Strawberry Foldaway Shopping Bag Sewing Pattern — Folds Into Its Own Pouch | SUZIE (Printed)
Sew a foldaway shopping bag that packs away into its own strawberry pouch
SUZIE is a full-size shopper that folds down and tucks inside a strawberry-shaped pouch sewn onto the bag itself — so there's no separate pouch to lose. Draw the cord, slide the toggle, and it's a strawberry small enough to live in your handbag.
It's built using French seams, so there isn't a raw edge anywhere inside the bag — a lovely technique to learn on a project this straightforward.
What you'll learn
- Sewing French seams so the bag is completely clean-finished inside
- Making folded, topstitched handles from a single strip of fabric
- Building the drawstring channel and joining it to the pocket piece
- Setting the two triangular pocket pieces as mirror images so they meet to form the strawberry
- Inserting the handles into the hem and reinforcing them with a stitched square
- Threading the cord and fitting a toggle grip
Finished size
Approximately 31cm wide x 38cm high, plus the handles
What you'll need
Cotton or polycotton — ½m for the outer, one fat quarter for the pocket, and one fat quarter for the channel. Plus about 70cm of 3mm diameter cord and a toggle cord grip. A heat-erasable pen is handy for marking the handle positions. Seam allowances: 1/8" for the holding stitches and ¼" for the French seams.
Skill level
Beginner. The printed pattern is posted to you with full-colour step-by-step photographs, our trademark 'Easy to Follow Instructions', a fabric requirements list, and full-size reusable A4 templates — no enlarging required. A free video tutorial is available on our YouTube channel.