Monday, March 1, 2010

Handmade Shopping Bags

I've been wanting to make a bunch of these shopping bags to have on hand for gifts and I have also wanted to use up some of my fabric.  Since we've been home I have had a shopping bag on the go at all times. 
I've also found that I can use skirts and dresses to make these bags almost as easily as I can use pillow cases.  This dress turned into 2 bags and now I've got a wrap skirt waiting its turn.
Now I've got a good start to a stack of these handy shopping bags and they are tucked away in my handmade gift cupboard. 
We definitely have the Spring cleaning bug (we spent much of this weekend decluttering) around here even though the signs of Spring are pretty slim, we've still got snow on the ground so I've no crocus or forsythia photos to show like I usually would around this time of year.  I do have pussy willows though...and they're very sweet.
Last week I cut several branches to bring inside.  I've had them in a vase since then and this morning I noticed that they had several little roots coming off them so now I can pass them on to a friend to plant out in her yard.
And we found a tiny ladybug on our kitchen table this morn...surely a good sign of springtime.

7 comments:

Grace said...

I make tons of fabric bags but I have not seen one like this one with a pillow case. I just googled it and did not find one like this. Do you have a link or a tutorial?

Thanks for a great idea.

Mary-Sue said...

GORGEOUS bags! and that's the cutest ladybug i've ever seen!!! love the eyes! your pussywillows are just aching for a loving home... :o)

Bingtran said...

Nice bags! As Shopping bags manufacturer, we love the way you are doing.

affectioknit said...

No real signs of spring here yet - but we're definitely getting started on the cleaning/purge... I love the bags!

Marqueta (Mar-kee-ta) G. said...

Dear Heather,

We love pussy willows here! Ours are just babies, though, and wouldn't appreciate a trim job :) .

The bags are such a great thing to have on hand; good for you!

Love,

Marqueta

sheila said...

Nice bags! As nutty on the West Coast here, we love the way you are doing, too.

Heather said...

Hi Grace, I haven't made a tutorial but if you click on the photo of the bag in my sidebar you might be able to get an idea of how to make them. I basically wanted to be able to use thrifted pillow cases as shopping bags. I wanted them to fold up so that they could fit into a purse and so I use the part I cut out of the case (the part where I make the handles) into a little sack that the folded shopping bag fits in. Clear as mud? ;-) Have a look at the photos in the link on the sidebar and I think you'll see what I mean. Hope that helps.