Easy DIY Tie Bags Tutorial

Even with very limited basic sewing skills you can make these tie gift bags. Great for gift giving I use these a lot for favors, place settings, candies and with Valentine's Day coming up they will sure be useful. This is also a great idea for the young sewer to make treat bags for their friends.


Supplies:

• Fabric, 1/4 yard will yield 4-5 bags depending on print placement
• Ribbon, I use 1/8 inch satin - cut into 16 inch lengths
  
• Rotary cutter, mat ruler is my preferred method
• Pins
• Chopstick or corner point turner, closed pen will work as well
• Pinking shears, or rotary blade pinking or scallop wave (optional)
  

1. Cut rectangles 9 inches wide X 8 inches tall

2. on right hand side (which is the 8 inch measurement) on the Right side of the fabric fold a length of ribbon in half and pin 1.25 inches from top (note ruler is not position correctly, ribbon should be 1.25 inches below the TOP edge)

3. Using a 1/4 inch seam sew from top (just above pinned ribbon) to the bottom - you really only need to back stitch at the top, the bottom seam will be stitched over when closing the bottom in next step.



4. Center seam to the "back" of the bag as shown in first picture, sew from the bottom, back stitching at each end. The seam is in the back now and the ribbon tie will wrap to the front to be tied in a bow.

5. Turn inside out and use chopstick to poke the corners

6. Trim top with rotary scissors or rotary blade, this will help keep the fabric from running.

All set to fill with your sweets!

Meatball Soup

Like most winters I am inspired to make big pots of soup and this winter is the same. I am also trying to find more ways to make dishes with beans as my 5 year old is in here "legume stage". If it looks like a bean she is very willing to eat it, so I am riding this train as long as possible.

Meatballs, you can use any meatball recipe you like, I use this simple one but it can be varied.

Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed, then crushed saltines to equal 1 cup - 1 cup breadcrumbs will work too
• 1 egg
• onion to taste, I usually use about 1/2 or so of sweet or yellow onions
• seasonings to taste, salt pepper, garlic, basil, etc

Mix ingredients in medium bowl, shape in 3/4 inch balls, cook in cooking spray in non stick pan, brown on all sides until cooked through 10-12 minutes, set aside or drain as necessary.

Soup

• 3.5 cups of water
• 15 ounce can garbonzo beans
• 14.5 ounce can tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3-4 cubes beef boulion
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 cup pasta, I used bow tie
• 3 cups fresh torn spinach

In large pan add water, beans tomatoes, mushrooms, bouilion, spiced to boil, add pasta and return to boiling, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until pasta is to desired doneness.

Stir in spinach and meatballs cook for 2-3 minutes more or until spinach is wilted.

I paired it with wedge french fries, my 5 year old ate around the spinach and the mushrooms but ate all meatballs, pasta, beans and most the tomatoes, she even had seconds! Very tasty!