Sunday, June 26, 2011

Grocery Sac Holder

I understand that anyone who has read my Facebook rants about grocery store sacs may be confused about this post. If you haven't...lemme splain. I am one of 'those people' who insists on taking my reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. I have very strong opinions about not being wasteful and needlessly destroying this beautiful planet we live on. I have not gone completely hippie-living 'off the grid' or anything but I think that if you can do small things everyday to make a difference then DO IT! Not using plastic shopping bags that eventually end up in a landfill or even worse down the gullet of a whale is a simple, easy change we can make and make a small difference.

Now that you had to sit through my preaching, I will tell you what my usual rants consist of...I have a problem with people who do not possess the most basic common sense. As far as I am concerned, logic should be one of those things that all people should have a basic understating of. In addition, like traffic laws, there should be repercussions for not following the 'logic rules'. For example, if a customer comes into the market with a stack of reusable shopping bags, logic would indicate that she does NOT want her milk (that has a build in handle) in a plastic bag. She also does not want her 5 lb sac of potatoes (that are already in a bag) placed into TWO plastic bags, and so on and so forth.  I swear I am going to make up business cards that offer classes in logical thinking...free of charge even. OK, I'm off my soap box...on to the crafty item. ;)

Quilting and decorative stitches.
Even though I feel so strongly about this subject, my husband has been slow going on this. He is starting to come around now that he cuts grass all day and sucks up rouge bags in his mower. lol So I occasionally have bags in the house either from my hubby doing some shopping or from me not paying attention to the store bagger as he is putting the meat into a bag to then put it into my shopping bag. I do keep them around for cleaning out the cat box.
I found this pattern somewhere some time ago and have finally gotten around to making it. I wasn't sure how it was going to look so I used fabric I didn't really like all that much but now that it is together I don't completely hate it.



Waiting for sacs.



Chelsea's Graduation Gift


Satin Lining

Just the right size for magazines.


Hippie Sac? Why yes, I think so.

Josiah's Monkeys




I think he likes it.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Hotpad Exchange

Hot pads!

I signed up for a hot pad exchange a couple months back, yes I know it has taken me forever to blog about it. Life has taken over lately so I haven't done a lot of things! Anyway, I am catching up by posting this. My exchange partner was Helen. I LOVE it! She did some homework on my blog and based it on my post about daffodils. Between that and all my 'monkeys' she made this:




I did the same research on my exchange partner so this is  one I made for her. ;)


Now I just need to cook something to use it with.


 



Mrs. Herron's Bag

 Mrs. Herron's Beach Bag


Isabel decided early in the year that her teacher needed one of the big Hobo Bags I make. I tried to take her to pick out fabric but as most of you know, it is almost impossible for me to go anywhere when the kids are out of school because I have too many kids to fit in the car. lol Then came the project of deciding how it was going to come together.

It went something like this:
'What color should we make?"
As is her usual answer to any question that involves the word 'color' she instantly said "PINK" !
"What kind of things does your teacher like?"
"Butterflies and Flowers...oh and it has to have green in it too, she loooooves green."



 So I had my parameters to figure this out. I made a list of fabrics I needed for all the teachers quilts. Yes, I had this same conversation with the other 4 too. While I happened to be at my favorite LQS I found a pre-cut bundle of these great funky fabrics, it had flowers and butterflies with just a hint of green in it. I usually enjoy the 'hunt' of picking fabrics too much to buy already bundled stuff but this was too perfect not to pick up.  So I had half yard cuts and only needed fat quarters and as is my usual style, I made 2. ;)  So I did happen to be at the fabric store WITH the shorty one and she found the lining fabric.


When she gave it to her at the end of the school year, Mrs. Herron says "I was just saying this morning that I need a beach bag!" She hope that she manages to get LOTS of sand in it over the years!