This afternoon I was thinking about Christmas. I wanted to make little gifts for the ladies at our Cloth Doll Club,
ACDA. Change purses, For Christmas they are going to be made of Christmas colours but for this mini tutorial I just used what I had on hand. This technique can be used for whatever sized container you wish. Choose your container you are going to measure with. Add seam allowances. Make 2 circles out of cardboard for the base, make 2 circles out of fabric larger than the base size.
Cover the two circles with the fabric by running a gathering thread around each one. One will be on the outside of the bag and one on the inside.The fabric for the main purse pattern is both the outside and the lining. so you need it height size doubled. add a seam allowance, Sew up the seam allowance. This makes a tube.Turn the tube raw edges are meeting each other fabric wrong sides together this will be the bottom of the little bag.
Run a gathering thread through the raw edges and place one of the circles raw edges facing the raw edges of the gathered tube and lightly sew the two pieces together just to hold.
Turn it right sides through and it will look like this. Pin and sew the tube to the circle by hand using tiny stitches. Take out the pins and turn the bag the other way and add the second circle and pin just like this and sew all around again. This leaves your bag with no raw edges.
Add the casing which is 2 rows of stitches all around the tube near the top wide enough to add your chosen cord. On the outside fabric only, opposite sides to each other, snip a small slit between the casing stitches add your cord. You will need 2 lengths. Place one cord on a safety pin and run it right around. Tie it in a knot. Do the same thing on the other slit. You can now open and close the bag easily. Add little hard boiled lollies or other trinkets of your choice.