bags, west wing, nappies and other miscellanea

I started making a new shopping bag (right) when I went into labour. I got as far as the final French seam at the bottom on that day and had to focus on other things , but I’ve finally found a moment to finish it.

I found the pattern for this bag when writing the bag roundup and you can find the pattern here. I used an old sheet that was already in the rag bag, I just cut around the pilling and the tear in the centre. So the cost to make this was only a few cents for the thread. The sheet was poly-cotton and it seemed a bit thin a flimsy, but because the bag is lined, it ends up being quite sturdy. The pocket on the front is so that it can fold down and be carried easily in a handbag.

The pattern basically follows a regular plastic shopping bag, but I did make a few adjustments. Firstly, I made the handles a little longer, next time I’ll make them longer again, so I can carry it on my shoulder. Secondly I added the little tabs on the top to make it easier for the checkout operator. (It slips into their frame like a regular bag – DH suggested putting button holes in the handles to make it even more like a shopping bag, but that was a little too much effort). My string bags, as much as I love them, tend to annoy the checkout operators.

Speaking of shopping, today is DH’s birthday (Happy Birthday)! I got him the last couple of seasons of West Wing, which we both enjoy watching.

We’ve found TV series can be a lot better value for money than a DVD movie. As a comparison, DH’s parents bought Avatar on sale for $18: 2 1/2 hours of entertainment (if you’re into that sort of thing). On the other hand, West Wing was on sale with 50% off the second purchase so at $30 each and with the 50% off, it averaged at $22 per series and we get around 16 – 22 hours of entertainment each instead.

On to nappies and a little bit of link love. I’ve been meaning to make mention of the My Green Nappy website. Charndra has created a resource for sourcing and buying cloth and eco-friendly nappies in Australia and New Zealand. The philosophy of this website is to encourage people using disposables to start with just one cloth nappy and go from there. If enough people start with just one, then this small change will add up. A lot of work has gone into this website, there are a ton of resources (as part of the Green Nappy Guide there is a link to Frugal and Thriving and the guide to making your own nappies ) and there are links to Charndra’s other websites: Part-time Nappy Free and Elimination Communication websites.

Finally, I’ll be adding a resources page (something I’ve been meaning to do for a while). One of the most popular resources that I advertise on Frugal and Thriving is The Green Clean Book. I have purchased my own copy of this downloadable PDF and have found it to be a useful book of tips and tricks to cleaning different things around the home naturally. To mention just a few things, it includes a list of ingredients (with a few surprising ones), cleaner recipes, tips on how to clean different parts of the home from the toilet to the oven, natural pet care, garden furniture care, indoor plants to grow as air filters, make your own cellulite cream… this little book covers a lot of ground.

Resources and advertising fund the cost of maintaining a website, but I try to ensure that they are relevant to Frugal and Thriving and not too intrusive.

Have you read these posts?

1. an alternative to the usual plastic sandwich bags
2. A Novel Alternative To Plastic Shopping Bags As Bin Liners
3. in one end and out the other: cloth nappies six months on
4. The Ultimate Guide To Making Your Own Diapers/Nappies
5. using cloth nappies