Easy to make shopping bag

At least we didn't have any rain today, which was a good thing, because I have been tidying up an overgrown garden for Helen. You remember Helen don't you, Henry's mum, Pack Leader on doggy walks, ha ha. Well, she has bought a house and is doing it up, getting it ready to rent out. I said I would do the garden for her, as I don't much like decorating. She can do the inside. I'm going back on Friday to do some more, there will be before and after photo's.

Todays lunch was peanut butter sandwiches, this is tonights dinner. Polenta chunks with mushrooms and onions, cooked in oil, then add garlic, turmeric, and tomato ketchup to make the sauce. Served on a bed of steamed veg. Very tasty it was too.

Someone asked how to make a shopping bag, so here goes, it's very simple. Take two pieces of fabric 18 inches by 21.5 inches, or thereabouts. Sew them together on three sides, right sides facing. My fabric doesn't fray, if yours does you can sew them together right sides out, then turn it inside out and sew round it again.

Open out the two bottom corners.

And sew across from one side to the other. You don't need to measure this. I sew across twice using the reverse button on the machine.

It gives it a square boxy bottom.

 

For the handles you need two pieces of fabric 15 inches long, 2.5 or 3 inches wide, or thereabouts. Fold one handle in half and pin.

Then on the opposite side, fold the raw edges inward and pin.

Sew the two edges together, and go all the way round and back along the other side.

Then make the second handle the same way.

Around the top of the bag make a hem, it can be as narrow or as deep as you like. Pin it to hold it in place. Then pin the handles in place, about five inches in from the side seams, making sure they are not twisted.

Sew all the way round the top edge of the bag, and then go round again on the bottom edge.

To make the handles more secure I sew around the edge of them again so they are firmly attached to the bag.

This is a simple shopping bag. It's better if you use a heavier fabric, but not too heavy as you might find your needle won't go through several layers. I hope you can understand this, I've rushed it a bit because I'm tired. The comments to win a bag on yesterdays post close at 12 noon tomorrow. Good luck.
Toodle pip.