Need a cute tote bag to carry your library books in?
Hoarding fabric selvages but never making anything with them?
Well, have I got a project for you!
First, rummage through your closets and find an old canvas bag that you probably never use because the emblem on the side is dated 2002, or something like that.Then, grab your handy dandy seam ripper and unstitch the sides, leaving the top inch, or so, sewn. (Ignore the selvages on the bottom. I'd already started on this when I remembered to take photos!)
Now for the fun part! Beginning at the bottom of the bag, sew on the selvages, one on top of the other till you have covered up the front of the bag. Stitch close to the woven edge on each selvage, covering the raw edge of the selvage below it. You can space the selvages close together or wider apart as I did, depending on how wide you have been cutting your selvage stash and the look you like. Let the selvage ends extend past the sides of the tote bag front.
To finish off the top of the bag, place the last selvage with right side facing the bag front as shown in the photo below. Stitch, 1/4 inch away from the selvage cut edge. Then, fold the selvage toward the lower part of the bag to cover the seam.
Finally stitch along the woven edge of the folded down selvage to create a sort of selvage flange. Trim the selvage ends even with the sides of the bag and restitch the seam that you removed earlier.
Your one-of-a-kind bag is complete in nothing flat!
Now, go search for more discarded canvas bags and create one for all of your friends. You know they are going to want one!
