Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Plastic grocery bags are horrible for the environment, making them, filling landfills, getting in bodies of water where animals mistake them for food and can be killed by them. So I'm doing my part to help in my little way. I started saving reusable bags from whatever, a couple from a convention I went to, one that was a sample, one from work, basically anything that could be used as a grocery bag.

Occasionally though, I would find myself at the checkout without my bags. Usually when my husband took them out of the car to haul something and forgot to put them back (sorry honey). So I found myself with some plastic bags. Rather than sending them out to be recycled into more bags that could end up as landfill, I decided to turn them into reusable grocery bags. So I dug around the internet and watched several videos on turning the bags into "plastic yarn" and set to crocheting.

I did the bottom in a tighter stitch for support, then a nice open V stitch with double crochet until it was as tall as I wanted. Lastly I did handles with singly crochet and viola, another reusable grocery bag and about 80 bags kept out of landfills. As more countries outlaw plastic grocery bags, and stores start doing the same, it will be nice to be prepared with my own bags already.

A few take aways from the project
- If you aren't using bags from one store, pay attention to the thickness of the bags, and cut the strips a little skinnier for heavier bags.
- The plastic yarn is a little harder to work with, it tends to stick coming through and needs to be carefully worked through.
- When making the yarn, don't pull too tight or you can break it before you get started - once crocheted in, it's very sturdy though.
- If you want to work in a design, add the strips to the yarn one at a time as you go so your color changes land where you want them to.

We'd love to hear your experiences working with recycled grocery bags or other green crafty ideas.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Captive Embroidery

&

Crafty Family

Jewelry Box Make Over

Project of the day – Jewelry Box Make Over

Trinity is 6 years old. She is already a consummate collector…of anything and everything. She thinks everything is good for something and someday she will find a use for it. While she is visiting her maternal grandparents today, her paternal grandma (me, Grandma Cat) will hopefully be turning a broken down, unattractive chipboard sewing or jewelry box (that Trinity found and had to have) into something special.

Gathering Materials

Check my scrap drawers, bins and boxes and found a wonderful piece of purple satiny silky fabric (purchased long ago, have no idea what it actually is) with black flocked flowers. Trinity has seen this fabric before and I know that she loved it. I’m sure I have a bit of black velvet somewhere to line the inside of the box. While hunting for fabric, I also found a bit of black fringe that I might be able to use,. Grabbed my box of glue and fray check, scissors, and I’ll add whatever I have to run and find as the need arises to the list.

Time to Begin

It’s almost 9 am on a Saturday morning. First, I’ll carefully take the box apart. I used a small screwdriver ( yup, already had to find something not on the list…a screwdriver), and gently pried off the hinges so they could be cleaned, painted black, and used again.



After pulling them out I see that I will need a pair of pliers to straighten out the points so the box can be put back together. Once all the hardware is off, I’m left with 3 separate pieces to the box…the top, the bottom and the inside ‘drawer’. It took 8 minutes to find the screwdriver and take all the hardware off. Not too bad.

Covering the Box with Fabric

Couldn't find the velvet, though I know it is here somewhere. My only excuse is that we moved from California to Idaho 6 weeks ago and haven’t exactly gotten everything in its place yet. I did find some black polished cotton that will work for the lining. I started with the ‘drawer’ since it was smallest and would either be the easiest because it was small, or the hardest because it was small. Either way, I would get it out of the way first and be happy it was done. I cut a rectangle ½” larger than the ‘drawer’. Then glued the fabric inside the ‘drawer’ using a flat craft paintbrush to spread Elmer’s white glue over the inside surface .

For the outside of the drawer I cut 1 rectangle 1 ½” larger than the drawer, then glued the fabric to the outside, over the edge of the box making sure the fabric ended slightly over the black lining. I used paperclips to hold everything in place while the glue dries. If you’ve got clothespins handy they will work just as well. After everything dried, I took off the paperclips andI used fray check along the edge of the fabric to prevent stray threads later that Trinity or her boys, as she calls her twin brothers, could pull thus ripping everything apart. The box bottom was done pretty much the same as the ‘drawer’, just had to adjust the measurements as the bottom was bigger than the ‘drawer’.

Okay, now for the top. To give it a little bit of ‘wow’ factor (I hope), I cut two layers of quilt batting slightly smaller than the top and glued them in place, one on top of the other, and then covered as the bottom and ‘drawer’. I glued the bit of black fringe that Trinity liked around the top and held it all in place with straight pins until it dried completely which took about an hour.

Putting the Box Back Together

I painted two coats of black model paint onto all the hardware pieces after scrubbing them with steel wool to make sure they were clean and give the model paint a grip-able surface. Put the hinges on the back, hooked the drawer back on the inside rivets and put the front clasp back on. Done deal.

Until next time, Happy Crafting

Grandma Cat

Dress A Girl Around The World Campaign

A few weeks ago we posted instructions on how to make a pillowcase dress.  Here is my granddaughter wearing the first pillowcase dress I made.  Yesterday my daughter and Partner in Crafting, De'Anna, found out about a wonderful campaign of Hope 4 Women International entitled 'Dress A Girl Around The World'.

