I always think that miniature fair organisers miss a trick by not selling miniature versions of their shopping bags. Come on people, everthing at a miniature fair should be miniature - the programs, the bags, the snacks. Well maybe not the snacks. Cake should always be full scale 😆
I found some canvas fabric that I bought from...I want to say Little Trimmings but it could well have been The Silk Route. Either way, the fabric is off white, heavy cotton and can be produced by soaking regular, heavy white cotton in a weak solution of tea or coffee.
The pattern is really simple. I've taken the measurements from a full size tote bag and reduced it to 12th scale.
I made the handles with 3mm webbed ribbon but you can use the same material as the bag and dip it in 'Fray Stay' to stop the edges from fraying.
The handles are glued on either side of the bag with fabric glue and left to dry. I'm making one long row of bags because it saves time.
I stitch along the top and over the handles to give them extra strength.
Then fold the fabric in half so the handles meet and the hem (wrong side) is showing, then stitch the sides.
If you want a bag with a flat bottom, sew the corners off like in the above picture.
This is the bags, inside out.
I've used the rubber stamps I made to decorate the bags. IKEA also do a pack of fabric pens which work really well.
So Kensington Dollhouse Festival and Miniatura, I expect you have some mini shopping bags to design 😄
Have a wonderful weekend
Pepper x
What a fun project! I am definitely going to give them a try! Thanks Pepper!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jodi :)
DeleteYou are so right!! Everything but the cake should be mini ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreat project. Must make some.
Thanks!
Thank you Veronique. If anything, cake should always be gigantic :D
DeleteGreat idea and great result!!!
ReplyDeleteGeneviève
Thank you Geneviève :0)
DeleteWhat a great idea Pepper! And clearly well put together! I really like the "Ka-Pow" version myself! (Get a lot of bang for your buck with that one! LOL!) I am really enjoying your thirty something projects... it makes me wonder what mine would be...? If I ever got so organized ... and brave...? Something that I think about! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Betsy. Oo yes, you should start a 30 somethings. It would be great to have a go at some of your projects. Help with painting would be a great start :D
DeleteWowww
ReplyDeleteit's special bags.
Congratulations.
Thank you Marian :0)
DeleteMuchas gracias, es un tuto genial.
ReplyDeleteDe nada Eloisa :0)
DeleteYour shopping bags look great Pepper. Thank you for the tutorial and the pattern.
ReplyDeleteWe have a new IKEA in town. I was so excited thinking I would finally be able to buy some of those miniature Moppe drawers. At last a place to store all those things for creating miniatures. ;-)) BUT NO! They don't sell those in the USA. Where is the logic? We have junk too. :-((
How weird. I thought IKEA sold the same thing regardless of country. That is disappointing :0/
DeleteBuen trabajo!!
ReplyDeleteMuchas gracias Isabel :0)
DeleteI would never have thought of using rubber stamps on them, that's genius!
ReplyDeleteI though stamps would be far easier than trying to embroider...which I'm crap at :D
DeleteI really like this! Can't wait to see if I can manage them.
ReplyDeleteOf course you can manage them Sheila. Your minis rock! :0)
DeleteOh my gosh, I love these! And when I took my miniatures to a craft show a few years ago I thought the SAME THING! I was SO tempted to make mini shopping bags! I did get a mini shopping cart and a couple people actually used it on my table!! That basically made the whole weekend worth it!! Haha!
ReplyDeleteI love when sellers give you the whole mini experience with miniature packing. A mini shopping cart sound fab!!
Delete*wanders off to find mini carts and shopping baskets* :D
What a great idea! And thanks for the pattern. Love the stamps, these are wonderful minis :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda :0)
DeleteI LOVE these kinds of Tutorials that even I can do!!! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Pepper! :D
Aww bless, as if you couldn't do anything you set your mind to! :0)
DeleteMuchas gracias, quedan perfectas. Un beso
ReplyDeleteMe alegro de que te guste :0)
DeleteYes! One of the cool things about buying shoes from Patrizia Santi is the she puts them in a shoe box, then in a little paper bag. I've often thought more vendors should do that. I like your cloth bag even better.
ReplyDeleteI know, right? The first time I bought some shoes from Patrizia I nearly squeed out loud when she put them in a box, a bag and then handed them over. EVERY seller should have their own bags :0D
DeleteI like your idea for making this sort of canvas bags in mini, Pepper, and what a good idea for using stamps to decorate them.
ReplyDeleteI would love to make some of these bags, if I could find the time......because the next miniatures show is in about one week ;O! Moreover my flowers won't go, or fit in these bags, so I can spare my time for making flowers hehehe ;D!
Have a nice week. Hug, Ilona
You know those cards you get for flowers, where you write a message on them? You should make teeny ones with your own flower shop name on the front :0D
DeleteHello Pepper,
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome idea. The bags came out very well indeed. Great work!
Big hug
Giac
Thank you Giac :0)
DeleteAdorable! But I don't have the patience to even try this tiny project nor do I have a sewing machine.
ReplyDeleteFabric glue is your friend Bennzz61 :D You would be surprised what you can do without a sewing machine :0)
DeleteLovely tutorial, thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tessa and you are very welcome :0)
DeleteI dunno - petit fours are pretty awesome. :D Bite sized cakes! The bags are delightful!
ReplyDeleteBite sized cakes? You know I have a pretty big gob and those cakes would need to be at least fist sized ha :0D
DeleteThank you for the tutorial! It's very useful. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Lumoaja :0)
DeleteThanks for the tutorial. The bags are so cute.
ReplyDeleteThank you and you are very welcome Fabi :0)
DeleteThat's a great idea and I too wonder why they don't make them at fairs, they would be a blast!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely and detailed tutorial
Rosanna
Thank you Rosanna. Yeah, I think the miniature fairs should definitely start selling these :0D
DeleteLove seeing your stamps on these! The fabric you found is a really great visual weight for this scale too. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Kristine. I had never seen mini canvas before but it is perfect in scale and very soft despite how thick it is :0)
DeleteThese are fantastic. And yes, why aren't the bags miniature 😃 don't fancy miniature tickets though, I'd definitely lose it, difficultly finding a large ticket at the best of times 😃
ReplyDeleteHa. You know I always have a moment - normally three hours from home where I'm frantically looking for my ticket into a fair. Teent tickets are probably not the way to go :0D
DeleteA great idea.
ReplyDeleteThank you Irene. I think we should lobby the miniature fair organisers :0P
DeleteGreat tutorial...As usual. Sometimes it is easier to make multiples than to make one. And you're right about the cake...Especially if it's chocolate!
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial...As usual. Sometimes it is easier to make multiples than to make one. And you're right about the cake...Especially if it's chocolate!
ReplyDeleteJust when I thought I was taking a break from sewing...now I need to try these totes! I have mini stamps that I never found a use for and now you have solved my problem!!
ReplyDelete