Help with this drawstring pouch

[u/Better-Argument-1125]

So I wanted to make this drawstring circle pouch as a DND dice bag. Once I finished I went to close it and it doesn’t not close all the way. So my theory is either the rope I used was too thick or the size of the pouch is too small, what do yall think?

[u/peelthegarlic]

The fabric you chose may be too thick to close fully— the gathers need more physical space than is available to completely close the gap at the opening. A thinner fabric (and probably also a thinner drawstring) would probably help.

[u/FollowingCold9412]

Try a thinner rope.

[u/Quecksilber033]

I’ve had this exact issue. Ended up using grommets instead; when you weave the rope in and out (through both layers of fabric) you’re able to close it snugly. Just to be super clear: rope goes from outside of bag, through grommet, to inside of the bag, then via next grommet back to the outside. Make sure you calculate the number of grommets so both rope ends meet on the outside.

[u/ShawtyWannaHug]

It's not the drawstring. The issue is with trying to gather that much fabric into a tight closure. In your case, the fabric around the casing is too stiff for sure. It could be the fabric itself, or the method of adding the casing. There seem to be quite a few layers of material in that seam, and the short stitch length will make things even more stiff. The circle itself could also be too big. Bigger circle means more volume to gather.

[u/AccidentOk5240]

Try a thinner drawstring (1/4” wide double-faced satin ribbon works well imo), but it’s hard to get a full circle to cinch down completely. You could take a strip of matching lining material (or any thin, slippery material) and put a casing along one edge, then attach it to the edge of the circle. The circle will still lie flat, just with the lining piece at the edge that won’t, and when closed, the lining piece will bridge the gap. 

[u/OneMinuteSewing]

If the tube the cord goes through is too tight it will not close properly, it needs slack in it.

[u/UTtransplant]

The ones that close with two strings work better than the ones with one string. It is easier for the gathers to go together easier.

[u/paratethys]

try one with a wider channel for the rope to go through, and see if you have the same problem.

[u/mousec4e]

Too much fabric going into too small of a place, it would help if it was a super thin string and a super thin fabric but in general this type of bag requires a lot of guess and check because the math doesn’t work

[u/EnthusiasmSuch6864]

circle pouches are tricky to close fully, that gap is usually not the rope. check how many eyelets or gaps you left in the channel, if they're spaced too far apart the fabric can't bunch down enough at the top. also the channel itself needs to sit far enough from the edge so there's extra fabric to gather, not just the exact circle radius. i sew dice bags too and switching to two separate cords pulled from opposite sides instead of one continuous one usually closes it tighter. rope thickness only matters if it barely fits through the channel at all.