Monday, October 23, 2017

Sewing a simple bread bag...



When I mentioned on the blog the other day that I store my bread in a homemade bread bag there were quite a lot of questions left for me, both here and in the Gentle Domesticity group, so I thought I should explain a couple of things.

A fabric bag alone won't prevent your bread from drying out.
My bags are made to be decorative, to 'hide' the plastic ziplock bag which my home-baked bread is wrapped in. They add some prettiness to the kitchen benchtop and I love a pretty kitchen with pops of colour!

So there you have it. My bread bag's only function is to look pretty. 

I can't find the last one I made and have a feeling it may have been thrown away during the move (it was threadbare from overuse) as I did get rid of things that had well and truly served their purpose, so this was perfect timing to make a new bag.

The nice thing about this new bag is that it's made simpler because it has no lining and uses less fabric, but is also a little larger to suit the loaves of bread I bake these days. Many years ago when I made the first bag we still bought a bit of store-bread so the bag was a tad smaller.

My bread bag has no raw seams either, but a nice clean interior that won't fray. This was important with a bag that has no lining.

So shall we make it?

I'm giving you the measurements that will fit a regular home baked loaf of bread, but you might want to bake your own loaf and measure it around the middle (or highest peak) just to be sure. My loaf is 19" around the middle. If yours is larger add those inches on to the width of the fabric.

Choose your fabrics. 
I have a main fabric and a trim.
The main piece measures 21" (width) x 17" (height) and the trim measures 4" x 21".




We begin by making our first French seam.
Lay the two pieces of fabric wrong sides together along the 21" width.
Sew them together with slightly less than a 1/4" seam.
Press the seam open.



Fold the trim over at the seam line and press the fold flat.




With your ruler draw a pencil line down the length of the trim, a little more than 1/4" out from the fold.




Sew along that line. 
You've made a French seam. 
Isn't it lovely? And no raw edge!



Press the French seam towards the trim end of your bread bag.

Now we shall sew the sides together, so fold your bread bag fabric in half lengthways with the wrong sides together (just as we did with the trim and the main fabric).

Sew them together with slightly less than a 1/4" seam, like before, and press the seam open. You will now have a 'tube'.




Turn the bag/tube inside out...




 and draw another pencil line 1/4" inside the folded seam as you did last time.




Sew along that line. 
You've made another French seam!




Turn the bag right side out and iron it flat, positioning the French seam down the centre back of the bag/tube. 

Sew along the bottom raw edge with slightly less than a 1/4" seam, like before.
Turn the bag inside out and push out the seam with a rounded tool (it's too hard to press this seam flat). Draw a pencil line, as before, and sew along that line. Press the French seam.

Turn the bag right side out and press.
The back of the bread bag has the seam down the centre.



Sew a doubled 1/4" hem around the edge of the trim.

I really like the French seams for a clean look, but especially because it means I didn't need to line my bag. 




Cut a 40" length of ribbon or cotton webbing, and choose a button.




Sew the button over the middle of the ribbon and into the seam line at the back of the bag, near the bottom of the trim.

Pop your loaf of bread in a plastic bag and then hide it inside your pretty new bread bag.

Now doesn't that look nice on the bench?





I was thinking this would be a lovely gift for a friend.
If a friend invites you for lunch tell her you'll bring the bread, then bake her a loaf (or purchase one from the bakery) and pop it in a new bread bag. 

This bag took me 40 minutes to make so it's a quick gift and you could even make a few at one time. 
(Note to self: should have done that.)
Might be a nice fete/fair idea too for a homemakers stall?

If you missed my basic bread recipes the other day they're in this blog post.





I'll leave you today with a peek at the final block in this year's BOM, "The Love of Home"...




It will be yours on November 1st. 

I have a project idea for it as well, so that may require an hour or two in the sewing room tomorrow after doing my chores, baking and juicing, writing a few patterns and finishing a new 'almost done' stitchery. 
If I run out of time it will happen the day after. 
One thing at a time works well for me, and no pressure if I can't get something done. There's always the next day. 

Have a blessed week sweet one, remembering you are loved with an everlasting love that cannot be taken away or lost.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:38-39)

hugs


17 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a beautiful concept, Jenny! ..... Making bread more beautiful!!
Regards,
Rachel

Águeda said...

Dear Jenny,
Your bread bag is beautiful. Your idea to give to a friend is very good. Thanks for this new tutorial and for the bread recipes. God bless you.

LyndaTreen said...

Love these!! Making them for Christmas!! Where did you get the ribbon?? SO perfect for the gift!!!

TN Quiltbug said...

Very lovely! Thank you for sharing--excited to try one!

Little Quiltsong said...

Your bread bag is so pretty!! I make a lot of banana loaves and other kind, which would be so pretty dressed up in one of your bread bags. Thank you so much for sharing how you make yours. Makes such a beautiful gift!!

Glenise said...

Beautiful Jenny and your fabrics are always SO pretty. A bread bag has been on my one day list for ages so your tutorial has inspired me to get moving and make one. Thank you.

Little Penpen said...

This is so pretty and such a wonderful idea to go along with baked gifts!

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Do you have a recipe for the Chicken Pot pie, you showed a few posts back? There wasn't a link included on that post.

LJ said...

Yippy Skippy! Thanks for the tut, Jenny. I love the idea of 'pretty' - whether it's the loaf of yummy bread or the bag to store it in.

Kim said...

This will make wonderful gifts.. thank you for sharing...where did you get that great ribbon?

Brenda said...

Hello Jenny, Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful, yet simple sewn project! I adore the fabrics that you used in making yours. I have been going through, off and on, when time allows and refolding fabrics to reorganize my sewing fabrics. I have rediscovered so many beautiful fabrics and also many that I had to admit that I will never use. Those I am donating to Project Linus. So many of my fabrics would be perfect for this bread bag project to make for myself, but also for gifts! Thank you so much for sharing your fabulous tutorial, including the French Seams! I have done them often, yet had never thought of drawing the line. That will make a great improvement! Thank you and have a great day!

Tammy said...

Thank you so very much Jenny. This is awesome....Can't wait to get a chance to try making one. I need new pretty pastel girlie fabric. All I have is weird stuff... But I will find something here hopefully to do your pattern justice. Hugs and thank you again my sweet friend.

Joyce said...

Thank you Jenny. I love the idea of a pretty bag to store my bread in and it will make a lovely gift along with a loaf of delicious homemade bread. I recently added some herbs to the white bread recipe and it turned out so good. My whole house smelled of rosemary.

Baa. xxx said...

That is a lovely idea Jenny. Hannah got a cute bag like that but much smaller which she put the cheese in. It looks nice on the table too. Love Karen, Miss H and Baa. xxx

Ondrea said...

Another beautiful clever creation. Your mind must be buzzing with so many ideas.

Anonymous said...

That was a pleasure to read. I enjoy reading about your days. It's like lying by a stream and watching it move along - very relaxing! This is a wonderful gift. I should make some for Stacey, because she makes all her own bread. Lately, she's been making it to sell, too. We should have a sewing day and make up some of these for her customer deliveries. Goodness knows, I have enough fabric to share! Thanks for the tutorial.

Jill said...

When I see your creations, I wish I would just sit down and create as quickly as you do. I absolutely adore the cute items you create, use, and display in your home. Your blogs and its' pictures are like the decorating magazines from the 80s that I loved to savor. You simply amaze me how much you cook, design, sew, write...in a day! I take in a great deal from each of your writings and creations and work towards your simplistic approach to life. Thank you for your continued inspiration.