Baby DIY.. Drawstring Wet Bag

It has been quiet on my blog the last few weeks. I have been on the road for work. But, thank goodness, my work travel and tradeshow calendar are slowing down for the year. My life will be much calmer for the next 3 months. I am REALLY looking forward to some downtime!

Like many of my posts, I have wanted to make a wet bag for quite a some time.  We live in Florida and it is hot all the time. Well, at least to me. I’m Canadian. Every Wednesday morning our toddler has playtime in the water feature at his daycare. When I pick him up at the end of the day, his wet clothes are tied in a garbage bag. It feels like such a waste of a garbage bag when I could sew something.. So, with work at a slower pace,  it was the perfect time to whip up this project.

The bag was fairly easy to make and completed in a few hours. The hardest part was figuring out how to make a separate casing for the drawstring, as I wanted it to be a contrasting color. I’ve figured it out for you! The bag holds a toddler sized towel, swim shorts, swim top and a pair of water shoes. The bag is long and slender and the finished size is 15 1/2″H x 4″ W x 8″L.

Although I created the bag for my toddler’s wet daycare clothes, it can be used for anthing – school, laundry, travel or even as an overnight bag.

I used cotton for the outside and waterproof PUL fabric for the interior. I have used PUL fabric for a few projects now and really like working with it. I bought a 3 color pack from a brand called Babyville Boutique at Joann Fabric.

Materials Needed:

1. Cotton fabric – 2 colors or patterns
2. PUL fabric – Waterproof fabric.  Check out the link above to the Babyville Boutique. This fabric is great for baby products and perfect for the lining
3. 1-1/2 yards of string or cording
4. Cord stops – optional
5. Rotary cutter
6. Cutting mat
7. Quilting / Cutting ruler
8. Sewing materials – pins, thread, sewing machine
9. Disappearing ink pen
10. Iron and ironing board
11. Namemaker labels – optional

Before we get started, here are a few things to consider:

1. Cotton Fabric – Cut 1 piece 24″L x 18″H.  Second color/casing strip: cut 18 1/2″L x 2″H
2. Lining Pattern – Cut 1 piece 24″L x 18″H.
3. Pins and PUL – Keep your pining to a minimum. Pin only in the seam allowance or along the stitch line. The pins will make holes in the back/waterproof side of the fabric
4. Iron and PUL – You can iron PUL fabric. I pressed my seams for this project. So, make sure to press as you go. However do NOT touch the waterproof side with your iron. Use steam to press the wrinkles out
5. Sewing with PUL – When sewing with the PUL, make the stitch length a little longer. Sew with the coated side facing down as much as you can. The fabric will slide through your machine much easier

So let’s start sewing:

1. Cut all three fabric pieces. Fold in half both the main and lining pieces lengthwise. Place into your sewing maching and sew the side seams and bottom seam with a 1/4″ SA. While sewing the self/cotton piece, leave a 2-3″ opening at the bottom seam
2. Double fold the casing at each end 1/4″. Press and edgestitch closed. Pin the casing along the top edge of the self piece. Start pining at the side seam and leave 1/4″ gap. This is the casing opening.  Make sure to place right sides AND raw edges together. Pin along the top edge. Place into your sewing machine and sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance
3. Fold the casing upwards along the middle and iron. Match the raw edges again and pin in place. This creates your casing
4. Square the bottom sides of both the self and lining. Twist the bottom of the bag.  Jiggle it around so that your side seams are laying flat and facing upwards. You should have a point.  Using your creative grids ruler – measure 2″ from the point and draw a line.  You also want a 45 degree angle along the side.  Place into your sewing machine and stitch along the line
5. Turn the self right side out. The lining should be right side in. Pull the lining over the self and match at the top edge. Pin together. Place into your sewing machine and stitch along the top edge with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Backstitch. You will close this seam completely
6. Pull the lining through the slit you left at the bottom self seam. This is a great time to stop and press all seams. With everything laying flat, place the bag into your sewing machine and topstitch along the casing edge. This seam holds the self and lining pieces together. Also remember to stitch closed the opening at bottom self seam
7. Pin a safety pin at the end of the cord. Pull the cord through the casing. You can use a cord stop on the end to secure the straps. You can also just tie the cord in a knot to hold it all together. I used iron on Namemaker labels to finish the ends.  This is a unique way to add a child’s name and label the daycare item properly. I just cut the label to size, sandwiched the cord and ironed it. I gave it a quick topstitch in my machine to secure the label

That’s it! What do you think? I love hearing if you are sewing my projects, please feel free to send pictures, leave a comment or email me through my contact page

Happy sewing!