Analogue Chic

Posts Tagged ‘Craftster’

We’re having a great discussion over at CT Green Scene about reusable shopping bags.  They featured a number of links where you can buy ready made bags, which make great gifts, and should really become a part of your daily life.  While they do present some ecological and social concerns, I think the widespread use of these bags is definitely a big step in the right direction.

Since this is, ostensibly, an environmentally-conscientious blog, I wanted to follow up on the issue of reusable bags with links  for crafty green-folks, or green craftspeople, whatever you call yourselves, to make your  own market bags, in a variety of craft media.

For Knitters

A string bag.  The original pattern link seems not to be working.

A felted bag.

For Crocheters

Another string bag.

Another one, by Vickie Howell

The CTGreenScene article referenced MyRecycledBags.com, which offers many crochet patterns for different styles of bags.  And she sells her products here, if you’re not a crafter.  Buy handmade!

For Sewers

I think this is my favorite.

A bag based on the traditional plastic bag.

This awesome bag folds into its own zipper case.

As convenient as it is to buy a 99-cent polyethylene bag at the supermarket, it’s much more responsible to make your own, if you can, and make it from recycled materials.

The Internet has many, many, other patterns and inspirational ideas for bags in any style, made of any material you can think of.  Craftster, again, is a great resource for ideas on making bags and other stuff-for-carrying-stuff from recycled materials.  And if you’re more into buying handmade than making things by hand, there are lots of offerings on Etsy.

When I was "fabric shopping" at my parents’ house, I found this unfinished project from pre-2003, a tote bag knit from recycled plastic bags, cut into strips.  It’s been stowed away for so long, I have no idea where the pattern is.  Luckily, it’s knit in garter stitch, and I know I have to knit 3 pieces and that it’s shaped basically like a cereal box, and I’ll have to devise some handles for the top.  I’m slowly working on it….

Whilst cruising the world of Wordpress the other day, I came across this very succinct and correct (in my opinion) post by the ladies at Three in a Crowd about Madonna’s new ad campaign for Louis Vuitton.  But, who cares about the bags?!  LOOK at the piping on her tops!!!  For more on my love of piped trim, see here.

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Also, take a look at this gorgeous, crisp period costume a fellow Craftster made, here.

OK, moving on…

Here are some of my other recent projects as posted on Craftster:

Nauti' Girl Top - reconstructed men's shirts

*well, for some reason, wordpress is not letting me put a link in the photo captions…*

Nauti’ Girl Top

Tote bag (no clever nickname- suggestions welcome)- men's shirt recon

Tote bag

If you dabble in crafts of ANY kind, at any skill level, I highly recommend registering with Craftster and getting up the courage to post in the forums.  There are great tutorials that people have patiently put together, you WILL be inspired by other folks’ work, and your projects that you’ve worked so hard on, alone in your dark garret craft room, will get the mad props and love that you deserve.  I <3 Craftster 8<.