Category Archives: Featured Pod!

Ecobags is our Featured Pod!

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Congratulations Ecobags for being our Featured Pod – you’ve made 3356 morsbags to date, so we asked you these questions:

Who is in your pod?

Just me.

When/where do you sew bags?

My living room – any time I have time.

Where did you first hear about Morsbags?

A friend.

Did you think about the use of plastic bags before?

Yes.

What type of sewing machines do you use?

Janome 1560 and, on loan from a local environmental group, an overlocking machine, Jaguar 097. This has enabled me to double production!

Please give 3 adjectives to describe your first morsbag.

Interesting, satisfying, enjoyable.

What was the most unusual thing you’ve made a Morsbag out of?

An apron, ties for handles.

Who was your first bagging victim?

A friend.

What’s your finest Morsbag moment?

Hearing from morsbags HQ that the organiser of a local gardens open emailed in appreciation of morsbags I supplied for their sale of plants.

Who do you give your morsbags to?

Health food shop. Vegetable market. Village shops and markets. Food Cupboard. Quantock Eco – (people growing fruit and veg for the Food Cupboard). Country Market. Nappy Library. Library groups. Friends and family and anyone I meet who needs a bag.

Who would you like to guerilla bag most? (dead or alive)

Anyone still using a PLASTIC BAG!

Of course none of this would be possible if donations of fabric didn’t arrive. All sorts turn up from washed out bedding to considerable amounts of unused curtain, upholstery and dress materials, all potentially recyclable. That’s what makes it interesting!

Harborough HIT Bags is Featured Pod!

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Congratulations Harborough HIT Bags for being our Featured Pod – you’ve made 8682 morsbags to date, so we asked you these questions:

Who is in your pod?

There are about 15 people – all women though we have tried to recruit men. Some have been in the pod since it started some 6 years ago. Originally we were supported by a local council officer but now we are part of a volunteer environment group and we can claim some money from them for expenses – though we try not to. We now have a podlet who meet at a retirement complex locally. In all we have sewn over 8000 bags since we started and we always celebrate every time we hit the thousand. We are already looking forward to the 10,000th celebration.

When/where do you sew bags?

Most people do their sewing at home. We meet once a month on a Monday evening at a local Council Centre but that meeting is mainly to share fabric and information- we have a cupboard there where we can store fabric etc. At the meeting we organise events, see what labels we need and of course eat cake. Some people sew and some cut out bags. Others just chat – it does say sociable on the label!

Where did you first hear about Morsbags?

Most of us have heard about it from seeing the HIT bags stall at local events and then coming along to a meeting to check us out.

Did you think about the use of plastic bags before?

We are all keen to improve the environment and some of us are also volunteer litter pickers and river cleaners so the Morsbags ideas fitted in well.

What type of sewing machines do you use?

All sorts though we have some hand cranked ones that we use on stalls when we are giving demonstrations on how to sew bags and they are always popular with people coming up and reminiscing about their sewing days.

What was the most unusual thing you’ve made a Morsbag out of?

Shirts are good fun. We try to make a variety of bags so that all can have ones they like – men like darker colours, children like smaller ones. Some people like shorter or longer handles. We find that people can be quite fussy about the bags even though they are free.

Who was your first bagging victim?

Most people start with their families especially if they have not sewn for a while. We give them out at local events, fetes, fairs, supermarkets and every so often we go round to local businesses in the town and give them out so that staff can have them on site for lunch time shopping.

What’s your finest Morsbag moment?

Seeing people’s faces when they realise they are free and with no catch is always fun.

How do you get fabric for more bags?

We are always asking for donations of fabric when we give bags out. We have paper tags inside each bag which gives information about us. The local Council offices are willing to receive it on our behalf. We try the local curtain makers and charity shops. We have tried to publicise ourselves on the local radio and the local papers but we always are on the lookout for more. We even have our own Facebook page now. If we can’t use any fabric we are given we try to recycle it to other craft groups, schools etc. so none of it is wasted.

