Starting on a green project

I have read a couple articles about using recycling plastic bags by using them in weaving. I thought it would be fun to try, and of course the first thing that came to mind was to make shopping bags. So, I started designing in my head. The first thought was that I think plastic bags are ugly, so I didn't want them to show as part of the design. This means that I needed to do a warp-faced weave. (Not a weaver? Warp is the yarn that runs from the back to the front of the loom. Warp-faced means that only the warp will  show on the finished the fabric. The weft is the yarn that runs from side to side - in this case strips from the plastic bags.) I have lots of 3/2 cotton in various shades of blue from other projects - this should make a good strong strong warp.

So - I also needed to figure out what size I needed. One of the things I have objected to with plastic bags is that they are too small and that stuff just flops around in them. So I knew I wanted something like a paper grocery bag, but I thought that would be too tall. Then I went to Coldwater Creek, and realized I really like the shape of their bags. Since I scored some good sale buys, I came home with a template!

A last consideration was handles. I want really, really strong handles. I have an Inkle loom (for making belts, straps, etc) that I have never used. So - I plan to weave straps on the Inkle loom that will go all the way around the bottom of the bag.