Valentine Gift Bag Tutorial

Here's a quick project you can whip up in time for Valentine's Day.  First, find an image you want to print onto some muslin.  I found this one at The Graphics Fairy .  There are lots of tutorials online to show you how to print pictures onto fabric, such as this one here. Print your picture onto a piece of muslin.

Trim away the excess fabric, 1/4" from the picture.

Cut out a piece of backing fabric and 2 pieces of lining fabric, the same size as the piece of fabric with the picture.  Right sides together and with a 1/4" seam, sew the lining pieces to the top of the picture piece and the backing piece.

Press the seams in opposite directions and "butt" them together, with the right sides of the fabric pieces on the inside.

If you want, you can add some batting to the bag, to give it a bit of weight.  Cut 2 pieces of cotton batt 1/4" shorter than the other pieces, so they line up with the seam and pin on the top and underneath the backing and picture pieces.

Starting at the short end of the lining pieces, sew a 1/4" seam around the entire piece, ending your stitching a couple of inches from where you started so that you have an opening for turning.  Clip all corners.

Pull the bag through the opening (I use a pointy chopstick to get into all the corners).  Hand-stitch the opening closed and push the lining back into the bag.

Poke a little hole near the top of the side seams and insert a length of rusty wire.  Twist the ends to secure.

Fill the bag with gifts for your sweetie--chocolates, a candle, dried flowers, whatever.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

And thanks to all of you for your words of comfort, following my previous blog.  They were all so very much appreciated.