Ruched make-up bag

This cute little bag is made from a circular sandwich of fabric and thin batting.

It has eyelets all around the perimeter, and it draws up into a cute little bag with a string threaded through these eyelets.  

It’s the perfect beginner project that you can sew in an evening on your Brother sewing machine. 

Materials needed 

• Cotton fabric in two coordinating designs or colours: one 60 x 60cm piece of each 
• Thin fusible batting: one 60 x 60cm piece (we used a low loft fusible polyester batting. You can also use a medium-weight fusible interfacing. Make sure it is soft and pliable and not stiff) 
• Canvas or linen for the strap: two 50 x 11cm pieces 
• Thin draw string (approximately 3mm wide): 2m. We used cotton macrame cord from DMC: Nova vita 4. 
• Press buttons or normal buttons: three of approximately 10mm diameter each 
• Matching sewing thread 
• Cord stoppers: two small ones or one large 
• End caps or beads for cord ends: two 

Equipment needed 

• Sewing machine
• Eyelet punch (the orange handled tool included with your sewing machine that looks a bit like a blunt screwdriver) 
• Large, blunt tipped darning needle or tapestry needle 
• If using press buttons, the tool to insert them 
• Buttonhole foot if using buttons or if you are making small buttonholes instead of eyelets 
• Marking pen with temporary ink 
• Hand sewing needle 
• General sewing supplies 
• Downloaded pattern

Download the pattern here

Notes

• Seam allowances are 1cm throughout. 
• Press all fabrics before cutting. 
• Sew all seams with straight stitch set to 2.5. 

How to

Step 1

Print the sewing pattern on full size or 100%. Measure the test squares to check if the pattern has printed at the correct size. There are six pattern pages. Match the lines when sticking them together to form a full circle. Cut out the circle shape on the solid line.

Step 2

With a piece of thick cardboard or a chopping board under the pattern, use the orange eyelet punch that came with your Brother sewing machine to punch a hole in the centre of each of the little circles along the circumference of the pattern. Punch holes in the centres of the flower shapes at each end of the placement lines A and B. 

Do not use your cutting mat to punch the holes - it will leave little holes all over it!

Step 3

Step 4

Lightly fuse the batting to the wrong side of the lining circle. Avoid fusing it too thoroughly around the edges.

Step 5

Place the fused bag lining and batting piece on the outside bag piece: right sides facing and edges aligned all around. Pin. 

Sew all around, leaving a 10cm opening.

Step 6

Trim the batting from the seam – pull it away gently from the fabric and then trim right next to the stitching on the seam allowance side. Be very careful not to cut through your stitches. Across the opening, trim the batting where the stitching would have been if you were to sew it closed. Trim the seam allowance to 5mm all around.

Step 7

Turn right side out. Roll the seams open with your fingers and finger press. Pin as you go along. Across the opening, mould the fabric around the batting and sew closed with hand sewing needle and thread. Press lightly around the edges and top stitch on the edge all around. Top stitch again 1.5cm from the edge. 

Tip: you can use a pointed awl to help feed the fabric under the sewing machine presser foot. 

Step 8

On your sewing machine, select the eyelet stitch. It is normally grouped with the buttonholes. If you do not have an eyelet stitch, you can make tiny buttonholes or insert metal eyelets. 

Sew one eyelet on each mark you have made along the perimeter of the circle. They should sit roughly 5mm from the edge.

Step 9

With the eyelet punch, punch a hole in the centre of each eyelet you have sewn. Work on a layer of thick cardboard. Place the punch point in position and push down with a little force. That should be enough to pierce the fabric and cut a tiny round hole in the centre of the eyelet. 

Tip: you can add a drop of a fraying preventor, like Fray Check, on each hole to secure loose threads. This is optional. 

Step 10

To make the strap, place the two strips of canvas fabric with right sides facing and edges aligned. Sew all around, leaving an opening in one long edge to turn through. Snip the corners and finger press the seams open as far as you can reach.  

Turn out and use a point turner to shape the corners. Roll the seams open and press into a neat strip. 

Top stitch along the edge all around the strap.  

Draw a line 2cm from one of the short ends. Place the one side of the press buttons evenly spaced along this line. Insert the other sides of the press buttons, spaced evenly, along placement line B on the body of the bag.  

If you are using buttons and buttonholes, make the buttonholes in the strap and sew the buttons on Placement line B.

Step 11

Measure 22cm from the one end of the strap and draw a line across the width.  

Place the strap on the outside of the bag and with the longer part of the strap facing to the centre of the circle and the bottom side of the press buttons facing up.  

Match the line on the strap with placement line A.  

Pin securely.   

Sew through all layers. Tie off securely at start and end.

Step 12

Fold the strap on the sewn line. The end with the press buttons will be approximately 4cm longer than the other. Flatten the two sides on each other and match the long edges.  

Pin and then sew across the short edge of the shorter strip. Sew through all layers and tie off securely at the start and finish.

Step 13

Thread the cord through the eyelets. Lay the circle flat in on the table with the outside facing up and the row of press buttons on Placement line B closest to you. Find the two eyelets on either side of the centre button. You will start threading into the one on the left. Insert the needle with the cord in it through the first eyelet, and out through the next. Continue like this in a clockwise direction until you reach the last eyelet – both ends will exit the bag next to each other in the centre front of the bag.

Step 14

Insert the cord stopper(s) and check the length of the cord. Ideally you want it to be long enough that the circle can open up to lie completely flat. Trim any excess, insert end caps and tie a knot in each end.

Now you are ready! You can draw up the draw string just a little bit to create a basket, or all the way to close the bag. Close the snap buttons on the strap and you are good to go!

This bag is great for make-up, a small sewing project or sewing tools, art supplies or even a small, packed lunch!