carolynjo

My so was horrified when I covered a foam pillow with a large bird-seed bag, but I love it. I use the pillow in my car (getting shorter with age) and the plastic bird-seed (turned inside out) helps me to slide into my seat better.

Onebyone

I use them to carry the food in the store sacks . I can carry more in the cloth bags then store bags from car to house. Not many food stores here will put food in the fabric bags, stated they have no way of knowing if the bags are sanitary so I have to put the groceries in them myself. I don't want to do that. I use this pattern for fast strong bags of all sizes: https://www.lazygirldesigns.com/make...day-gift-bags/

quilt addict

I am also vertically challenged and have the same problem with the length of the handles. I find I put my arm through and carry it on the elbow.

klswift

Use a current shopping bag as a guide. Is it too small for you? Would you prefer it boxy or flat? You can use a piece of gift wrap tissue pattern and make a pattern (or newspaper because it is wide). If you have difficulty in figuring out how to box the corners, turn your bag inside out and put a box inside it (a cereal box works well). Push it into the corner and you will see a triangle emerge. This is the line you will want to sew across and match the size on the other side. I do not cut off the corners because I prefer the strength. I also cut a piece of 'granny grate' (plastic needlepoint canvas) to sit in the bottom for stability but easily removed when washing. There are hundreds of free bag patterns available - many on allfreesewing.com and allpeoplequilt.com.

SewingSew

Thanks for this link. The bag looks awesome.

KalamaQuilts

they are made from netting so they are wash and wear
I'd rather buy them than invest in materials I won't get around to using probably

themadpatter

I bought them at various stores, and then customized them to make them easier for the checkers to use, and for me to carry around.

I make sure they have a loop to hang the bag on the bag stand (white arrow) and I put elastic loops on the sides to hold them open. (Red arrow.)
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I also put on either resin snaps (because I have a snap setter and have to amortize the $80 I spent on it, lol) or velcro and elastic. Here's a snap one, open showing the snaps, and closed showing the size, which is about 4"x5"x2".
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themadpatter

Where do you live? I live in California, we have a bag law and I don't think they can say that here. I'd be furious. Geez, I already am, vicariously!

madamekelly

The first ones I made, were cotton, and I used a plastic grocery bag that I carefully cut apart by cutting off the seams, and then down each side, and when I assembled the bags, I zig-zagged the areas where the seams were. Turn it right side out and all finished seams showing. I used a second bag to know how to fold it back together before stitching. I then figured out how to make it lined, so I made 10 each for my DD’s since we don’t get free plastic or paper bags anymore.
What I learned - Cotton grocery bags do not hold up well to all that washing and wear out quickly. Polyester woven fabric is much tougher and they wear like iron through repeated washings. Yay, a use for polyester that makes my world easier. Polyester is cheap so win-win.
*(the plastic bags come in several sizes so I can make bags for every size needed.)

Rose_P

Our city had planned to ban plastic grocery bags a few years ago, but enough people objected that they backed down. I don't get that, but I'm okay with it because I do use one every day for cat litter gleanings, and I guess I'd have to buy something for that purpose if they weren't free. I have made a bunch of cloth bags for groceries, but don't use them all the time. I would use plastic bags to line little wastebaskets also, but can't because one of our cats chews on plastic bags if she can find them.

Sewing a bag is very easy. I just make them about the same size as grocery bags and box the corners. I make french seams or overcast them. I make folded strap handles or sometimes use dollar store dog leashes to create strong handles for them - 6 feet of colorful webbing for a dollar, and they include some hardware that might be useful for something. I like to look out for any printed canvas or duck remnants at Joann's for making bags.