bodega bags

it's another bodega bag post!  but this time i'm gonna show you how to make them.  these things are amazing.  they're small enough to shove in your pocket on the way to the grocery, washable, and strong enough to carry 3 six packs.  i always keep a couple on hand and make a couple extra to give to people.

i used to make them for the restaurant i worked at as the delivery bags (delivery in new york is done by bike) to use instead of plastic bags.  i sell them now at my local grocery store and he needed more, so here we go...

for the pattern you can use anything: newspaper, craft paper, poster board; i conveniently had an empty case of beer in the trash and that did the trick.  the outer dimensions are 22" x 18".  the 2 smaller tabs on the upper outside that you cut away are 1 1/4" x 5 1/2", and the center part that gets cut away is 5 1/2" x 5 1/2".  i just curved the edges a little bit.

it really doesn't matter what fabric you use.  my local fabric store has a section of cotton/acrylic blend broadcloth for $2.50 a yard in lots of colors, so that does the trick.  darker colors are probably better, so as to not show dirt and stuff.

the pattern is 18" wide so you can get 2 bags out of 1 yard of fabric.  the broadcloth that i'm using is 45" wide and comes folded.  place the handled top part along the fold.  if the bag doesn't fit perfectly it doesn't matter, just line the top of the pattern and the folded edges up.  you don't even need to wash the fabric.

you can either trace the pattern onto the fabric, or go ahead and just cut around the pattern; which ever is easier for you.

when they're cut out i like to hit the edges with a serger--it's an extra step, but finishes the bags off nicely.  if you don't have a serger you could fold the edges over and sew along the edge, or even just leave the edges raw, just know that they'll fray a little.  this is what you should have at this point laid flat.

next, just sew up the sides.

to prep your bottom seam you're going to fold the outer 2 edges in onto themselves so that the top handle curves match.  the distance between the two edges once folded should be about 4 1/2".  i usually just eyeball it.  you can pin the bottom as well, but once you get the hang of it and/or are doing a bunch i just hold them in place while i'm sewing.  sew the bottom edge closed.

next turn your bag inside out.  for all intents and purposes you're basically done at this point.  i like to sew a line along the fold on the top of the handles.  this just tacks the folded handle together.

and, of course, you've got to put a tag in it!

and there you go!  cheap, easy, convenient, and you don't have to constantly be using those plastic bags that are never going to break down.