Turtle Bib

This turtle fabric was a lucky find in the remnant bin and is big enough to make several bibs.

Sometimes it’s fun to make a bib that requires no fancy work like embroidery or applique and to just allow the cute fabric to speak for itself.  This fabric made up into a nice bib:

I finished another grocery bag, but then the tension on my machine just stopped working, so I guess it is destined to visit the repairman.  I’ve been meaning to try out another one of my machines so now is the time.

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Grocery Bags

The first two grocery bags are finished and are on their way to be filled with groceries.  The first bag was sewn in the same way the paper grocery bag is put together but that was a huge hassle and took all day to sew.  The second bag was sewn in the fast tote-bag style with the bottom corners sewn across to square them off, plus some topstitching down the side folds, and that was so much easier and looked much better.  I love it when that happens – the easy way wins! I got the spouse to model the bag which is pretty much exactly the size of a brown paper grocery bag.

When my daughter was here to pick up the bags, she said they should have a piece of cardboard or something like that on the bottom so the bag would keep its shape.  I suddenly thought of all the plastic cutting boards I had bought at IKEA a few weeks ago, so we got one out and cut it to size.  The cutting board was big enough to make two of the bag bottoms.  Here’s the product name:
I cut the insert about 6 1/2″ x 11 1/2″  (I measured the bottom width of each bag because they vary a bit) and put it in the bottom of the bag.  I rounded the corners so that the plastic would not poke through the fabric. Cutting the plastic is easy to do since it cuts easily with scissors.  Here it is in the bag:
The removable insert keeps the bag looking crisp and square and is washable by hand if some grocery item leaks on it.  It has to be removed before you put the bag in the washer and dryer, especially the dryer because it could melt all over the dryer drum.

Now I need to make a few bags for myself, and then I will continue in my effort to never ever pay for a grocery bag.

 

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February Already?

Lots of stuff going on around here, but not a lot of sewing.  We had some construction done on the house, and we are still waiting for the inspections and finishing up.  Today my husband did some painting, and tomorrow I’ll have to put back one of the bookcases and restock the books, and then, hopefully, back to the sewing machine.

One of my first projects will be to sew up some grocery bags.  Yes, our state has gone shopping bag mad and passed annoying laws that make you pay for the bags for your purchases.  Years ago they said that paper bags were evil and bad for the environment (poor innocent trees were killed to make the bags) so we were forced to switch to plastic bags.  Now they have decided that plastic bags are evil and have banned them, and if you want a paper bag you have to pay for it.  I am not fond of junk-science environmentalists who keep making mistakes and changing their minds whilst messing with our lives.  Since I am ticked off about this, I refuse to ever pay for a shopping bag.  Since it is important to have clean bags because they can carry germs, they need to be washable.  I saved a paper grocery bag to use as a pattern and have bought up a large stash of white canvas from the craft thrift store to make the bags.  I haven’t decided exactly what style of bag to sew but it will be the size and shape of a standard brown paper grocery bag.  My daughters want some bags, too, so I think I will use several construction styles and let the girls test them out to see which one works the best.  Hopefully it will be the one that is the easiest to make.

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