Recycled denim washbag tutorial

This is a very simple washbag made from the back pockets of two pairs of jeans.

Cut four squares, all the same size, each with a pocket in the middle.  Mine were 8" square.  Cut another square of denim, the same size, from another part of the jeans. From fabric of your choice, or shower curtain if you would like it to be semi-waterproof, cut five squares the same size.

Take the denim square without a pocket.  Sew the bottom edge of one of the other squares to one edge of your plain square, starting and finishing 1/4" from the edge.  Sew another pocket piece to the opposite edge of the plain square.  Then repeat with the remaining two sides. When you open your sewing out it should look like this:

Join the side edges of two adjacent pocket pieces, starting at the plain piece and continuing to the top.  Repeat with the diagonally opposite corner of the plain square.

Join two of remaining sides, but leave a gap of about half an inch in your sewing around an inch from the top.  Repeat with the remaining two sides.  This gap will be for your casing for the drawstring.

Repeat this process with the lining, but do not leave a gap in the side seams.

Turn the main bag right side out.  Put the lining inside the bag, wrong sides together.  Cut a 2" strip of fabric for the binding.  Put the binding and the main bag right sides together, with the long edge of the binding at the top edge of the bag.  Starting 1" from the beginning of the lining piece, sew all round the top of the bag to attach the binding to the top.

Fold the starting edge back as you reach it and sew over the top to make a closed edge for your binding.  Then fold the binding over the top of your bag, fold under 1/4" and hand sew the binding to the lining of the bag.  If you are using shower curtain you may wish to pin and machine top stitch instead.

Sew parallel lines at the top and bottom of the gap you have left in the side seams, all the way round the bag.

Thread piping cord from one open side seam all the way round and knot the ends.  Then repeat from the opposite gap.  You now have a double drawstring washbag with bonus external pockets! Enjoy!

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