Gift bag - or small ditty bag for car or sewing room

Gift Bag

One day this past September I attended a workshop at the Vinton Sewing Center (Vinton Iowa)  Great workshop and we learned how to create a small gift bag.  
Since the pattern is created from a paper gift bag the bag can be made in any size you wish.  

I made mine using a small paper gift bag as a pattern.  The fabric needed was two coordinating fat quarters, and shaping material.  The workshop leader had thin satin ribbon for us to use as handles.  I did not think the ribbon looked substantial enough for the handles.  So by placing the pattern to one side of the fat quarter I was able to cut two strips of fabric along the edge - strips that were used then to make a pair of cloth handles.

I was intending to write out the directions however, Laura Ann Coia  has created a great tutorial for Sew Very Easy and uploaded it on YouTube. 

Coia, Laura Ann.  (30 April 2015) DIY Fabric Gift Bags. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHb_eYb3s_8 

Coia uses the paper bag nylon handles as the handles for the new cloth gift bag.  I didn't particularly like that option either so I would still create cloth handles for the gift bag. 

The Soft and Stable that Coia refers to can be obtained at a number of places but is available from these online sources:

Joann's fabric offers the stabilizer in a project pack of 4 sheets 13-1/2 inches x 18 1/2 inches for $14.99 (often on sale) http://www.joann.com/soft-and-stable-project-pack-13-1-2inx18-1-2in-white/12311320.html

Walmart offers the same square inches of Soft and Stable in a continuous roll (18x58) for $10.46.  https://www.walmart.com/ip/By-Annie-Soft-And-Stable-100-Poly-18x58-White/38463937

Amazon offers Annie's Soft and Stable in a a 72 in x 58 in roll for $36.04 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005571MPA/ref=asc_df_B005571MPA5208486/
or in a 36 x 58 inch roll for $17.16 https://www.amazon.com/ByAnnies-Stable-Fabric-58-Inch-White/dp/B007F0Y8I8/ref=pd_bxgy_201_img_3