A Spoonful of Sugar: Sew 20 Simple Projects to Sweeten Your Surroundings Zakka Style

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Santa Sack

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Santa Sack and Festive Pillowcase – a 2 hour project.


I love Christmas but it is always such a hectic time of year, especially as it coincides with the end of the school year for us in Australia. This year my two teens have part time jobs so I seem to be driving back and forth to the shopping centre to drop them off. This has cut into my Christmas crafting time, so I was pleased when I found a project I made two years ago in my sewing room (complete with instructions and photos). 


This is a super quick project that makes a pillowcase that can do double duty as a Santa sack on Christmas Eve – perfect for camouflaging those hard to wrap gifts that come down the chimney!

Your little ones will be dreaming of Christmas with this festive pillowcase. Then on Christmas Eve it can be placed by the fireplace. With its handy drawstring feature, it can double as a Santa Sack – the perfect size to hold a bounty of gifts. (Make it in 2 Hours).






Materials:

Main Christmas fabric –    Cut 1 pieces measuring 60 cm x 49 cm      (23 1/2 ” x 19 1/4 “)

Pink Polka Dot fabric –    Cut 1 piece measuring 23 x 97 cm              (9 x 38 1/4 “)

Green Swirl Fabric –        Cut 2 pieces measuring 8 cm x 50 cm         (3 1/4 x 19 3/4 “)

2.5 m of co-ordinating grosgrain ribbon, 1.5 cm wide (2 3/4 yards)

Finished Pillowcase measures 48 x 70 cm

Note: All seam allowances are 0.5 cm

Method:

1.       Layer the Christmas print so that the right sides are together, and sew around three sides, leaving one short side free. Overlock or zig zag the raw edges.

2.       Fold the polka dot fabric in half widthwise with the right sides facing and sew across the short ends to form a tube. Check to ensure that the polka dot tube is now the same width as the pillowcase opening, and adjust if necessary.  Fold the tube in half with the right side facing out and press. This will form the opening of the pillowcase.

3.       Press under 1 cm at each short end on the pieces of swirl fabric, and press in half lengthwise so that the right side is facing out. Position the swirl fabric strips on top of each side of the polka dot tube so that the raw edges are aligned, and baste in place. Turn the pillowcase so that the right side is facing outwards. Position the polka dot and swirl edging so that the swirl edging is facing inwards, and all the raw edges are aligned, and stitch in place. Overlock or zigzag around the raw edges. Press the pillowcase.  Topstitch around the Christmas print where it meets the swirl fabric.

4.       Cut the ribbon into two equal lengths. Thread a piece of ribbon through each opening in the swirl channel to make a drawstring closure. Knot the ends of the ribbon and trim as desired.



* Note: If using with young children, I would delay threading the ribbon through the channels until Christmas Eve so that the ribbon does not pose a choking hazard.

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Comments

  10. OK. After complaining loudly and repeatedly about the absolute mountain of great things to make on the internet, I’ve just made a Christmas folder on my computer. I do believe that if I start working in January 2012 I might be able to finish all the lovely things by Christmas next year. This pattern….is in there too! Thanks!

    Reply

  11. ♫♩♫♭♪♯♬♮♫♩♫♭♪♯♬♮♬♪♫
    My heart always sings here, dear Lisa!!! So lovely this sack-pillow or should I say pillow -sack??:o)
    You always come up with wonderful ideas!!

    Here in Brasil it is the end of the school year too + x-mas orders = I am going crazy!!!:o)))

    Wish you all a great weekend!!!
    Love, Bela

    Reply

  16. Just an idea that I did with my Santa sack a few years ago-I made 2! One to sit out for Santa to fill and one hidden away for me to fill as i bought gifts. That way a simple switch-a-roo, and Christmas morning was ready!!!!

    Reply

  17. Such a fun project, especially with those adorable fabric prints. I love the idea of adding a drawstring to a pillowcase so it can double as a gift bag, or even be used as an overnight bag for sleepovers. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  21. This is a great idea to combine a pillowcase with a santa sack, but I’m slightly confused. should there either be 2 main christmas fabrics (front and back), or a back piece mentioned….?

    Reply

    • Hi Joyce – the there is only a seam down one side so the main fabric gets folded in half to create the front and back. Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply

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