I really enjoy sewing, but it has gone by the wayside as I have pursued painting and drawing. Determined to get other areas of interest back into my life, I have taken a few days off from the above, decided to limit it to a max of 2 hours / day, and then decided I needed a simple project to get my interest in sewing back.
It worked!
I looked up bags to sew – free patterns, too – and found a lot of them. The Japanese Knot Bag caught my eye, and this video from http://www.hellosewing.com got my immediate attention. First, the instructions for the bag are written here, and then there is a free pdf for the pattern, and finally there is this video! What a treasure trove of information.
My two cents is watch the video, slow it down a bit, and read the web page. I enjoyed the project enough to research more about the knot bag. On YouTube a lone you will find a variety of tutorials and bag styles. The one I made is from the pdf at hellosewing.com; it is small and will make a good bag for small knitting projects, such as socks.
I was too lazy to dig through my stash of fabrics; instead, I went to the local JoAnn and found sale material and bought enough for 2 purses. I made one yesterday, and total time was about 2 hours, beginning to end. I watched the video, slowed down by 50% to catch a few things, such as seam sewing early on and then how to turn the bag right side out. (Hint – through the opening of the longer strap!)
This is the bag, completed. This is a batik fabric and it is lined with a navy bluish solid color. The handles of the bag are really 2 different lengths. See below!
To close the bag, you pull the longer strap through the opening of the shorter strap. This closes up the bag, cinching it a bit, and the long strap then acts as a handle.
Then my machine presser foot handle decided to die – but it is, I think, a simple fix, and we should be back in business. I have another one to make!
Ink, Yarn & Beer 
Very clever pattern and bag. And in 2 hours. It’s a winner. They will make nice gifts.
Thanks for showing your knot bag. This project is on my to-do list. I had saved the pattern from some source or other. I think about the knot bag as a canvas for bori stitches.
Glad you like the bag. I agree – it would make a beautiful background for stitches.
I thought it was a pretty cool bag, Anne. And I have one in the making for someone I know, too!
Wow, that bag is way cool! I love it! (Hint, hint)
Haha! I already made you one in purple! I’ll post it. š
I love those. Have made a few, tooā¦ thinking of making more. Thanks for the inspiration. šš§µ
Hi there! I have made 6 and love ’em. Go ahead and get sewing – you won’t regret it.