Sew a Fabric Envelope for Picnic Cutlery
A flat cotton envelope keeps a fork, spoon, and blunt table knife together inside a picnic bag. This version has no exposed raw edges and uses a ribbon wrapped around the outside, so there is no buttonhole to sew. It is sized for utensils up to about 8 inches long.
Cut two rectangles
Prewash and press medium-weight woven cotton. Cut two rectangles, each 5 by 23 inches, one for the outside and one for the lining. Add matching thread, a ruler, scissors, clips or pins, and one 24-inch length of washable cotton twill tape, about half an inch wide. Use a sewing machine or small hand backstitches throughout.
Build the envelope
- Place the rectangles right sides together. Sew around them with a half-inch seam allowance, leaving a 3-inch gap midway along one long side. Backstitch at the ends of the opening.
- Trim the corner allowances diagonally without cutting the stitches. Turn the rectangle right side out, ease the corners into shape with a blunt tool, and tuck the gap allowances inward. Press flat.
- With the lining facing up, fold one short end up 9 inches. Align the edges and stitch down the two sides of the folded section, about an eighth of an inch from each edge. This makes the pocket. Topstitch the exposed flap edges separately to finish the perimeter and close any portion of the turning gap not already caught.
- Fold the flap down over the pocket. Center the tape on the outside back about 2 inches below the top fold and stitch across it twice. Turn each tape end under twice by a quarter inch and stitch it down. Wrap the ends around the filled envelope and tie at the front.
Adjust the fit before sewing
Lay the widest utensil across the folded pocket before stitching its sides. If your handles are bulky, widen both rectangles by an inch. If the flap bunches under the tie, press the fold with the utensils removed and tie only snugly enough to hold it closed. Shake out crumbs and wash the envelope with similar colors; dry it completely before packing it again.
