Morsbag RAK #3

Launch gallery slideshow

Swap Coordinator:	girthta (contact)
Swap categories:	Fabric Sewing Letters & Writing
Number of people in swap:	14
Location:	Other
Type:	None
Last day to signup/drop:	February 17, 2008
Date items must be sent by:	April 18, 2008
Number of swap partners:	1
Description:
This (not your typical swap!) is #3 in the morsbags series started by cherrythepig. We are rotating hosting duties and it is my turn this time around. We have a registered "Pod" at morsbags.com: Pod name: Swapbot Pod password: It has not changed - if you are new, please pm me for it. The morsbag website promotes people getting together & having a group sewing & social event, then taking the resulting grocery bags to the market for a giveaway. Each of us will make as many bags as we can by a certain time, then give them away randomly to strangers. With each bag I plan to attach a tag with the "story" behind the bag. There is also a label that they ask that you download & iron-on to the bag. If you are unable to print iron-on labels, you may buy them from the morsbags site in increments of 10 labels for a small amount + shipping. (1.44 USD / 1.51 CAD / 0.7 GBP / 1.04 Euros + shipping) Please Note: If anyone would be hesitant to do this based on shyness, they can always send them to me & I will give them away in my town. OR Just give them to people you already know... friends, co-workers, family, your next door neighbor, the bus driver. There is no specific # of bags that you will make. It's what you have the time & desire to make by the finish deadline. Even 1 bag can ultimately save 80 plastic bags each year from ending up in the trash! From morsbags.com: Letâ€™s do something positive to reduce the hideous number of plastic bags being used - 1 million are consumed per minute globally - of which hundreds of thousands end up in the oceans, many killing the sealife. What you will send to your partner is a recap of how it went: how your sewing turned out, what you used to make your bags, where you distributed them, and how the people you gave them to responded. Since all of the effort will be in the sewing & distribution, you can either email or snail mail your partner. Check out the Animated Morsbags Tutorial or you can go to the main page, click on "make one", then download a tutorial document. When you have completed your commitment in this swap, would you please post in the comments below the number of bags you made and in which city (or cities) they were distributed. Remember, even if you only make one morsbag, it is still something to be proud of! I am not setting any limit on ratings as this is a RAK swap. I can't imagine that anyone would sign up for this and not do it. What would be the point? Plus, that karma factor can come back to bite you on the butt in the oddest, most unexpected ways! Thanks everyone and have fun! __ Here is the link to the first morsbag swap, which has a lot of good information in the comments section. Here is the link to the second morsbag swap.

Discussion

Momwithahook 01/ 4/2008 #

Love this swap idea, the bag itself looks too complicated for a really bad seamtress like me. But for those who know the basics and still have patience... it is an awesome outlet.

dwheeler 01/ 4/2008 #

Can you tell me how you get`rated on this? Any hearts? Just curious...

TerryF 01/ 5/2008 #

You get rated on the letter you send your assigned partner - whether or not you get a heart will depend on how good/funny/interesting, etc. your letter is in the estimation of the person who receives it.

I am not sure how people have rated for hearts in the past for this swap, but I give a heart for a nice, detailed, chatty letter. On the other hand, I don't really see this as a swap primarily to try for hearts --- it's the personal satisfaction you get from doing some good in the world that really counts here.

Starwatcher 01/24/2008 #

This looks like fun! and a really good idea. Is there a fabric preference? I was thinking that canvas was more durable, but the ones I've seen at Fred Meyers are plasticized to make them easier to clean (wipe off - I don't thnk you would put them inthe washin machine). Anyway, I thnk I'll have a go at this. (It will give memore fabric scraps to use on the dotee dolls I've been thinking about :-0

Starwatcher 01/26/2008 #

Well. I just finished sewing 6 morsbags. I decided to use the shower curtains which I had previously used as window curtains in my office, since they were of such a beautiful pattern. Also, it is stronger and somewhat water repellent. I'm looking forward to doing another set tomorrow and maybe organize a local group to make more since my husband said that locally they will no longer be recycling the plastic bags. This makes this a very timely project. Thanks for hosting Girthta!

TaraM84 01/28/2008 #

I think they prefer them to be made out of cotton type material, but I'm not too sure either.

I advertised on my local freecycle for people to give me their old sheets, doona covers, tableclothes, etc and got a pretty good response. I've got enough material here to make a trillion bags (maybe a slight exageration!)... I had to put up another notice saying I don't need anymore, because I just don't have the room for any more!

I've already made 2 bags and I'm looking forward to making a lot more after I get some uni work out of the way.

Starwatcher 01/29/2008 #

Tara, will freecycle also provide thread? I finished off a roll of thread with the 6 bags I made - but as I plan a trip to JoAnn's tomorrow (a plus I give myself on the days that I work out of town (no Joanne's, or any other craft supply store in our little town, other than a wonderful littlescrapbooking store). Though, after hearing the thunder outside (a rare thing on the coast) I'm thinking it might be better to stay home and sew rather than risk the weather!

girthta 01/30/2008 #

Freecycle is a great idea! You can get anything there if someone has it to give away. good idea- I'll do that myself!!!

girthta 01/30/2008 #

Oh, and I don't think it matters what you make it out of, honestly.

TerryF 02/10/2008 #

Actually, morsbags are supposed to be made of 100% natural fibers (cotton being the sturdiest and easiest to clean), the rationale being that our goal is to eliminate from the environment mandmade materials that do not compost.

If any of you have already made bags containing manmade materials, please do give them away and explain their purpose (they are still much better than plastic shopping bags), but I would suggest that you not identify them as morsbags per se.

Thx.

Starwatcher 02/10/2008 #

Thanks for all the good info!

KnittingCateling 04/ 5/2008 #

I have made about a dozen morsbags this round. I gave a couple to friends and included the rest as extras in swaps - it was so fun to choose a fabric from my stash to suit my partner's profile - or even to match the season or theme of the swap!

TerryF 04/ 8/2008 #

Way to go KC! I ended up making only 3 this time around. I sent 2 off in swaps that were profile surprises and gave one away at work here in Ottawa, Canada.

browniemommie2005 04/17/2008 #

I am mailing my letter out to my partner ~ I made a grand total of 100 bags this round. :)

browniemommie2005 04/17/2008 #

I just added my count and we are up to 636 total ~ go Swapbot ~ I think that put us either in 3rd or 4th.

SweetClementine 04/17/2008 #

I updated to add my 4 bags, and we're at 640--4th place. Woo hoo! Fifth place is very close behind, so I hope we get lots of participants for our Round #4!

My four went to Haifa, Israel (surprise in a mystery color swap), the UK (swap mate contacted me after seeing it posted on my profile), and to California (a monkey bag for my sister). The fourth one has abstract pastel fruit on it...and I had to claim it for myself!

Browniemommie2005--you made 100?!?! Oh my gosh! I'm proud of you! Are you going to join next time, or are you ready to move on to a different sewing pattern? :-)

koolcreativity 04/19/2008 #

I made one lonely bag. But is was my first reused material project. I made it out of a pair of old jeans.

Hope you all had fun.

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