Drawstring bag for Lillia

We have a growing collection of ponyville figures in our house and until this morning they lived in an old plastic M&S carrier bag with holes in.

(Photo courtesy of Lillia!)

I have long been promising Lillia, and myself, that I would make a more suitable bag to keep them in.  So today, whilst she played with her daddy after her first very successful morning at school, I finally managed to put together a pretty little drawstring bag...

I used this very useful tutorial to get myself started, I really liked the design of contrasting "casings" sewn to the outside.  I cut my own shape and I modified the process and the components rather a lot to make it nice and simple for a novice such as me, and I think I will simplify it further when I come to do it again, as there are still many bits that could be even easier.

I even tried my first bit of machine applique...

Hmm, best look too closely at that :)

I used a linen fabric that I bought in the fabric shop in Whitstable earlier this year, it looks lovely but it's a bugger to sew with as it's stretchy and thin and it shifts about.  Fortunately the chintzy contrasting/lining fabric is deliciously thick and compliant and does what it is told. 

All in all it took me about two hours to make, not bad considering what a slow sewer I am.  Most importantly it houses an impressive amount of ponyville paraphenalia with room for a growing collection...

I love this design and intend to make many more to house various toy collections :)