Introducing Market Essentials product line by Bumble Bea Green

The Market Essentials
Paper? Plastic? Neither! Sturdier, more attractive, affordable, reusable items for your grocery needs are here! Be the belle of the market, the hero of the manatees every time you use a Bumble Bea Green Market product.

To ferry your fresh produce (or for whatever else you use those plastic produce bags for), check out Produce Totes by Bumble Bea Green. Your fruits and veggies never had it so good! Gauzy cotton voile keeps your lemons looking fab and in one place!


To ferry a lot of fresh produce in your produce totes--and for the rest of your groceries--check out Market Totes by Bumble Bea Green. Whether you like your tote to be plain or funky, whimsical or lush, show off your own flavor and know you will look great--and so will your groceries--carrying this tote around!



To ferry many of your food carriers around, check out the Bea Keeper! This product is coming soon, and will feature a convenient way to store and manage all your grocery totes.

Not Just For Groceries
Of course, these bags are as beautiful as they are versatile. Use the produce totes to store your ribbon collection, or to store your jacks-and-marbles set. Use the market totes for anything you'd use a tote bag for--carrying your books; as a handy travel bag; for your sunscreen and beach towels on a hot summer day--the possibilities abound!



Every Product Has A Story...
When I began to realize just how wasteful and what a detrimental environmental impact the making, distributing, and discarding of plastic grocery bags is, I knew that I needed to make a switch. So I started looking around at fabric grocery bags. I bought some of those cheap recycled ones from various stores, I bought an extremely expensive unlined tote while on vacation, and ogled the expensive totes at REI and other places...but I didn't really find anything I fell in love with. I didn't like how floppy the totes were, and how ugly and cheap the store bags were. So I made some for myself.

And then I made some as gifts. And then people started asking me to make some for them. And then more people did and offered to pay me for my time and effort, and eventually I decided to offer these totes to any and all who had the same desires I did--for a sturdy and shapely grocery tote that wasn't too big or too small and didn't look like it fell out of the bargain bin's dumpster. Bonus points for being fabulous looking as well.

Although I'd been kicking around the idea of turning my hobby--creatively sewing--into a more widespread adventure, that was the impetus I needed, the proverbial kick-in-the-pants. I am passionate about what I do--whether sewing or hugging trees--and I wanted to offer something to the world that would make it a better place--and I truly mean that. Grocery bags seemed like a reachable ideal. I'm just one person, and I can't do everything--but I can do something.

Did you know that according to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, and that an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags? That's a lot of oil, and a LOT of bags. There are so very many reasons to reduce or eliminate the use of paper and plastic grocery bags, and I hope to make affordable, cute bags an option for people who desire that as well. That's why I say I'm "going green" one bag at a time, and why my subtitle talks about caring for the future. Because every time you use a reusable grocery bag--even if it's one you made out of a pillowcase--you have saved a tiny spot in a landfill somewhere, and created less demand for the plastic and oil behind the disposable ones. That's something to be proud of.

My Market Essentials line strives to meet that ideal in a beautiful and affordable way. Going green doesn't have to mean going ugly, or going without. It can truly mean going beautiful--especially with a Bumble Bea Green market tote on your arm.

Produce Totes by Bumble Bea Green

Made of 100% cotton voile, these drawstring bags are a wonderful reusable alternative to plastic produce bags. Lightweight and encumbered only by a grosgrain ribbon for the drawstring, there is no need to worry about adding weight to your produce. Cotton voile (pronounced 'foil') is a lightweight, sheer, gauzy fabric that is delicate but not so flimsy that your peaches will pop through. Washable, made from a natural fiber, and sheer is why I chose to use this fabric.



Produce totes come in two sizes, Carrot Bunch and Banana Bunch.

Carrot Bunch-pictured holding a bunch of celery	Banana Bunch-featuring a bunch of bananas

Carrot Bunch is approx. 12"w x 15"h and Banana Bunch is approx. 8"w x 12"h. Each bag is handmade, so size may vary slightly. Carrot Bunch easily holds a bunch of carrots or celery, while Banana Bunch will fit a bunch of bananas or a few apples. Because of the natural, gauzy nature of the fabric, it does have (as any mesh fabric does) the potential to snag, but voile is also sturdy enough that it will be less prone to snags and isn't as likely to rip as most cotton mesh fabrics.



Edges inside are zig-zag/roll finished, and each bag features a sewn-in casing with secured grosgrain ribbon to pull the bag closed and keep those apricots safe.



The nice thing about these produce bags--aside from being reusable and oh-so-cute-is that they are washable. Strawberry smudges? Dirty celery? No problem--machine wash cool, gentle cycle, tumble dry low.

Market Totes by Bumble Bea Green

The Anatomy of a Market Tote


Each tote bag is approximately 13" wide, 15.5-16" high, and 7"-7.5" deep(due to handmade nature, totes may vary a bit in size). The makes a sturdy bag that is not too big and not too small for your various grocery needs.


For durability, aesthetics, and sturdiness, every tote is fully lined. In general, I use one "heavy" fabric and one lighter-weight fabric; either can be outer and vice versa. Lining the bags ensures that seams are hidden for longevity during washings, it gives the bag some substance so that it holds its form better or hugs your groceries as needed without being too floppy or too stiff...bag does not stand on its own very well, but again, holds its shape. Lining is either a complimentary solid color or a fun contrasting print.




I use dual-duty thread (to match weight of fabric) and pre-wash all fabrics in a eco-safe detergent to preempt shrinkage. Seams are top-stitched in such a way that they add to the durability, beauty, and form of the bags. The bottom seam is reinforced several times, and the straps are sewn in a box-seam and reinforced further where they attach to the bag.




Straps come in two sizes, "market"(approx. 7.5" drop) and "shoulder". Lightly padded for comfort and grip, these straps are 1" wide.



Bags retain shape well, but aren't too stiff. This means that your delicate peaches won't get as squished together as if they were in a plastic grocery bag, but you can also carry milk jugs in the bags without worrying about the seams prohibiting the item size as paper bags do.


Sturdy, beautiful, dependable, washable, reusable, durable, versatile market totes are a must-have for today's green world. I designed these bags and made them for myself, then as gifts for friends and family, and am now offering them to the rest of the world! I've been using bags for quite awhile, and they have been beach totes, diaper bags, overnight bags, and many other things. To test the weight, I put as many tin cans and packages of rice and beans as I could (somewhat) comfortably lift into one of the totes to demonstrate:


As you can see, it is a heavy load but the bag is sturdy enough to handle it, the straps are secure and not biting into my hands, and the bag is retaining its shape well.


Care And Feeding Of Your Market Tote
Machine was cool, tumble dry low. I do not recommend washing them often--they won't really need it often, and home dec fabrics that may be used can *sometimes* fade over repeated washings, as can repurposed or vintage fabrics. I also do not recommend bleach; to disinfect the bags, I recommend Bac-Out or using tea tree oil in the wash and vinegar in the rinse.

Please use common sense in the care and use of these bags. They may hold a lot, but have not been individually weight tested, and it's never smart to overload a bag of any kind or place a greater weight in the bag than you are comfortable carrying. I stand by my products as being high-quality and sturdy, but again, use them responsibly!

The Shape Of Things To Come

Have you ever wanted to carry your groceries home in style? Wanting to get on the green grocery bag wagon, but don't want to pay $30 for a simple canvas bag nor resort to the cheap plastic-y ones at the grocery store?

Here is a preview of what Bumble Bea Green can offer you:















Be sure to check back for updates and information...store launch TBD, but coming soon!