A market tote from a pillowcase
Sew an old pillowcase into a washable bag. Give it a roomy bottom and handles you can repair.
About this project
A patterned pillowcase can become a bag you use every week. Keep it plain, add an old shirt pocket, or give it a bold patch. This version uses the pillowcase’s existing bottom and side seams; your sewing shapes the base and attaches the handles.
Supplies
Materials & tools
- One sound woven-cotton pillowcase, roughly 50 × 75 cm, or a pillowcase plus extra handle fabric
- Two handle strips about 10 × 45 cm, cut from the leftover pillowcase or spare strong cloth. You could use two flat fabric straps instead, each 45 cm long and about 2.5 cm wide.
- Several metres of strong sewing thread, with extra for reinforced seams
- Suitable hand needle, thimble, cloth scissors, clips, ruler, and pencil or tailor’s chalk
Before you start
- Wash and dry the fabric. Check the existing seams and hold it to the light for worn patches. Choose another pillowcase if the cloth tears beside a seam.
- The starting size is about 50 × 75 cm before cutting. Keep the closed end as the bag bottom. You will cut the bag section to 45 cm tall and use cloth from the open-end offcut for handles.
Instructions
Choose the bag size
Turn the pillowcase inside out. Measure 45 cm up from the closed bottom and cut across both layers. Save the cut-off cloth for handles. If you want a narrower bag, sew a new line down one side now. Fold and sew its cut edge so it cannot unravel. Keep the existing bottom seam, the line of stitches joining its bottom edges.
Give the bottom some width
Keep the bag inside out. At one bottom corner, pull the two fabric layers apart. Flatten the corner into a triangle. Line up the side seam, or side fold, over the bottom seam. That line should run down the middle of your triangle. Measure 6 cm from its point along the middle line. Draw a line across the triangle at that mark, like the top of a T. It will be about 12 cm long. Clip the layers together. Do the same at the other bottom corner.
Keep the closed bottom and side seams. The inset shows a flattened corner: align the side and bottom seams, measure 6 cm from the point, and stitch across the resulting 12 cm line. Attach one reinforced handle to each face of the bag. Sew the corner lines
Sew across each marked line through both layers. Use backstitch: knot the thread end, bring the needle up through the cloth, go down 3 mm behind that point, then come up 3 mm ahead of it. Go back into the last stitch’s end and repeat. These backward steps fill the gaps between stitches. Knot the thread when you reach the end. Leave each triangle inside the bag and hold it flat with a few stitches. You do not need to cut it off.
Fold and sew the opening
Fold the cut top edge inward 1 cm, then another 3 cm. This hides the loose edge inside a fold, called a hem. Clip the fold and sew around the opening near its lower edge. Turn the bag right side out and push its bottom corners out gently with your fingers. The bottom should now have some width.
Make two handles
Cut two strips about 10 × 45 cm from the saved cloth, avoiding thick seams. Or use the flat straps listed above. For cloth handles, fold each short cut end inward 1 cm. Fold both long edges toward the middle. Then fold the strip in half along its length, hiding the cut edges inside. Sew along both long edges. Lay each handle flat to check it is not twisted.
Attach ends with an overlap
On each bag face, mark two handle positions about 12 cm apart, centered on that face. Put each handle end against the inside, extending about 5 cm down from the opening. Sew a rectangle through handle and bag, then an X across it; include the doubled top hem in the attachment. Repeat for all four ends and secure the thread. A single line at the top edge is not enough.
Try it with a light load
Put a few soft, light items in the bag and lift it near the floor. Inspect the handle ends, existing seams, and corner stitching. Add weight gradually only while those remain sound. If cloth tears beside a seam, repair or replace the panel rather than simply sewing the same weak cloth harder.
Troubleshooting
- The handle is twisted.
- Carefully remove the stitches at one end. Lay the handle flat before sewing that end back on. Mark one side with pencil if that helps you keep track.
- The seams pull apart when you put things in.
- Empty the bag. Sew the seam again with shorter backstitches, using the method in step 3. Add a patch of strong cloth behind a weak handle attachment. Do not keep loading a seam that pulls apart.
- A corner looks different from the other.
- Flatten both corner triangles again and check that each side seam sits over the bottom seam. Mark the same center-line distance at both points before resewing.
Where to take it next
- Add an inside pocket from a shirt pocket or an envelope-shaped piece of spare cloth.
- Sew a fabric shape or your initial onto a strong part of the bag, or let the pillowcase pattern be the whole design.
- Make a smaller lunch bag or a set from a duvet cover, using the things you actually carry to choose the size.
A closer look
The boxed corners give a flat pillowcase a base. The handle overlaps and rectangle-and-X stitching spread the pull over an area of cloth. Leaving the joints visible makes them easier to inspect and repair.
What it needs to do
A function can have more than one solution. These options belong to this example; try alternatives thoughtfully.
bag and handles
A woven cotton pillowcase with sound seams and enough spare cloth for two handles. Worn or stretchy fabric is not a reliable replacement.
seams
Strong sewing thread that does not snap with a modest hand pull; allow extra for reinforced handle attachments.