Rainbow Drawstring Tarot Deck / Stash Bag From Fabric Scraps

Bear with me as this is my first instructable (long time listener, first time caller <3) & I'm stoked since this is both a no-waste eco-friendly upcycle *and* a major fabric STASH BUSTER! It's also a fairly simple project for novice sewers & requires no quilting experience. I'm more confident to approach real piece-work quilting after having experimented with my bull-in-a-china-shop machine quilting method.

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I've divided this project into 2 parts:

1. quilting the fabric for the project

((I guess my fabric-making is technically a "crazy quilt"? I originally came up with the 'rainbow-fan' assembly to make rainbow face masks for Pride 2020- so part 1 can be adapted to any project that strikes your fancy!))

2. sewing the bag with the fabric you made

(( Similarly, part 2 is my version of a lined drawstring tarot deck bag I cobbled together from a few patterns & tutorials. It works with whatever fabric or color scheme you'd like- ideally whatever fabric you have lying around! The pieces used to construct the outer shell are fairly small & common off-cut shapes so it's easy to mine scraps for the colors you want.))

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I wanted to make a Pride-inspired tarot bag for all my LGBTQIA+ brothers & sisters by finding a creative way to include all the colors of the Progress Pride Flag

(from wikipedia: "the "Progress" variation adds a chevron along the hoist that features black, brown, light blue, pink, and white stripes to bring those communities (marginalized people of color, trans individuals, and those living with HIV/AIDS and those who have been lost)"

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(also apologies 1. for my beat up hands- much gardening & wire-twisting left my paws less than 'photo ready' and 2. if my photos/steps don't make sense. *I'm adding diagrams similar to (nicer than) my sketches* My brain doesn't like organizing information into clear, concise steps but I really want it to cooperate dang it! If you have any questions please find me on instagram! @Made.by.lauren.b or comment & I'll help to the best of my ability)

• Oodles of fabric scraps (I use scraps from my one-woman-face-mask factory which are all cotton)
• sewing machine
• thread (various colors optional)
• sewing scissors (do not buy the 'guggenhein' shears in my photos- they're trash)
• pins
• card stock or mat board for template (optional!)
• ruler
• cord for drawstring
• clothing iron (working steam setting is a plus)
• ironing board, or folded bath towel
• long handle paint brush or chop stick (for turning out seams)
• yarn needle (or any nifty trick you prefer for threading a drawstring)
• Optional decoration- baubles like tassels, skeleton keys, charms, bones, buttons, or anything you like that's sturdy enough to survive rattling around in a bag

*technically this is an optional step, but I found a simple slab-o-board in the required dimensions is immensely helpful in keeping my machine quilting on track. If you're using solid fabric, you can just measure & cut your fabric then skip to part 2 steps.

for 2 piece construction, cut a 10" x 6" rectangle from paper card stock.

-cut 2 of outer shell fabric & inner lining fabric

I'll be using the 2 Piece version for this 'ible, but you can also use a single piece of fabric for the outer shell and lining (both patterns pictured)

optional dimensions for 1 piece construction, cut a 19" x 6" rectangle

-cut 1 of outer shell fabric & inner lining fabric

Once we get to assembling the bag, Seam Allowance is 1/2" (unless otherwise specified).

Pull out those scraps & see who looks good together!

+ Once you mine the scraps you'd like to use you can arrange them to see what works. I don't worry too much about cutting to size because I'll be cutting off the excess fabric once I have all the pieces sewn together.

**there aren't many 'rules' to this process, but I've found that its easier to fit together 'fans' a.k.a. triangles with acute angles (which end up being triangles with 3 sides- more of less) rather than 'fans' with obtuse angles (which end up more half-circle -with one flat side and one rounded side- than a triangle). Rounded edges don't fit together quite as well for obvious reasons but they can also hide gaps where you don't catch both sides of fabric with your seam. Certainly not a big deal as I end up with rounded edges all the time! Just hoping to save you some aggravation :)

+ Start with 2 pieces at one end of your 'fan' stacked right-sides-together and sew! Repeat til you've sewn all the parts of the 'fan' you've arranged.

