Sweet Maria's 20 pound bag, opening of

[bigbells]

Is there some easy way to open the Sweet Maria's 20 pound cloth bag? The bag is stitched in two places across the top.
My reward for taking the considerable time to carefully cut each stitch was to get lots of little short pieces of string inside the bag with the beans.
I'm thinking that the practical way to open the next bag is simply to cut the entire top off the bag below both stitch lines, yes?

Edit: OK, I just realized that there is a drawstring closure at the top of the bag which would be gone if I was to cut the bag top off. So my question is only this: what's the easiest most effective way to undo the two stitch lines that are sewn across the bag near the top?

[Erica]

Hi Big,

There is a way to open these without destroying the bag or getting pieces of string in your coffee. Here is the trick.

There are two sides of the bag- one has a single row of stitching the other a double row of stitching. If the single stitching is facing you cut the right side of the stitching and pull, the stitching should come right out without ruining the bag. You can then close it with the drawstring.

[bigbells]

Hi Big,

There is a way to open these without destroying the bag or getting pieces of string in your coffee. Here is the trick.

There are two sides of the bag- one has a single row of stitching the other a double row of stitching. If the single stitching is facing you cut the right side of the stitching and pull, the stitching should come right out without ruining the bag. You can then close it with the drawstring.

Ah! Sure is easier when you know how to do it! I had started with the correct side of the bag, but at the wrong end.