Now that summer is in full swing and the farmer’s markets are filling up with summer vegetable, fruits, flowers and other local foods, I wanted to make a fun tote bag that was large enough to carry all of my purchases and be comfortable to carry for my weekly market visit. I found this bright summer ikat chevron linen blend fabric for the bag and a coordinating salmon polka dot for the lining of the bag. The lining is a stiff outdoor fabric which adds extra body to the bag and is water resistant which makes it easy to clean. Though I often invent my sewing projects this time I chose this McCall pattern for a quick sew. Since the lining is already stiff I skipped the interfacing step of the pattern instructions. Even though I am a fairly advanced seamstress, I have to admit the black and white drawings in the instructions took a little bit of studying to follow. It is however, a brilliant method to creating a quick and polished looking bag so I encourage you to give it a try. My photo tutorial in addition to the pattern instructions should help you zip through it seamlessly. Wait, you will need seams so maybe not seamlessly. . . Anyhow, from start to finish, the bag took less than two hours. It turned out perfect and Saturday I took it for a test run with my daughter, Emily to show you the finished bag in these photos. Happy beginning of summer! ~ Lia
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16 Comments
[…] I love buying fresh produce from our local farmer’s market. There’s something about the beautiful colors and aromas that put a smile on my face. Create a beautiful farmer’s market tote bag with this simple tutorial by Lia Griffith. […]
I am in the process of making this right now and am finding the instructions CONFUSING!!! Can you tell me if the inside of your bag had raw seams?
It took me a minute to figure it out, but one I did it was brilliant because there are NO raw seams at all. Looking at my directions, I am thinking to just take it one bit at a time… to sew the handle and turn right side out, to sew the top sides and turn right side out, and so on. If you can get to the part where all but the bottoms are sewn together you are almost there. Sew the outside bottom to all four sides, pin the inside bottom on (right sides together) with everything in between the two bottoms and sew only 3 sides. That open side is where you will bring it back to right sides out and you can stitch closed once you put the plastic fill in. This would make a good project for a video. 😉
[…] machine stitched version of these little bags. I am totally in love with the fabric I used for the farmer’s market bag that I posted on Monday. Happy to have some leftover scrap pieces, I knew they would be perfect for […]
Very cute, I’ve been making” box bags” and “beach bags” love your fabrics !
I have a thing for making bags. . . glad I am not the only one. 🙂
Grà cies Lia per explicar-nos com fer aquesta bossa tan bonica i prà ctica , tu sempre tan creativa i també tant generosa amb tots nosaltres que t’ho agraïm de debò.
Visca la gent com tu !!
Here is the translation:Thanks Lia to tell us how to do this so beautiful and practical bag, you always so creative and so generous to us all that you really appreciate.
Long live people like you!
Thanks Anna. So sweet!!
Lia, you did it again! Such a great bag and tutorial . Thanks for sharing your creativity with us!
Thanks Melinda!
Check ebay too! When I got my first place I realized that I needed my own sewing machine. 🙂 Found a new machine, never used, for under $75!!
Great idea! A good investment to buy a basic machine.
awe total love
Thanks Regina!
#2047 addition to the To Do List: LEARN TO SEW. 🙂
I’m hugely crushing on both those fabrics, too!!
Do it! You can get a great little machine for less then $150.