Grocery Bag Alternative Sew A Long / Tutorial

[BonaDea]

Grocery Bag Alternative
Sew Along

Fabric
Large: 2 @ 19” wide by 24” tall
Medium 2 @ 19” wide by 19” tall
Options: Other sizes of fabric can easily be used by keeping the handles approximately the same and adding or subtracting from the mid-line as needed for best use of fabric.

Outside Pocket: Med: 1 @ 6” wide by 15” tall.

Make the pattern or just do one straight onto fabric:
Note if going straight to fabric the use of an iron will make it much easier.
Inspiration Bag & My attempt at making a pattern by ironing 4 bags together. It worked great but shrank by 4.5" and I didn't know it until after I had cut a bunch of fabric. Hence the Medium Size.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/InspirationBag.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/IronedButShrunk.jpg

1. Take your pattern paper (start with 19x24 and fold for the shorter options) or 9.5 x 24 if you want to always cut on the fold.
2. Fold in Half the long way. (Iron for best results if doing onto the fabric.
3. Make a 3.5” fold in from each side this is your STITCH LINE on the fabric.
4. At the top of the pattern mark the edge at 2.5” from the stitch line fold. (Mark A)
5. Mark 6” from the top on the mid-line. (Mark B)
6. Cut out a swoop from mark A to mark B.

Pattern Piece, Pattern Piece Showing Folds
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/PatternPiece.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/PatternShowingFold.j pg

Now you are ready to cut your fabric on to continue onto construction.

-Fold in from the sides 3.5” (don’t measure, you will see the fit by the handles lining up) then Straight Stitch down that fold creating the STITCH LINE. (optional but helps in the long run)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/Fold4SLonFabric.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/StitchingSL.jpg

-Add Pocket (optional)
--P - Fold the 6x15 length into 6 x 7.5 and serge/sew up the sides.
--P – Place on the center front of bag and stitch down leaving the raw edge in what will be the bottom seam.

-Put the 2 pieces right sides together (RST) Serge/Sew side seams.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/SergeSides.jpg

-Using the STITCH LINE fold so one is on the front and the other is in the back.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/BottomFold.jpg

-Bottom Seam: (See Handles for Pictorial)
--Serge starting in the middle of the bottom towards an edge,
--needles up,
--lift presser foot,
--pull bag back slightly,
--flip bag,
--slide back under presser foot towards needles,
--lower presser foot,
--and serge back over the stitches locking them in place * take care not to cut the existing stitches.
--Serge to end and flip again to lock stitches in place. (optional straight stitch along bottom edge if desired for added security)

-Finish Openings: This is the point where I finish the openings. My preferred method is a rolled hem on the serger but you are welcome to explore and please share what methods you like the best.

-Take a moment and pull the bag flat using the bottom folds. If done right the handles should put themselves in the right placement to sew… if not see next…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/FlatBag.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/Handles.jpg

-Handles:
--Put handles RST and fold in half so all the openings fact the same way.
--Starting at the fold end serge to open ends.
--Do the lift and flip described in the sewing of the bottom seam.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/HandlesSerge.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/HandlesPull.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/HandlesFlip.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/BonaDea/Sewing%20Items/2007/GroceryBag/HandlesFinish.jpg

--Take care not to cut the existing stitches.
--Finish with the tail on the fold end.
--Repeat with 2nd handle.

Now…. It is time to turn the bag right side out. This is where the STITCH LINE really helps me out.
-Turn bag RSO (right side out)
-Using the STICH LINE pull the front piece and the back piece in opposite directions while holding onto the STITCH LINE. This will put your bottom fold in the right positions. I know it sounds a little strange but it feels like magic when I do it.
**Can Take Picts with next batch if requested**
-Repeat on 2nd bottom corner.
-Repeat on each handle.
-Sit back and admire your work and think “Gosh, this will look even prettier if I take a moment to press it.” Press it ;) (optional)
-Take a Pict and Do a Sew and Show.
http://www.sewingmamas.com/b/attachment.php?attac hmentid=1179&d=1184740480

[KelliR]

Awesome! Thank you. :thumbsup:

[tmrhopkins]

I hope this will go into the sew a longs. I'm not on my home computer so I can not book mark it.

Thank you!

Tawnya

[Mommatothebear]

i just made it into a pdf and uploaded it. When Meg and the other mods have some time, they'll approve it. :)

[BonaDea]

i just made it into a pdf and uploaded it. When Meg and the other mods have some time, they'll approve it. :)

:bighug: thanks Megan!

