shop bag

Here is a bag I made recently based off of a shirt pattern. I took the 2 pattern pieces there were for the front of the shirt. I chose a thick linen looking muslin for the yoke (top piece) and two different (fabric) patterns for the front and back of the bottom (larger part) of the bag. I cut out 2 of the yoke in the linen and 2 out of (reg.) muslin. For the main larger part of the bag I cut out 4, 2 out of muslin and 1 of each the front and back fabric I chose. I took each fabric piece intended for the outside and matched it up with a muslin pattern piece that matched it and surged all the edges. I sewed it together adding some gathering as an accent (between the yoke and bottom). First the yoke pieces to the bottom pieces then the handles, sides and bottom. Then on the inside where the sides meet the bottom to make a 90 degree angle. I folded so the seem down the side would touch and seem across the bottom and measured where it was 2 inches across, sewed and surged for both corners of the bag (this makes it possible to put more stuff in the bag). Then sewed seem binding to the outside of the neck part of the handles and the arm holes of the handles and finished it up by sewing the other side of the seem binding by hand to the inside of the bag.

You can make your own shop bag out of many shirt patterns by just doubling the front of the pattern and not making sleeves. I cut mine out of the largest pattern size (the pattern I used had, 16) and use it to carry around my knitting including the book I’m working from. Can also be used as a library bag or a purse in which you can place your jacket when the temperature fluctuates and it often does here in Texas. Your very own environmentally friendly bag like they have at grocery stores now except more desirable and personal.