I am so excited

I am!  My new line of bags is absolutely beautiful.  The test marketing is going  very well.  I make a prototype of some of the  bags and carry them myself.  The response has been overwhelming!  You would not believe the comments of approval from ladies who see these bags!  Two they have particularly liked are the new denim line and the matching monkey bag (see this in an earlier post) and dress!  I hope to get some pictures done soon and get them posted on my new site which specializes in bags only for girls and women.  The new link to this site is, http://sewsassybagart.etsy.com/.  In the meantime please visit my regular site which now is going to be the Outlet site for reduced items.  It is (as you already know) is http://sewsassycreations.etsy.com/.  Thank you!  Sandy

The Ban on Single Use Plastic Bags is Spreading Around the World

According to a 2010 report by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 42 communities in the United States have banned plastic bags. Dozens of countries worldwide have banned single-use plastic bags, imposed a bag tax or set a minimum thickness rule so that plastic bags are sturdier and can be reused.

Below are just a few links you can click on to take you to some recent articles written about proposed bans  and bans on single use plastic bags.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/03/MNUN1ENQJ0.DTL

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A2KLUmHoc1hMfpQAKL_QtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTByMTNoc3J2BHBvcwMzBHNlYwNzcgRjb2xvA3NwMgR2dGlkAw--/SIG=12f0obknv/EXP=1280951656/**http%3a//www.ksee24.com/news/local/Plastic-Bags-99786039.html

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A2KLUmHoc1hMfpQALb_QtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBycWRyZWd1BHBvcwM4BHNlYwNzcgRjb2xvA3NwMgR2dGlkAw--/SIG=13hda4rod/EXP=1280951656/**http%3a//www.kgw.com/news/local/10-Portland-Fred-Meyer-stores-go-plastic-bag-free-99732399.html


http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A2KLUmBndFhM3R4BSc_QtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBzcTJua2t0BHBvcwMxMARzZWMDc3IEY29sbwNzcDIEdnRpZAM-/SIG=13lq1oft0/EXP=1280951783/**http%3a//www.bakercityherald.com/index.php%3foption=com_content%26task=view%26id=81115%26Itemid=166

So are you ready for the big shift?  I can help, and not with those ugly green, or whatever color totes that cost a buck from you local store, labeled with advertising.

I am making a concentrated effort to make stylish and strong Market and shopping bags as an alternative to both ugly unfashionable and plastic bags.  And don't forget the new scare about reusing your bags.....they harbor bacteria from the food you carry in them.  So mine are washable in the washing machine.  If your meat or milk or juice leaks, just throw the bag in the washing machine. 

I don't have any pictures of these bags yet, because I have been sewing up a storm making them.  They will be available very soon on my new web store, dedicated to bags only...  http://sewsassybagart.etsy.com/!  See you all there soon.

Sandy

Quick Tip - No More Bobbin Mess!

Store your bobbins on toe seperators, the kind you use when you polish your toe nails.  The seperators are inexpensive and will hold the end threads in place. 

Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe

The Recipe




A quick search online will show you that there's no shortage of homemade laundry soap recipes: Here's one from The Simple Dollar. And we've got 10 more at Money Talks News. But below is one that seems to work pretty well. You'll need:



• 4 cups of water.

• 1/3 bar of cheap soap, grated.

• 1/2 cup washing soda (not baking soda).

• 1/2 cup of Borax (20 Mule Team).

• 5-gallon bucket for mixing.

• 3 gallons of water.



First, mix the grated soap in a saucepan with 4 cups of water, and heat on low until the soap is completely dissolved. Add hot water/soap mixture to 3 gallons of water in the 5-gallon bucket, stir in the washing soda and Borax, and continue stirring until thickened. Let the mix sit for 24 hours, and voila! Homemade laundry detergent.



Of course, who'd post a recipe without trying it out first? I made and washed several loads of clothes with the homemade detergent. And I, like many before me who've traveled this road, couldn't tell the difference between store-bought and homemade.



Total cost per load? In the neighborhood of 2 cents. Store-bought detergent, depending on what you buy and where you buy it, can cost about 20 cents per load -- 10 times more.

Toddler Bibs Take the Cake

Cute and Functional, Toddler Bibs for everyday or that special dinner out.  Most are reversible, and have a food catcher pocket.  These are going to be a big hit with the Messy Set and Mom as well!  Food Fights allowed with these giant coverups! 

New Spring Headbands Now in Shop

See them at http://sewsassycreations.etsy.com/.  These are nice and comfortable, no head pinching for sizes toddler up to adult! Very Nice.  Very Cute.  Very Chic.  Very Sassy.  Your Girlie Girl will love them!

In the Spring My Thoughts Turn to Gardening

I have to admit I have been a little neglectful of my Etsy Shop since around April 5.  Not only have I made the wedding dress since then I have completed a swim suit ensemble for my friend consisting of Bikini Top, little boy bottoms, another top with bra insert, swim wrap and headband with flower.  She is going to a resort and wanted to look very fashionable around the pool.  That she will, as it is very cute.

I can hardly bring myself in to sew since the yard is in full bloom and it is time to transplant and divide.  I wake up, take my morning coffee on the patio and before I know it, in nightgown and robe and slippers, I am working on the garden.  Thank goodness we have a privacy fence.  This morning my hubby told me my hair looked like I had stuck my finger in a socket....BED HEAD!  Being the certified Master Gardner that I am, I can't help myself.  It is in my blood and believe me I have the fingernails to prove I am a gardener!  Following are some SNAPS of the work I have been up to....

Color in the Desert in Our Back Yard