[beattieKeymaster]

To count as a morsbag the bag needs to be –
1) made from repurposed / recycled fabric
2) have a morsbags.com or morsbags.org label on it
and
3) be given away free of charge

Additionally, it needs to be fit for its purpose, and the original purpose intended was to replace a plastic carrier (tote) bag. It therefore needed to be strong enough to carry your shopping.

I found a piece of beautiful yellow / orange / red organza a few years ago and made it into produce bags, but didn’t count them as morsbags. The topic was thoroughly discussed at various times between 2007 and 2009 on the old forum which is now read-only, but you may find it interesting to read. https://morsbags.com/forum-archive/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=467

While I think it is a great idea (and coincidentally, was discussing making them only a few days ago with, and possibly for, a relative who is associated with a farmers market …) I don’t think we could legitimately count them as morsbags.

[beattieKeymaster]

I’m embarrassed to write this, but I only started a spreadsheet to keep the morsstats last month when it became obvious that the SewVember initiative was a brilliant success, and Tracy, whose brainchild it was, wanted to know if it had made a difference. Obviously it had, and it created a lovely pre-Christmas buzz!

So, if you’re interested, have a look at last month’s stats, “Remember Sewvember for Growing the Number”.

There are a few early numbers missing from new pod registrations in 2015 and bags made in March 2016 (I just forgot to make a note of the numbers *blush*). Here is a summary.

2015 bags made = 26718 new pods registered = 116
2016 bags made = 29626 new pods registered = 86
2017 bags made = 33957 new pods registered = 114
2018 bags made = 38709 new pods registered = 204

Trusty Bags pod made a tremendous contribution to morsbags. It was a joint project between morsbags and The Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland Community Rehabilitation Company Limited. Service Users undertaking community payback learned to use a sewing machine, progressing to make morsbags. The morsbags were then given away at various places in Leicestershire. The project began in 2008 and 8 years later over 50,000 morsbags had been made and given away. Sadly, they stopped operating in March 2017 but amazingly, after a small dip in monthly output we seem to have compensated for the loss of their 300 – 750 bags per month.

I wonder what 2019 will bring? Happy New Morsbagging Year to you all!

[beattieKeymaster]

I think we’ve all been a bit distracted, with holidays and “life” getting in the way of morsbagging. Time to get the sewing machine out again.

[beattieKeymaster]

I think you’re a decade ahead of the rest of us Tracy! 😉
but I’m sure you can manage to make at least two more morsbags….

[beattieKeymaster]

lizardart321 I think you have just registered a new pod that I authorised an hour or two ago? “The Space Coast Pod” sounds very dramatic”.

I am guessing that your new labels say “morsbags.org” which is the new web address being phased in for morsbags.com? At the moment typing morsbags.org into a search engine or address bar gets redirected to morsbags.com. When the new address becomes the main one in use redirection will take place in the opposite direction.

What else can I say? I’d be happy to send you some of the older version of morsbags labels that I am still using up. Feel free to use the “Contact” facility on morsbags.com. Click on “Pods” and search for Cuckoobird, then click on “Contact” and send me a message. I’ll just donate a reasonable number of labels from me to you. (Will need an address to mail them to you.)

[beattieKeymaster]

Hello lizardart321 😀
I’m working on a reply to you!

[beattieKeymaster]

That’s a great result, Magic Flying Boots! 🙂 I’m glad you asked and got answers that helped.

[beattieKeymaster]

I’m sorry to hear of your health challenges Claire Bear. Isn’t it good to find an activity that you enjoy and can do when you’re able to, that keeps mind and body doing what they can, and that benefits wildlife and the environment in so many ways as well. 😀

[beattieKeymaster]

Confession time – I think I wouldn’t put clothing on your “wish list” – as the pieces are usually small and awkward shapes. But fabric left-over from curtain- and clothes-making are much easier to use.

[beattieKeymaster]

Hi Jen! Great idea! 🙂

Your list looks good to me. Usually bed sheets start out the same weight / thickness as duvet covers. You’re right, they can be too worn out to make good bags, but there’s usually some fabric round the edges that will make good handles if that’s what you need. I’d suggest you don’t waste time on the bits of sheets or pillowcases that have gone all bobbly.

