Sewing Bee Fabrics Tutorial
How To Make A Plastic Bag Dispenser
The bottom draw won't close properly because too many bags had fallen down the back of it, so it was time for another plan! Hence this quick plastic bag dispenser. So, if you want your draw space back again too, he's what you'll need:
Fabric fat quarter - Mine was about 45 x 45cm (I used purple polycotton)
Strip of patterned fabric (I used a 100% cotton 25cm wide and 20cm tall cut in half to make 2 strips 25x10cm then joined in the centre by placing the 2 ends patterned sides together and stitching a running stitch 1/4 inch from the edge so once opened out looks like a continuous piece of fabric - you will get a neater finish if you press the seam open).
Elastic (approx. 8 inches)
Ribbon for hanging it by (enough to go round your door handle/hook etc.)
How to make it:
First I wanted to create neat hems so I pressed the top and bottom edges of the polycotton with an iron. I then stitched these in to place so the raw edges are hidden inside the bag. Repeat the pressing with your cotton strip but make sure the top fold is slightly larger than the top hem on main fabric piece as it will be hiding that hem underneath it.
Hook the patterned fabric over the polycotton and line the edges up, so the hems match on the inside and the pattern sits straight on the outside.
Stitch the hem piece in place first, then flip the fabric right side up and top stitch the bottom edge down.
At the bottom of the main panel you will need to create a casing for the elastic to sit. Turn the polycotton under to create a large hem with enough space for the elastic to easily be threaded through. Again, Stitch into place with a basic running stitch but don't add the elastic yet.
Place the fabric folded over right-side-together (pattern sides inward) and sew a seam down the length to create a tube shape. Place the ribbon at an angle if you want a stronger fix (45 degrees would be strongest), and sew it into the side seam so both ends are encased within the seam. Stop as you get to the stitching for the elastic casing. You need to insert the elastic before closing this over.
To thread the elastic, I find that the easiest way is to put a safety pin in one end then you have something that you are able to hold easily to guide though. As you thread it through, be careful it doesn't ping through from the other end or you'll be starting over again so you might need to pin it down on the outside to be sure. Once you have an end poking out from each side of the hem, pull it to the desired tension then stitch the elastic ends together and trim the excess after. You can do this by sewing the elastic directly then the casing or just following the line of previous stitching down to go over the elastic and casing together.
Now all you need to do is to turn it the right way out, fill it with bags and its done. Simple eh?!
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Happy Sewing!