponding tutorials:
- Present Quilt Block Drawstring Bag Free Tutorial
- Patchwork Star Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
- Gingerbread House Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Wreath Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial

Sewing Level: Beginner Friendly
Finished size: Approx. 10" tall, 7" wide, 3" deep

Wreath Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Materials:
- 3 Fat quarters (18"x21")*
- 1/8 yard for wreath
- 1/8 yard for bow
- 2 yards of 1/2" twill tape, or 1/8 yd fabric
- Coordinating thread
- Hand-stitching needle
- Acrylic ruler
- Large safety pin
- Water soluble pen

*This tutorial is written for using a non-directional fabric for the Exterior Main.

Looking for supplies? Check out my Pattern Supplies and Resources post.

Wreath Quilt Block Lined Drawstring Bag Cutting:
From Exterior Main Fabric:
- Cut (1) 9”x10.5” piece
- Cut (1) 1"x10.5" top piece
- Cut (1) 2.5"x10.5" bottom piece
- Cut (2) 6.5"x2.5" side pieces
- Cut (1) 2.5"x2.5" square
- Cut (2) 3"x3" squares

From Wreath Fabric:
- Cut (4) 2.5"x2.5" squares
- Cut (2) 3"x3" squares

From Bow Fabric:
- Cut (2) 1.5"x21" strips

From Exterior Accent Fabric:
- Cut (1) 4”x21” strip
- Subcut into (2) 4”x10.5” pieces

From Interior Fabric:
- Cut (1) 12.5”x21” strip
- Subcut into (2) 12.5”x10.5” pieces

If using fabric for ties:
- Cut (2) 32”x2” strips

If using twill for ties:
- Cut (2) 32" pieces

Wreath Block Lined Drawstring Bag Instructions:

*Use a 1/4” seam allowance unless otherwise noted*

1. Using a marking pen or a pencil, draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of a 3" Exterior Main square. Place 3" Exterior Main square and a 3" Wreath square right sides together. Stitch 1/4" on both sides of the marked line. Press and cut apart on the marked line to create two half-square triangles. Press seams open. Repeat with remaining 3" squares to make a total of 4 half-square triangle blocks. Trim half-square triangles to 2.5” square.


2. Arrange half-square triangle blocks made in step 1 with the 2.5" Exterior Main square and the 2.5" Wreath squares into three rows of three blocks. Sew blocks together in each row. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction every other row. Sew rows together. Press seams open. Wreath Block should measure 6.5"x6.5" unfinished.

Now it's time to add the borders to the Wreath Block.

3. Sew the two 6.5"x2.5" side Exterior Main pieces to either side of the wreath block. Press seams away from block.

4. Sew the 1"x10.5" top Exterior Main piece to the top edge of the block. Press seams away from block. Sew the 2.5"x10.5" bottom Exterior Main piece to the bottom edge of the block. Press seams away from block. Trim piece to 9"x10.5" if necessary. This is the Exterior Main piece for one side of the bag.

Optional: You may choose to add lightweight interfacing the completed patchwork. I would recommend something like SF101 by Pellon, and interfacing both Exterior Main pieces.

Refer to the free tutorial or the everything size in the lined drawstring bag pattern. Follow steps 1-8, then return to this tutorial.


5. To make the wreath bow, place two 1.5"x21" Bow strips right sides together. Sew along all four sides, leaving a few inches unsewn for turning. Turn tie right sides out, press well. Topstitch around all four sides, closing the opening. Carefully tie into a neat bow.

If you'd like, you could make the ends of the ties pointed or rounded. Trim to shape before sewing them together.

6. Turn bag right sides out. Hand-stitch the bow onto the wreath block, using the opening in the interior of the bag to reach the wrong wide of the bag exterior.

For the remaining bag construction, refer back to the free tutorial or the everything size in the lined drawstring bag pattern.


I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! I can't wait to see your bags! Please share them with me on instagram @jenib320 + #lineddrawstringbag or via email (jenib320 @ gmail.com)!

Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference!

Happy Sewing!

