How to Make a Japanese Knot Bag

I love bags of all kinds and I am always making (as well as using) them! So, when I first spotted a tiny knot bag for sale in an expensive boutique, I knew I had to create my own pattern and figure out the directions and share them! I was told that they are called !apanese "not #ags$ #ut by using fabrics of any style, you can most certainly change the look and the purpose of the bag and truly make something unique and individualistically creative!

Supplies needed: It is such fun selecting an assortment of co%ordinating fabrics, and a wonderful opportunity to use small pieces leftover from fat quarters for trim or the lining sections$ I choose a whimsical print with a simple stripe as the lining and trim choices$ &ne fat quarter of each is more than enough to make a small bag$ 'ou will also need scissors or rotary cutter and mat, pins and a pencil compass or piece of string tied to a pencil () to substitute for creating a round bottom section and a yo%yo circle for trim, if desired$ Creating Template Patterns: )or my tiny bag, I used an *+,-. x ++. piece of paper to create my original pattern$ /he bottom section was a 0. diameter circle$ /his makes a tiny bag suitable for a small child or a tiny gift item like a necklace, earrings or trick or treat or valentine s gift$ /o make a larger one, 1ust proportionately increase the measurements and make it pleasing to both the eye and intended purpose!

1. Sewing bag body se tions toget!er" repeat #or t!e lining se tions: 2ike with any pattern, the body and lining patterns are simply mirror reversed sections$ #ecause of the knot or pulling one handle through the other style of closure, one handle must be longer than the other$ /he longer handle section will pull through the shorter one when closing$ /he circular bottom, or base of the bag must proportionately be able to fit the easing (as you seam it at the bottom) but since you can ease with a gathering technique, variations are easily substituted$$$from very gathered, to not at all$

Sewing bag and bag lining se tions: +.Seam lining sections, right sides together, leaving handles open at the top$ 3lso sew the bag sections + and -, right sides together, leaving their handles ends open$

$. Sewing Bottom Se tion: 4in round circle bag bottom along the bottom edges of each of the bag pieces$$$the main sections and the lining sections$ 5ather, as needed, with either machine gathering stitches,hand ones, or 1ust using the pins for ease$ Sew seams, bottom to main sections of each piece$

%. Sewing Handle Se tions o# t!e bag and its lining: Stitch inner handle curves and outer handle curves$ 'ou continue to leave the flat, short end sections open and do not sew them at this time$ /urning the bag inside out is done through an open handle section$ /his looks and feels very strange and awkward, but it truly works$ If you ve ever sewn a vest and left a side seam open, maneuvering the pieces inside and then out is very similar$ 'ou will feel like you are making a mistake, stay focused and pull all of the bag all the way through one single opening$$$it actually does work! &nce it is all turned right side out, it looks like the third photo above$

&. 'inis! Strap (nds and Topstit ! t!e !andle se tions all t!e way around: /o connect the open strap ends into handles, I simple turned under the raw edges of each handle section, and then topstitched one short handle end over its partner to connect and then, one long handle end to its partner, to connect$ I finished by topstitching all the way around the handle sections$$$ both inside curve and outside

curves$/his is not only for decorative effect, though it creates a very nice one$$$it is to hold the sections properly in place, as well$ (I added a colorful button to each overlapped handle section, which also matched the decorative button effect on the bottom of the bag, which is described below$)

). *dding de orati+e elements: I decided to add a decorative element by creating a simple stuffed yoyo for the bottom$ 6ot only cute, it also acts as a bag rest while the bag is set down on a surface$ 3 yoyo is a small circlet of fabric, (see above si7ing for proportions) gathered around a simple paper or cardboard template (smaller than itself, in si7e) 'ou sew it off with a knot after pulling the thread to gather, then remove the paper template$ I added a button to the cuteness factor () which co%ordinated with the decorative handle buttons$

Ta,a- * #inis!ed bag-