You
will need:
8
rectangles of fabric 11cm by 55 cm
Kitchen
and dress making scissors
Sewing
machine
Cotton
thread
iron
Safety
pin
Thin
elastic
Short
piece of ribbon
1. Use greaseproof paper, a ruler or tape
measure, a pencil and kitchen scissors to measure and cut out a template
pattern ( a rectangle shape measuring 11 cm by 55 cm)
2. Pin
the template pattern to a scrap of fabric and carefully cut the material using
dress making scissors
3. Remove
the pattern from the fabric and repeat with other scraps of fabric until you
have eight rectangles of fabric (ideally in complementary colours / patterns)
4. Thread
a sewing machine with the thread colour of your choice and zig-zag stitch around the edge of each
rectangle to stop it from fraying.
5. Pin
together two strips of fabric along one long edge (right sides of the fabric
together)
6. Adjust
the stitch length on your sewing machine to stitch length 2.
7. Sew the two pieces of material together along one edge with a seam allowance of 10 mm (using reverse stitch at both ends to secure the thread. You can remove the
pins as you sew to avoid sewing over them.
8. Pin
to the next strip of fabric (again right sides together) and sew that long edge
too. Continue until all eight strips of
fabric are joined together in one long piece.
9. Using
an ironing board and iron, press the seams on the reverse of the fabric until
they are all flat. Press each seam
according to the direction in which it naturally wishes to lay.
10. Turn
over the long edge of the bottom strip of fabric and pin (to the reverse of the
material), a seam allowance of approximately ¼ inch in place. Sew along the seam leaving enough room (approximately
15mm) to later thread through a narrow piece of elastic. Use reverse stitch at each end to secure the
thread.
11. Repeat
the above step to make a similar seam on the reverse side of the top strip of
fabric.
12. Use
a small safety pin to pierce the end of a thin piece of elastic and then using
the pin as a guide, thread the elastic through one of the seams.
13. Secure
one end of the elastic securely in place by sewing it to the inside of the seam
edge.
14. Pull
the elastic taut and bunch up the seam fabric.
Cut the elastic at your chosen length and stitch the end to the inside
of the seam edge.
15. Repeat
steps 12 to 14 for the other seam.
16. Turn
the fabric right sides together and pin along the long edges to allow a seam of
approximately ½ inch.
17. Sew
along the seam with a seam allowance of approximately 10 mm and use reverse
stitch at each end to secure the thread.
18. Take
a short piece of ribbon (an appropriate length for however long you want the
handle). Turn up the end of a piece of ribbon and stitch it to the reverse side
of the top of your bag. Attach and
stitch the other end of the ribbon to the other side of the bag.
19. Turn
the bag the right way out and stuff with carrier bags
