Covid Project: Grocery Bags
April 2, 2021 11:07 PM Subscribe
Covid Project: Grocery Bags
Before covid I wanted bags I could take into the grocery and then strap to my bike's rear rack to travel the five long blocks home. Covid made that need more pressing, and now as it winds down I've finally got the solution. It's been enormously satisfying to make something so entirely for myself and a great excuse to practice sewing, a new skill for me.
The pair of bags are connected like saddle bags and hang over my rack. They are exactly as long as the rack and a single piece of fabric is the cover for both. The bags Velcro to the front of the rack, and a piece of elastic affixes them to the rear. I sewed a ladder of webbing down the sides that a hook from the cover can attach to, attaching to a different rung depending on how full the bags are.
Surprisingly they don’t seem to get close to my spokes without anything in particular keeping them away. Filling them with big heavy stuff at the bottom seems to give the bags enough shape that they stay out of my wheels. Again, because I only really plan to use these for short trips, their relative lack of sturdiness has been fine so far.
I’ve been very pleased with these! I can now get three full bags of groceries from the store which is a big come up from the days of one bag in my basket and one over my shoulder. My original vision was to have something small enough to fit in my work bag so that I could always be prepared to go the grocery, but this material is bulky enough that it’s probably going to be a dedicated thing. Still it’s very nice to be able to bring them inside with me. I can load them at the counter and then unload them in my kitchen. The alternatives would be either wire baskets on my rear rack which I find bulky and would obstruct my work bag or bringing panniers to the store which I would either leave on the bike and worry about or bring into the store and get in the way.
It’s been a long slow Covid project. A day or two here and there spread over months. Happy to answer any questions, I’m quite proud of them.
Before covid I wanted bags I could take into the grocery and then strap to my bike's rear rack to travel the five long blocks home. Covid made that need more pressing, and now as it winds down I've finally got the solution. It's been enormously satisfying to make something so entirely for myself and a great excuse to practice sewing, a new skill for me.
The pair of bags are connected like saddle bags and hang over my rack. They are exactly as long as the rack and a single piece of fabric is the cover for both. The bags Velcro to the front of the rack, and a piece of elastic affixes them to the rear. I sewed a ladder of webbing down the sides that a hook from the cover can attach to, attaching to a different rung depending on how full the bags are.
Surprisingly they don’t seem to get close to my spokes without anything in particular keeping them away. Filling them with big heavy stuff at the bottom seems to give the bags enough shape that they stay out of my wheels. Again, because I only really plan to use these for short trips, their relative lack of sturdiness has been fine so far.
I’ve been very pleased with these! I can now get three full bags of groceries from the store which is a big come up from the days of one bag in my basket and one over my shoulder. My original vision was to have something small enough to fit in my work bag so that I could always be prepared to go the grocery, but this material is bulky enough that it’s probably going to be a dedicated thing. Still it’s very nice to be able to bring them inside with me. I can load them at the counter and then unload them in my kitchen. The alternatives would be either wire baskets on my rear rack which I find bulky and would obstruct my work bag or bringing panniers to the store which I would either leave on the bike and worry about or bring into the store and get in the way.
It’s been a long slow Covid project. A day or two here and there spread over months. Happy to answer any questions, I’m quite proud of them.
Role: designer/sewer
They seem both functional and attractive. I couldn't have pulled it off myself. Thanks for sharing.
posted by Bella Donna at 11:45 AM on April 8, 2021
posted by Bella Donna at 11:45 AM on April 8, 2021
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