[luvintosew]

love it another to my collection thank you

[EarthMaiden]

Thank you so much.

love and blessings
angie

[SewSarahSew]

Thanks for doing this tutorial, Jenn.

Since you have sewn both types of bag, which is faster to make: the morsbag or your alternative grocery bag?

Which do you prefer to use?

[earthcore]

How cool! Can't wait to try one!

[BonaDea]

Thanks for doing this tutorial, Jenn.

Since you have sewn both types of bag, which is faster to make: the morsbag or your alternative grocery bag?

Which do you prefer to use?

I haven't used the morsbag but plan to make one to try.

But I *love* the alternative grocery bag.

Dh is carrying one for his lunch, I have one for my toothbrush rugging, I separate the kids and my lunches in the cooler for easy accessibility.

At the Farmers Market I found that the GBA (grocery bag alternative) tied shut and then needed to be put into something else for easy transport so... that is where a MB (morsbag) would work great. I used my Market Bag but a MB should work well too. I'm just going to have to test it out.

[Krista]

Very nice!

[snugbug]

Jenn I've read through the directions twice and I'm not getting this. Is this a single layer or double layer bag? Would it be possible for me to buy a finished bag from you so I can 'see' how you did it?

Sarah

[BonaDea]

Jenn I've read through the directions twice and I'm not getting this. Is this a single layer or double layer bag? Would it be possible for me to buy a finished bag from you so I can 'see' how you did it?

Sarah

Single layer.

If you :) must :) I can send you one of the ones I just finished as a ROAK pm me your addy. I can't pass them out until next Wed and I'm supposed to make another batch before then so I'm :D feeling generous lol

[BonaDea]

Since you have sewn both types of bag, which is faster to make: the morsbag or your alternative grocery bag?

Which do you prefer to use?

I have a more informed opinion now.

I still haven't carried a Morsbag but my grandmother loaned me a bag that was almost identical dimensions to the Morsbag (I forgot all my bags for the FM yesterday :faint: )

I think that the Morsbag has a place and that 1-2 MorseBag and 6-12 lightweight (-5" in length) GBAs would be a great shopping system for my personal FM shopping.

Note: I just finished my first batch of the +5" GBA's so I don't really have a pulse on them. But they are the same size as the Smart and Final bags. If I was the one who did our shopping there then that is what I would use for that application. Since I do the FM shopping I think they are bigger than I'd need for that.

ALSO: my Aunt has a strong preference for the GBA's and the way they hang over her arm for carrying. :shrug: So they may win over the MBs in the next test.

I just showed/told the vendors what I was getting and then added them most to the WannaBe Morsbag. I had one GBA with me that I emptied our movie snacks out of and used after the WannaBe was full and the kids had taken it to the car. And lastly I had emptied my purse/bag so it was my final bag for the shopping trip. :D my first spaghetti squash of the season!!! I'm so excited.

After these few short weeks of going, the vendors I regularly buy from know me and know my bags and roaking so there are not any issues. But I have see other vendors check bags to make sure they aren't being cheated. So it may be a case of having established a relationship so trust isn't an issue. (mentioned because it came up in another thread)

So,

[Mommatothebear]

IAfter these few short weeks of going, the vendors I regularly buy from know me and know my bags and roaking so there are not any issues. But I have see other vendors check bags to make sure they aren't being cheated. So it may be a case of having established a relationship so trust isn't an issue. (mentioned because it came up in another thread)


What? How are they being cheated? So odd to me.

[BonaDea]

What? How are they being cheated? So odd to me.

Someone putting more items in the bag than they pay for.

Much of the produce is X for X price kwim? Like corn is 50 cents each or 5 for $2. Lots of stuff like that.

[lovelution]

I love this! Way to go for Earth friendly totes!!!

[Mommatothebear]

Someone putting more items in the bag than they pay for.

Much of the produce is X for X price kwim? Like corn is 50 cents each or 5 for $2. Lots of stuff like that.

Some people I tell you! That is dumbfounding. Stealing from a farmer for a 50 cent piece of produce!

[snugbug]

Jenn I got the bag in the mail and just re-read this tutorial and it makes perfect sense now. This is ingenious! Thank you so much for the time you took creating this tutorial and the visual I have from you graciously sending me a 'hard copy'. I'm really excited to sew some up now!

Sarah

[BonaDea]

Yeah!

If you have any suggestions on how to make the tutorial easier for others to understand please feel free to share them. :hug2: