As I’m preparing for Christmas, I’ve been making some grocery bags for my family. I made one for myself as a trial and found that it was strong enough to hold 8 cans of beer, 2 pints of milk, and a bottle of rum. Impressive stuff.
The aim here was to bulk buy some fat quarter packs, as well as use some I already had, and turn them into pretty bags.
For each bag you will need
- 2 pieces 18″ by 13.5″ (which you can cut from two fat quarters) from the same fabric for the top section of the bag
- 1 piece 18″ by 19″ (which you can cut from 1 fat quarter) for the bottom section & base of the bag – avoid a strongly directional pattern on this piece.
- (optional) 2 pieces 18″ by 6″ (which you can cut from one further fat quarter) for the decorative top of the lining
- 1 piece 18″ by 41.5″ cut from your lining fabric – this one doesn’t need to be decorative, and I just used a strong calico for this
- 2 rectangles 2.25″ by 31″ cut from your lining fabric for the straps.
- (optional) 6.25″ by 10.25″ of heavy interfacing, e.g. Decovil 1 heavy, to add structure & strength to the base of the bag. Leave this out if you would prefer your bag be more flexible.
You’ll also need the following tools & sundries:
- A sewing machine
- Matching threads for your fabrics
- Pins and (optionally) wonder clips
- A disappearing fabric marker
Press all fabrics and if any are particularly prone to fraying secure with a zig-zag stitch – seam allowances will be 0.5 inches throughout.
Take one of your top section and the base section, and attach along the 18″ sides with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Make sure that if your top section pattern is directional, it is facing the right way when you hold the two pieces with the bottom section on the bottom.
Take the other top section and attach to the other side of the base section – again pay attention to the direction of your top section, so that when you hold the piece with this newly attached part at the top it is the right way round (i.e. the opposite way from your first piece). Press both seams towards the bottom.
Fold the attached sections in half, right sides together, and stitch along each side. Press the seams open, and press the bag flat.
If you are attaching a decorative lining:
Take your lining piece, get your marker, and draw a line 5″ from one of the top edges (the short edge). Take your decorative fabric and place it right side down and the wrong way up, with the edge lined up to your drawn line and pin in place. Stitch the pieces together, 1/2″ from your drawn line, then fold the lining upwards and press in place. Lengthen your stitch and baste the lining pieces together around the edges, 1/4″ from the edges so it will be within the seam allowance. Don’t forget to reset your stitch when you’ve finished basting for the next piece, and repeat the process with the other side.
Fold your lining fabric in half right sides together, and stitch along each edge with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Press the seams open and press the lining flat.
Now to box the corners. Take the outside of the bag fold it in half so that the seams are together, and squash the corner so that the side seam sits along the bottom crease. You can decide how wide you would like the base of your bag. I drew a line 3″ from the corner. Pin to secure the position of the corner, and stitch along your line. Repeat with the other side, taking care to make your corners the same size. Then repeat the entire process with the lining.
Prepare the straps – fold and press 1/4″ from each edge, then fold in half and press again. Edgestitch along the entire length on both sides, 1/8″ from the edges.
If you are using the firm interfacing, fuse it to the base of your lining. Trim as needed to fit.
Take the outside of the bag and turn it right side out. Turn the top edge down 1/2″ towards the inside, and press firmly. Turn it down again 3/4″ inch so the raw edge is hidden, and press again. Unfold the second fold only.
Place the lining inside the bag outer part. You need to secure the lining in place – you can use pins for this part but I find wonder clips easier for this. Fold the top of the bag back down again, hiding the raw edge of the lining. Pin or clip in place, lining up the edge seams.
Take the straps, and pin in place. I placed mine 4.5″ from each outer seam. Fold the ends under the folded top of the bag, hiding the raw ends.
Edgestitch all the way around the bag, 1/8″ from the bottom of the folded section. As you go over the straps, take care to make sure they are at right angles to the bag top and do not let them slip as you go past them.
Secure each strap by stitching over the end attached to the bag in a rectangle with an X inside.
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