Wir in Arnsberg is Pod of the Month!

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Congratulations Wir in Arnsberg Pod for being ‘Pod of the Fortnight’ – you’ve made 1400 morsbags to date, so we asked you these questions:

1) Who is in your pod?
We are about three women, who regularly meet to sew morsbags.  We meet in a kind of ‘drop in centre’, where people can come to with their sewing problems so there is a varying number of  sewers who attend. On average we are about 5 – 8 morsbaggers who meet.

 

2) When/where do you sew morsbags?
As mentioned above, we meet at a kind of open place once a week. Sometimes twice a week with a special morsbags workshop. It´s based at the local train station.

 

3) Where did you first hear about morsbags?
I heard about morsbags from my friend Angela who has been sewing morsbags for some years.

 

4) Did you think about your use of plastic bags before?
Yes. We’ve been interested in saving the environment and helping nature for a long time 🙂 We’ve always been interested in great projects like Clean Ocean etc.  – it was just a question of time getting in touch with the idea of morsbags.

 

5) What type of sewing machine/s do you use?
We use sewing machines of several different brands.

 

 6) What was the most unusual or satisfying thing you’ve made a morsbag out of?
We love to make morsbags out of men’s shirts.

 

7) Who was your first bagging victim?
Of course the family was completely equipped with morsbags 🙂 followed by neighbours and friends. Besides this, morsbags are given to the owners of shops in our town and they give them to their customers. Our “marketing-organisation” of the shops pays the morsbags-labels. In every morsbag the customers find the explanation of the idea of the morsbags.

 

8) What’s been your finest morsbag moment?
It’s always a pleasure to look into surprised faces of strangers or our customers, giving them morsbags free at the supermarket´s cash desks or in our shops.

 

9) Who would you like to guerilla bag most? (dead or alive)
Those people who produce plastic bags, to give them an idea of what else to do with the lots of money spending for producing those unfriendly bags!
1) Wer ist in eurem Pod?
 Die Initiative des Morsbag-Nähens wurde von unserer Werbegemeinschaft “Wir in Arnsberg” ins Leben gerufen. Wir sind 3 Frauen, die sich regelmäßig treffen, um Morsbags zu nähen. Wir nähen in einer öffentlichen “Nähstube”, in die Menschen kommen können, um sich bei ihren Nähproblemen helfen zu lassen. Im Durch-schnitt sind wir 5 – 8 Personen.

 

2) Wann/wo näht ihr Morsbags?
 Wie oben erwähnt, treffen wir uns einmal wöchentlich in einer Nähstube im städtischen Bürgerzentrum am hiesigen Bahnhof. Manchmal zweimal wöchentlich mit einem speziellen Morsbag-Workshop.

 

3) Wo hast du zum ersten Mal von Morsbags gehört?
Ich habe Morsbags durch meine Freundin Angela kennengelernt, die seit Jahren diese Taschen näht und verschenkt.

 

4) Hast du schon früher über deine Verwendung von Plastiktaschen nachgedacht?
Ja. Wir sind schon seit langer Zeit daran interessiert, der Umwelt zu helfen. Das Projekt “Säubert den Ozean” fanden wir z. B. toll, so dass es nur eine Frage der Zeit war, dass wir mit der Idee der Morsbags in Berührung kamen.

 

5) Welche Art von Nähmaschinen benutzt ihr?
Wir nutzen Nähmaschinen von verschiedenen Marken.

 

6) Was war das ungewöhnlichste oder beste Material, aus dem ihr eine Morsbag genäht habt?
 Wir lieben es, aus alten Herrenhemden Morsbags zu nähen.

 

7) Wer war dein erstes Taschen-Opfer?
Natürlich meine Familie, die komplett mit Morsbags ausgestattet wurde, gefolgt von Nachbarn und Freunden. Außerdem verteilen wir die Morsbags an Händler in unserer Stadt, die Taschen an ihre Kunden verschenken. Unsere Werbegemeinschaft “Wir in Arnsberg” bezahlt die Morsbag-Etiketten. In jeder Tasche finden die Kunden eine Beschreibung der Morsbag-Idee.

