Fabulous Free Pattern Friday

It's that time of the week once more! But before we get started, I need to announce the winner of last week's Bandanna Skirt..........
The winner is Erin!!!!!!!!!!!

So Erin, send me an email at sewbussted@yahoo.com and I'll get the skirt out to you.
The Kimono Bag

 Today's pattern is another super simple piece to make. It's just a rectangle.

I'm calling it the Kimono Bag, because to me anyway, it looks like a kimono when it is upside down!
I used a piece of vintage Obi fabric for my bag. You can use any sturdy fabric. 

I cut my fabric 14" x 28". This allowed for 1/2" seams. Fold the fabric in half and sew the side seams. Press your seams open.

I lined the bag. Cut your lining 2" shorter than your fabric. This will give you a nice facing as you see in the above picture. I used 28" for the length, so cut the lining 26" long by the same width as your bag fabric which was 14". Sew the side seams of the lining, leaving an opening on one side so that you can sew the lining to the bag and then turn it. Press the side seams of the lining open. Stitch the lining to the bag, turn and press the top of your bag. 

With the bag lying flat, find the middle and mark it with pins on both sides of the bag. 

Bring the side seams to the center. This will form a pleat. 

You can see it a little better in this picture. Pin the pleats in place.

The bottom of the bag will flare out. Press the top pleat in place. This will help to hold the pleat in place.

You will need a package of large eyelets.

Mine are 7/16".  

You will need to attach an eyelet to all 4 sides of the pleat.

To make the cording, you will need twice the amount of cording that is needed for the straps. My finished straps are 34" long, but you need to factor in the amount needed for the knots, so all in all, 3 yards was used for the straps, but as I said, in order to make the cording, you will need twice that amount, so plan on 6 yards of cording. When you go to buy the cording, make sure that 2 cords will slip through the eyelets easily. If it seems to be a tight fit, use a cording that is one size smaller.  

To make the cording, cut bias strips of your fabric. Sew them together until they are as long as you need for your straps. Once the strips are sewn together, wrap the fabric around your cording with the wrong side facing out. Trim the seam allowance as you see in the picture below and sew across the end as you see in the picture above. The end that you sew across is the end where the length of uncovered cording is.  

 You will now turn the fabric as you see in the picture below.

Once you have turned the fabric over the cording and the right side is facing out, thread the cording through the eyelets.

To make the knots, Begin with a simple knot,

and then put the end of the cord through once more as you see below.

Pull the knot tight.

It should look like the picture below once it has been pulled tight.

 Leave about 1 1/2" of cord next to your knot and cut the rest off.

 Push back the fabric exposing the cord,

 and cut off the cord as you see below.

Fold back the end,

 and wrap it around the knot.

 Sew the end in place. Do this for all 4 knots.

 Your bag is finished!

 I'm really happy with how it turned out and I will have the perfect outfit to pair it with.

Good luck if you decide to give it a try and by all means, if you have any questions, please shoot me an email and I will do my best to help.

 Have a wonderful weekend!