Frances Sets Out to Make a Grocery Bag

What do you say to the question, “paper or plastic?” The right answer is “none of the above, I brought my own.” Once when I hesitated at the counter, the cashier quipped, “kill a fish , kill a tree”, which snidely sums up the predicament of that choice. Some parts of the country are already banning plastic bags because of the litter they cause and the potential damage to sea life. And while paper bags may be made from recycled paper, they’re much heavier and bulkier so there’s an implication on the transport. Fewer of them in a truck means that each bag carries a greater carbon footprint.

But it’s so easy to carry your own shopping bags along when you go shopping. Almost all supermarkets are selling them at reasonable prices too. But if you want a bag that’s a bit more unusual, then make it yourself.

You might happen to have a ½ yard of 42-inch fabric that you can use. I went ahead and bought a new piece with a pattern I liked. That cost all of $2.50.

To begin with fold the fabric in half with the selvage ends together. For anyone who doesn’t know, the selvage is the edge of the fabric where it has been finished so it won’t unravel – it’s usually white.

handleNext cut 3” off the folded piece at the selvage end. That will make the handles. Fold the long edges inward on the wrong side and press to sharpen the crease. Then fold fold again so the edges meet and then stitch along both edges to form the handles. Do this for both strips.

With the main piece of fabric still folded with the right side out, and the wrong sides together, stitch a seam along the cut edge to make a big tube. Turn it inside out, now with the right sides together, and sew along the same edge with a 3/8 inch seam allowance enclosing the raw edge. This seam and the fold are the sides of the bag.

pleatsNow with the bag wrong side out, mark 3” from the seam and 3” from the fold along one of the raw edges. This will be the bottom of the bag. Take a 3” pleat on each side, pushing the sides inward, and pin the pleat. Sew through all layers using a ¼ “ seam allowance. Finish the raw edge of the seam using an edge finishing stitch. Now you have the bottom.

Fold the top edge down ¾ “ toward the wrong side and press. Fold again ¾ “ and press. Mark the handle placement 2” each way from the side seam and from the side fold. In each of these four points bag-040w.jpgtuck one end of the handle up under the fold then fold the handle up and pin it.

Run a top stitch through all layers around the bag close to the bottom of the fold. Back stitch over the handles to reinforce them. Run another top stitch around the bag at the top of the fold, back stitching again at the handles to reinfornce them.

Turn the bag inside out and it’s done.

This took about a half hour and cost just over $2.50 including fabric and thread. It might cost you less if you have fabric remnants to use, or if you buy a cheaper cloth.

Download the pattern with full instructions and diagrams here. The pattern was made available thanks to Karen West of Love The Fabric.

If you have questions about what I did above or a suggestion on how I could improve it, please send email to editor@footprintecomagazine.com.