Reusable bag

At the end of last year, the sewing book Zo geknipt 2 was published. And as with the first book, a sew along for the second book was organised. And I’m participating again. My first contribution: not one, but two reusable bags.

For this project, I recycled a hand-me-down Beatles t-shirt from my hubby. Therefore, the measurements are slightly smaller than what the pattern dictates, since I needed enough t-shirt to make 1 bag.

For lining, I wanted to use some leftover yellow cotton that would match nicely with the Yellow Submarines. Unfortunately, I did not have enough yellow fabric left. So I divided both sides in two, used the yellow fabric for the top, and added some old curtain fabric at the bottom. This way, you can only see the yellow at the top, and the curtain fabric can only be seen by those who stick their noses in my business bag.

The triangle is bigger than what the pattern states. It measures 15 by 15, as was advised by other people participating in the sewalong. To make the triangle stand out a bit more, I reused the original t-shirt label, and I finished the edge with a decorative stitch.

I used the same decorative stitch for the handles and the upper edge as well.

Except for this Beatle bag, I also sewed a gnome version. This way, my little boy can carry some groceries when he comes along shopping.

On the outside, I used Stenzo fabric with a gnome print (well, mushrooms actually, but it always makes me think of gnomes). For the inside, I had no other choice than to use red fabric with white polka dots.

The measurements for this smaller bag are 42 high, 31 wide and 12 by 12 for the folding triangle. I made the handle slightly smaller as well, by removing 2 centimeter from the middle. And for this bag too, I used a decorative stitch to finish it all.

Now both my guys can go grocery hunting together.

My tips for this project:

• Iron the seams flat after you’ve sewed the roll, and before turning the roll inside out. It will help to get the fabric in place.
• Edge stitch the triangle, the handle and the top edge. It will help to keep the fabric in place.