Originally two women from the United States delivered new or gently used pillowcases to women in Smile Africa Ministries and  taught the women how to make pillowcase dresses.  Sewing the dresses not only teaches the women to sew, but also clothes their children.

We would like to become involved in the campaign that asks you to 'Imagine a world where every little girl had at least one dress!  What if that dress where made by you?'  We would like to invite you along for the ride.  This Saturday my daughter, my sister, my granddaughter and I are going to spend the day making pillowcase dresses.  We'll take pictures and post them on Monday.

Next week we'll send out invitations to all of our family member for a Create a Dress Fest, where we will all work together to see how many dresses we can put together in a day.  Then we'll deliver fliers door to door in our neighborhood and see what happens on the day we set aside for Neighbors dressing Neighbors in Need. 


Please become a part of this with us.

There are so many ways you can help:

One Way To Help:  Take an hour or two and make just one pillowcase dress and send it to us.  We will add it to the ones we've made and add your name to the donation card when we forward all the dresses we make and collect to Hope 4 Women International.

Another Way To Help:  Send a new or gently used pillowcase to us and we will make a dress out of it.  I've read that a good place to find lots of gently used pillowcases is from the Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Another Way To Help:  Send any of the items needed to make a pillowcase dress from your supplies on hand...1 yard pieces of cotton fabric from your stash, 1/2" to 1" wide elastic, or thread.

Another Way To Help:  Purchase 1 yard of fabric from our eBay store and ask us to make a dress from it.  You will not be charged shipping, so don't pay the automated invoice.  We'll send a revised invoice without shipping charges.

Another Way To Help:  If you decide to do something with your church, family or sewing group for Hope 4 Women International because of something you read on our blog . . . please let us know.  And if you can, please send us pictures of your work.

Now I better give my sister a call and let her know that instead of recovering my dining room chairs this Saturday, we'll be working on the Dress A Girl Around The World pillowcase dresses!

Use our Pillowcase Dress Instructions or use How To Make a Pillow Case  Dress directly from Hope 4 Women International.

Accidentally Green: Empty Cake Boxes

So, I was standing at the counter in the post office the other day when I noticed a tilted shelving unit at each station.  The unit was metal, each divider about 4" tall X 6" deep and spaced about 1 1/2" to 2" apart.  The unit was filled with International customs forms, delivery confirmation forms, envelopes, postcards, etc.  I really liked the organizer; but Ken (our postmaster) would not let me take one home.

I checked around through the usual office supply places...Office Depot, Office Max, U-Line, etc.  No luck.  I kept the idea of the shelving unit tucked away in a cozy cavern in my head.

The other night I was mixed up two boxes of brownies (5 adults and 5 kids live in my home), when I was about to toss the empty boxes into the recycling bin, I wondered if I could use the boxes to make something similar to what I had seen in the post office.  For a couple of weeks I saved the brownie boxes.  I cut off the top flaps, stacked the boxes neatly and taped all the way around the boxes.




While this would work to organize a lot of small stuff, it wasn't tilted for better viewing.  I opened the bottom flaps, skewed the boxes sideways, then placed one long piece of tape from one side, across the bottom flaps, to the other side.  It worked!

This is a 9" run consisting of 6 boxes.  The area I want to fill with this 'shelving unit' is 30" across.  Guess I better make more brownies.  And instead of tossing cake, pasta, or cereal boxes, I'll be making dividers out of them to store anything and everything from envelopes, shipping supplies, coloring books, patterns, etc.

Going Green with the Drain King

Have you ever seen the episode of Plucky Duck called 'The Potty Years"?



Since there are 5 adults and 5 children 5 years old and under living in my home, I can totally related to that cartoon.   About a month ago we had to replace the toilet in the 'guest' bathroom after it began overflowing 3 or 4 times a week.  No matter what we did, it just kept overflowing.  I'd wake up at 3am to use the facilities only to find a swimming pool where the bathroom ought to be.  When the old toilet (Is commode more politically correct?) was removed a rat tail comb was found lodged inside.  The comb could be removed, the flow restored and the new toilet returned; however, since the old toilet had already been removed and the new toilet had already been unboxed, and since the new toilet was a water saver and supposedly could handle just about anything the kids might flush, we decided to go ahead with the installation.

This week the kitchen sink stopped up and refused to be cleared.  We tried the 'green' approach.  You know, vinegar and baking soda.  Tried it twice to no avail.  I wondered if we should call a plumber; my oldest son said when we needed a plumber he would let me know.  No running water in the kitchen for 4 days.  All the pipes under the sink were in a plastic bin on the kitchen floor.  I called my oldest brother, Mike and asked what he would recommend.  Being a Project Superintendent for a construction company that builds new homes, I figured he might have an idea or two.  Mike told me to go buy a weinee.  I told him I wasn't hungry, I just wanted to clear a clog from the drain.  Mike said exactly as I expected him to say, "Ha, Ha.  Funny Sis.  Go to Home Depot, tell them the size pipe you have and ask them for a weinee."  Okay, that all sounds just a bit too kinky for me, so I went to Orchard Supply instead (they were closer).  While it doesn't say "Weinee" anywhere on the package, I found the gismo Mike had recommended, took it home, gave it to my oldest son and 5 minutes later had a clear drain.  Needless to say, I was shocked.  I thought my son was teasing me.  He assured me he wasn't and turned the faucet on full blast to prove it.  The water drained just as it should.

