dirndl clothespin bag

one thing i love about living in southern california is it’s always clothesline weather! line dried clothes, especially towels, are one of my favorite feeling things.

about 10 years ago i got this adorable dirndl-style vintage clothespin bag, and even though i am very delicate with it (as delicate as you can really be with a clothespin bag, anyways) i’m afraid the old fabric might tear anytime. to prepare for that inevitable event, i made a pattern from it so i can whip up a new one when the need arises.

i wanted to share this project in the summer when it was clothesline weather all across the country, but i just finished it up now. it’s not too late though, they would make super cute gifts for the holidays! and the dirndl styling is just in time for oktoberfest-i made the new one using some vintage dirndl fabric i had lying around from dresses i had shortened.

you will need:

download the pattern pieces here. enlarge 200% before cutting! the finished size is appox. 13.5″ wide across at the shoulders and 16″ long at the center.

1/2 yard of fabric

7″ x 10″ scrap of contrasting fabric for apron

12″ of alpine ribbon

1 1/2 yards of foldover braid or bias binding

1 yard of ric rac

wooden clotheshanger, cut down to 13.5″ across

14″ of thin ribbon or trim for the tie

to sew:

fold pleats on apron and stitch down.

sew foldover braid/bias binding around apron sides and bottom.

center alpine ribbon on top of apron and stitch across.

place apron on front panel and stitch down around sides and bottom of apron, and sides of ribbon, leaving the top front of the apron open, it’s a pocket!

place the right sides of front and back together and stitch all the way around from shoulder to shoulder (1/2″ seam allowance).

turn right side out and sew foldover braid/bias binding around neckline, then sew the ric rac trim around neckline.

stitch the 14″ tie down at the center of the back of neckline. that’s to tie around the clotheshanger so it won’t slide out.

insert clotheshanger and tie. add clothespins and go hang out your laundry!

83 Responses to “dirndl clothespin bag”

  1. Sarah Says:

    It’s clothes line weather all year round here in Australia! Thanks for the great tip

  2. Bart Says:

    Just started looking for a clothespin bag and yours is the cutest one on the net. Yes I am a guy and straight but I decided to hang clothes instead of firing up the 220 volts it takes to dry clothes in a dryer. Smells better too.

  3. hannah Says:

    awesome! line dried clothes are the best!

  4. Luz Galvan Says:

    Maravillosa idea y sus colores y telas me encantan, muchas gracias por compartir.

  5. Kathy Says:

    I want to make sure I am understanding this right. Is the only opening the apron pocket? Thanks

  6. hannah Says:

    the opening where you put the clothespins is the ‘neckline’ of the dress.

  7. Terry Says:

    love your idea!! Just took a glance & you have beautifull ideas! Greetings from FLA

  8. Tabitha Says:

    Thanks so much for this! I Can’t wait to make one. Now to just get my husband to put a line up for me on the other hand… He hates stuff hung on the line. HOW can you hate that?

  9. hannah Says:

    i know! line dried laundry is the best!

  10. Georgia Says:

    I know a lady that has made these out of vinyl fabric so that they are more rain proof in case you let it out.

  11. Tabitha Says:

    I loved this. Thank you Sooooo much. I made one and blogged about it too. Though yours is MUCH better. I had fun. http://www.playmommaplay.com

  12. Karine Says:

    This is just great! Thanks for sharing that gorgeous pattern. It’s exactly what I was looking for :) I only have one question… Does the pattern include seam allowance?

  13. hannah Says:

    hi karine! yes, it does include 1/2″ seam allowance. i hope you have fun making it!

  14. Debbie Q Says:

    I was wondering … I DO NOT repeat DO NOT sew lolol and was wondering if anyone would be willing to make one for me… I “commission” your sewing art :) thanks!
    Debbie Quintero
    NY

  15. Stella Says:

    So pretty. No clothesline NO Problem!Use it to store your panty hose. Place some pretty lavender sachet bags close with netting on opening . HMMM your closets will smell so nice.

