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A Bag in a Bag, Where the Idea is Better Than the Execution

by | Uncategorized

I have a reusable grocery bag made out of rip-stop nylon that folds into its own little carry case, making it easily portable in any normal sized purse.  I have seen a couple of tutorials on making a bag out of old t-shirts.  I have old t-shirts hanging around.  Hence, I thought I’d try to make my own little pouch grocery bag.  Wasn’t there a children’s toy revolving around this concept of flipping a toy out of a pouch?  Hold on while I google.

Ok.  Popples: a series of stuffed animals with pouchs on their backs that you can flip them into and out of.

Anyways, it’s that concept, except with a bag made out of a t-shirt, and crochet.  Because I have to add a twist somehow.  Now that I’m done though, I’m not sure the twist was a good idea.

 

First, I crocheted a strawberry drawstring bag.  Let me know if you’d like the pattern – I have a mess of notes written down someplace.

 

Then I took a tank top, because I thought this would be easier to turn into a bag than a t-shirt.  I mean, it already looks like a bag.  All I had to do was sew up the bottom and turn it inside out.  Turns out, the fact that the tank top looks like a bag cuts both ways – my bag looks an awful lot like a tank top!

Next, I sewed my strawberry to my tank top/bag.  The strawberry pouch has to be inside out, and in the same orientation as the shirt bag.  I added a small row of SC on the strawberry so I could more easily sew the seams of the strawberry to the inside seam of the shirt bag.  Oh, the shirt bag also has to be inside out.

Basically, that’s it.  You flip the strawberry right side out and as you do so, you stuff the shirt bag in the strawberry!

 

I love the concept of having a cute little bag that pops open into a much larger, more useful carry-all, but I think the vision of it in my head was more glamorous than my implementation.  The t-shirt bag seemed flimsy, and the strawberry seemed too bulky to really carry around in a purse all the time (unless your purse is the size of a Birkin bag or a large LLBean tote)

 

In future attempts, I may actually buy rip-stop nylon (but then it wouldn’t really be recycling), or sew together a pouch out of normal, cute quilt fabric instead of using yarn, which ended up being too bulky.  Maybe I’ll try a different shirt, or actually spend some quality time on the t-shirt bag to make it look more bag-like instead of having it scream “HELLO!  I’m an old t-shirt”.

What do you think?

 

7 Comments

  1. Justine

    What a creative idea, I see what you mean though about the bulk of the yarn…it still rocks though and hey it helps mother earth!! If I crocheted I would definitely want the pattern, the strawberry is so dang cute!

  2. kimcerna

    I see what you mean about bulk+flimsiness, but it is still SUPER CUTE and a great idea!! I am a reusable-bag nut so this really made me smile. Good job!

  3. Annemarie

    I love this idea! Found you through one of the link parties I attend every Tuesday. I would love to have the pattern if that’s possible?
    Best wishes, Annemarie

  4. Jann

    I would love the pattern for the strawberry.. too cute.

  5. Lindsey

    I think the strawberry bag is super cute and would love the pattern for it!

  6. ChiWei

    Thanks Lindsey! Unfortunately, I’ve misplaced my notes in the move, but if I make another one, I’ll be sure to post the whole pattern. I’ll add that to my “what to blog about” list 🙂

  7. Janet Rossetti

    Would love the pattern !

    Exactly what I’ve been looking for ????

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