(( I'm not really a meticulous planner, cutter, or measurer. I'm more of a pick-what-looks-good-and-smash-together-er. YOU, on the other hand, are more than welcome to adapt any old quilting treatment you fancy (and frankly I'd love to see it). I tend to favor techniques which adapt easily to salvaged parts because that's what I use. Assembling somewhat haphazard "fans" of color maximize re-use & waste reduction by being able to incorporate a variety of shapes and sizes of scrap.))

You'll end up with a fan of color in a mess of threads and extra bits.

+ Trim threads & excess fabric from the underside leaving enough so as not to unravel (at least 1/8"). Make sure to check for gaps or any seams that didn't catch both sides of the fabric. Seeing details will be easier once you've cut some excess off the back.

(( The scraps produced from this technique can either go back into the scrap heap for the next project -OR- since I'm using natural fabrics they're small enough to go right in my compost bin! No waste! ))

+ Then pick a direction which makes sense to lay down all those ridge-y seams on the underside of your fabric and PRESS! and I mean PRESS the CRAP outta those fans. All those seams close together can get lumpy & bulky quick. Crank the heat up on your iron & turn on the steam setting (unless otherwise specified for your chosen fabric!) to get them suckers as flat as you can.

+ Now that you've mastered the fan-making process, REPEAT til you have enough 'fans' to make your outer shell pieces!

+ Lay out all those beautiful little bursts of color. Bask in your taste level & instinctive mastery of color theory. You're ready to arrange the pieces you've made & assemble your fabric!

+ Time to assemble all those parts together on the sewing machine! The process is *almost* the same fan-making with 2 exceptions:

1. When making a bunch of 'fans', it's easy to batch your tasks together: sew a bunch first, then iron that batch. On this step, I *highly* recommend trimming & ironing down seams each time you attach big pieces. I've gotten 'in the zone' attaching pieces together and accidentally sewed into a mess of excess fabric on the underside of my fabric. It can hide holes & gaps on the right side, make weird pulls/bunches, add layers of bulk which can make my fabric lumpy, OR my stitch tension goes all out of whack from too many thicknesses/textures of fabric. Puh-leeeez do as I say, not as I do.

2. You are making a specific shape, not just whatever comes together. This is where your template can come in handy to gauge how much ground you've covered & where the gaps are in your assembly. Either lay your 'fans' on your template as you go, or sew together all your parts and lay the template on top to see if you've got enough for a solid piece of fabric.

((** also a tip that's probably completely wrong but I like anyway- if you've got a particularly unruly seam go ahead and top stitch it down on the right side while assembling! With a particularly stubborn seam I'll also pull both fabrics taut while top-stitching -which usually you should NEVER do- to make the seam lay flat. My short term memory isn't great so I tend to forget the areas which need extra attention in the finishing stage which I've identified while assembling. My solution is to hit 'em when I see 'em- which may or may not work for you! You're working with scraps so it never hurts to experiment. I encourage you to do so!! ))

+ Once you'e assembled & pressed enough fabric for the outer shell, cut 2 pieces! (Or 1 piece if you're using fabric!)

+ You can also cut your lining pieces to match now! All your rectangles should be the same size. Easy Peasy

Now that you've made FABRIC!!! it's time to shore up all that stitching & add any details/finishing to the outer shell of your drawstring bag because you won't see it again til it's turned out into a fully lined fiddly tube.

(In theory you could add details once the bag is finished but I want my lining to hide all my work. Sewing on the finished bag would be impossible on a machine & even hand-sewing seems like a headache)

** I included some inspo from other projects I've made because now is the time! Add patches, appliques, block printing.. whatever you fancy!**

+ TOP-STITCHING

You may notice your fabric has puffed up in some spots, pulled in a weird way, or has bulky spots where lots of fabric pieces have joined together. I highly recommend ironing & steaming this fabric within an inch of it's life throughout the assembly process, but sometimes pressing isn't enough when you're combining so many different fabrics in a haphazard, er, fun way.

