Supplies
Cross-stitch motif on Aida fabric.
Yellow fleece 25 cm x 68 cm.
A piece of fusible fabric 20 cm x 20 cm.
1 reel each of yellow, white and blue thread.
20 cm of blue rickrack.
A safety pin.
A sewing machine.

Size of the finished bag: 17 cm x 26 cm.

How to prepare the cross-stitch motif

Cut a square measuring 18 cm x 18 cm out of the Aida fabric, making sure the cross-stitch motif is well centred. Overcast the 4 sides with a sewing machine.

How to mount the cross-stitch motif

Cut a piece of fusible fabric measuring 18 cm x 17 cm.
Apply it with the help of an iron, placing the sticky side against the fabric at the back of the cross-stitch motif 1 cm from the top.

How to mount the cross-stitch motif (contd)

Fold over the back the 1 cm at the top that has not been mounted on the fusible fabric to make a seam, and flatten it with an iron.

How to apply the cross-stitch motif

Place the face of the cross-stitch motif over the fleece 12 cm from the top so that the bottom reaches the pins marking the middle of the height.

Make sure that the 1 cm hem at the top of the cross-stitch motif is folded over the back, pin and machine stitch the upper edge only, making a seam 3 mm from the edge. Baste the sides and bottom to hold the fabric in place.

How to apply the rickrack

Pin the rickrack over the seam that has just been sewn to hold the Aida fabric and the fleece together. Machine stitch a straight seam along the middle of the rickrack with the blue thread.

How to make the bag

Fold the fabric in two along the height, concealing the application, to obtain a surface of 18 cm x 28.5 cm. Work on the reverse side.

Sew the side seams up to a height of 25 cm and 1 cm from the edge, starting from the bottom pleat and stopping each seam 3.5 cm from the top to form the slits. Fasten the last stitch. Sew the bottom seam 1 cm from the pleat so that the Aida fabric is held in these 3 seams between the fleece.

Flatten the seams with an iron at the back.

How to make the width of the bottom

At one end of the bottom of the bag, place the side seam over the bottom seam to obtain a triangular shape. Make sure the fabric is completely flat and machine stitch a straight seam 2 cm from the point all along the width forming the base of the triangle. Proceed in the same way on the other side.

How to finish the bottom of the bag

Fold over the triangles inside and hold in place with whip stitches.

How to make the slit at the top

Along the 3.5 cm slit that has been left open at the top, fold the hems of each side over the back and machine stitch them 5 mm from the pleat. Flatten the seams with the help of an iron.

How to make the drawstring casing at the top

To form the casing for the drawstring at the top, fold a 2 cm hem over the back.
Flatten all around with the help of an iron, pin and then machine stitch 5 mm from the edge of the fold. Turn the bag the right side out.

How to finish

Cut a cord 2 cm wide and 65 cm long out of the fleece. Slip it into the drawstring hem at the top with the help of a safety pin. Pull the two ends of the cord to close the bag.