Scrap box challenge: Scrap bag

For a while now, I have been cutting my scraps into little squares and hexagons. Slowly, they accumulate into quantities that become useable. (You can read about my crazy scrap management plans in other posts.)

When I saw Caroline’s hexagon drawstring bag, I immediately wanted to start making one from my scrappy hexagons. So, I did.

Ta da!

The pale blue drawstring came from my stash and was just the right length. Perhaps I do not need to go ribbon shopping.

All of my bright hexagons were sewn together randomly.

The top is a lightweight denim, and the lining is a green spotted quilting-weight cotton.

I had to add to my hexie collection because I did not have enough ready-made bright hexies and I wanted to leave the pale and pastel ones out. I pulled bright fabrics from my stash to make up the numbers. I also added some shapes other than hexagons to allow me to turn the corner on the base. Yes, even the bottom of the bag is English paper pieced.

I did not have a pattern (or much of a clue) so I used some seriously hi-tech methods to plan the bag’s shape. Okay, so my methods were not really that hi-tech; they actually involved models made using bits of paper, scissors and sticky tape.

Everything came from my stash – even the denim on the top of the bag and the drawstring. I am not sure about the drawstring’s colour, but I can easily switch that for a pretty ribbon later if I choose to do so.

I added a Pellon base within the lining to keep the bottom of the bag flattish. The Pellon was repurposed from an earlier disaster of a bag-making exercise.

Planning required small-scale models, made using paper, scissors and sticky tape. For the internal base, I was able to reuse a bit of Pellon from an earlier failed attempt to make a bag to take to the dog park. No one will ever know the novelty fabric is hidden in there.

I know I could have made a simple drawstring bag (without English paper piecing) in an hour or so, but where is the fun in that?! I love my new bag!

My knitting has already made itself at home.

Oooh! My stitches are neat!