Sometimes people want to give you really THICK fabric, thinking that you’ll be able to make really strong bags. Instead you have a bit of a problem. You can get away with somewhat thicker than ideal (thick denim for instance) if you make the bag with thinner fabric handles – sheeting such as duvet covers or pillow case remnants are perfect. In some places, when you are sewing across the handles to bring them up into position you are sewing through 11 thicknesses of fabric, so it helps if some layers are thinner.

Very faded curtains need close examination – watch out for fabric that’s gone brittle and tears very easily – it won’t stand the “bottles of wine” test. (Will the bag carry your shopping safely?)

Shirts and other clothing can make interesting bags, but usually the pieces are quite small compared to the finished bag. With shirts you need to sew up the front opening securely first. Then you can get what we call a “two-piecer” out of it – with the front and back of the shirt making separate front and back of your bag (and the sleeves make the handles, usually). Ideally, we try to make a single piece bag, (for speed and ease of construction) with a fold at the bottom or side of the bag instead of a seam.

Of course if you’re trying to use as much of your donated fabric as possible, you’re prepared to join pieces, which brings me to patchwork or pieced bags. Sometimes we are given part-finished patchwork projects and it can be interesting figuring out how to use them. A couple of years ago a pod from Leicester were given a lot of patchwork pieces and members made a great job of appliqueing them onto otherwise rather ordinary bags.

My DH & I make some pieced-together bags where we usually leave the stitching visible. We normally use flat felled seams (as found on the side seams of jeans) which wrap the pieces of fabric round each other and sew them twice over. They obviously take longer to make, so there’s a trade-off between time taken and waste of fabric.

If you love a particular fabric but it’s not very strong, or you worry about the strength of the seams it’s fine to line the bag, but I’ve only felt the need to do that once or twice in making thousands of morsbags. Each to their own, but there’s no need to feel ashamed of the stitching.

I’d add sample books of curtain fabrics to your list if you like making smaller bags, or piecing / applique designs. The big sample books are often big enough to make the whole side of a bag from each sample, or two pairs of handles.

[beattieKeymaster]

Naturally, Tracy is interested how the Morsbags Sewvember Challenge went numbers-wise and did it have a noticeable effect? So I combed through my stats reports for the last four or so years and constructed the spreadsheet I should have made years ago.

The numbers are in and verified and the results are amazing!

What do you think?
(The occasional gaps early on are from when I lost the piece of paper I was keeping the numbers on before I composed the report.)

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by  beattie.

[beattieKeymaster]

Lovely to hear from you Claire! I know Tracy who thought up SewVember will be thrilled to read that the challenge inspired you to make more bags. I’m just combing the numbers but it worked with people and pods all across the world.

Did you see Claire Morsman’s post on Facebook? It’s on Morsbags Sociable Guerilla Bagging’s post from 1st December. Part of it reads –
“Well done to everyone who joined in and completed – here at HQ (temporarily relocated to Morocco) we still have 6 days to go – purposely, of course, so that others who may have struggled timewise can feel comforted. 😉There’s still time! Please post your excuses as to why you haven’t finished Sewvember below! #majorplumbingissue #catrescue #sickdaughters #catchupisok”

Congratulations, I see your name on the list of bag-making pods frequently! 🙂

[beattieKeymaster]

Kathy, we find it helpful to use a stripe of a tacky stick glue (one brand here is Pritt Stick, others are available) on the back of the label to stop it slipping around, especially if it’s on a slippery fabric or one where a little wonkiness would show up. Don’t try to get glue on the edges of the label – this might make the needle sticky too if it gets glue on it, and it’s only there to hold the label for a short time.

I often sew bags with contrasting thread and it looks good if it’s the same one round the label, especially if you can use a decorative stitch.

[beattieKeymaster]

Congratulations on making your target Jean! And going past it already. 😀

[beattieKeymaster]

Thank you Ann! I think we could make this challenge too, with a bit of luck, but Christmas takes a lot of time to arrange. Still, you are one of the big contributors at the moment, so you are doing your bit! Maybe other pods which only add bags sometimes, in big batches, may decide to have a pre-Christmas reckoning.

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