Troop bag tutorial

Ok - here we go with the Troop bag tutorial... If you're a non sewing enthusiast, read thru anyway... It's always fun to learn something new! If you're a seamstress and think this is too simple and beneath you, well... whip a few of these out anyway to support our troops! or Hannah Montana is on on Disney.

This is a national 501C3 non-profit charity that fills and sends the filled bags monthly to our troops. The troops use the bags for personal use, and some pass them on to the children in Iraq.

1. Cut fabric 17" X 30"

2. Fold fabric with WRONG sides together. Sew the raw side down using 1/4" seam, two inches, skip an inch and then sew the rest down. This is on the 17" length. This creates a tube that is 17" long. The skipped inch is for the drawstring hole.3. IRON the seam open. At the inch gap, either zig zag stitch the raw seams down or just straight stitch a border around the inch hold gap.4. Turn the tube so the WRONG side is out and IRON down at the seam. We're creating a french seam here folks! Stitch down (using a bit more than 1/4" seam now, 1/2 is fine) the two inches above the gap, skip the inch hole and then sew down the rest of the seam. 5. What I like to do is have the french seam in the middle of the side of the bag. It keeps the edges from being too bulky. But you can do whatever. I won't see it unless you blog about it. IRON the bag with the seam laying flat in front of you.6. Sew the bottom edge of the bag using 1/4 seam allowance, or 5/8, whatever.7. Fold over the top of the bag the full two inches. If you flip it over a little, you'll see the inch long hole for the drawstring. IRON the two inch foldover. Then iron under the raw edge so you've got a casing made. If you iron well enough, you won't need to pin, but do what you prefer. 8. Then stitch the casing down staying even all the way around making a 1" drawstring casing. Turn the bag right side out and iron. Yes... I said iron again. Stickler, aren't I?
9. Use a safety pin to get one end of the drawstring and feed the string all the way around the casing. I used matching ribbon, but you can use cord, make you're own out of the same fabric, whatever you like.

10. Knot the ends, tuck an empty gallon sized baggie inside it and you're done!

On the instructions, it said if you wish, you can send a "general" letter for our troops inside your bag and it will be sent along with the filled baggie.

When finished with your bag(s), you can send them to:

Operation Care Package
611 Wilcox Street
Joliet, IL 60435

Thanks Guys!

Below are the official instructions in case mine were too darn confusing... I have a version that uses serged edges and is even more simple. Let me know if anyone is interested in that and I'll email you.