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Illustrated Sewing Tutorial - How to Make an Easy Shopping Bag
These are really fun and easy to make and look great no matter which color you choose to make them. A 1 cm seam allowance is already included in the measurements and should be used for all the sewing of this project, unless otherwise indicated.
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1. Cut two 40 x 45 centimeter fabric rectangles out. Align the fabrics and cut away a 5 centimeter square from the two bottom corners. This will shape you bag and give it a floor.
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2. For the lining panels, cut two 15 x 45 centimeter rectangles.
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3. Cut four 7 x 60 centimeter strips for the handles.
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4. Place the bag pieces with the right sides facing and sew up the side seams and across the bottom. Reinforce the seams with a zig-zag stitch. This will also prevent that the fabric starts to unravel.
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5. This is how one of the bottom corners look.
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6. Take the side seam and the bottom seam and match them together.
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7. Like this.
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8. Now sew a 1 centimeter seam across and zig-zag to reinforce the seam. Repeat the steps 5-8 for the second bottom square. Set the bag aside for a minute.
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9. To create the lining, sew the two 15 x 45 centimeter rectangles together with the right sides facing.
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10. Now with the right sides matching and the side seams aligned, pin the panel onto the bag.
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11. Cut a 10-15 centimeter piece of cording. Put aside for a minute.
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12. Now sew the bag straps. To do so, place two strap pieces with right sides facing over each other and sew up one long side and then sew the second long side. Make sure to leave an opening on one of the sides for turning. After sewing, turn the strap and iron flat. Repeat again for the second strap.
It is not necessary to sew the short sides as these will anyway not be seen later.
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13. This is how the strap looks after ironing. Sew the opening closed.
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14. And stitch down both long ends using about a 7 mm margin.
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15. Fold the cording in half and pin to the center of one side of the bag. The loop should will be facing downwards (the ends are at the top of the bag) and the cording is pinned between the bag and the lining. That is hard to see in this picture. Also pin one of the straps to this side of the bag. Each strap end should be about 5 centimeters from the side of the bag and the ends are aligned with the top of the bag. Do the same for the other side of the bag. Also the strap loop is facing downward.
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16. Sew across the whole top of the bag. This will sew the cording and the bag straps in place.
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17. Once you have done that, turn the lining to the inside of the bag. You will now see that the ends of the cording and the straps are enclosed between the bag and lining. Iron the lining down so that it will now be flat.
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18. Turn the bag so that the inside is on the outside. The bottom of the lining is still unfinished. Turn a 1 centimeter seam to the left side of the lining piece and iron flat.
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19. Then pin the lining in place on the inside of the bag. Sew a line all around the lining to hold it down.
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20. Now sew across the top of the bag as well. Add a button on the opposite side of the cording loop.
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21. The two red arrows indicate where the bag lining has been sewn in place.
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22. Pull the loop over the bag and wrap it around the botton to keep the bag closed.
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