A friend of mine sent me this post on traditional Japanese cloth bags that replaces plastic bags (in Portuguese I'm afraid, but I later found furoshiki instructions in English too).
The furoshiki technique consists of folding and tying knots to a piece of fabric to make it into different types of handbags, carry bags and even gift wrapping.
Come to think of it, I do remember my grandma using tea towels to wrap lunch boxes (bento). They were handy to carry and could be used as tablecloth when eating – perfect for picnics!
I can see how they would be handy as shopping bags too, especially for those small, unplanned visits to say the local veggie shop. Chuck them flat folded in your hand bag and quickly tie the knots at as you arrive at the shops.
I sewed two pieces of fabric together using the same method I’ve used for my hand sewn cushions. My furoshiki fabric was about 110x110mm (it took me ages to hand sew it, I really should look at getting a sewing machine).
For my next furoshiki project, I'll probably go with a thinner material or perhaps one instead of two pieces of fabric. When sewn together, my furoshiki fabric was so thick it was hard to tie small knots. In the bags where the knots are inside, I basically have no room left for anything else other than my mobile . :)
