Quilted Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial

Friday, March 15, 2013

Happy Friday! How about a fun tutorial to start off your weekend? As promised, a grocery bag holder tutorial! I decided to share two different sizes which can be made with a single fabric or with half-square triangles.  I didn't realize how large my first holder was until I made the second! The second can easily be made with a single fat quarter for the exterior.  Both versions shown here feature Color Me Retro and Pure Element Snow by Art Gallery Fabrics.

Shown above large half-square triangle holder and small plain holder. The large holder measures 24" tall and 19" around. The small holder measures 18" tall and 17" around.

Quilted Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial - In Color Order
Color Me Retro, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.
Sewing Level: Intermediate


Materials:
Large Grocery Bag Holder
- HST Option: (24) 4.25" print squares and (24) 4.25" background squares (3/8 yd)
- Plain Option: 5/8 yard exterior print
- 3/4 yard of interior fabric (solid or muslin)
- 24"x30" piece of cotton batting
- 1/2 yard of skinny elastic (1/4" or smaller)
- 14" piece of 1/2" twill tape

Small Grocery Bag Holder
- HST Option: (21) 4" print squares and (21) 4" background squares (1/3 yd)
- Plain Option: fat quarter exterior print
- 5/8 yard of interior fabric (solid or muslin)
- 22"x25" piece of cotton batting
- 1/2 yard of skinny elastic (1/4" or smaller)
- 14" piece of 1/2" twill tape

*1/4" seam allowance used unless otherwise noted


Quick Half-Square Triangle Construction:

Quilted Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial - In Color Order
Half-Square Triangle, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.
Using a water-soluble marker or a pencil, mark a diagonal line across the wrong side of the background squares. Place one background square on top of a print square right sides together.  Stitch 1/4” on either side of the marked line. Cut square in half on the line you marked.  Press seams open. Repeat with remaining squares.

Large Grocery Bag Holder:
Quilted Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial - In Color Order
Large Grocery Bag Holder, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.
1. If using half-square triangles, make 48 and trim them to 3.75" square. Arrange half-square triangles using the diagram above. Sew half-square triangles into rows.  Press seams in one direction, alternating directions every other row.  Sew rows together.  Press seams open. trim top to 20"x26.5" if necessary.

If using a single print, cut a rectangle 20"x26". 

2. For either version, make a quilt sandwich with interior fabric, cotton batting, and top.  Baste and quilt as desired.

3. Cut (2) pieces of elastic, one 10" long and one 8" long.


Small Grocery Bag Holder:
Quilted Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial - In Color Order
Small Grocery Bag Holder, a photo by Jeni Baker on Flickr.
1. If using half-square triangles, make 42 and trim them to 3.5" square. Arrange half-square triangles using the diagram above. Sew half-square triangles into rows.  Press seams in one direction, alternating directions every other row.  Sew rows together.  Press seams open. Trim top to 18.5"x21.5" if necessary.

If using a single print, cut a rectangle 18"x21".

2. For either version, make a quilt sandwich with interior fabric, cotton batting, and top.  Baste and quilt as desired.

3. Cut (2) pieces of elastic, one 8" long and one 6" long.

The following instructions apply for solid and half-square triangle versions in both sizes.

Grocery Bag Holder Construction:
4. Trim away excess backing and batting. Serge or zig-zag stitch around all four edges.

5. Turn down one of the short edges 1", press.  Stitch down 1/4" from the raw edge.  Repeat for the other end.

6. Fold under each end of the twill tape 1/2".  Pin in place below the stitching line on one short edge, 4.5" from either edge.

Quilted Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial - In Color Order
7. Stitch both ends in place, making sure not to stitch on the tube you sewed.

Quilted Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial - In Color Order
8. Attach one end of the longer elastic piece to a large safety pin.  Begin threading the safety pin into the end with the twill tape attached.

9. Pull it through just far enough so that a small amount of the elastic sticks out. Pin in place.

10. Stitch with a 1/4" or less seam allowance over top of the elastic, securing it in place.  Backstitch over top of it a few times.

11. Continuing pulling the safety pin through to the other side.  Detach safety pin, and pin the elastic in place.  Securing with stitching.

Repeat steps 8-11 with the remaining elastic piece for the other end of the holder.

12. Fold your piece right sides together, matching up the long edges. Pin in place.

13. Sew along the entire edge using a 1/2" seam allowance. Press seam open.

Turn right sides out and hang! If you make one, I hope you'll add a photo (or two!), to the In Color Order Flickr Group! I'd love to see it!

Enjoy!

22 comments :

  1. I love it...I'll have to make one and keep it at the door for my "doggy bags". ;)

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    1. What a great idea! Using doggy paw print fabric!

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  2. Hi, great tutorial!! Thank you!
    Hugs from Italy, Emanuela

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  3. That quilting is super impressive!! Cute tutorial too. :)

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  4. Love it, totally will be my project for tomorrow

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  5. What cute bags! Great job on the quilting too :)

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  6. Thanks so much...I LOVE it! Super tute! Just maybe I will finally make one!!!

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  7. LOVE them! Way better than the other way of using a dish towel to make them. And what a great way to practice free-motion quilting. Thanks!

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  8. Well, now I know what I'm making everyone for Christmas this year! Thanks!

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  9. I LOVE THIS, Jeni! I have never seen one of these grocery bags quilted before, and I must say, it makes the finished project look SO much better than the ones with just a limp single layer of fabric. Your beautiful feather and pebble quilting is too gorgeous for a garbage bag holder! But you know, this would be a perfect project for those who are just learning and practicing their free motion quilting skills, or wanting to learn a new quilting design before quilting it on a large quilt.

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  10. Ok I've been needing to make one of these darn things!! My grocery bags are currently in an odd location and they frequently end up behind my washer... Not cool thanks for the lovely inspiritaton you rock!!! I love your blog and your mermaid quilt makes me drool. The end!

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  11. These are beautiful! I have a couple that were made by dear old family friends and they come in so handy. Love these beautiful colors!

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  12. I REALLY need to make one of these. Thanks for the fantastic tutorial.

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  13. I REALLY need to make one of these. Thanks for the fantastic tutorial.

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  14. Thanks so much for sharing! I really need to make one of these. I have added it to my jobs for the week

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  15. great tutorial Jeni! I'm adding this to my list, since our current way of storing grocery store bags (all stuffed in one large bag) leaves a bit to be desired! :)

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  16. perfect timing...I need to make 3 of these.

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  17. Love the sack holder! i am exploitation Feebly, and you are already in it as a result of I migrated all of my feeds from Google Reader. it's formally converted to the Feebly Cloud, thus i am sensible to travel. As for foundation piecing, I like employing a deep-freeze paper technique as a result of I will recycle the foundations as several as 10 times.handbag holderYou square measure thus inventive and genius! These are thus cute! it had been nice looking with you a little. i am glad you were ready to build it down.

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  18. Thanks heaps for this tutorial. I made large bag holders for my mum and mother in law for Mother's Day and they turned out beautifully. The size was just right and the tutorial was easy to follow.

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  19. I am making these as a way to learn free motion quilting. Boy the first one is quite ugly! But it does have a few patches where the FMQ is not totally horrible. And it will still be functional as a bag holder...just not on display! Also, by the time I roll it into a tube, the ugliness is decreased. I'm doing the whole cloth one obviously...FMQ is sure harder than in looks in videos.

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  20. Thank you for posting the tutorial. I have just begun fmq , and this was great practice. The second does look better than the first. I was able to select a great fabric to match the kitchen. Thanks again for the great project.

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