Cherries Cross Stitch Tea Bag

Brighten up your daily cup with a homemade tea tag with cherries cross stitch motif from DMC Threads. The free cross stitch chart for cherries helps you create the motif.
 

Materials:

• Cherries cross stitch motif on Aida fabric: 35 cm x 31 cm.
• Maroon gingham: 35 cm x 22 cm.
• A piece of fusible fabric: 35 cm x 31 cm.
• A spool of white and maroon thread
• A sewing machine

Size of the finished tea bag: 15.5 cm x 32 cm.

How to prepare the cross-stitch motif

Cut a rectangle measuring 35 cm x 31 cm out of the Aida fabric, making sure the cross-stitch motif is well centred (piece A). Overcast the 4 sides by machine (see diagram).

How to mount the application

Cut a square measuring 35 cm x 31 cm out of the fusible fabric.
Apply this fabric with the help of an iron, placing the fusible side against the fabric on the back of the cross-stitch motif (see diagram).

How to prepare the revers

Cut a rectangle measuring 35 cm x 22 cm (piece B) out of the maroon gingham.
Overcast all around by machine (see diagram).

How to assemble parts A and B

Place the front of the cross-stitch motif towards you and then the gingham on top of it, edge to edge along the 35 cm width. Pin and then machine stitch a seam 1 cm from the edge (see diagram). Flatten the seam with an iron.

How to make the bag

Work on the back.
Fold the fabric in two along the height, placing the cross-stitch motif on the inside (see diagram), to obtain a surface of 17.5 cm x 51 cm.

How to make the bag (contd)

Sew a side seam 1 cm from the edge along the height of 51 cm (see diagram on the left)
Fasten the stitch at each end.
Place the seam that has just been sewn, centred, on one face, and flatten it with an iron at the back. Also mark the side pleats.
Pin the bottom of the bag and then sew the bottom seam 1 cm from the edge (see diagram on the right).

How to make the width of the bottom

At one end of the bottom of the bag, place the side seam over the bottom seam to obtain a triangular shape. Make sure the fabric is completely flat and machine stitch a straight seam 2 cm from the point all along the width forming the base of the triangle. Proceed in the same way for the other side (see diagram).

How to finish the bottom of the bag

Fold over the triangles inside and hold in place with whip stitches
(see diagram).

How to make the revers at the top

Work on the front.
Tuck the gingham inside the bag, leaving at the top a 6 cm border in the same fabric (see diagram). Mark the pleat with an iron.
Machine stitch a seam all round the edge 5 mm from the pleat marked by the iron. Fix the gingham inside the bag, making whip stitches to hold the revers in place.

How to finish

Fold back 5.5 cm of gingham to form the revers at the top (see diagram). Iron the finished bag.