 

8) Was war dein schönster Morsbag Moment?
Es ist immer eine große Freude, in die überraschten Gesichter von Fremden an der Supermarkt-Kasse oder von Kunden bei uns in den Geschäften zu schauen, wenn man ihnen eine Morsbag schenkt.

 

9) Wem würdest du am liebsten eine Guerilla-Tasche geben?
Den Menschen, die Plastiktaschen produzieren, damit sie eine Idee bekommen, was man sonst mit der Menge an Geld machen könnte, die für das Produzieren dieser umweltschädigenden Taschen ausgegeben wird.

Bude Baggers is Pod of the Month!

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Congratulations Bude Baggers for being ‘Pod of the Fortnight’ – you’ve made 1400 morsbags to date, so we asked you these questions:

1) Who is in your pod?

We have 35 members

2) When/where do you sew morsbags?

We meet once a month at my house, there’s usually between 4 and 10 of us at our get togethers. People sew bags at home inbetween get togethers, and a couple of members also have bagmaking get togethers with a few of their friends as well

3) Where did you first hear about morsbags?

I saw Claire on BBC breakfast programme in 1997

4) Did you think about your use of plastic bags before?

Yes, I was already using re-useable bags, but wasn’t aware of the scale of the problem

5) What type of sewing machine/s do you use?

I use a Singer electric, other people in the pod have different makes

6) Please give 3 adjectives to describe your first morsbag.

Slow to create!

7) What was the most unusual or satisfying thing you’ve made a morsbag out of?

I made some bags out of cotton kaftans given to me by an elderly lady, who had worn them a long time ago when she lived in the middle east with her husband, who had since died. I gave her a couple of the bags I’d made and she almost cried with happiness at being able to see her kaftans again, and to use them every day, because it gave her lots of happy memories

8) Who was your first bagging victim?

My neighbour (I wasn’t brave enough to hand one to a stranger in those days!)

9) What’s been your finest morsbag moment?

The first get together I organised, because I’d spent years as a solitary bagmaker, so it was wonderful to finally have other people to make bags with!

10) Who would you like to guerilla bag most? (dead or alive)

Someone ridiculously famous and cool, like Lady GaGa, who’d be photographed with her bag all the time and so give morsbags tons of publicity!

P.S.

I got my pod in Bude going by taking bags along to a local beach clean, to give out to the volunteers. One of them suggested I start a Facebook page, which has proved vital for my pod to grow. Virtually all my pod members are local people on facebook, people post on the page almost every day, photos of bags they’ve made etc, and I use it to give dates of get togethers and so on. So our facebook page is integral to our pod working and flourishing.

I also have a continuing close connection with the beach cleaning group, as our aims complement each other, a good number of pod members have joined through being given a bag at a beach clean.

Butterfly Bags is Pod of the Month

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Congratulations Butterfly Bags for being ‘Pod of the Month’ – you’ve made a fab 520 morsbags to date, so we asked you these questions:

1) Who is in your pod?

It is basically me. I  have a few friends who come to visit sometimes and make bags whilst we drink tea and chat. Also, 5 (out of the 6) of my children have made at least 1 bag each. I will get the youngest one sewing soon.

2) When/where do you sew morsbags?

I am lucky enough to have a sewing room at home so most of my sewing is done there. As I live in Leicester, I go to our fabulous morsroom most weeks and help out at events.

3) Where did you first hear about morsbags?

I first heard about morsbags when there was an event at our local Environment Centre. I didn’t actually go to the event but looked at the morsbags website and made one at home. When I saw there was going to be another event at the Environment Centre, I went along. We still have events there now.

4) Did you think about your use of plastic bags before?

I didn’t really give plastic bags much thought before. I think I did try and use bags for life but it wasn’t something I felt that strongly about until I discovered morsbags and read up on it.

5) What type of sewing machine/s do you use?

