Block Printed Drawstring Bags

I have had a bag of beautiful wooden printing blocks sitting unused in my room for months (scandal!). They’re a mixture of more traditional indian designs with some beautiful intricate patterns – I can’t wait to experiment with them further! I love block printed designs so I decided to share a simple tutorial for block printed drawstring bags with your this month.

You will need;

Wooden printing blocks, or you could make your own lino print designs
Light Weight Calico Fabric
Dylon Fabric Paint
Sponge
Plastic pot for mixing
Polyester cord

The Bag

Cut two rectangles with a 2 cm seam allowance on each side and an extra 2 inches on the top. Hem each piece at the top.

Place your two pieces of fabric together and sew up one side, stopping 2 inches before the top edge, make sure to stay stitch.

Press the seams outwards and sew around the edge of that opening to hold them in place. It’s useful to cut the raw edges with pinking shears at this point.

Sew up the remaining 2 sides of your bag, right sides together.

Fold down your top edge 1 inch and sew into place the whole way along to create your drawstring channel. Now turn your bag back the right way round and press.

Thread your cord through the drawstring channel with a safety pin. Knot the ends together to secure. At this point I also wrapped the ends of the cord in washi tape in a complimentary colour to ensure they didn’t fray – you can also use PVA for this.

The Print

For a really clean print you need to allow yourself some give when pressing down your blocks. I stacked a few sheets of felt inside my bag, with some plain paper on top to stop any paint bleeding through.

Mix your desired colour in your pot (I find it really useful to have some white fabric paint on hand to lighten colours).

Sponge your paint onto your block, it should cover completely and evenly but not drip

Place your block down onto your fabric firmly - you can also roller over the top if you’re using lino print to achieve an even print.

When you’re happy with your design allow to dry and then iron to set the paint.