I am planning on taking some stuff to the Christmas craft fair this year.

Bunch of toys, the dolls I had a blast making, some animals that came out of my knitting frenzy. The half a bajillion jumping jacks, climbing bears, and other mechanical and pseudo mechanical wooden toys that I made a few manic phases ago, and spent a while painting (the painting is the funnest part).

A couple of scroll saw bowls I made just to prove I could. Some jewelry, some paintings, a couple of sculptures I made to test materials. Spare aprons, a couple of T-shirts, more beads than I thought I had made, macrame, tatting, lace, and crochet. Antimacassars, bookmarks, tablecloths,and a mantilla in tape lace. All the odds and bobs that have been building up for a while.

It occurred to me that selling shopping bags at such a venue might be a good idea. So I have dug out about 7 yards of 10 ounce duck that I had gotten long ago, and started laying plans.
I am thinking that I will keep it simple and just tie dye the stuff.

My current design is two pieces of fabric, front, back, and bottom, and sides and bottom. Then use the single loop style of handle. So they will have a double bottom, and a handle that wraps all the way around, top down around the bottom and back to the top. Do you think that cording the seams would be gilding the lily, or in keeping with my apparent mad striving for sturdiness?

The big question is what thread to use.
If it were for me to keep, I would just use jeans thread and have done. However as I am going to be selling (or trying to sell) these and top stitching is involved, I have concerns.
Most jeans thread is a poly blend and does not dye for beans,
ditto upholstery thread. Finding either in neutrals locally appears to be difficult, unless you want to buy a barrel of it from the upholsterer. I used to be able to get undyed heavy cotton thread, but all the place has anymore are blends. I am on the verge of going for nylon upholstery thread because I have found that in varying shades of ecru and grey.

Watcha think?
Know a good online place for heavy cotton thread, or do you think neutral nylon is the way to go?

NightMist
I could darn near open a shop.
*Makes a note to find out how big a table I can have.*