Say hello to a bag with midriff: the Zero(ish) Waste Bow Bag! It is comprised of three elements: a top and bottom piece, which tie together to form the bag, and a shoulder-length strap. The six knots are therefore functional and also the bag’s main design feature.
The bag is constructed from one single piece of fabric with almost no waste thanks to the interlocking geometry of the undulating ties.
PDF Details
Instructions full of diagrams and text, thoroughly outlining the process of making your own ZWBow Bag
Minimal waste pattern: a paper-free cutting layout within instructions plus a one-page pattern piece (Letter/A4, print-at-home friendly!)
Material Requirements
A 23-5/8” x 47-1/4” (60x120 cm) piece of fabric. The bag is best suited in light-to-medium-weight woven fabric at around 5-7.5 oz/yard (170-250 gsm). The fabric requires a tight/dense weave to endure being pulled inside out. For this reason, linens or similar fabrics are not recommended. This fabric ends up as a double layer so the bag is fully-lined.
Difficulty Level
This pattern is suitable for Intermediate sewists and up. Skills include sewing straight seams, sewing curved seams, topstitching, and edgestitching. Turning out and top-stitching all twelve ties requires some experience but most importantly, some patience :-)
Adjustment-Friendly
This pattern is intended to be approachable and customizable. The instructions outline several possibilities including making the bag narrower (with less bows), shorter (if using more narrow fabric), or adjusting strap length.
