LUNCH on the go!

Whether you’re packing sandwiches for the kids or food for a picnic, these sustainable and easy-sew lunch bags are the way to go

Hands up if you use old containers or a plastic bag to tote your lunch around in. Well, now’s the time to think about smartening up work and school lunches by making these roomy roll-top bags. Sew the smaller size for packed lunches and the scaled-up version for picnics and outdoor adventures. It’s all about making the most of sunny days and socially distanced catch-ups.

SEW AN EASY LUNCH BAG

YOU WILL NEED

• 1.5m x 150cm-wide patterned oilcloth (Fabric A)
• 1.5m x 150cm-wide plain oilcloth (Fabric B)
• Sew-on Velcro, 35cm
• Nylon webbing, 50cm
• General sewing supplies, washi tape, clips or clothespegs

TOP TIPS

• Unless otherwise stated, use a 1cm seam allowance throughout when sewing.
• Oilcloth is slightly trickier to sew than lighter-weight fabrics. If your machine is struggling, place a strip of washi tape under the presser foot to help glide the fabric through.
• To flatten seams, press the fabric with your hands instead of ironing the oilcloth, which will melt it.

1 Working on wrong side of fabric, mark then cut out a 72cm x 32cm piece from both Fabric A (the bag outer) and Fabric B (the bag lining).

2 With Fabric A wrong side up, measure and mark the halfway point along each long edge. Next, mark out a 6cm x 6cm square at either side of the half-way point, creating two 12cm long rectangles. Cut these out to create a notch along each long edge.