Gift Bag for a little girl...

A gift-bag for bunny!

I made this drawstring bag for a friend's little daughter, as a gift bag for the soft toy that I also made for her a while back and then ...<ahem>.... didn't get around to sending...
Suddenly last week I realized that the little girl's birthday was right around the corner and she didn't have her bunny yet!  For a while I wrung my hands and whimpered to myself about how I would never get it together in time and would miss her birthday again (yes, again...oh shame on me!)  Then I got ahold of myself and decided to make this carrying sack/gift bag to complete her gift and get it in the mail!!  Very daring and ambitious for me let me tell you, I am a terrible procrastinator....horrible, just horrible.....

more pictures after the link!
These pictures were taken the morning I finished it all and threw it in the mailing box.  Not much finesse there but I did manage to stuff in a bit of pink tissue paper.

Japanese style drawstring bag with long handle

Close-up of the covered button attaching the handle,
and blue gingham ribbon threaded through the lace

drawstrings tied, showing the chocolate colored
bobble ends on the strings with little stitched "x"

This drawstring bag was designed after the Japanese style, with two contrasting panels of fabric, the solid color acting as the perfect foil to set off the pretty discrete floral pattern, and some girly lace and a button for good measure.  The drawstrings were made from the same fabric as the carrying handle, and then finished with padded "bobbles", again in the Japanese style.  The carrying handle is stitched on at one side but attached with a buttonhole on the other.  This design meant that the handle could be detached at one side and stuffed into the bag but it wouldn't get lost; and it also meant I got to try out the buttonhole foot for the first time!  Wow, so easy!  What a super machine I have....thanks Mum!  In case anyone's interested, it's a Brother PC-210, and it's great!

That pretty floral fabric has some little blue flowers and so I decided to make them pop a bit by threading some blue gingham ribbon through the lace, and adding a touch of light blue embroidery thread - to sew on the button and stitch an "x" on the bottom of each "bobble" at the end of the drawstrings.  Just a little blue really freshened up all that brown, because blue and brown like each other very much!  I wasn't too sure of the orangey/caramel handle and strings but I think it's ok, there is an ochre/orangey flower on that floral calico too.

Ah..I didn't mention the lining, it's the same caramel orange fabric (from a re-purposed shirt) with a row of pretty blue machine embroidery at the same level as the lace on the outside.  And if you look closely, you can see where I naffed it up and couldn't be bothered to unpick and do it again!  Yes....one side of the embroidery is upside down.  I'm sure the recipient will not care, I didn't!

So......anyone want one??  Place your orders now folks!  Do you like it with the handle?  Better without?  Opinions please!