shopping bags

I REALLY  don't enjoy grocery shopping.  Making an effort to reduce plastic & remembering to bring my shopping bags before I leave home adds to the required shopping prep.  We have a wonderful system at home, if you use the last of a product - write it up on the kitchen white board.  I photograph the list on my phone then of to the supermarket.
Its buying the small produce thats annoying. 

To much plastic!!

I was cutting meters of Mutton Cloth for a customer last week.  Out of curiosity I asked her what was she going to make.  Grocery Shopping bags for bin buying for all her friends for Christmas. 
What a great idea.  So after leaving Pak n Save this afternoon, I headed straight to my sewing room.

Mutton cloth and cotton twine

I liked the idea of Mutton cloth because as a knit it will stretch nicely around whatever produce I am intending to put in my bag. BUT when its cut the ends roll. 

Sew two lines across the width of the cloth at several places on the fabric (fig 1).  These will become  the sides to each of the bags.  Cut between these lines then overlock both sides (fig 2).

fig 1

fig 2

Sew two lines across the width (center) of each section then cut between the rows of stitching.  Three sides are now sewn and the fourth is a fold.  Cut open the side that is on the fold.  This edge will not unravel.

Sew on your tie / twine 

Ive put my ginger into one bag as an example.

I'm sure you may come up with other ideas.  Now to start my production line.

Happy stitching

Shirls