Quiltingboard Forums - Santa sack from a sweatshirt.

I make these to take over gifts, kids love them because they can haul away the gifts they get in the bags. You could make them from a fall themed shirt if you wanted to make it a trick or treat bag. The bag is lined to make it less stretchy. I cut the ribbing off the bottom and turn it into a turn down for the top of the bag, the handles are cut from a sleeve.
Some of the pics are a bit blurry. When you sew the ribbing to the bag top, you will have to do a lot of easing. You are sewing two stretchy fabrics with a non stretchy fabric in the middle so there might be some pinchy pleats but they won't show as they will be hidden by the folded over ribbing.

this is how I cut the shirt up, I trim the seam allowances from the ribbing on the bottom

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this is how I cut the handles. I cut them four inches wide, fold and press with raw edges to wards the center and a ribbon sewn down to cover the raw edges.

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sew the lining and insert it inside the bag. I have to adjust the length of the ribbing to fit the opening. I insert the handles so that when the ribbing is sewn down it can be folded over the top of the bag and the handles are sewn up in between.

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here is a blue bag finished

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finished white bag

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the wrong side of the white fabric looked like snow to me

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so I made this mini snowman pillow. It would look cut on a mantle or credenza

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