What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Just do it.
I don’t know what to do. There are so many whats to do! So … what’s to do?? Well, here’s what I’m doing. (Did you ever notice that if you say a word often enough, it seems to lose its original meaning? What?? Really???)
First, I’m making grocery sacks. Well, that’s not entirely true … I’ve made A grocery sack. A … as in singular … as in Alone. But I have intentions of making more, so I’ll just leave it plural. See, I got this huge piece of material at a yard sale, like 3 or 4 yards, that’s just not pretty. I’ll use it for functional stuff, like grocery bags and doggy beds. But not together!!
da bag
The grocery store gives six cents credit per bag of our own that we bring, so making these saves us a little each shopping trip – but we always seem to have more groceries than we have bags. So, that means two things: (1) I obviously need to make more bags, and (2) I end up with extra plastic and paper bags from the store each trip. I use the plastic ones in the bathroom and sewing room trash cans. I also take them to the coast for wet socks and so forth. The paper ones are really good for various crafts, for patterns, as fire-starters, and for jewelry making (something I saw on FaveCrafts.com). So they’re not a total waste of resources, eh?
Second, what a mess I’ve been making! The sewing room looks like it’s been ransacked (sorry, no photos of the wreckage). Nosiree bobalooey, I have found no proven method for maintaining a pristine sewing table while in the midst of a sewing frenzy. Having just completed three purses and a grocery bag, with another purse on the cutting table and one to remake (so what’s new!), I’ve got a major mess going. Oh, to be retired so I could just sew all the time! But the Lord knows what I need, so I keep working until He says I can stop and stay at home. Who knows when that will be – or what I’d actually do with myself at that point.
And third … uhm … what else am I doing? Not a lot! As I said (see, ↑ right up there in that paragraph? Yeah, there), the plan is to make another purse and redo one I made last year. I like it a lot, but I find that it needs to be a little stiffer at the top. What’s that entail?? Taking it apart, of course. Well, at least I won’t be taking this grocery sack apart – chalk up ONE project that is done the first time around. No retakes!!
I did manage to get pictures of the grocery bag, after the fact. Again, I was more focused on the manufacturing process than on recording said process for posterity. Here’s a brief (well, my version of brief) look at the finished product. I do plan to make several more, since there are at least a couple of yards left of this material, so perhaps I’ll remember to take step by step pictures next time. They really aren’t that hard to make, even for this first try. I used the plastic bag as a pattern/model, and then used my buttonholer to make the holes for the bag holder thingy at the store.
great idea…..<3
want one??
You are so creative and positive!
aw shucks ya make me blush.
thanks so much!!
Very nice! Great idea to make buttonholes to hang it at the checkout. I like the fact that those bags can be tossed into the washer, and that they don’t tear easily. And they can be made as plain or fancy as you want. Plain works for me, but I’ve seen some mighty fancy versions for sale that weren’t nearly as sturdy, or washable. I counted 16 “whats”, but who’s counting?
Super idea, I have the canvas ones from the stores – but they won’t fold into my purse and do you know how often I forget the bags in the car?? to often to count, now I leave them in the back seat where I put my purse. What did you do to make them a little sturdy, did you put anything in between the two fabrics?
On this one, I did the pleats at the bottom and doubled the handles, just like those plastic ones we get at the store – and did french seams since I don’t have a serger. I tried it out with a couple of two- liter bottles (full ones), and it hardly showed the strain. I didn’t even line this one. Saves a lot of time if I don’t have to line them. I think it’ll work!
Cool – even easier…next weekend I have a three day weekend and was going to clean – yea right!! LOL Now I have a good excuse not to!
I sure hope you post a picture when you get it done. I used mine tonight, and was so happy to see how well it worked – fit those grocery bag pegs perfectly!
Wish me luck, I usually need step by step – detailed instructions!
Yeah, I’m making another one too – hopefully with pictures as I go this time, since I have a better idea of how it will work. The first one is always the test one.
I will keep a watch on your post.
it’ll come handy in our area where plastic bags are banned at groceries. if you want a paper bag, it’ll cost you 10 cents. by the way, can you come with one designed for men?
I just made another one today, that I’m preparing a “how-to” post for it right now (it’s more ‘womany’ looking, though). I think this one looks more like for a man than a woman, actually, as far as the material goes. I’m sure I could come up with one – did you have a particular idea in mind?
Pingback: IT’S IN THE BAG! « the REmissionary