Bag That Bleach, Dude

One of my favorite blogs is Cathy of California. There are always wonderful ideas and images. I don’t have the time to make many of the incredible items, but a blog that has appliqué items is all good. As you know, my grandmother did have the time and talent to make items. I spent an entire summer organizing her felt, Styrofoam balls, jeweled pins, tacky glue, and thousands of other craft materials. They are all still sitting in 100s of plastic bins. We donated several boxes of yarn to Terry Stone who was teaching knitting to at risk teens. But jeweled pins have limited appeal today unless you have hours to watch reruns of Lawrence Welk and make ornaments.

One of my favorite items is a bag my grandmother made from plastic bottles of detergent and bleach. I use it to carry supplies to school, or as a tote bag when I need to cart items between the house and office. Of course, it’s disturbing to many when the see me carrying an old lady craft bag, but get over it. It’s got everything: orange, ochre, pink, yellow, plastic, imprints of numbers, and a handy pocket on the inside to hold knitting needles. When anyone talks about sustainable practices, take note: we should all make usable items from our empty bottles, or other debris.