I love knot bags. They are reversible! And they're perfect for knitting project bags, but they're expensive. I had the cotton material already--bought to make more face masks that weren't needed--so I thought, why not try to make my own knot bag?
I did some online searches and found a pattern (with tutorial) at On the Cutting Floor. It was slightly too big for the fat quarter cotton I had, so I cut it down to the size of the batting outline on the pattern. FYI, I didn't do the batting. I have a bigger knot bag (that I love) and bought on Etsy and it didn't have batting, so I decided not to bother.
There was a second problem. One of the handles was supposed to extend 8 inches and there wasn't room for that either. I decided I would cut out a piece of handle and sew it on. When I created it, I did it to match the original handle width. That's why it's wider than the bag's handles. I trimmed it on the fly, which might not have been my best choice, but it turned out okay.
I decided to add the lining fabric to the main fabric and vice versa. I thought this might give it a fun look and I think I was right about that.
Instead of following the tutorial from the website where I found the pattern, I followed the instructions of Crafty Patti (love the name!) on YouTube. The video starts with instructions on how to create your own pattern for the knot bag, and I do want to try that at some point, but not for this project.
She started with sewing the straps together before sewing the inside neck and top stitching that.
Next up was sewing the actual bag part of the bag.
The last section to take care of was sewing the outer edges of the straps. This was the hardest part of the entire project and it was where I made a few mistakes. Fortunately, with the dark material, they're nearly invisible. :-)
I think it turned out really well for a first bag.
I jammed the T-shirt from hell inside the bag to give it some heft for the pictures.
FYI, Crafty Patti's instructions are thorough and clear. I found them very easy to follow even if I did have issues with my sewing ability. I want to give it another try, and this time I'll have a little experience behind me. If I struggle with the outside of the straps again, I've seen different construction methods and I might try one of those.
Overall, though, despite burning myself multiple times with the iron, having to cut down my extra pieces of handle on the fly, and having my bobbin jam up, I think it turned out well and I'm really happy. From now on, I get all the knitting project bags I want and for a hell of a lot cheaper than Etsy is selling them for. (Although definitely not as beautifully sewn!)