I use a Brother sewing machine. It is the same as the ones that we use in Leicester for our events. I also have a beautiful old Singer treadle machine that belonged to my husband’s grandmother but I’ve never actually sewn with it.

6) Please give 3 adjectives to describe your first morsbag.

My first morsbag was wonky, functional and inspiring!

7) What was the most unusual or satisfying thing you’ve made a morsbag out of?

The most satisfying thing I’ve made a morsbag from was my oldest son’s old space print curtains. I made him the curtains when he was about 6 (he is now 17). I recently used them to make small morsbags for my youngest son’s party bags. Giving all the children at the party little morsbag made all the Mums ask about them and I bagged them too!

8) Who was your first bagging victim?

My first bagging victim was my Mum.

9) What’s been your finest morsbag moment?

I would like to confess about my morsbag diary. I am not a particularly organised person but from day 1, I have kept a list of every morsbag I have made. I know when, where and what fabric it was made from and who (or what event) I gave it to.  It may seem a little obsessive but I’m really glad i have kept this record.

I’m very proud to be part of the morsbag family. We are very fortunate in Leicestershire that we have Rosie (Offcuts) who is so passionate about the cause that she motivates, organises and encourages so many morsbag events and opportunities. I have met and become friends with people that I wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for morsbags. I love going to events, taking part in handouts and spreading the morsbag word.

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Cuckoobird is the Pod of the Fortnight!

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Congratulations Cuckoobird for being ‘Pod of the Fortnight’ – you’ve made a whopping 7782 morsbags to date, so we asked you these questions:

1) Who is in your pod?

Him’n’me

2) When/where do you sew morsbags?

We usually sew at the dining room table. Normally the two sewing machines are set up and ready to use, with uncut fabric in cupboards and kits in a washing basket by the door. If there’s a handout coming up we aim to make at least 3 morsbags each per day. When the sewing machines are put away (if visitors come for a meal) it seems like a barrier to sewing & takes a little while to get them out and get going again.

3) Where did you first hear about morsbags?

A friend read an article about Pol and morsbags in the Western Morning News in about May / June 2007 and as a result set up Aggie Baggies pod. Aggie Baggies made lots of bags over the next year to eighteen months, but the other members gradually lost interest or had to do other things and I was left, still bagging, on my own. So I started Cuckoobird pod and was a solopodder for a while.

Then Offcuts persuaded me to do the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace (October 2009), but fell downstairs and broke both shoulders, so couldn’t go & it would have been just me and several sewing machines, with no breaks, for 3 or 4 days of a really popular show. So my stalwart husband said “You’d better show me how to make morsbags, then”. I did, and then he showed HUNDREDS of people how to make their own bags at Ally Pally.

4) Did you think about your use of plastic bags before?

I did, but to a limited extent. I remember the first time I shopped at Lidl I was amazed and appalled that there were no free bags, and you had to either buy a (pretty good, durable) plastic bag, search the shop for a discarded cardboard box, or pile your shopping back into the trolley, wheel it to your car and load it loose into the boot.Next time we went there we took bags – it wasn’t hard, was it?!

5) What type of sewing machine/s do you use?

Usually we use two Brother machines – they’re great workhorses and simple to use. I took my original one to the sewing machine centre to be overhauled after I’d had it a few years & the engineer asked if I sewed professionally! I guess it showed signs of wear. My OH is a “born engineer” and can mend almost any machinery and get it to work. He overhauls the machines from time to time.

We also have a collection of hand crank sewing machines, I’ve never paid more than £10 for one and some were given to us. I think we have eight hand cranks plus a large treadle machine that lives in the hall. Handcranks are great for sewing outdoors, or where there is no electric supply (think fetes and shows in fields) and for children to help make a bag as they’re nice and slow and controllable.

6) Please give 3 adjectives to describe your first morsbag.

HE says his first one was “Blue, Skopos, lop-sided“, I’ve forgotten mine…

7) What was the most unusual or satisfying thing you’ve made a morsbag out of?