While this step is optional, I'm also enthusiastically encouraging you to get creative & add some personality. Additionally, top-stitching helps any sewing project hold up & look nice which can be a win-win. Top-stitching your big joins can squish down some of that bulk and help your fabric lay flat.

+ a note on THREAD COLOR & SECOND-HAND materials

Every sewing project materials list includes fabric & matching thread which is much more forgiving than visible stitches. Using 99.5-100% second-hand materials is foundational to my creative process (and my ethical beliefs), so running out to a big box store for supplies isn't really my bag. You'll notice a lot of "fixes" peppered into this tutorial specifically addressing salvaged materials & lots of advice that runs counter to "rules" of sewing. We have this leeway because it's a simple project -no darts or set-in sleeves here- so why not take our creative problem solving out for a stroll?

I consider my approach 'Recycled Rococo' (or more commonly referred to as s**t on s**t on s**t -which I embrace heartily). I have a healthy supply of secondhand thread spools which are always easier to find than you think. Embracing contrasting or complementary colors as a design element (& sometimes more obvious flaws in my stitching!) allows you to most effectively use what you have. If you experiment on a small scale, you may find techniques you can scale up on more complex projects in the future!

My practice is massively helpful in infusing maximum rainbow-ness into this particular project. If I'm not getting enough of a particular color to scream "Roy G. Biv!" I can add top-stitching or decorative embroidery to make the color scheme read as "rainbow". Some fabrics don't look as good together as you'd thought, or you lost a big chunk of yellow in assembly which makes your rainbow just look like, meh, random colors. Add a bunch of yellow zig zags & you'll be amazed at how it all comes together.

Such is salvage! A sustainable creative playground!

+ machine EMBROIDERY + APPLIQUE

This is a great time to roll out the fun & fancy free decorative stitches that come pre-programmed on your sewing machine. I've learned a TON about all the stitches on my machine by experimenting on these scrappy quilted fabrics.

oh and machine embroidery.. a thing I never dreamed I could do? I didn't know til I tried (& when I found a used free-motion quilting foot for $5)! I wouldn't say I'm good at it.. but I'm persistent! I have a lot of experience with drawing & illustration so I can't say it will be equally easy for anyone to pick up -HOWEVER- sewing skills are myriad. Put in the time to learn your way around a sewing machine & you'll easily identify what you're good at so you can play to your strengths. Here's some joyfully imperfect examples of my own practice:

+ drawing with my new free motion quilting foot

+ functional stitching details & iron-on patches

+ 'I don't really know how to applique' as design element

+ weird colored thread is actually perfect & cool

......but SEWING IS INTIMIDATING, LADY!! Sewing isn't so bad. Thread tension is intimidating & we have google for that (spend a chunk of time fiddling with the knobs on your machine to see what they do- eventually it will click and you WILL understand).

Don't forget: Until very recently, just about every human knew how to do it & did it ALL THE TIME. When in doubt- re-thread your machine. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

..now Fancy don't let me down!

You should have your panels (I'll just be explaining the 2-panel method from here on out):

2 - 10" x 6" outer shell

2 - 10" x 6" inner lining

+ Stack your 2 outer shell pieces right sides together, wrong sides out. Pin around the edges.

+ Measure & mark @ 1 1/4" and @ 2" from the top opening of the bag (I don't know a less confusing way to say it which is why I drew a picture). This is your opening for the drawstring channel.

+ Sew your bucket! (I don't know why I started calling it a bucket)

Sew down one side to your 1 1/4" mark & back-stitch. Start at your 2" mark to sew down the side with a 1/2" seam allowance on the edge. Sew the bottom of your bucket & up the other side to your 2" mark & back-stitch. Close this side of your bucket starting at your 1 1/4" mark to the top opening.

