Portfolio de Couturier: The Peg Bag

It seems it's becoming a habit to have a guest seamstress featured in the Portfolio each month. Miss Brielle is currently out of commission for awhile, and I am no seamstress, so I've been blessed to find several ladies who have a talented hand and wonderful ideas for practical sewing items for the homekeepers in all of us!

This month I've asked my friend, Mrs. Rachel Lees from New Zealand, if she would show us how to make a nifty peg-bag. Now, while we're entering winter in the USA, New Zealand is just going into bloom, but no matter what the season is we try to use our clothes line as much as possible. Even when you're not using your clothes line you can use this peg bag to store your pegs in! Though, this peg bag as I see it can be used for more than just holding pegs and does resemble an apron somewhat. I'm sure you'll find creative ways to use in through every seasons after you read Mrs. Lees directions. I found them very easy to follow for an amateur seamstress like me!

Peg Bag Tutorial By Rachel Lees

This peg bag (as we call them down under - or clothespins as you call them up there) is an exact replica of one that my grandmother made for me as a new bride.

My grandmother, Eleanor Spencer, was a young housewife during the depression years and the war years, and always said that this was the best way for hanging out clothes on the clothesline. No more bending down for pegs! It has revolutionized my washing days!

You will need:

24’’ by 16’’ for backing fabric. Try to get a fabric that has the pattern showing on both sides.

24’’ x 16’’ for front fabric. This is where you can use your feature fabric.

Bias binding

Two pieces of coordinating fabric for waistband: 20 inches by 3 inches.

Interfacing or stiffening (optional) to strengthen waistband.

In the picture below I used the blue and white stripe for the backing and ties. The red gingham for the waistband, and the floral for the feature fabric on the front.

Directions:

(2) Cut out the BACKING first. Measure and cut your 24 x 16 inch rectangular shape.



Then using the backing fabric as a pattern, place it on top of your FEATURE FABRIC (for the front), and cut that out.

WAISTBAND:

(3) Cut 2 pieces of fabric for the waistband.

Length - 20 inches, width 3 inches

Can also cut a length of interfacing or stiffening to support waistband if needed. I have used stiffening in this one as that is what I had on hand.



TIES:
I made my ties nice and long (as I’m pregnant), but they can really be any length you prefer.

(4) These ties are 36 inches long, 2 1/4 inches wide, each side. You will need to cut out 4 (four) of these.



POCKET:
The pocket is the same as the backing - with the shape cut out of the front feature fabric. To make the pockets, (5) fold feature fabric in half width-wise with right sides facing (just so your pencil lines don’t show later).

(6). Measure 5 inches out from the center fold and draw a vertical line. Then measure down 7 inches from the top and draw a horizontal line. This is the cut out area for the pocket. (7).Using a curved bowl or something similar place it over the area as a template and trace out your pocket.



Then cut it out. It should look like this:



BIAS:
Sew the bias around the pocket edges.



(10) If there is a tricky bit in this pattern, this is it, but it’s not too hard. Fold under and iron a ¼ inch at each end of waistband.



Fold the feature fabric in half at the top and iron to mark the center. Then place it on top of the backing fabric (right sides up), matching raw edges. Fold the waistband in half to mark the center and place it along the top matching the center line with the feature fabric centre line.

From the edge of the pocket binding, cut a slightly curved line up to the waistband finishing off about ¼ inside of the waistband (see picture).

Fold backing in half and cut out the other side to match the first side.

(11) Sew the bias binding down one side of peg bag, across the bottom and up the other side.



WAISTBAND:
(12) Place one waistband strip with stiffening across front (right sides together), and one strip across back (right sides together. Don’t forget to turn in ¼ inch on each one of the ends. Sew waistband to peg bag. I used ½ inch seam. Leave ends open.

(13)Turn up and iron and trim if necessary.

(14) Place bias binding across top, remembering to turn in ¼ inch on bias as well. Sew.



TIES:
Place two ties together (right sides) and sew a ¼ inch down each side and across one end. Leave one end open. Turn. Do other tie exactly the same. Trim edges and corners before turning.

(15) Place raw edge into open end of waistband - at least an inch in. Sew twice down edges to secure. Repeat with other side.



And there you are - all done and it‘s ready and waiting for those pegs or clothespins!

Mrs. Lees has kindly offered to giveaway this peg bag away to one of our GGM readers so if you'd like to enter just tell a friend, leave a comment with the name of the friend you told, and put the icon on your blog. Also tell your friend(s) to make sure to tell me who sent them here, and if they do you'll get an extra entry.

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If you're a seamstress and you'd like to submit a tutorial for this column and be featured on GGM you're welcome to contact me! I'd love to see what you've come up with!