At this time of year, you can use this bag to carry your own Christmas shopping, or make it as a gift for someone else so you don’t have to brave the shops!

It is small enough to pop in your handbag and large enough to carry a good few purchases. This shopper is reversible and washable and made out of two contrasting materials. I chose blue check and blue check with a daisy print. The blue check was material bought to make curtains (I never got round to it) and the daisy and check was a duvet cover which has been reclaimed.

How to do it
Firstly you will need to cut your materials – All instructions are for both bag shapes.

• Main body x 4 (You can use contrasting materials or the same material it is your choice) – 18″x13″
• Pocket x 2 – 16″ x 8″ (folded in half)
• Handles x 2 – 20″ x 2.5″
• All hem and seam measurements 1/2″

You can, of course, alter these measurements to suit your ‘shopping habits’

Bag handles and pockets

• Take the material for the handles and turn in 1/2″ on both sides then fold in two and machine stitch down the length – iron flat.
• Take the material for the pocket and fold right sides together – machine three sides – turn right side out fold the top in on itself to neaten the hem and iron flat ready to be placed on the material
• Place the pocket on the right side of the material on one of the pieces with the open end towards the bottom. Secure with pins and machine stitch down both sides and along the bottom to form a pocket. Repeat this stage on the contrasting material.
• With right sides together machine stitch down both sides and the bottom of each bag forming two separate bags – iron ready for placing the handles in between both layers.

Creating a gusset
The gusset is simple to make

• With right sides together take the bottom of the bag lining both the bottom seam and the side seam (as in the photo) and mark l” diagonally and then sew.
• Do this on both sides and when you turn the bag the right side out you will find a nice gusset making the bottom of the bag flat. Do this with both bags. Secondly fold 1/2″ hem along opening of both bags and iron flat. Place one bag inside the other matching side seams on both bags and pin in place.
• Measure 3″ in from side seem on all four corners and slip the handle between the layers as shown in the picture. Tack along the top of the bag to secure the handle and then machine stitch everything in place.

Simple!

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The finished product
Da Da! You can see from both pictures it looks fun and friendly which ever way you use it. Both combinations have a useful pocket on the inside and the outside, it can be stored in your handbag and taken out when the ‘shopping mood’ strikes.

I am thinking of making a pouch to slip the bag into but at the moment I just fold the bag as small as it will go and slip a rubber band round but that is not ‘chic’ for us trendy ladies so very soon, I will set to work designing a little pouch.

Happy shopping.

Visit Beverley Holland’s blog at www.beverleylovestosew.blogspot.com

Read our Nicola’s bag making adventures