OK folks, here’s the low down on making grain bags.  Each full share will need 10 large bags and 4 small bags.  Each half share needs 14 small bags.  You could use mason jars instead – the advantage of the bags is that they breathe, which will allow the grains to continue curing (this is especially good for the wheat, and will improve the gluten).  I’ve been hard at work volunteering to make bags, to try and reduce costs for both the farmers and for you, the members!  The more bags we can make, the fewer we will have to buy.  We’ve had some great help from volunteers, but we need lots more bags!  So here we go – if any part of this tutorial is unclear, please please leave a comment below, so that I can correct it!  Thanks so much in advance!  And you don’t need crazy sewing chops for these – it’s totally basic, and once you get started, it takes about 10 minutes per bag.  Need fabric?  Give me a call at Wheatberry.

I wish the photos were better for this, but taking indoor photos is hard!  Hopefully they will work.

Grain Bags Baby!

(this pattern is based on the Produce Bag in Betz White’s great book Sewing Green)

All bags should be cut on the fold (so you’re cutting through two layers of fabric).  It’s easiest to do this so that your bottom seam is on the fold of your fabric (that way you won’t have to sew the bottom seam!)

Fabric used is quilting weight cotton.

For large bags, the dimensions to cut out are 18″ tall by 14.5″ wide

Small bags are 11″ tall by 8″ wide (instructions are the same for both sizes)

1. Once your fabric is cut out, with your right sides together, sew up one of your side seams.  You only need a 1/4″ seam for this.  As you’ll see in the photo below, the tall sides are your side seams.  (Note: If you are planning to use your bag for hauling groceries back and forth, I recommend reinforcing your seams.  Press the seam allowances to one side, and, still working on the wrong side of the fabric, topstitch the seam allowances 1/8″ from the seam.)

2. Open up your rectangle, wrong side up (facing you), and fold down the fabric’s top edge 1/4″ to the fabric’s wrong side.  You can press this or pin it, but I found you can just hold it as you sew, and save a lot of time.  Stitch this fold down.

3. On the top edge where you’ve just sewn down the fold, fold the fabric at the top two corners in about 1/4″ towards the wrong side, going down about 3″ (this will look like a small triangle).  Stitch these down.

4. Fold down the top (again towards the wrong side), creating a 1.5″ casing for the drawstring to go through.  Edgestitch along the lower edge of the casing.  (You will line up with the bottom of your little triangle on each side.)

5. Put the right sides of your fabric together, and starting at the bottom of your drawstring casing, sew your remaining seam (if necessary, sew your bottom seam now also.)  You’ve made a grain bag, congratulations!  You can insert a ribbon, twill tape, etc through the casing, to pull the bag closed.

Ella says,  “Golly gee making grain bags is fine!  Join us!”