KITCHEN STUFF...BAG IT/Guest Blogger at Sew We Quilt

I'M GUEST BLOGGER TODAY 

AT SEW WE QUILT

Welcome to all my loyal followers and NEW FACES!  There has been a lot of company recently here at Grandmama's Stories.  I Love Company and best of all I haven't even have to clean house before you stopped by.  I do wish I could share a piece of sour cream pound cake and a cup of coffee with you.

Remember Those 40's/50's Kitchens?

This could very well have been my kitchen as a young child.

My favorite Kitchen/TV MOM?

 not June Clever

 nor Harriet Nelson 

(even though I loved them both.) 

 It was DONNA REED.  

Who remembers Donna Reed?...handing out those little paper sack lunch bags to the family as they came flying down the stairs and out the front door to begin their day.  Perhaps you ladies outside the U.S. didn't have this sitcom on TV but it was my model for the ideal wife, mother, home, family, kids, 

even her

 KITCHEN.

Meet BERTHA...My Dress Form has her own name.

As in everything around this house, it has it's very own story.

One Monday night, I got a call around 9:00 p.m. 

#1 Husband :

"The Auction is over and Bertha is coming home with me.  She's riding in the back of the truck."

Gmama:

"Who's Bertha?" and you know I'm already in my Pajamas.  Why are you bringing someone home this late at night?"

#1 Husband:

"I'm tellin' ya, you've wanted her for a long time.  You're going to Love her!  I"ll be home in a few minutes. Bye...Love ya."

#1 Husband pulls up in the Driveway after I've gone to the trouble of getting dressed, which means putting my "unmentionables" back on...you know the drill...and then I walk out to the driveway, the motion detector light comes on and THERE SHE IS!....BERTHA!! Standing in the back of a Pick-Up Truck.  A Lovely Lady, she was..........

Oh I was giddy, I tell ya!!  I had been looking for a dress form but they were all so expensive I couldn't afford one.  Guess What #1 paid for BERTHA????

$10.00!!! and could have had it for $2.00 but he couldn't hear the auctioneer clearly and ended up bidding against himself!!!!  LOL!  I haven't let him live that one down!

ANYHOO...I Digress

One topic different from the 40's/50's era family is the topic of RECYCLING.  Plastics and other man-made materials have created a whole new environmental problem.  Donna Reed brought her groceries home in a paper bag, which I actually prefer!  Re-usable bags are much more eco-friendly than plastic bags. If you want paper bags you have to specifically request the bagger use them.   Those plastic bags can be like rabbits...they seem to multiply exponentially once they enter your house.  I like to corral my bags in a cylindrical cloth bag elasticized a both ends.  Most of you may have seen these at local craft fairs.  

Here are a selection of fabrics all ready to be sewn up as Bag-Its for gifts!

 Do you see a fabric selection you like?

 I make TWO sizes

                            Short:   18"x 22" (fat quarter size)

Long:  18" x 27"

I knew I could make my own so I deconstructed an old Bag-It hanging in my laundry room (my favorite way to make a pattern)  These little bag-its can hold a LOT of plastic bags!!  A friend of mine keeps cloth rags in her bag. I LOVE MINE and try to have one for each season/holiday.  They make great gifts!!

You can get fancy, use quilted material, add embellishments OR keep it simple.

I'm not very good at tutorials so if you have a question just ask.

Plastic Bag It

Take Fabric rectangle and hem the 4 edges.  

Sew Elastic Casing on Top and Bottom of Fabric rectangle

Top : Turn down 2 IN....sew two parallel lines wide enough for your elastic to fit through.

Bottom:  Turn up 1 in.  sew two parallel lines to allow for width of elastic.

Run elastic through the casing (I use the old safety pin on end of elastic and work my way through the * channel*  method.How do you do it?) 

 Last,  pin a loop to be used for a hanger inside the seam,  then 

 Right Sides Facing, sew the tube of fabric lengthwise using 1/4 in. hem. 

 Turn inside out.

 Bag It!

VOILA!!  A  BAG-IT!!

Long size  18" x 27"

I will be selecting a winner for a custom made Apron from the comments I get at my Sew We Quilt Post!  If you are visiting from Sew We Quilt for the first time, tell me.  

You just never know what nice surprises may be in store for those who take the time to comment and become a new follower!...wink...wink...wink

Blessings