Cherry pit trifold bag instructions

I buy my cherry pits from The Cherry Pit Store in Michigan. They are shipped to me. 

http://cherrypitstore.com/

I buy 40 lb bags, which are very heavy and awkward to carry. (If you live on a 6th floor walk up, you will want to buy a smaller size or find a strong friend to help.)

A 40 lbs bag of cherry pits yields approximately 18 of my regular cherry pit microwave bags (instructions in previous post) with about 8 cups of pits per bag. 

Today, I am noting the sewing directions for making a longer, trifold version of a cherry pit bag. 

Youngest’s trifold (below) is yellow with stars. She had to bring it home so we could weigh and measure it. I have made four of those, but never wrote down the instructions because I thought each was the last. 

I made two more last month, as Christmas gifts, this time I documented carefully, so I can make these without Youngest helping. 

We determined 25” x 9.5” was the right size. 

One trifold cherry pit bag requires two pieces of 100% thick cotton flannel and two pieces of 100% cotton each cut at 25” x 9.5”. 

Note - this is a basic sewing instruction, I include it for beginners. All stitching lines have to be locked so they do not pull apart/unravel. For straight stitching, back stitch at the beginning and end of each seam. When zigzagging, straight stitch and back stitch to lock, then zigzag over it. Cannot back stitch on a serger, so fold the serger thread tails under/down and straight stitch over them on the regular machine. 

Note - In these instructions, the blue fish fabric is 100% cotton flannel (right side). The bird fabric is regular 100% cotton I had on hand, will be lining on the inside, will not show. (I used up all my muslin on cherry pit bags a few weeks ago. A sewing friend suggested I use up print cotton rather than buying muslin. I made several aprons from the bird print, still have a lot left. Also fabric store curbside order for muslin came back as out of stock. . .)

The first thing I did was pair each piece of flannel with a piece of cotton, wrong sides together, and press. The reason I did wrong sides together was to reduce the chance of the bird print showing through the flannel. 

Using a very long basting stitch, I sewed the two pieces of fabric together, 1/8” from the edge.

Then I sewed two pairs together, on three sides, using a 2/8”  seam allowance, with the right sides of the flannel against each other, and the cotton on the outside. I left one long edge open. I back stitched at the edges and the corners to reinforce them. 

I ran all three sides through the serger. I did not turn the corners, I ran each side one at a time. I carefully folded the thread tails in, so the serger did not cut them. Then I restitched all three sides on the regular machine, sewing down the serger thread tails as I went. 

Next, I turned the open edge under, toward the cotton/inside, and zigzagged it. I find it helpful to use the width of the zigzag foot as my guide when turning things under like this. I just turn as I go. I do not pin or press. 

Then I flipped the whole thing right side out and measured the finished length. I divided that number by 3 and drew my lines with a pencil. 

I stitched on the lines and on each side of the lines. 

Then youngest weighed the star one, and did math. Each section gets 462g. Using the tar function to subtract the weight of the metal bowl, we used the bowl to hold the cherry pits while weighing, and then poured them directly in each section. (We did not use the plate, it just happens to be in this picture.)

This is the only time I use pins when sewing cherry pits. I use the pins to hold the cherry pits back, so I can sew the opening closed.  I am careful to count how many pins I use and very careful to be sure I remove all of them. (A pin left in a cherry pit bag bill cause it to catch fire in the microwave.)

I stitched twice across the long open edge, back stitching frequently for added strength. You can also see my original zigzag line from when I turned the raw edge under. 

 

I make at least two cherry pit bags at a time, so I can chain stitch from one to the other on the sewing machine as I go. Since they are identical fabric, I used both when documenting my steps (above). If I forgot to take a picture, I had a back up ready/available. 

Bonus, I can make two in nearly the same time it takes to make one. Double bonus, I used up fabric I already had. 

I only give one of these trifold bags as a gift. The two above were gifted to two different people. This is the note (below) I enclose with one of these trifold bags. I use this note because everyone I give the trifold bag to already has two of my regular (square) cherry pit bags. 

Cherry pit (square) bag sewing instructions

I buy my cherry pits from The Cherry Pit Store in Michigan. They are shipped to me. 

http://cherrypitstore.com/

I buy 40 lb bags, which are very heavy and awkward to carry. (If you live on a 6th floor walk up, you will want to buy a smaller size or find a strong friend to help.)

