Tutorial: Posh gift bag!

We've dug out one of our tutorials for you as we thought it would be perfect for wrapping your Mother's day gifts!

It's a quick and easy alternative to a paper gift bag - this Posh Pick Gift bag takes very little fabric and very little time! Here's how you do it...

Here's what you need:

2 pieces of fabric - one for the outside of the bag and one for the lining - which will be cut to 11 1/2" by 16 1/2"

Heavyweight iron on interfacing (to be cut to 11 1/2" by 16 1/2")

Embellishments of your choice - I used 2 covered buttons, a piece of ribbon and a glass bead for this example 

General sewing supplies

Iron on a piece of interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric you want to use for the outside of your bag.

If you make sure both the interfacing and the fabric are slightly larger than they need to be when you are fusing them together, then cut them down to size (11 1/2" x 16 1/2") you'll get a nice neat edge and an exact fit!!

Cut your lining fabric down to 11 1/2" x 16 1/2"

**Use 1/4" seams throughout**
Fold your outside fabric in half along the longest length, right sides together, sew along the longest open edges and one of the short open edges.

Fold your lining fabric in half along the longest length, right sides together. Start sewing at the top of the long open edge and leave a 2" gap for turning, approximately 2" down from the top. (Shown by my silly pink post it note!). Sew along the short open edge.

Press the seams open as well as you can and press a crease where the fabric was folded - this will help guide you in the next step.

Open out the bottom of the bag, line up the bottom seam with the side seam (or side crease) to form a triangle and place a pin to stop it moving around. Using a ruler, find the point where the triangle is 3" wide and draw a pencil line.

Sew across this line. Repeat on the other corner and on both corners of the lining piece.

Snip off the triangles, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.
**NB - you don't have to do this if you'd rather leave them in place, but if you do, sew a couple of little stitches through the triangle "ears" to keep them down!**

Turn your outer piece right sides out and stand back and marvel for a moment!

Keeping the lining piece right sides IN, place the outside bag INSIDE the lining. Right sides of the fabrics should be together.
Line up your seams and the corners and sew all the way around the top.

Remember the gap you left in the lining? Well now is it's moment of glory!
Turn the bag the right side out through this gap - doesn't it look like a big empty flu remedy capsule??? This is intentional!!!

Don't fret - it's minutes away from beauty! Press the bag well and close the gap either with slip stitches or with the sewing machine (seriously, it won't show!)

Pop the lining back inside the bag, press the top of the lining well so that it is neatly inside the bag and top stitch - I considered using a fancy stitch on my machine at this point but thought this particular fabric might be a bit "busy" for that!

Embellish!
I rolled the top of the bag down and added a couple of buttons, a ribbon and a bead so that I could easily close the bag when it's goodies were tucked inside! You could use poppers, buttonholes or nothing at all - whatever you fancy. Now all you have to do is fill with gorgeous things and give to your Mum (if you can!)