Sharing a stylish craft from her brand new book, join us as Torie guides us through her DIY Shopper Bag project... read more
Carrying your hand-picked fruit and veg whilst strolling around a farmers market to transporting your books on the way to class, we’re always counting on a practical yet stylish shopper bag to lend a helping help. You can imagine our delight when our blogging pal Torie asked us if we would like to share her fab oil cloth shopper bag tutorial from her brand new (and simply, amazing) crafting book ‘Stylish Sewing Home.’
Featuring our very own polka dot duck egg fabric, have your crafting tools at the ready as Torie guides us through her brilliant make & do project…
Polka Dot Linen PVC Fabric / Geranium Pale PVC Fabric / Polka Dot Duck Egg PVC Fabric / Aviary Garden PVC Fabric / Polka Dot Eau De Nil PVC Fabric
You can never have too many shopping bags! For this shopper, I used the Laura Ashley Duck Egg softer cotton vinyl fabric that has a wipe-clean finish. As the front, base, and back are cut as one piece, you’ll need to choose a fabric that looks good upside down. The long straps are made from herringbone tape adorned with grosgrain ribbon.
You will need:
– One 78 x 42cm rectangle of vinyl pvc coated cotton fabric for the main piece,
– Two 35 x 12cm rectangles of vinyl-coated cotton fabric for the side pieces,
– Teflon foot for sewing machine,
– Matching sewing thread,
– One 102 x 4cm strip of vinyl-coated cotton fabric for facing,
– Two 48cm lengths of 15mm wide fusible bonding web,
– Two 48cm lengths of 15mm wide grosgrain ribbon, with decorative stitching along edges if desired,
– Two 48cm lengths of 25mm wide cotton herringbone tape,
– Two 40 x 10cm rectangles of vinyl-coated cotton fabric for base insert,
– One 40 x 10cm rectangle of stiff interfacing for base insert,
Instructions:
1) With right sides together and raw edges even, paperclip the top 34cm of the left-hand long edge of the main piece to the right-hand long edge of one of the side pieces. Stitch a 1cm seam, stopping 1cm before the lower edge of the side piece. At the point where the stitching ends, snip into the seam allowance of the main piece at right angles to the stitching.
2) Pivoting the fabric around the corner, paperclip the middle 10cm of the left edge of the main piece to the bottom edge of the side piece, with right sides together and raw edges even. Stitch a 1cm seam, starting and stopping 1cm from the edges of the side piece. Snip into the seam allowance of the main piece, as in step 1.
3) Again pivoting the fabric around the corner, paperclip the remainder of the left edge of the main piece to the other long edge of the side piece, with right sides together and raw edges even. Starting at the top edge, stitch a 1cm seam, stopping 1cm from the bottom.
4) Repeat steps 1–3 to attach the other long edge of the main piece to the other side piece. Snip off the corners of the seam allowances, and turn right side out. Using a blunt-ended tool such as the rounded end of a chopstick, carefully push out the corners.
5) With right sides together and raw edges even, paperclip the short edges of the facing together, and stitch a 1cm seam, forming a ring. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, iron one side of the fusible bonding web to one grosgrain ribbon, and then the other side to one length of herringbone tape, to bond the ribbon down the center of the tape. Repeat for the other ribbon and tape.
6) With raw edges even, paperclip the ends of one handle to the front of the bag at the top edge, 11cm from the side seams, with the ribbon side of the handle facing the right side of the bag. Paperclip the second handle to the back of the bag in the same way. Place the bag facing on top, right side down, with raw edges even, and with the seam even with one of the seams on the bag. The handles will be sandwiched between the facing and the bag. Stitch a 1cm seam around the top.
7) Turn the facing to the inside of the bag along the seam line, finger press, and paperclip in place. Topstitch 1cm from the edge, and again 1cm below this stitching.
8) For the base insert, sandwich the rectangle of stiff interfacing between the two vinyl rectangles with wrong sides together and raw edges even; paperclip in place. Stitch them together 5mm seam from the edges. Place inside the base of the bag.
And voilà! Now you have your very own handmade shopper bag, ready to transport all your essentials.
Many of you may know that Torie (blogger at Torie Jane) has over the last couple of years on many occasions taken over the Laura Ashley blog with her fantastic crafting tutorials and brilliant styling projects. Following her journey from online into the world of book publishing, we have been eagerly anticipating her next installment of her crafting series and we simply couldn’t wait to share her newest title. Featuring many of Laura Ashley pieces in her beautifully styled snaps, Torie Jayne’s Stylish Home Sewing showcases 35 crafty projects to make your home beautiful. From snazzy ironing board covers to elegant DIY make-up bags, there’s a project to suit any style or taste. We for one cannot wait to try out the make & do garden wigwam with one of our brand new Spring Summer fabrics…
For more information on Torie’s latest book and to visit her fab blog click here.
Inspired to start your own crafting project? Take a peek at our brand new collection of fabrics and wallpapers to kick-start your next DIY.
TORIE JAYNE’S STYLISH HOME SEWING published by CICO Books (£14.99)
Photos © SUSSIE BELL. Illustrations © KATE SIMUNEK