A 40 lbs of cherry pits yields approximately 18 of these square cherry pit bags with about 8 cups of pits per bag.

For correct filling and heating, always weigh the cherry pits, 1044g per this square bag. There is an explanation of how to weigh them on a digital kitchen scale, further down in the directions.

Important point. If a pin gets left in the bags during construction, it will cause the cherry pit bags to catch fire in the microwave. Over cooking will also catch them on fire. 

Microwave instructions -

2 minutes for one bag, 

3 minutes for cooking 2 bags side by side together.

The finished bags have a cherry smell for the first few weeks, it goes away over time as the cherry pits are cooked in the microwave. 

Supplies -

Flannel 

Muslin

Thread (regular sewing thread)

Cherry pits

Sewing machine

Zipper foot

Serger (or zigzag/serge stitch on regular machine)

Scissors

Iron/ironing board 

Digital kitchen scale 

Sturdy plastic plate 

Paper cup with bottom removed 

Piece of paper 

Post it note

Use 100% cotton flannel, the thicker the better. And use 100% cotton muslin. (I have successfully used old printed 100% cotton fabric when I ran out of muslin.)

Prewash both fabrics with laundry soap and dry them in the dryer before cutting. 

Cutting directions -

Cut the flannel (21” x 12.5”) slightly wider than the muslin (21” x 12”). This extra 1/4” of flannel on each side makes sure both fabrics are easily caught in the seams. 

Sewing directions -

Note - this is a basic sewing instruction, I include it for beginners. All stitching lines have to be locked so they do not pull apart/unravel. For straight stitching, back stitch at the beginning and end of each seam. When zigzagging, straight stitch and back stitch to lock, then zigzag over it. Cannot back stitch on a serger, so fold the serger thread tails under/down and straight stitch over them on the regular machine. 

Press the muslin to the wrong side of the flannel, distributing the 1/4” excess flannel evenly on both sides of the muslin.  The combination of the ironing and flannel holds the two fabrics together pretty well.  (I do not baste or pin the sides, to hold the two pieces together, but that might help someone else, as long pins are carefully removed). 

Serge the ends to prevent fraying and to hold the two pieces of fabric together. If you do not have a serger, use the zigzag stitch on a regular machine. 

Turn the end edges under, the width of the zipper foot, and straight stitch (over the serging or zigzagging) in place.

From this point forward, the two fabrics are treated as one. The muslin lining is attached to the flannel.

Folding the bag in half, right sides of flannel together, stitch the sides, three times. 

First, starting at the ends, so they line up perfectly, and back stitching carefully, straight stitch, using a zigzag foot lined up with the edge of the muslin, for a 2/8” seam allowance. Note - Peek at the back and make sure the muslin edges are lined up fairly well, first.

Next run the edges through the serger, sealing the edge of the fabrics and cutting off the excess flannel. If you do not have a serger, zigzag. 

Then, straight stitch over the top of the serging (or zigzagging), taking care to fold the tails of the serging thread over, and catch them in the back stitching at each end of the side.

Flip the bag right side out. 

Next, top stitch the corners, leaving a 4” opening for the paper cup in the center. I have a trick for this. It is hard to start at the end and sew toward the center. So instead, use a post it note to mark 3” and sew from the middle toward the end.

Here are all my weighing tricks -

That is a light weight but solid plastic plate to hold the bag on the digital kitchen scale, a paper cup with the bottom cut out to use as a funnel, and a piece of paper taped in a large funnel shape to catch the spills. Use the TAR function to eliminate the weight of the plate, flannel/cotton bag, paper, paper cup. Weigh exactly 1044g of cherry pits. 

Here is a visual of how many cherry pits equal 1044g. I used the tar function to remove the weight of the light weight bowl first. (That metal bowl is over 60 years old, my mother received a nesting set of them as a shower gift when she got married.)

After filling the bag, use pins to hold back the cherry pits to sew the ends.  

Restitch the whole seam, sewing the center hole shut. You will have to hold the weight of the cherry pit bag up to keep the weight from tugging on the needle. 

To be sure the open side does not pop open, over time, 

straight stitch a second seam, on the outside of the first.  On both these seems, back stitch a couple stitches, intermittently, along the whole length.

Make sure pins are all removed!!!

I tend to give these cherry pit bags as gifts in pairs. I include this note -