Even though I had placed a moratorium on fabric purchases a while ago, I realized that my stash was at SABLE stage: Stash Amassed Beyond Life Expectancy. So, I found a pattern/tutorial for grocery bags online and did a bit of sewing.
This morning, I made a grocery run and these shopping bags definitely have a lot of positives:
1. Using these will reduce my consumption of plastic bags. I don't want to see any more photos of animals killed or deformed by plastics dumped in their environments.
2. These bags are sturdier than plastic bags so I won't, for example, have any more burpless cukes poking a hole in a plastic bag and ending up on the driveway or on the floor in the kitchen.
3. This sturdiness also allows more items to be placed in the bags so there are fewer bags to manage out to the car and into the house.
4. The handles do not slide on and do not cut into my arm when lugging them into the house.
5. The cheerful, fun bags help make a chore a bit more pleasant.
The tutorial and pattern is by Stitched by Crystal (link) and it is easy to follow. The bags go together quickly, even though all the seams in the bag are French-seams. The most difficult part was selecting fabrics. The pattern calls for fat quarters and most FQs I have are singles.... so the backs and front of the bags are different, though coordinated. The lining, which takes one FQ, is also coordinated rather than matching. It was nice to put a small dent in the stash... and good to have these fabrics out where I can enjoy them!
Love your colorful bags! Good way to brighten shopping day. I switched to tote a few years ago....I so hate plastic bags.
ReplyDeleteThose bags are beautiful and practical. Looks like you had fun selecting coordinating fabrics.
ReplyDeleteFor Mother's Day several years ago, DD#1 gave me a pouch of 5 bags made of parachute type material. They fold very flat, and I keep one or more in each purse. I have since purchased a few more, and if I know I am going to be buying a lot when I go out to shop, I grab a handful. :)
Love your bags - pretty and practical. You'll get more use out of the fabrics this way than by making a quilt.
ReplyDeleteWe are older (70 and 75) so it was difficult to get the groceries from the car and into the house. We solved that problem by buying a plastic gardening pull along. It's just the thing. We put the heavier things in the bottom and fill it up. Then we just drag it from the garage to the backdoor. Saves steps and trips back and forth.
Hugs