by Jennifer Carson

Easy to Wash Summer Bags

By Jennifer Carson

Easy to wash bags are so simple to make and great for a multitude of summer tasks. Pack a sandy bathing suit in it for the ride home from the lake and toss it right in the washer. Gather produce from the garden or the market. Need to take a few craft items to keep busy on a road trip? This bag is the perfect size! I used a fat quarter from Spoonflower.com. If you don’t know what Spoonflower is, check it out! There are thousands of designs by independent designers, and the fabric is printed just for you. There are a bunch of base fabric choices, but I chose to use the Sweet Pea Gauze for my “Finch in Love” design because it is lightweight and easy to sew. Let’s do it! Besides your basic sewing supplies you’ll need: a fat quarter of your favorite fabric (the sweet pea gauze is 28” x 18”—a little bigger than your typical fat quarter), and a yard of twill tape or other ribbon-like material for the tie. 3. Fold your rectangle in half lengthwise and pin edges.

4. Sew your edges, but don’t sew over the casing. Backstitch at casing to finish. Turn right side out. Attach a safety pin to your tie material and thread through the casing.

Knot the ends of the tie material together and voila! You have the perfect summer bag!

1. Start by serging or zig-zagging all the edges of your material.

2. On one long side of your rectangle, fold your fabric in ¼” and press with a warm iron. Then, to make the tie casing, fold over again about 1”. Stitch close to the fold.

Jennifer Carson is a local author and artist who enjoys creating beautiful items for home and family. You can see more of her work and peruse all of her crafting patterns at thedragoncharmer.com.