Sewing a Custom Stick Carrier for Drummers
A stick bag keeps multiple pairs of drumsticks organized in individual slots and can be attached to a drum kit for quick access mid-performance. Building one from faux leather, fleece, elastic, and bias tape takes only a few hours of sewing.
By Jordan Ross9 steps
Keeping drumsticks sorted and handy is important.
Drummers tend to keep multiple pairs of sticks on hand, both as replacements for broken ones and to achieve different styles and sounds. A stick bag needs to hold the sticks in separate compartments, and many drummers prefer to attach the bag to their drum set so the sticks remain within easy reach during a performance. That means the bag must permit flexible positioning during sessions. Putting one together is simple and takes just a few hours.
Step 1
For the bag's exterior, cut faux leather to 24 by 38 inches. Orient the fabric so the 24-inch side runs horizontally. Use scissors to round off the corners. This rounded edge will become the top of the bag.
Step 2
For the lining, cut thin fleece to 24 by 31 inches. Lay the leather fabric face-down and the fleece face-up. Place the fleece on top of the leather, matching up the bottom edges. Run a seam 1/8 inch from the edge to join the fleece to the faux leather. Make the top edge of the fleece the final edge you sew. Then sew a second seam across that top edge, parallel to the first and 7/8 inch away from it.
Step 3
Cut a length of 1/2-inch black elastic. From the second fleece top-edge seam, measure 2 1/2 inches. Lay the elastic parallel to the seam and pin it down at both sides.
Step 4
Cut 24 inches of 1/2-inch double-fold bias tape. Lay the bias tape over the bottom edge, leaving 1/2 inch of tape extending past each side of the fabrics, and sew it down. Fold the bag's bottom edge toward the front, 12 inches up from the bottom edge. Pin along both sides. Sew a seam 1/4 inch from the side edge, running over the elastic end, across the fleece section, and along the 12-inch side. Do the same on the other side.
Step 5
Sew a seam 1/2 inch from the side edge along the 12-inch side, then repeat on the opposite side. Using tailor's chalk, mark a point 1 1/2 inches from the left seam, then measure another 1 1/2 inches and mark again—this forms a pocket for one set of drumsticks. Leave a 1-inch gap before the next pocket by measuring 1 inch, then mark 1 1/2 inches and mark another 1 1/2 inches for the second set of sticks. Keep working across the bag's width. You should finish with six sets of pockets separated by five 1-inch gaps. From the bound edge down to the bottom of the bag, draw a line at every mark.
Step 6
On each marked line, sew a double-stitch seam from the bottom of the bag to the 12-inch bound edge. A double-stitch seam means sewing the same seam twice for added strength. Where the elastic crosses the gap between every two sets of pockets, sew across it.
Step 7
Compress an elastic headband into a small loop. Pin the loop along the top of the bag, 5 inches in from the side. Do the same with a second band measured from the other side edge. Sew across the small loops 1/4 inch from the top edge, going back and forth several times.
Step 8
Cut and pin a length of 1/2-inch double-fold bias tape, starting at the outer edge of one elastic band and finishing at the bag's bottom corner. Repeat on the other side. Insert a section of tape between the two elastic bands. Sew the bias tape to the bag. Fold the top down over the bottom of the bag, positioning it 1/2 inch below the top edge of the fleece. With a needle and thread, hand-sew two large buttons lined up with the elastic headbands. When attaching the buttons, stitch only through the top layer of fabric.
Step 9
Flip the bag face-side down. Cut a 10-inch length of hook-and-loop tape. Place the tape beneath the elastic, where the stitching marking the elastic's location on the other side should be visible. Set the hook end of the tape hook-side up, with its end centered across the bag's width. Push the loop end of the tape right up against the hook end. Pin the tapes to the bag 3 inches out from the center on each side. Sew 6 inches of the hook-and-loop tape to the outside of the bag—3 inches on each side.
