Reusable shopping bags

I was able to sit down and make 16 of these reusable shopping bags for the craft fair next month.  My mom gave me a bolt of fabric to use up, and it must have had 8 yards on it because each bag takes 1/2 yard of fabric.

I got the pattern from here, and I only made a few modifications to the original pattern.  The first one was the size of the fabric.  When I cut it from the bolt, it wasn't big enough to have 4" handles AND a 20" body, so I went ahead and kept the 4" handles and so the body was about 18"x18".  Next, instead of sewing x's on all the handles, I saved a TON of time by just turning them up and sewing straight across.  Next, my fabric was connected on the bottom of the bag because there was a fold in the fabric there.  I just left it folded, I didn't cut it nor did I sew it again.


I like these bags because they help keep plastic bags out of the dumps and also it will help save little animals that get hurt by the plastic bags.  I use them a lot at the store, and I also use them for library books, for traveling, to carry my stuff when I'm out and about... they are useful for all kinds of things!  AND... they are the perfect project bags for knitting, crochet, etc!

And speaking of re-usable shopping bags, look what an online Ravelry friend in Massachusetts sent me last week???

Wow, isn't this cool?!  It matches my hound's tooth scarf fetish!!!!  What a cool bag!!