An easy and practical sewing project

This year's model

For my trip to the retreat this past weekend, I needed to bring along bedding.  The easiest and best way I've found to transport it is in a stuff sack.  A few years ago I made one of these: stuff sack made from shower curtain.  Let me tell you, this is one of the easiest, most useful projects you will ever sew.  You could literally complete this project in half an hour.  Starting with a shower curtain means that all of your grommets are already in place.

The year I made my first stuff sack, I didn't really think about it until the day before the retreat.  I think it may actually have been the day OF the retreat!  We own stuff sacks for our sleeping bags, but those were too small and I always had a problem stuffing the sleeping bags back into them.  This time I was taking sheets plus fleece blankets, and knew those smaller stuff sacks would never work.

I hurriedly looked online to find a tutorial for making my own.  This stuff sack made from a shower curtain looked like just what I needed. There was no time to go to Walmart.  Since I had to do my grocery shopping anyway, I zipped into a Marshalls in the same plaza and found a suitable shower curtain for under $10.

Note that this needs to be a fabric shower curtain, not a vinyl one.  You could probably find one in a thrift store, but when I made the first one I didn't have the luxury of looking around in different stores.  This is such a fast project!  You cut two simple rectangles, turn one into the carrying strap and the other one into the sack itself.  Only straight seams are required, and only a few of them.  I just used cording that I had on hand for the drawstring.

I was so pleased with the finished product.  It held a set of flannel sheets, a full-sized fleece blanket (all rolled up, of course) and a pillow. 

my first stuff sack

With my granddaughter attending this year's retreat with me, I decided to make a second stuff sack for her to use.  I happened to stop by a discount store and found a print shower curtain that I liked.  I decided to make this one a little bit bigger, cutting it 48" rather than 45". 

The finished sack unstuffed

... and stuffed, ready to go.

I was pleased with how it came out.  This bigger stuff sack will work well when my hubby and I visit a getaway cabin this fall.  We need to bring our own sheets and towels and so this will be a simple way to transport them.

If you have need of a sack like this, give the simple tutorial a try.  I think you'll be pleased with the result!