Petal Bags

I am on spring break this week and since we just replaced our HVAC unit AND my 11-year old car, an out-of-town vacation was not in the budget. I needed a crafty project to keep me busy. I had this little Valori Wells pattern from my Christmas stocking last year (that would be 15 months ago), and I thought it would be a good time to try it.

My sewing skills are limited, and I only attempt patterns with minimal steps and straight stitches. The petal bag project met my expertise level, so I started with two medium sized bags– so cute. I shared with Miss Priss and Mr. Star Wars. They wanted one each, so we headed to Hobby Lobby for more fabric and ribbon (against my better judgement). Eight hours later, I had made a bag in every size. I made a bag for everyone in my house. I made a bag for the dog and the neighbor’s dog. I made bags for teacher gifts. They assemble pretty quickly, and it is so fun to pick the coordinating fabrics; I can hardly contain myself.

Materials

• Sewing machine
• Petal Pouch Sewing Card pattern ($4.00)
• 2 fat quarters or 1/2 yard of 2 different fabrics per bag
• 1/4″ wide ribbon, 2 pieces for each bag (length varies)

Directions

• To make the large bag, cut two 18″ squares in two different fabrics.

• Place the two squares of fabric right sides together. Stitch around all edges using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Leave a 3″ opening along one edge.

• Trim fabric from the corners.

• Turn the fabric to the right side, push corners out, flatten edges, and press with an iron.

• Slip stitch the 3″ opening closed.

• Fold down the 4 corners of the square to create the petals and press. The petal should be 5″ on both sides of the fold, so the petal will be square and even. The fabric that you want on the outside of the bag should be facing up. The fabric you want as the petals will be seen when you fold the corners over.

• To form the casing, stitch 1/2″ from the folded edge beginning at the edge of the bag. Backstitch to secure the petals.

• Cut two lengths of ribbon or cord ~26″ each. Beginning on one side, thread one ribbon through the 4 petals and tie the two ends together. Start at the opposite side of the bag and thread the second ribbon through the 4 petals. Tie the ends together.

• Pull both drawstrings to create the petal bag.

Uses: You may be asking yourself what one might do with umm, I don’t know… say 13 petal bags. I have many ideas.

• The large bag is perfect for holding Lego men.
• The medium bag is a great place to keep American Girl doll shoes and socks.
• The medium bag is a nice size to hold dog treats and poop bags while you are on a walk.
• The mini size is made for hair bands.
• The large bag would work well as a cosmetics bag when traveling.
• The large bag works like a “hat” when you hold drawings for winners, or Bingo pieces, or student names in the classroom.
• The large bag would be perfect for a mini manicure set for a teacher gift.

Notes

• I’ve listed the basic instructions for the largest bag. I recommend ordering the little pattern card to get the measurements for the small and medium sized bags and for more specific directions (with diagrams!).
• Use ~6 extra inches of ribbon length than what is called for in the pattern to make it easier to thread the drawstrings.

• Wrap clear tape around the edges of the ribbon (like the end of a shoestring) and put a safety pin through the ribbon and tape. This will help thread and keep edges from fraying. Push, wiggle, then pull the fabric back to work the safety pin through the drawstring channel.
• If you use this as a dog treat bag, use picnic tablecloth material as the lining, so it can be wiped clean easily.

What would you do with your petal bags?