Would you like to socialize with crafty, like-minded friends, make something useful together, help reduce plastic pollution and build community, all while having fun? Then consider organizing a sewing bee for making reusable produce bags. Learn how to get started in this free Zoom meetup on Friday, July 19th, 2024 at 10am PT/1pm ET. Plan to stay for 30 to 40 minutes.
What you’ll learn
In 2018, my friends and I started making simple, reusable produce bags out of donated fabric that might otherwise go to landfill. So far, we’ve handed out 3,994 of these. Used weekly for one year, 3,944 cloth bags can replace 207,688 (3,994 x 52) pieces of single-use plastic that would wind up in a landfill, an incinerator or the natural environment. But you can use them hundreds of times, probably thousands! I’m still using the bags my daughter MK and I made in 2011.
Nearly 4,000 bags later, we have learned some tips along the way that I’ll share with you in the meetup, such as:
- How to find people for your group. You can start your group alone but will have more fun if you find one or two more people.
- Where to find fabric and what type of fabric to find. You don’t need to buy fabric to sew these simple bags. Our consumer society produces more textiles than we can responsibly manage. Use some of that existing fabric! My group so far has spent only $8 of our own money on materials.
- Where to find a sewing machine if you don’t have one. You may find one very cheaply or possibly even free.
- How to sew the bags. If you’ve always wanted to sew, this beginner project is perfect for you. My friend Cecilia didn’t know how to sew until she came to our sewing bee. Now she can sew simple clothing without a pattern! I’ll demo how to make a produce bag and while I have you on Zoom, I’ll make a snack bag too. These little bags put some of the scraps you accumulate to good use.
- How to keep the line moving. You don’t need a huge group to crank out the bags.
- How to get the bags out into your community. After discussing manufacturing, we’ll talk briefly about distribution.
Our most recent giveaway
We gave away 190 bags in about an hour at our last giveaway. The customer above returned to our booth to show off his produce bags in action. He told us he loved them and asked for one more. Music to our ears!
If you’ve been looking for a fun event to attend during Plastic Free July, I think you’ll enjoy this Zoom meetup. See you in July!
This is wonderful! We started a group in NC a few years ago for our farmers’ market and others have expressed interest in starting their own. This is a nice guide to help them get going. An added benefit is the fun and sense of community this project has developed with our monthly meetups and presence at the market!