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Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
2h00

Take a Tea Towel
There’s nothing better than sunshine and a breeze to keep laundry fresh, white and crisp. This clothes-peg bag is a pretty, ageless favourite, both simple and practical. On laundry days, keep it hanging on your washing line so your pegs are close to hand.

Stripe placement (see below)
stripe placement
If you are using a patterned or striped tea towel for your project it’s worth spending a bit of time planning the placement of the woven or printed design when cutting your fabric. The stripe placement diagrams throughout the book show you how I positioned the stripes in my projects.

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  • 108305_2F2015-04-01-103420-peg_bag_template_1.jpg 1.11 MB [ Download ]
  • 108305_2F2015-04-01-110002-cutting_template_green.jpg 2.27 MB [ Download ]
© 2024 Jemima Schlee / GMC Publications · Reproduced with permission. · Take a Tea Towel by Jemima Schlee, published by GMC (£12.99, available to buy from www.thegmcgroup.com)
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  • How to make a peg bag. Clothes Peg Bag - Step 1
    Step 1

    Cut equal amounts off both ‘arms’ of your coat hanger so that it measures 93⁄4in (25cm) across. Use a small piece of glass paper to take any sharpness off the edges.

  • How to make a peg bag. Clothes Peg Bag - Step 2
    Step 2

    Unpick the hems of your tea towel and press. Lay it out horizontally in front of you, right side down, and fold the left-hand edge across by 11in (28cm). Place the coat hanger on the fabric 93⁄4in (25cm) above the bottom edge and 3⁄4in (2cm) in from the 
left-hand edge. Draw along its top curve with a fine pencil or air-erasable pen, marking the position of the wire hook. Now draw a vertical line up to and 3⁄4 in (2cm) to the right of the right-hand edge of the coat hanger. Cut out these pieces of linen – 11 x 16in (28 x 40cm).

  • How to make a peg bag. Clothes Peg Bag - Step 3
    Step 3

    Cut one piece shorter by re-drawing the top curve 11⁄2in (4cm) lower down and cutting along it. This will be the back of your peg bag. Cut horizontally across your second piece 51⁄2in (14cm) below the top edge – you now have two pieces for the front of your bag. Hold your tea towel up against a window or use a lightbox to trace the pegs template (see attachments) onto the larger front piece, sitting 5in (13cm) from the bottom edge. Embroider the motifs in colour thread with tiny chain and backstitches.

  • How to make a peg bag. Clothes Peg Bag - Step 4
    Step 4

    Place the larger front piece down right side up and with the bottom edge nearest you. Place the smaller piece on top, aligning the raw top edges, and pin or tack in position. Sew a 3⁄4in (2cm) seam 21⁄4in (6cm) in from either edge – thus leaving a 61⁄2in (16cm) gap in the middle. Reverse stitch at both ends of each short seam for extra strength and remove any pins or tacking. With the wrong side facing you, press the seam open. Tuck the raw edges under 3⁄8in (1cm) along the seams and the central gap. Stitch down by machine.

  • How to make a peg bag. Clothes Peg Bag - Step 5
    Step 5

    Now machine a horizontal line of small, close zigzag stitches in colour the width of the opening gap and 1⁄4in (5mm) below it.

  • How to make a peg bag. Clothes Peg Bag - Step 6
    Step 6

    Lay the front and back pieces right sides together, pin or tack and sew a 3⁄8in (1cm) seam all the way around, leaving a 3⁄4in (2cm) gap at the centre of the top curve where you marked the position of the metal hook. Remove any pins or tacking. Zigzag around all the seams (apart from the hook hole at the top, of course) to reduce fraying.

  • How to make a peg bag. Clothes Peg Bag - Step 7
    Step 7

    Turn right side out and reinforce the hole for the hook with topstitching.

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