How to sew very Easy Totes and Shopping bags

Be plastic free at the supermarket

I am often told that many of us are inspired to make our own bags and we go and buy a lovely pattern, but that's as far as we ever get - mostly. The reason seems to be that these patterns require so many different and unfamiliar fabrics,interlinings and other notions which are either hard to obtain or are too expensive, or both.

In this post I am going to show you how to make a very easy Tote bag for your shopping and then I will  adapt the same design by first of all adding a lining, and then by making the bag larger to make a practical beach bag and finally a stylish faux leather large Tote with embroidery. 

Why not use a patterned fabric, do some simple applique, print your logo  or even hand embroidery, it doesn't really matter. 
In fact it's a great way to use up fabric scraps or even discarded clothes. The whole point is that we all need shopping bags and if you know how to make your own you will never be short of a bag again. The best thing is that if you use leftover fabric they are free!

Skills learned

Labels

• French seam
• Making a basic tote
• Adding a lining
• Sewing with faux leather 
• Using a commercial bag pattern
• Adding a zip

Bags of style!

A  post all about bags and what you need  to make them.

Fabulous gift idea

There's a youtube video showing all sorts of bags and other interesting things to make 

Labels

Bags
Decovil
Fleece interlining

It's not difficult to make your own bags, in fact they are one of my favourite things to make. I use them myself and give them as gifts. Quite often I am out with one and I end up giving it away and then I have to go home and make myself a replacement!
I sometimes make one to match an outfit or for a specific purpose, such as a beach bag,and I have shopping bags everywhere!
The other great thing is that once you have a few basic supplies you can use up odds and ends of fabrics which you would otherwise not have a use for. It's all win-win!

This is one I finished last night, it's a saddle bag and I made it from remnants of tweed fabrics.

This is a special bag which I made for my school bestie Margaret for her birthday. I was in such a rush to finish it and post it that I didn't take many photographs of it before it went off to Devon!

Please note that in addition to Jaycotts and MinervaCrafts, bag making supplies are available from Crafter's Companion. They sell absolutely everything for any sort of craft from papercraft to sewing and quilting fabrics, they are amazing! Do look Crafter's companion

Bag supplies from Crafter's companion  click on the link to take you  directly to their vast selection of bag making equipment. But do look at the rest of their site.