This is the step whereby the flange is turned into a skeleton, supporting the tailored cloth grocery bag. This step reinforces the six edges and four corners of the bags: front panel side, bottom, and side and back panel side, bottom, and side. Measure Twice, Cut Once Measure down 2 inches from the top edge […]
At this point, you should have several grocery bags ready for the second pass. In this step, you will iron a crisp knife-edge on each of the six seams. Then you will sew a half-inch seam all the way around, front and back, producing a flange that will enclose all the raw edges. The flange […]
Your cloth has been purchased. You’ve washed it (if needed), unpicked any seams (if it is repurposed fabric), and you have ironed it. You measured the fabric, then worked out the most economical layout of panels and gussets on paper. You cut the fabric into panels and gussets. Now it is time to start sewing […]
I taught myself how to sew grocery bags in quantity. I know there are plenty of things that I have missed or don’t understand. There isn’t much information out there about sewing the same thing over and over, especially for the home seamstress. Patterns assume you’ll only make one item and only one at a […]
If you want to make faster grocery bags, you’ll have to understand that you don’t have to perform every task. There are many points in the production process where no sewing skills are needed. A reliable helper can step in at these points and save you valuable time and energy. Ironing the raw yardgoods. You […]
(This post is a draft from the upcoming book “Sewing Cloth Grocery Bags.” A complete list of the posts can be found here.) Frankenstein bags are what I call the grocery bags I make from mismatched fabric. Because of the way I lay out panels and gussets, I often end up with a spare panel […]
In my continuing attempts to streamline my sewing procedures for cloth grocery bags, I decided a long time ago to stop using the fashion fabric to make the straps. Fabric straps require careful cutting to keep them perfectly straight on grain. Because you have to double the fabric to get the right weight (and enclose […]
My grocery bag technique always uses a line of trim. This is not just because decorating cloth bags look nice. 1 The trim line fulfills several functions. Firstly, it covers up the raw edges of the folded over bag top without adding more bulk. This is important as you don’t have to use trim at […]
Here are a few tools I recommend that will make sewing cloth grocery bags easier. (We should have pictures of the gadgets) A sewing machine, needles, pins, thread. You can sew a cloth grocery bag by hand, but a sewing machine makes the job light-years faster. A walking foot. You don’t need one, but it […]
Today we learn how to make cloth grocery bags. I developed this list because I demand a lot from them: * They should last forever. * They should stand, at least a little, so a bagger can load them. * The handles should be durable enough to last as long as the fabric. * The […]