Bunny bag tutorial

After Christmas I picked up some darling rabbit and garden inspired fabric on clearance, way on clearance, not knowing how I would use it. This month the inspiration finally came. Bunny bags for Easter. They really turned out cute and the grand kids loved them so I've decided to share how I made them.

You will need outside fabric, lining fabric, a strip of very stiff interfacing, a bit of hook and loop tape, and the bottom half of a gallon milk or water jug.

Mark the jug around the circumference just below the bottom of the handle and cut with kitchen shears. Trace around the bottom of the jug on a piece of paper to make a pattern for the bottom pieces of both lining of outside and lining fabrics including a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Cut one of each fabric. The green bottom is different than my bunny fabric because of the linear nature of the fabric.

Cut a 23 x 10 inch piece of fabric from both outside and lining fabrics. Place 10 inch sides of fabric right sides together and join with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Fold your bottom pieces in half and then in half again and finger press marking quadrants. Do the same with the bottom edge of the outside and lining tubes of fabric.

Match up finger pressed lines and pin with right sides together for both outside and lining pieces.

Add more pins leaving rounded corners free.

These will ease in as you sew. Work carefully around the edges sewing a 1/4 inch seam removing pins as you go.

I also finished the edges with a zigzag stitch as I felt this seam would receive more stress.

Do the same with the lining.

Turn the lining so right side is out and insert the plastic jug bottom matching up corners.

Yeah! It stands up straight!

Leave the lining as is and insert inside the bag once again lining up seams and corners.

Pin edges together. The edges should be the same length and fit nicely.

Turn down raw edge, turn once more and stitch along the edge.

Now it is time for the handle. You will also need 2 two inch strips of of the 5/8 inch wide hook and loop tape.

I used the selvage edge of my fabric but this is not necessary. Cut a 12 x 1 1/2 inch strip of stiff interfacing and a 12 inch strip of fabric 3 1/2 to 4 inches wide.

Fold the fabric around to backside and stitch raw side down with the opposite edge folded down for a clean finish.

Stitch again so there are two stitch lines down the middle of handle.

Place handle on side of bag centering it right side down on the seamed line of bag. Place a piece of hook and tape over raw edge of handle and sew down securely covering raw edge.

Center on opposite side and sew other side of hook and loop over the other side of handle. To make this work I had to use the reverse button on my machine to stitch one edge of tape because of the 3D nature of this project. The tape allows the bag to be closed and was also an easy way to cover the raw edge of the handle.

I made six bags.

And to prevent identity theft, I made each bottom a different coordinating fabric.