Favorite Scripture

FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD...PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU...PLANS TO GIVE YOU A HOPE AND A FUTURE.
JEREMIAH 29:11 (NIV)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

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


I'M GUEST BLOGGER TODAY 
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


27 comments:

  1. There you go -writing my story again. LOL I loved Donna Reed but I cannot remember the name of her show? Help??????

    I also LOVE these little bags to store your plastic bags where you can find them ! But I had not thought of making one to hold cloth rags-what a wonderful idea! "We" sure do have good ideas, don't we? LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. Too funny!! I made my own re-cycle bag using up orphan charms - love it. I hate plastic bags - should really make cloth grocery bags - but would need 20-30 of those and it would take up the cart!

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  3. Hi Jane what a wonderful idea...I have a pile of plastic bags that just keep multiplying also.....I could use one of those bags......My favorite is Donna Reed also.....take care.

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  4. We have bag-bags for large plastic bags and bag-bags for small plastic bags and bag-bags for zip-lock bags but only a large paper bag to hold paper bags ... and that is what my husband seems to bring home most. (I carry a folded bag with me and request "no bag, please"). My entry-was cupboard has two shelves of folded bags ready to grab. Think I can get my #1 to take one when he goes? Even if he did, he would probably lose it before he got to the store.

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  5. I just hopped over from Sew We Quilt to say "hi!" and after perusing your blog, I can see we would be kindred spirits if we met. I just made a new grocery bag holder two weeks ago and am an apron enthusiast too, and even made two last month! (I'm getting geared up for Christmas early this year.) You would never guess we were oceans apart when we are on the exact same wavelength! I am going to sign up to be a new follower now. Can't wait to see what's in store!

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  6. I loved making market tote. I'm living in a place that banned the plastic bag, so most of the time I used my own fabric bag. I loved the pear fabrics, pretty.

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  7. I remember Donna Reed! And I love the Home Ec fabric -- they captured the 50s kitchen --right down to the scarf on top of the frig.

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  8. I do remember Donna, loved her. I bought some of that fabric last year and have had a lot of fun making stuff. Love your blog and all your stories.

    thanks
    cathy

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  9. Love, love the Donna Reed show....need to go back on Netflix and see if they have her, for my knitting and crocheting time.
    I used to always ask for the paper bags, but now our store doesn't have 'em. :(
    I have seen the cashier and bag boy exchange knowing glances when I come up to the check out with my large cloth totes...some even sigh. They don't like to have to pack them. LOL But I find that they are so much easier to carry into the house....and I hate those plastic ones!
    I still end up with enough plastic ones to hold grapes when I pick them, and to wrap up a tractor part to go and get a replacement!
    Thanks for a great post at SWQ!!

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  10. Love the bags and especially the "50's" kitchen fabric - thats for the tut!

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  11. Jane you sent me one of those bags and I love it! blessings, marlene

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  12. I would love a Bertha at my house too! Thanks for the Bag-it tutorial...I could use a few of those.

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  13. I'll have to give your bags a try I have been planning to make a few with some shower curtain fabric that I have after making curtains out of them to match the shower curtain in the bathroom.
    in stitches
    now off to check out the mini table topper hop ....hop...hop

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  14. I am in love with all your aprons! I have two (One from a job I worked YEARS ago) and I always put them on AFTER I have already spilled something on me! LOL

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  15. What a great idea for my dish towels and rags in the kitchen..if only my DWH made room for them in his kitchen.LOL I will have to make one soon. Where he keeps them??????? I put them up, but when I need one ??????LOL Thank you for sharing Gmama Jane....from one G-Ma to another.....Judith, Texas

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  16. what a great story and awesome inspiration!! Thank you for sharing!

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  17. Love Bertha and the bag-it. I need to make one or more very soon and now I have no excuse. Thanks.

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  18. Great story! I have them too, bags for bags. Love them. And then the aprons!!
    I have a real folklore from the town I live in now. One made with fabrics they use to make "Bunschoten-Spakenburg" costumes . I will trade you one if you like too..

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  19. Enjoyed your apron post...and definitely need a bag-it..thanks for the tutorial!
    ~Terry~

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  20. my life has not followed the Donna Reed pattern...but I do love those aprons!!!
    thanks for the tutorial for the bag holder...
    great guest post on Sew WE Quilt....

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  21. This is fantastic article now i know what you can do to those bag like paper bag and plastic bag.Donna Reed pattern is very cool.

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  22. I think I'm the anti 50's mother. ;-> Donna Reed I'll never be, I drive to the bus stop in my pajama's. I also say what I feel. I am sooo, not perfect. Congrats on Bertha! Happy Bertha Day! Sorry I couldn't resist, ;-> love your blog thanks for keeping me smiling. Toni Anne

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  23. You are right about those plastic bags multiplying exponentially. What a great to corral them! I'm already a happy follower!

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  24. Love your Bertha story! What a thoughtful guy!

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  25. I've wanted a "Bertha" for a long time ... great story on how you got yours, Jane!! :)

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  26. Congrats on the addition of Bertha to your sewing room.

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  27. I am a follower, love to keep those plastic bags tucked away.

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Blessings to all of you who have taken the time to leave your thoughtful comments. I read each one and hope you will come back often!

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