Here's another project that's been waiting to be blogged about: our new market totes.Earlier this month I made two market totes (Green Pepper pattern #F882). These bags are really easy to make, just a simple afternoon project. Both bags are the largest pattern size, which upon using them for the first time a couple weeks ago, I have decided is maybe a little much. Sure, you can carry tons of groceries in them, but since they can carry so much, they can get really heavy, especially when your facing three flights of stairs. (Thanks to the Partner-in-Crime for toting those groceries up three flights!) Next time I make these, I'll probably try the medium size. I may even make some of the smallest size for those trips in which we only pick up a couple items.
Now if we can only remember to leave them in the car and not at home when we take our often impromptu grocery trips...
I made the first bag with some red canvas for the shell and black canvas for the straps. The pattern calls for straps made of webbing, a kind of belting material, but we had a decent amount of canvas already around the apartment, so I decided to use canvas rather than webbing for the straps. It seems to work just fine.
For the second tote, I used some green Amy Butler fabric I bought from a local shop that was going out of business. Though it's a different pattern, this green fabric reminds me of those curtains Maria used to make children's playclothes in The Sound of Music. It's sort of an ugly, gaudy fabric (both the curtains and this Amy Butler stuff), but it's kind of fun (in an ugly, gaudy way). This Amy Butler fabric is not quite as heavy weight as the canvas, but it is heavier than regular quilter's cotton. I think it should hold up OK. Again, I used some fabric rather than webbing for the straps.
We've also been throwing around the idea of screen-printing future bags with fun grocery motifs or perhaps jazz up the bags with some neat-o patches. We will keep you posted!
Tschau!
Comments
Do you use some kind of interfacing with these?
I think screen printing some awesome market-y motifs onto your bags would be neat. I am glad that you mentioned the green fabric was Amy Butler fabric because it looked so familiar to me but I couldn't place it. Amy Butler stuff is blowing up all over the place. If you guys want to make the trip down to C-bus while you're here in the Western Reserve, apparently the fabric shop down the street from J&H's is big on Amy Butler stuff. Perhaps it would be open that Saturday.
As for Amy Butler, she's pretty big out here, too. You can find her patterns at most fabric shops. Her fabric, though, is still rather scarce out this way.
Giant gives a nickel off your total grocery bill for every reusable bag that you fill with groceries. It's a nickel per bag! Smaller bag=More nickels saved!