Sewing Bee Fabrics Tutorial
How To Make Your Own Shopping Bags
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23/10/15
Now everyone is sporting reusable bags, I figured it was time I updated our battered bag collection and made some lovely new cloth shopping bags. This is how to make your own.
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What You Will Need:
80cm (or 1m if fabric is narrower than average roll) heavy cotton canvas/ sturdy thick fabric equivalentÂ
How To Make It:
First, cut out your parts. I made mine as follows:
Bag Base - 40 x 14.5cm (I cut 2 and just used them stacked to make it a little stronger and hold shape better. Feel free to add some stiff interfacing between the layers if you want even more shape held)
Main Body of the bag - 110 x 45 - cut 1
Straps - 15 x 110cm - cut 2
Inside Pocket - 30 x 14.5cm - cut 2 (Optional, but I hate fishing around inside a giant full bag for my phone and keys so this keeps them handy at the top).
First, make your little pocket. Take your 2 pieces 30 x 14.5cm and sew them along both long edges and one short edge inside out. A quarter inch quilting foot keeps your seams uniform and your stitching straight more easily.
Clip the corners then turn right side out.
Top stitch one short edge (if you want it to look extra neat) then fold the fabric along the width so that edge is in front and the back half is a little longer than the front (enough to poke the long edge under your hem for the top of the bag, and the front piece to sit just under it). Sew up the sides leaving the top open.
Fold your 2 15x110cm pieces in half length way, right sides together. Sew down the long side so you have an inside out tube.
Turn the tube right side out and poke the ends of the raw edges under. If you find this difficult, use a chopstick to help push it through.
Top stitch along both edges of your tube and you've now got bag handles! I line my stitching up with the edge of the foot instead of the guide to also use it as a 1/8 inch stitch guide.
Sew the bottom edge of the main body of your bag to the 40 x 14.5 fabric (plus optional other layers). Start your sewing centrally on a short edge, leaving 1/4 inch seam allowance free at the start.
To go around the corners, you may want to clip them slightly so it is a slightly curved edge to follow. Leave the needle down to hold your place. Lift the presser foot and pivot the material around. When you get to the end, simply overlap your edges right sides together and stitch right up the side too. If you have a bit of excess fabric from clipping the edges, simply trim before sewing up the side.
Either use an over edge stitch on that seam with an overcast foot, stitch a zigzag very close to the edge or use pinking shears to reduce fraying.
Fold the top of the bag down twice to hide the raw edge underneath the first fold, then poke your pocket into the hem at your desired spot and pin in place.
Sew your hem down. I used a stitch guide foot to keep my stitching a uniform distance from the edge.
Stitch your straps onto the bag by drawing a box around the section of strap which is overlapping the bag, then a big cross in the centre of it. This adds strength to the join.
Then your ready to go shopping with your new handmade bags.
We hope you enjoy our tutorials and love hearing what you think so please leave us a comment or send me an email to linda@sewingbeefabrics.co.uk
Happy Sewing!
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Hello lady.
I like you. You have good style. Also thanks for the tutorials.
Bonnie
Great sewing ideas! Very happy I found ur site!
Thank you so much!
I like your shopping bag, I am going to make a few.
Thank you so much! I’d love to see how they come out 😀
Great tutorial! I love your fabric choices and the bags look just the right size for groceries!
Thank you 🙂
These look like a great size for shopping! I love the bright patterns too as most of my tote bags are just plain canvas colour. And the pocket is such a handy addition!
Thank you 😀
Oh my… You are a genius!
Its that time of the year for me to get my sewing machine out again 😀
Thanks so much for sharing this hun
Charlotte x
What a great idea – saves money, the environment and looks fab too! Love it 🙂 Kaz x
That bag looks lovely and big too. Still need to invest in a sewing machine. Dying to try some of your tutorials. They look so straight forward.
Maybe ask around. You’d be surprised how many people have one stashed in a cupboard they don’t mind lending out. 🙂
This is one of those blog posts that I read and wish I was anyway good at sewing (which I am not). I love handbags and it would awesome to be able to make my own bag! I shall just have to buy them instead I guess 😉
This is a really great tutorial. I love seeing homemade stuff. I used to sew a lot at uni when I did my fashion degree and would love to get back into it, but it’s finding the time thats the issue, and the space! Our house isn’y big enough really xx
The trick is never to put your sewing machine away or a 5 min job becomes half hour or more by the time you’ve set it up….if you can be bothered to set it up! 🙂
Fab tutorial, especially now all the new rules regarding plastic bags. Nice to have some pretty ones as opposed to the supermarkets own xxx
Thank you 🙂
That looks great! I wish I could make something like that, but honestly, I struggle sewing buttons back on something lol 🙂 I love the idea of a unique one that no one else has though 🙂
Debbie