Has this ever happened to you? I find it ridiculous that a plastic bag from the grocery store cannot be expected to hold more than one item before they burst or the handles break. I am so, SO sick of those stinking plastic bags. Oh, and yeah, some of them actually do have an odor that I find repulsive. I've actually stopped shopping at one of the local fabric stores because I cannot, WILL not, be in the place with that stink. It just makes me think, "this can't be good."
On a seemingly unrelated point ... We used to be able to return empty grain bags to the feed mill, but no longer. They tell me that since the scare of mad cow disease, the vets have discouraged them from accepting the bags back because one never knows what they've been exposed to. Okay, so I have mountains of empty plastic feed bags to get rid of. I hate plastic grocery bags, and am too cheap/stubborn to purchase sturdier ones from the stores for anywhere from $1.99 to 2.99 apiece. If you could ever have followed me on my monthly outings to procure supplies, you'd understand how that could get expensive. (Did I mention I hate shopping? I force myself to go about once a month. But not in winter. I don't go between Thanksgiving and March 1st except in absolute desperation. I can do without a LOT if it helps me avoid grocery shopping!)
Can you guess where this is all leading? I am making tote bags this morning, from recycled feed bags. It's actually kind of fun. I tossed a few of the grain bags into the wash and let them dry over the backs of chairs overnight. In a mere 15 minutes apiece, I've made a couple totes to experiment. It took very little actual sewing -- just enough to make them flat-bottomed so they would stand up, and then added a pair of handles. Simple, simple! I added a pocket made from an orphan quilt block to dress one of them up a tad. Not being a very patient or creative sort, I was very pleased with the outcome.
Those bags look nifty!!
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