Lots of pieces that someone else had cut out to make a patchwork project and then abandoned. There were some great “car” motifs.

8) Who was your first bagging victim?

Lost in the mists of time……

9) What’s been your finest morsbag moment?

I really enjoyed all the shows we did where we get to help Mr & Mrs Public make their own bags. Of those, I guess I enjoyed Clarence House (UK Aware 2010) and Kew Gardens (UK Aware 2011) most. All those people, keen to get their hands on some royal curtain fabric to make their bags, and the camaraderie with the other morsbaggers helping too. Such fun!!

10) Who would you like to guerilla bag most? (dead or alive)

I would like to bag the Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin. According to Wikipedia – (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_shopping_bag) “In the early 1960s, Thulin developed a method of forming a simple one-piece bag by folding, welding and die-cutting a flat tube of plastic for the packaging company Celloplast of Norrköping, Sweden. Thulin’s design produced a simple, strong bag with a high load-carrying capacity, and was patented worldwide by Celloplast in 1965.”

So I’d take him a morsbag (maybe in light blue and yellow, Sweden’s national flag’s colours) and say, “Sten Gustav, sweetie, I know you haven’t really thought about all this, and the possible repercussions from the way you’re heading right now….” and distract him! MAYBE it would work 😀

Macs bags is the Pod of the Fortnight!

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Congratulations Mac bags for being ‘Pod of the Fortnight’ – you’ve made 2156 morsbags to date, so we asked you these questions:

1) Who is in your pod?

Sue, Caroline, Anne, Carla, Olive, Jennifer, Cath, Veronica, Carol, Jacqui, Pat, Wendy and Allison who does the ironing. Let’s not forget our teaboy, Mike… We find making morsbags in a group more satisfying as we can chat and exchange ideas – even if we can make them faster on our own!

2) When/where do you sew morsbags?

Mostly we make morsbags in our own homes but we meet on Wednesday once a month at Sue’s house. Also on various occasions we meet up at either Jacqui’s or Wendy’s houses on a Saturday for those who go to work. Early on we realised that alcohol and trying to sew a straight line does not work….shame!

3) Where did you first hear about morsbags?

Wendy’s son Bernie (Bernies bags pod) was staying with her for 15 months and persuaded us to start a pod with members of Marden Arts and Crafts Society.

4) Did you think about your use of plastic bags before?

Yes, we did, but not to the degree of helping to do something practical about it. Some of us used the strong hessian bags, others loaded the shopping straight into the car, but the plastic bags were there so they got used, but not anymore!

5) What type of sewing machine/s do you use?

Our machines range from a Bernina, Singer, and Toyota Super Jeans to a very basic Janome.

6) Please give 3 adjectives to describe your first morsbag.

Satisfying, colourful and we were pleased.

7) What was the most unusual or satisfying thing you’ve made a morsbag out of?

We find all the bags satisfying to make because we are lucky enough to be given fabric that would have normally gone to landfill. However, making a bag out of material donated by someone who has previously been bagged with one of our morsbags is great. We’ve also appliquéd shapes onto plain bags to use up odds and ends of fabric and printed paw prints onto them for a dog show.

8) Who was your first bagging victim?

We put the local community guide booklet into bags for the distributors to deliver around the village (16 bags)

We have also made special shaped ‘bottle bags’ & ‘baguette bags’ which have gone to France.

9) What’s been your finest morsbag moment?

We enjoyed handing out morsbags at a residential home where they were immediately put to use by residents as the ‘veg van’ arrived…

In general we love the look of astonishment when people find out that morsbags are free!

Our best moment though was celebrating our 2000th morsbag with the fantastic cake made by Sue. These 2000 bags have been handed out to people in this area and there are still people who say “What are Morsbags?” So, lots more bags to make.

10) Who would you like to guerilla bag most? (dead or alive)

Eric Clapton and ANY person at the checkout who uses a plastic bag for only a couple of items.

11) Future plans for your pod?

We are looking forward to the party for our 3000th bag and will continue to visit small groups to show them how to make their own morsbags.