Fat Quarter Friday: Reusable Produce Bags

This week I made some reusable produce bags. Now that we're eating healthier, that means more fresh fruits and veggies, so why not "go green" and make some reusable produce bags! I looked here for my initial inspiration, but changed quite a few things as I went along.

Materials:
1 fat quarter per bag

Step 1: Take your fat quarter and situate it so that the long edges are horizontal. Cut off a 4" strip.

Iron your strip in half hotdog style, wrong sides together.

 

Open your strip up and fold down the edges to meet your creased middle.

Iron.

Now fold the strip back along the first crease and iron again.

Step 2: Take your ironed strip and cut off 5".

Zigzag along each of the short edges. Then topstitch around both strips. Set aside for later.

Step 3: Take your leftover piece of your fat quarter and fold it in half, right sides together. Sew along that long open edge.

Iron open the seam you just made and center it so it is like so. Sew along one of the open edges to make the bottom of your bag.

Step 4: Iron open the bottom seam you just made, opening up so it makes a diamond like shape.

Take one of your corners and measure from the point 1/2" to 1 1/2" (depending on the shape you want your bag to take on: 1/2" will make a narrow bag good for zuchinnis and 1 1/2" will make a wider bag good for apples) mark it, and pin it. Repeat with the other corner.

Sew from one mark to the other. Trim off the excess leaving a 1/4" seam and zigzag it.

 Step 5: Take the top of your bag and fold down the edge 1/2", iron, and then fold it down another 1/2" and iron again.

Step 6: Take your 5" long strip and place it like so with the edges 1/2" away from the seam and the zigzag ends lined up with the edge of the hem you just ironed. Pin in place.

 Now flip your bag over so the seam is centered in the back and take the long strip and pin it about 1" away from the edge of the bag. Make sure your zigzag ends meet up with the hem and pin in place.

 Step 7: Sew around the hem 1/8" from the bottom edge of the hem and then 1/8" from the top of the hem.

Turn your bag right side out, you're all done. To cinch the bag, you just take the long loop and pull it through the small loop.

 If you want a cleaner look, you can serge your inside seams.

 You can see the difference here, left: serged, right: sewn with a regular machine.

 Aren't they pretty? Now lets try to remember to take the to the grocery store with us!