Patchwork Reusable Shopping Bag // Jolijou
Free reusable shopping bag sewing pattern
From the book „Nähen – so einfach geht´s“ (roughly translated: „Sewing – it’s that simple“) from Andrea Müller/Jolijou and GU Verlag (publisher).
This reusable shopping bag is sewn from three solid fabrics. We recommend canvas or cotton solids. But patterned cotton wovens are also suitable for sewing this practical bag.
Finished dimensions: 37 x 46 cm
Download your pattern pieces here:
Reusable Shopping Bag Pattern Pieces ( Download)
As the pattern is in German, please use our Translation Sheet as a guide:
Shopper Pattern: Translation Terms Deutsch (German) – English
Material Requirements:
Cotton fabric, 140 cm wide: 35 cm pink, 30 cm blue grey, 55 cm white (or other colours/printed fabrics as desired)
Sewing thread
140 cm canvas webbing, 3 cm wide
Double-sided adhesive tape
It’s this simple!
Cutting the layout: Cut the three pieces for the front of the bag („german: Vorderseite“) from the white (A), pink (B) and blue grey (C) fabrics respectively. Cut the back of the back („Rückseite“) from white (D). Once cut, finish all piece edges with an overcast zig zag stitch.
01 Secure piece A to piece B along the shorter of the two long vertical edges with a few straight pins and stitch the pieces together with a straight stitch at a seam allowance approximately the width of the presser foot right sides together.
02 Snip the top point of piece C, so that the point fits better into piece A/B and secure C to A/B with a few straight pins such that the tip of piece C meets exactly in the corner of A/B. It is important that the point is placed exactly at the seam joining A to B. First stitch the seam joining C to A with a straight stitch to the point.
03 As you reach the point, leave the needle in the down position, lift the presser foot and pivot the material to stitch around this corner. Now stitch the seam C/B to the edge of the fabric. Secure this stitching line with a backstitch tack.
04 Press the seam allowances open. The front of your shopping bag is now complete. Should the edges of the pieces not meet up exactly, trim any excess material with a pair of shears or a rotary cutter and finish the cut edge with an overcast stitch.
05 Pin the completed bag front to the back of the bag (piece D) right fabric sides together. Stitch along the edge beginning at the left-hand corner and stitching around toward the right-hand corner. Don’t forget to backstitch tack! Notch the corners for a smooth turn. Turn the bag and press.
06 Now finish the top, open edge of your bag with a simple folded hem. Fold the edge approximately 2 cm toward the wrong side, press and secure with several straight pins. Stitch the hem approximately 1.8 cm from the edge with a straight stitch.
07 All that is missing now are the handles. Cut your piece of webbing into two equal pieces, 70 cm long each. Adhere the webbing to your bag with double-sided adhesive tape to the bag right fabric side. The sewing pattern indicates where to place the handles exactly. Secure the adhesive tape on the front of the bag to the left and right respectively (12 cm from the outer edge, 5 cm from the upper edge). center the end of the webbing piece over the tape. Make sure you do not twist the handle when placing.
08 Stitch the ends of the handle to the bag securely with an „X“ box as as indicated on the sewing pattern. Repeat these steps for attaching the handle to the back of the bag. Give the bag a final pressing.
Swafing hopes you enjoy your next shopping spree with your new bag!
We would like to extend our thanks to GU Verlag and Andrea Müller for allowing us to publish this tutorial here in the Swafing blog!
Image Credits:
Illustrations: GU/Julia Krusch // All other Images: GU/Jochen Arndt