marand

My town is going plastic-free. I hate the bags the grocery store sells. Going to make a bunch of my own. I know there are tons of patterns online but does anyone have one they made and Love and that will hold up to the groceries? Also, fabric suggestions? I have a bunch of old home decorator fabric. Think that will work ok? Thanks!
Mary Ann

Austinite

I think it would work fine if it's the thick stuff. I have lots of bags that I made from a bolt of denim and some that my friend made me from clearance cotton and they all wash up nicely and hold lots of groceries.

NJ Quilter

I would definitely use home dec fabric for those bags. For myself, I would also put some type of solid bottom in the bag and make the handles much shorter than traditional fabric grocery bags. If I fill those and try to carry by the handle they just about drag on the ground as well as just fold up around the groceries. I can't imagine they'd need much washing.

petthefabric

-I've made a number of them. I like canvas and think anything that weight would work.
-Some are insulated for dairy, frozen, deli
-For meat I use insulated. And I put the package into a flimsy plastic bag. But, a grocery bag could be lined with a removable heavier plastic so it can be cleaned
-larger bag for fruit/veg

Pre-portioned chips are packed in a heavy plastic bag, we use for vegetables

HettyB

I have used this pattern for shopping bags and it is easy to scale up if needs be
http://www.madeeveryday.com/2012/07/...ked-tote.html/

The one I use for vegetable shopping at the local market I ice dyed an old piece of chair canvas and interlined it with an old waterproof lining. The last thing you want is anything that leaks spoiling the outer fabric. I would just make sure any fabrics you use can be washed. The bags will get dirty especially in the boot of a car.

Hettyb

Stitchnripper

I have made a few but I also spent the 99 cents each to buy the ones at the checkout counter. They have held up very well.

cashs_mom

Home dec fabric should work well. I've lined tote bags with denim from my husband's old denim jeans. It makes a really sturdy bag that holds up well.

Jeanne S

I made some from home decorator fabric and the bags are strong. Perfect fabric for totes!

oksewglad

I've used reusable bags for years. My sister cleaned out her fabric stash and gifted me some bright orange corduroy...really ugly so why not use them. I took the measurements from a paper bag for the basic bag and squared off the bottom leaving the triangle on and top stitched it to the bottom for more support. Before I sewed one together I placed a little cute square of fabric that matched bag fabric. After basic stitching done, I folded the bag like a paper bag and pressed the fold lines. I then sewed from the bottom up to the top of the bag pinching the fabric together along the four fold lines about 1/8 to 1/4 from the fold line. Four bags were made from the orange and found a tan denim to make four more. These get washed about once a month as I go to the grocery store about 3 times a month.

I found a lightweight flesh colored sheer fabric to make produce bags out of. Again I copied the in store produce bag design using French seams. The tops of the bag were along the selvage so never even bothered to finish them. The color is opaque enough for the clerks able to see the SKU number through the bag. I wash these every time they are used.

It's very important for all the bags to be washable...bacteria does grow on all surfaces.

I can get more groceries in a bag than the flimsy plastic ones, too. Less trips from the car to the house...win win

wesing

We have used the Market Bag tutorial by Sailrite on YouTube to make several. They are a great size and are very versatile. We even made our daughter and her friend library bags out of kid fabric using the same tutorial. We have bought home dec fabric on clearance at Joann for all of ours and they have held up,well.