Mining Monday: DIY Market Bag Bonanza

Amidst the massive cleaning/reorganizing of the weekend (okay, Saturday) I came upon a box of fabric I had pre-cut to make some bags, tote type, some time ago.  Rather than move them to the scrap bins, I thought I'd turn them into bags to sell at the up-coming farmer's market (just 3 weeks away!)  Just quick and easy ones you can fold up and tuck in a bag or your glove compartment.


So today's Mining Monday is a search for patterns and ideas to get me fired up!

The perfect place to start is the Green Bag Lady.  She and her peeps have produced and shared almost 27,000 tote bags for others, a project she created to replace plastic bags when shopping.  You can actually sign up to win some on her blog, HERE and follow her on Facebook, HERE.  Right on her home page you can find links to make your own bags - sweet!

Want something a bit ruggeder?  Perhaps you need to stop at the library on the way?  I found this one made from canvas over at Sutton Grace.

Perhaps you want something more "purse-like"?  According to the Moda Bake Shop, you can make this in 2 hours - though I am looking for quicker, BUT I like the use of fabrics, so I'm adding it in.  I really liked the tutorial, as well - some GREAT ideas there!

This is a bit more of what I am thinking (time-wise) and I like the way they constructed the handles.  This is pattern comes from JoAnn's and is actually called a Market Bag. They use heavier, upholstery material for this one.

A similar idea, called the Martha Market Bag has some good info about construction. 

I honed in on this one by Punkin Patterns for the fabric alone!  I also liked upping the strength of the bag (cotton) with interfacing.  But really?  It was about the purple fabric...just saying...

Hey, how about this one made from a pair of pillowcases designed by the Sewing Dork?  Sooo makes me want a serger...sigh...

Did you know they make the material you see the bags from the big box stores?  That light weight utility fabric?  According to She Wears Flowers, you can get it at JoAnn's! Who knew?  She has a great tutorial using said fabric ... oh, and it's purple too!  She has wonderful directions, too!

Oh boy.. oh boy!!  I just picked up some laminated fabric, so this pattern is PERFECT!!  She includes some VERY important ideas about how to work with it so that things like MELTING don't happen!  Yikes... that would be me!  Here's one of the ones I have available right now.

Whoa... looking for some bigger bags?  I ran across these by Michael Miller!  Not made to sling over your shoulder and I'm pretty sure you'd have to be rather rugged to lift them out of the cart, but maybe I'm just getting old!  LOL!

Oh my, then I found this little gem on Martha's website: easy peasy removable organizer to go INSIDE your tote!  How often have you been scrounging around inside a tote to find things like your wallet or a pen?

Want something "one shot" - almost no sewing?  How about this idea from Between the Lines for a bag made from a T-Shirt?  Unfortunately I just snipped up all my "stash" to start on T-Shirt quilts for hubby and DD.  Oh well...

I'd like to wrap up today with one last bag, you'll know why as soon as you see it!  I think it was MADE for me!  Hehe!

Do you have any other fun tote bag ideas?  Please share them or a link to them!
Have a great day!
Carrie