How to make a laundry bag

1. Materials & tools

Materials (standard size)

• Main fabric (linen, canvas or heavy cotton) — about 110 cm wide × 120 cm
• Cord (thick cotton rope, about 8 mm) — 2 lengths, as given on the guide sheet
• A bodkin (or a safety pin)

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Home” → “Laundry bag” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the finished width, height, gusset and the depth of the drawstring casing. Presets cover small, standard and generous.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Trace the bag body. It is cut in one piece with the base on the fold. It is large, so spread the fabric on the floor to work.
2. Cut the piece
   Cut 1 body with the base on the fold. It is a rectangle, so the quickest route is to rule the measurements from the guide sheet straight onto the fabric rather than printing the pattern.
3. Finish the edges
   Zigzag or overlock the side seam allowances. This is where the fabric rubs every time laundry goes in or out.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the sides, leaving the casing gaps

1. Fold the body in half at the base, right sides together, and sew both sides.
2. Leave the seam open from the top edge down to the casing depth. These gaps are where the cord goes in and out.
3. Press the unsewn seam allowances open and topstitch a rectangle around each gap to hold them flat. Backstitch at the bottom of the gap, which takes all the strain.

4-2. Box the base corners

1. Pinch each bottom corner into a triangle, matching the side seam exactly to the base fold.
2. Rule a line at the gusset measurement and sew. Check both corners are the same width.
3. Trim off the triangle leaving 2 cm and zigzag the raw edge. On a bag this size, leaving more rather than less makes it stronger.

4-3. Make the drawstring casing

1. Fold the top edge over by 1 cm, then again by the casing depth, to make a double fold.
2. Stitch close to the fold all the way round. Make sure the gaps you left in step 4-1 open into this channel.
3. The casing carries the weight of the laundry, so backstitch firmly at the start and end.

4-4. Thread the cord

1. Using the bodkin, feed one cord in through one gap, all the way round, and out of the same gap. Knot the ends together.
2. Thread the second cord the same way, starting from the gap on the other side.
3. With one cord from each side, pulling both ways closes the bag.

✏️ A large bag drags on the machine under its own weight. Set a table or a chair in front of and to the left of the machine to support the fabric and your seams will stay straight. Sew it unsupported and the stitching drifts diagonally, which twists the finished bag.

5. Tips & variations

• Add handles: two handles just below the opening make carrying it to the machine much easier.
• Breathability first: damp laundry goes in here, so avoid vinyl and laminated fabric. Cotton and linen are ideal.
• Hang it up: make the cords longer and hook the bag on the wall so it never sits on the floor.