Strawberry Bag

Here's something I found in Singapore when I was there
this past winter. Thought it would be fun to make and
store in the car as a spare carry-all. Especially with
farmers' markets happening in the summer. You've seen
these before, right? Little fat strawberries with cord stops
that open out into a spare grocery bag?

Anyway, just in case I'm not the last person on the
planet to have found these, here's how to make your own.

Here's what I used for the strawberry corner:

• White-polka dots on red fabric - one 5.5" x 5.5" square*, cut diagonally into two triangles.
• Green cotton - two rectangles, each 6" x 3.5"*
• 18" thin drawstring cord
• Cord stop

*Please experiment with this square and the length of these green rectangles. Their size depends entirely on the kind of fabric your bag is made of. If you are using really thin fabric, like a single layer of rip-stop nylon, a 5" square is OK. If you are using something thicker, you'll need a bigger square and subsequently longer (the 3.5" width is not affected) rectangles.

For the actual bag, make your favorite flat tote in thin
fabric, so it can be scrunched up within the strawberry.
I had red gingham so I used that. Then that seemed a
bit too delicate for groceries so I added a lining of thin
rip-stop nylon (good for leaky stuff).

Here's what I used for my bag:

• Two rectangles of each (outer and lining), about 14" x 16".
• Four rectangles 3.5" x 16" for straps - two for each strap.

Here's an awkwardly-sequenced picture of the stuff you need for the strawberry corner and the 4 strap rectangles:

Step 1

Fold in about 1/4" of the short edges of one green rectangle (6" x 3.5") and sew these hems.

Step 2
Fold the green rectangle in half lengthwise, so the raw edges of those hems are hidden. Sew along the midline of this half-rectangle. This is the hull.

Step 3
Line up the long, raw edge of this green hull (wrong side, whatever that is) with the diagonal edge of the red triangle (right side). Using 1/4"seam allowance, sew to attach the hull to the red triangle.

This is half the strawberry. Press this seam open.

Step 4
Position this on a lower corner of the one outer bag piece and pin (on just the green hull) in place.

Flip the red triangle up and sew close to the diagonal edge (about 1/8") to attach to the outer bag piece. Flip the red triangle back down and sew close to the edge (about 1/8") to attach the other two sides of the triangle to the outer bag piece.

Resist the urge to top-stitch on the edge of the diagonal for now - save it for Step 15.

Step 5
Repeat Steps 1-3 to make the other half of the strawberry.

Repeat Step 4 to attach the other half of the strawberry to the opposite corner of the other outer bag piece i.e. in mirror image.

Step 6
Make the straps whichever way you usually make straps.

Step 7
Position one strap hanging downwards from the upper edge of one outer bag piece. Pin in place and sew close to the edge (about 1/8") to attach.

Step 8
Repeat Steps 6-7 for the other strap and the other outer bag piece.

Step 9
Place both outer bag piece together, right sides facing, so the strawberry corners are touching. Sew the side seam of the bag that has the strawberry corner in it. Open out.

Step 10
Insert the drawstring cord through the cord stop , then separate and (using a safety pin) thread through the channels of the green hulls as shown.

Step 11

Place both outer bag pieces together again, right sides facing and pin together. Insert 1" of both ends of the drawstring cord out of the bottom of the bag and tie a knot.
Sew around the bottom and remaining side of the outer bag. Sew over the drawstring cord several times to secure. Trim the corners, turn right side out and set aside.

Step 12

Complete the inner bag - sew the 2 sides and bottom seam, leaving an opening of about 4" in the bottom seam for turning out.

Step 13

Insert outer bag (turned right side out) into the inner bag (turned wrong side out) so the right sides of both bags are touching. Tuck the straps in between the two layers. Sew around the upper edge i.e. the bag opening to connect both bag layers.

Step 14
Turn entire bag right side out through opening in the inner bag and sew the opening shut.Top stitch around the top edge of the bag.

Step 15 (optional but very useful)
Pin the outer bag to the inner bag in the area of the strawberry corner- you are going to sew through the two bag layers and the strawberry corner. Top-stitch close to the hull-strawberry seam, all around the strawberry. This line of stitches holds the inner bag in place inside the outer bag.

Here's the completed bag:

Scrunch it up, stuff it in the strawberry

and pull the drawstring cord to close the hull-opening.

Make more to give away (you know you want to),

throw in purse/car and wait for the summer farmers' markets to begin!

P.S. I am quite sure these have been around for a long time. I am also quite sure you can make these into beets, onions, radishes, turnips and other bulbous vegetables and fruit. I'm going to stop at strawberries, though, and let you guys take it from here! And please come back and share what you've made!