It has been requested that I show how to do a gift bag with a casing. This is just one of a bazillion ways to make gift bags, so take what you need, and happy sewing!
1. Cut out two identical rectangles, or one very long one that will fold on the bottom. The pictures I have are for two pieces, please adjust them for the long piece if you need.
2. Serge the top edge on both rectangles. Serge the right side of one rectangle and the left side of the other. This is so when you put right sides together, the serged edges line up.
3. Put right sides together and serge the side seam with the raw edges and the bottom. This will leave you with a bag with only two sides serged together.
4. Fold down the top edge, wrong sides together, so that you make the top casing. I iron mine down so I don't have to pin. You can fold down anywhere from .75" to 1.5". Make the casing wider for wider tie ribbons and narrower for smaller tie ribbons. Go with the flow, just make sure there is enough room for your ribbons to move through smoothly.
5. Now, seam the side edge from the bottom of the bag to the edge of the bag casing. Do not sew into the casing. This will shut your tube and you won't be able to insert a ribbon. Make sure you give yourself a 5/8 seam allowance, you need it on this seam.
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