 

Apparently, the weinee (Drain King) gets connected to a garden hose, inserted into the clogged drain, and the faucet is turned on (the one connected to the other side of the hose).  The weinee will expand, filling the pipe and blocking the water from backing up.  Within seconds the drain will be cleared.

Here's the green part: No chemicals.

Microwave Potato/Corn Steam Bag

Holiday Boutiques and Craft Fairs are right around the corner. Time to whip up some quick projects that can be turned into holiday cash. This Microwave Vegetable Steamer is a quick project that can utilize scrap fabric and batting. You can easily make a dozen in a day...and still have time to call the local pizza parlor to order dinner, put the kids in the jacuzzi for a quick bath, and let the dog out for his daily constitution,. The finished bags measure 10 1/2" X 10 1/2", but you can make it any size you like as long as it will fit in a microwave.

All you need is 1/3 yard of outside fabric, 1/3 yard inside fabric, and 1/3 yard batting.

Click here to view full project detials

Accidentally Green: Paperback Book Sharing

I love to read when I have the time. It is my great escape. I love the way books look lined up on a bookshelf. My fantasy would be to have one of those home library you see in movies where the shelves go from the floor to the twenty foot ceiling and there in a ladder that slides gracefully along a track so you can reach all the books. Of course, there would be a huge desk in the room, a couple of comfortable overstuffed chairs, floor lamps....I digress. This is actually a 'green' tip, not Fantasy Land. Now what is the new phrase - Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Rethink? Something like that. I was reminded this past weekend of a Reuse method of going green that our family and friends have been doing for over 25 years.


Whenever anyone buys a paperback book, they read it, write their name in the front cover and a comment if they want (good book, didn't like the ending, etc.), and then pass the book on to someone else. I've gotten books with half a dozen signatures in them. While this may not be something the publishers would like to hear about, some of the trees that are gently swaying in the breeze are thrilled to be alive.


This is a picture of Dardenelles, a campground in the Stanislaus Forest of California. The picture was take the summer of 2008. My sister Jan and I used to have picnics with our dolls in the circle of trees while Mom fished the river visible in the background.

Accidentally Green: Quick Applique Fix

Girls being girls, our Miss Trinity got a terrible stain on her favorite pink sweater. She was not a happy camper. It wasn't an ordinary stain either. Not something fairly easy to get out...say chocolate or ketchup (her favorite foods). It was gooey and sticky like adhesive or gum. No matter what I did, I could not get that stain out. I also could not afford to run out and buy another sweatshirt that could be stained just as quickly. So I let Trinity go through my scrap bin to find a fabric she liked that I could make a heart or flower or any kind of applique shape that could be ironed over the stain.

Butterflies...I was thinking that I could make a sweet appliqued butterfly to cover the 3" stain on the upper left part of the jacket. Trinity loves butterflies.

But when Trinity came across a pink fabric generously sprinkled with tiny iridescent glitter with heart, rose and skull tattoos...that was the end of the search. No matter how much I tried to change her mind, she was set on the tattoo fabric. It is very pretty fabric, but tattoo fabric for a 5 year old that will want to wear the sweatshirt to school? I wasn't so sure that would be appropriate. However, there was one tattoo on the fabric of a heart, pink roses, stars and a halo that I thought might do. And there were intricate butterflies.

So the process began. I cut out the tattoos that I would be using, applied Heat N Bond Iron-on Adhesive Ultrahold to the back of the fabric, carefully cut out the design, peeled the backing off the Heat n Bond, and ironed the tattoos on the sweatshirt. Viola, an adorable pink sweatshirt that no one else in her class will be wearing (not that she cares in kindergarten).

I consider this 'Accidentally Green' because while I thought I was saving myself from a tantrum by our resident Drama Queen, Miss Trinity, I was, in fact, saving the sweatshirt from the rag bag and ultimately from the neighborhood landfill. And when the sleeves are up to Trinity's elbows, she will be proud to pass this sweatshirt on to her best friend, Heaven.

T-Shirt Quilt

From the scrap bag to something cozy, comfy, warm and cuddly. T-shirt quilts are fun to make and a great way to recycle used clothing.

All you need is some old t-shirts; Cotton, Flannel or Fleece fabric for backing; Printed or solid cotton fabric if banding; Batting (unless using fleece for the backing); Medium weight, woven, fusible interfacing (enough to back all the t-shirt blocks); Matching or coordinating thread, a sewing machine, and a bit of time.

The one shown used the backs of 11 t-shirts, the small logo on the front from 9, and 3 small blocks embroidered with personalization information.

Click here to view full project detials