+ Clip excess fabric on the bottom corners about 1/4" away from your stitches (this removes bulk once the corners are turned out)

+ Press your seams open & flat. Yes, this is awkward. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just makes assembly smoother & makes the parts fit together better.

Let's assemble you 2 pieces of 10" x 6" inner lining-

This is *almost* the same as step 2a with a different opening (and a drawing for reference!)

+ Stack your 2 lining pieces right sides together, wrong sides out. Pin around the edges.

+ Measure & mark the side of the bag 5" up from the bottom & mark out a 2-3" opening. This is your opening to turn the whole enchilada right side out.

+ Sew your inner bucket! Sew with a 1/2" seam allowance down one side of the bag, along the bottom, and up to your 5" mark & back stitch. Start at your 2-3" opening mark and sew up to the top opening. Boom! Second bukkit!

+ Clip your corners again!

+ Press your seams open & flat.

+ Turn the outer shell right side out & use a paint brush handle or chop stick to -gently but firmly- push out the seams & corners.

+ Slide your outer shell inside the lining with the seams aligned. The more effort you put into fitting both pieces together means a more snug fit in the finished piece. Or maybe I get anxious and spend way too much effort on fitting my parts together.

+ Line the side seams up on both pieces & pin around the opening of the bag. More pins are better than less because this is when wedging your bag opening under the presser foot starts getting awkward. Just remember to keep your eye on the 1/2" seam allowance. Slow & steady wins the race- put the needle down to anchor the fabric & readjust as much as you need to keep on track.

+ Turn the whole shebang right side out through the 2-3" opening you left in your lining. Be careful not to rip the hole but your fabric should stand up just fine to a fair amount of abuse.

+ Push your lining back inside the outer shell. Now you've made a mitten for yourself! Try to push every nook, cranny, & seam flat for a good fit.

+ Turn the bag inside out *again* (I know I know) to close the opening in the lining- either stitch closed with a machine or by hand with a ladder stitch

+ Time to Square off the bottom! This can be a bit of a wrestling match w/all the fabric layers so, ultimately, it is optional. Again, make sure your seams are lined up and press one corner flat & pin about 5/8" from the tip of the corner. Then press the other corner flat & pin.

Sew across the triangle about 1/2" from the tip of the corner. You can adjust the bottom here if you like! As long as your corner triangles are the same length on both sides, you can make the bottom of the bag as square or as flat as needed.

+ Locate your drawstring channel openings on the side seams of your outer shell which you'll use as your guide for your drawstring seams. Technically you don't need to sew a channel for the drawstring. I'm not a fan of the drawstring floating around inside the bag but it's a question of preference.

+ Pin straight across the bag to be able to sew a seam right above and below the opening for the drawstring. Use clips if you have them along the top edge because the pins usually slide out while sewing.

+ Wedge your bag under your presser foot & take your time sewing 2 drawstring channel seams all the way around your bag. I apologize in advance for this aggravating step! I don't know a better way to sew these seams but I'd love to hear it in the comments if you know a better technique!

+ Thread your drawstrings through both sides- each string exiting the hole they went in. I used a metal yarn needle to thread my drawstring but you can find all kinds of tips & tricks for threading drawstrings if you so choose. Knot the drawstrings farther apart than the bag when it's fully opened. Beyond that- make the strings as long as you want! I always add a little fabric glue & a few stitches to secure knots.

+ Clip stray threads & the bag is done!

**BONUS** decoration on the drawstring ends! (and kind of my favorite part).

I included photos of tarot bags I've made for embellishment ideas. I really like making a tassel over the knots on each end. I've used seed beads, charms, keys, wooden beads, bones, & bits of broken jewelry to add some extra magic. I like that the added weight on the ends also helps keep the bag ties closed.

Thanks so SO much for checking out my first instructable