  16. Mary Busch Says:

    I also like clothespin bags! I love your pattern and will make some for gifts.
    When my kids were young, I took a shirt of son’s and a dress from daughter.
    ( Or purchaced small clothes from thrift stores ) turned them inside out, sewed the bottom of dress or shirt closed, the shirt front was sewed partway up. Turned them right side out…..Clothespin Bags. When ever I hung clothes I thought of the little ” angels”. Mary B.

  17. Kathryn Plett Says:

    I think this clothespin bag is so cleaver! Thank you for sharing this great idea! For those who can’t hang clothes out in the winter months, it can be used for those grocery sacks we all get regularly.

    It could also be used as a hanging tote for your car when on trips, to store things you may need while enroute but don’t want to have to dig thru a suit case or back pack to find certain items.

    blessings and <3 <3 heartfuls of thanks! ~kathryn

  18. Judy Grandle Says:

    this is just what I was looking for.
    Thanks

  19. Laurie Says:

    This is SUPER cute. I had so much fun making this.

    Since I am nowhere near a copy store and my computer was not behaving today, I did the enlarge by hand. I will link to my manual enlarge once I have it posted to my website. It was pretty easy but a bit time consuming.

  20. Mary Says:

    Does anyone know of a good substitute for Alpine ribbon? I can’t find any around my location…New Brunswick, Canada, nor online.

  21. hannah Says:

    hi mary! this website has some cute trims http://www.shop.continentalstitcherytrims.com/Tyrolean-trims_c22.htm

  22. Mary Says:

    Thank you, Hannah! This site looks great!

  23. SANDRA Says:

    I love this little clothespin bag and will definitely make it. As many people have noted, a lot of us grew up with mothers and grandmothers who used clothespin bags that were shaped like little dresses. I found this site after I noticed that my store-bought clothespin bag was starting to fray. It won’t be long before it fails, but I will be ready.

    Several people have commented about trying to increase the pattern pieces to 200%. How about providing the finished length and width of the bag? That might help some of us to get close to the 200% size.

  24. hannah Says:

    good idea sandra! the finished size is appox. 13.5″ wide across at the shoulders and 16″ long at the center. i hope that helps!

  25. Sharlyn Says:

    Sooooooo cute! Pinning!

  26. karen Says:

    How wonderful, now that’s what l call a peg bag and so easy to do. I have made this for myself and now making for friends. Thank you so much for sharing your pattern

  27. Nalini Murthy Says:

    Very pretty and useful. I however plan on using one of my colorful T shirts or tops for the body. Also useful as a soiled/ clean clothes holder in the bag and clothe spins and handy extra plastic rope when travelling. In India we normally line dry clothes anyway. I plan on using an inch of Velcro to keep the pocket closed. Tks
    Nalini

  28. Kathy Beeston Says:

    Love it. Could it get any quiter? Thank-you

  29. M Says:

    I have made these before but decades ago. Tho I made them w/old baby clothes, they didn’t hold a candle to yours’ and I thank you for the tutorial which I will use to make more new & improved pin bags. Your creativity is inspiring. Thank you again. Also you and others have offered many excellent alternate uses for the bags. My daughters need several of these. Pardon me, but you rock!

  30. Anna Maria Says:

    When I have seen your clothes pin bag I loved it immediatly! So during this summer I made it and it now is very very beautiful. I received a lot of compliments and many people asked me to make it. Thank you very much for your tutorial. (If you want, you can see it on my blog: http://improvvisamentecreativa.blogspot.it/2014/09/alla-fine-ce-lho-fatta.html

    Anna Maria

  31. Sue McInnes Says:

    years ago, I had bo pattern, I bought a clothespin bg at a bizarre and took it apart, to make one, all the girls got one for putting in their hair clips and bows.

  32. Annelene Oaks Says:

    made this cute Clothespin-Bag myself, all my Friends like it

  33. Kristy M Says:

    Thank you for the great photos. I was at a loss as to what “alpine tape” is, but once I saw how you used it and what it looked like, I know that it’s what we call “Cotton Twill Tape” or “Herringbone Tape” in the US. It is used the same way as you are showing, but also to make the ties on washable hospital gowns as well.

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