Remaking Every Bag in the Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern

Happy Tuesday! Today I have a fun parade of drawstring bags to share! I'm celebrating five years since I released my Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern! To mark this milestone, I decided to challenge myself to remake all the bag variations included in the pattern.


I've been working a lot with vintage sheet fabrics lately, so I also challenged myself to use only my quilting cotton and canvas stashes. I wanted to especially focus on using up leftovers and precious saved fabrics. It's nice to have some constraints sometimes, rather than having endless options!


There are 10 main variations included in the pattern, plus techniques and ideas for taking each variation a step further. I made one variation twice, so I ended up making a total of 11 bags over the course of this month. Without further ado, let me show you the bags I made!

Find the pattern in my shop here: Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern.



First up we have the Peek-a-boo bag! This is one of the simpler variations, but it's really cute. I love having the lining fabric peek through at the top of the bag. These prints have been in my stash for many years, I was happy to finally use that floral print in a project! This is a Project size bag. I used antique ruler twill tape to finish it.



The Mini Accent bag is next! This variation plays with the proportion of the accent and the exterior main. I used an old Heather Ross linen, I've had it so long I don't even remember what collection it's from. I haven't used that purple lining print in probably 10 years, still such a good one! This is an Everything size bag. It's finished with 1/2" natural twill tape.



On to the Bottom Accent bag! Of all the variations in the pattern, I've probably made this one the most. Instead of having the accent at the top of the bag, it's at the bottom! I love this sheep print by Ellen Luckett Baker so much! I made a bag (Sheep Maker's Tote) with the mustard colorway back in 2016. This is a Project size bag. Finished with nylon paracord.



Next up, two Patchwork bags! I had two stacks of 2.5" squares that have been kicking around my stash for a while and I decided to use them both up during this challenge. For this one I used all strawberry prints! My friend Jacey gave me a mini charm pack of strawberry prints years ago and I'm so glad I finally used them in a project. I love strawberries so much! The accent on this bag is a thrifted quilting cotton. This is an Everything bag. I finished it with nylon paracord and beehive wooden beads.



For my second Patchwork bag, I used the leftovers of a couple different Carolyn Friedlander mini charm packs. I made another patchwork bag with her fabrics a few years ago, which you can see here: February Monthly Report. This one features a lot of wovens that coordinate with her collections. I used a bright green solid leftover from my Large Keep Turning Quilt. This is an Everything size bag, and I finished it with black ruler twill tape.



Next up, a Foundation Pieced bag! I dug into my low volume scraps for this bag, in particular my cream based fabrics. The exterior main pieces have a muslin foundation, and the possibilities in terms of design are endless! I've made a bunch of string block bags using this same technique. For this bag I did logcabin-ish piecing. This is an Everything size bag, and I pulled out my hot pink nylon paracord to finish it!



The patchwork bags are fun, but can be a bit time consuming. Enter the Easy Going bag! This bag uses only two fabrics, one for the exterior and one for the interior. I've had this purple Alice in Wonderland fabric from Kokka for ages. I'm happy that I finally used it! This is a Project size bag, and I finished it with 1/2" natural twill tape and 1" wooden beads.



This bag is even easier! This is the single fabric Easy Going Bag. You only use one fabric for the entire bag. I choose this funky stripe from a friend. This is a Snack size bag and I finished it with some yellow measuring tape twill!



This variation is super fun (in my opinion!) the Backpack bag! Turning your drawstring bag into a drawstring backpack requires only a few minor alterations. I made it using Halloween fabrics because I think it would be an excellent bag for trick-or-treat. As your bag of candy gets heavier, you get to wear it on your back instead of carrying it! This is an Artist size bag, and it's finished with black nylon paracord.



Another Halloween themed bag, this time a Quilt Block bag. I love adding quilt blocks to the exterior main on drawstring bags. I've released a new block bag (almost) every year during the lined drawstring bag sew along (this year's is going to be so cute!!). The pattern includes instructions for adding common square quilt blocks to your bags as well as instructions for adding a custom sized block to the bag front. For this bag I used a leftover spooky block. This block is a free pattern, you can find it here: Paper Pieced Coffin Quilt Block. This is a Project size bag, and I finished it with black twill tape.



Last but not least, a bag with a Centered Design! There are instructions for laying out an embroidery or appliqué design on the exterior of a bag, as well as centering an existing design. For this bag, I centered a leftover screen print that I had in my stash. I had printed it on white fabric with white ink, so I dyed it before turning it into the bag! The back of the bag is a piece of fabric that I ice dyed.I'm thinking about printing panels of this print (and the sewing version) again, maybe this Spring? We'll see! This is an Artist size bag and I finished it with black ruler twill tape.

That's a wrap! I'll be back to announce the dates for this year's sew along later this week!

Patterns: Lined Drawstring Bag Pattern, Lined Drawstring Bag Expansion Pattern
Fabrics: Stash
Notions: Cotton Twill Tape, Nylon Paracord, Round Wooden Beads, Beehive Wooden Beads

Happy Sewing!