Book Drawstring Gift Bag Tutorial

Wednesday, November 20, 2024


Welcome to the first post of the 2024 Lined Drawstring Bag Sew Along! Today I have a new bag size to share, the Book Lined Drawstring Gift Bag Tutorial!

I'll be updating the Sew Along Page each week with all the posts so that you can easily catch up or reference these posts after the sew along ends!

I hope you'll sew along with us! Sew from the tutorial or the patterns:
Lined Drawstring Bag Tutorial
Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern
Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern

Here are a few to-do items for week 1 of the sew along!

The main goal for this week is to get your bag plans mapped out. Figure out how many bags you'd like to make, which sizes and choose fabrics. Here are a few posts from the archives that you might find helpful when tackling this:

- My tips for choosing fabrics, specifically for drawstring bags. This post includes a bunch of sample fabric pulls too. Find it here: Tips for Choosing Fabrics for Drawstring Bags

- Guidance for making drawstring bags for wrapping gifts. There are also some gift ideas for each size, to give you an idea of what would fit in all the different sizes: Tips For Using Drawstring Bags to Wrap Gifts

- There are a few other bag sizes outside of the tutorial or pattern, you don't want to miss then! The Wine Bottle Drawstring Gift Bag Tutorial and the Knit Drawstring Shoe Bag Tutorial.

- Still looking for fabric combination ideas? I'd recommend checking out my Lined Drawstring Bag Pinterest Board as well as the #lineddrawstringbag hashtag on Instagram. You'll find lots of finished bags to take inspiration from!


I'm so excited to share two bag sizes with you today that would be great for books! Books make such a nice gift, I thought we could all get some use out of a bag tailored specifically for wrapping books. I'm sharing two different bags today, one that fits larger novels and another that fits small paperbacks.

The Large Book Bag is 15" tall x 9" wide and fits hardcover books around 9.5"x6.5", as well as larger trade paperback books around 9"x6". The inside usable height of the Large bag is 12.5".

The Small Book Bag is 12.5" tall x 8" wide and fits medium paperbacks around 8"x5" as well small mass-market paperbacks around 7"x4". The inside height of the Small bag is 10.25". Both bags fit books that are of moderate thickness.


If you're worried that your book won't fit, I suggest making a test bag! You can always add height (the same amount to the Exterior Main and Lining) if you need to. A good rule of thumb is if the book is shorter than the Exterior Main height measurement, it has a good chance of fitting. If your book is particularly thick, you may consider adding a little to both the height and width of the pieces to accommodate it.

Book Drawstring Gift Bag Tutorial

Sewing Level: Beginner
Finished size: Large - 15" tall 9" wide, Small - 12.5" tall 8" wide

Book Drawstring Gift Bag Materials:
Small Bag Large Bag
Exterior Main 1 Fat Quarter 1 Fat Quarter
Accent 1 Fat Quarter* 1 Fat Quarter*
Lining 1 Fat Quarter 1 Fat Quarter
Ties 1/8 yd or 1 5/8 yd twill 1/8 yd or 1 2/3 yd twill
*1/4 yard cut could be substituted

- Coordinating thread
- Acrylic ruler
- Large safety pin
- Pencil

Looking for supplies? Check out my Pattern Supplies and Resources post.

Book Drawstring Gift Bag Cutting:
All cutting measurements are listed as height x width

Small Bag Large Bag
Exterior Main (2) 10"x8.5" (2) 12"x9.5"
Accent (2) 4"x8.5" (2) 4"x9.5"
Lining (2) 13.5"x8.5" (2) 15.5"x9.5"
Ties** (2) 28"x2" (2) 30"x2"
**If using twill for ties, ignore the 2" measurement and simply cut to length.

Book Drawstring Gift Bag Instructions:

For bag construction, refer to the free tutorial or the lined drawstring bag pattern. The depth for both bags is 0, so you can skip steps 6-8 and proceed to step 9. If you need extra guidance on the construction, please refer to the video tutorial.


I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial! I can't wait to see your bags! Please share them with me on instagram @jenib320 + #lineddrawstringbag or via email (jenib320 @ gmail.com)!

Don't forget to pin this post to your Pinterest for future reference!

Happy Sewing!