• Introduction
• "Green" Grocery Bag Makeover

"Green" Grocery Bag Makeover

After the discovery that my green grocery bags were downright ugly, I decided to fix that problem as soon as possible. As a quilter and designer, I shouldn't be caught with an ugly tote. That was embarrassing in more ways than one. First, I began to brainstorm my options for these bags as I drove home from the market. They do serve an important function and they're good sturdy bags. I just couldn't abide how plain and boring my bags looked. Something had to be done. It's funny that once the realization of something hits you, you can't get it out of your mind. I was on a mission to make those bags pretty.

3-D flowers are a big trend in quilting right now -- that's one way to cover the advertisement and use some scraps at the same time. Or I could dig through my box of orphan blocks. And then there was the color of each of the bags; I would need to coordinate the blocks or flowers with the bag -- so many things to consider.

I decided to think of my bags as a clean palette. If I started with a blank panel and forgot about what I was going to cover, it would be easier to be creative. I dug through my scrap bucket, pulled out my many leftover orphan blocks, and then I went for the many buttons I have managed to collect over the years. (My best friend's father collects buttons and I inherit the ones he rejects.) I started digging through my quilting treasures. My options and ideas were growing.

Then I got a really crazy idea! I bet our readers have lots and lots of ideas too.

My challenge to you is to take a green grocery bag and make it beautiful. Do this and send us the photo at Editor@QuiltersWorld.com and we will post the most creative bags in our next newsletter. Are you up for a challenge?

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