Wednesday 2 October 2019

Pillow Talk

You know me - I cannot bear to waste anything if I can find another use for it. And I am very careful with the pennies. For years now, I have bought inexpensive pillows rather than costlier 'bags of polyester stuffing for toys etc'. It is the same stuff, it comes in a fabric bag, not a thin plastic one which splits. It is much cheaper - and so easy to make a small slit along the top, pull out stuffing in handfuls as needed- then fold over the corner and fasten with a safety pin. 
A memory bear takes around a full pillow's worth of stuffing. So when I had three to make, I bought a bag of four pillows - but discovered an added bonus in the pack.
Four 'free' pillow protectors. Now let's be clear here- this is not fine Egyptian cotton. The pillows themselves, and the extra protectors are made of honeycomb PARC, which is a lightweight non-woven polypropylene fabric
But it is relatively tough, washable, and breathable. I was sure I could use it for something.
Then it dawned on me - Produce Bags. Now there are some lovely bags on the market - organic cotton, drawstring, ecofriendly containers, handsewn by vestal virgins on the banks of the Limpopo [I made up the last bit]
What I wanted was a set of bags in varying sizes to hold my carrots, peppers, leeks etc tidily in the fridge. When I buy my veg, the man on the market tips everything into my big cotton totes- spuds, onions, carrots all tumble together to be sorted when I get home. But in the fridge, sometimes half a stray carrot will get lost and wither in the far corner of the veg drawer.
It took me less than 20 minutes to cut up a pair of pillowcase covers and make a set of 10 bags of varying sizes. Nine will fold neatly to fit in the 10th [small size] bag.
I sorted the salad drawer and loaded up the bags.
Things look so much tidier now and more manageable.
I didn't bother to encase the two spring onions. This might turn them into
w-rapscallions
The bags aren't transparent, but it is not difficult to identify leeks, peppers, carrots etc. I put bag clips across the corners - not so much to seal the bags, but rather to prevent everything falling out.
The medium bag is just the right size for holding a punnet of mushrooms. So it should fit soft fruit boxes too.
I'm very pleased with this project - which took little time and little effort [and no outlay] for a good result.
And I have two more protectors, and 4 more pillowcases for future recycling.

3 comments:

  1. Very clever idea to turn the pillow protectors into produce bags! I have to admit being intrigued by the mental picture I had of vestal virgins sewing along the banks of the Limpopo river. Those ancient Romans sure traveled all over the world, didn't they? :D

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  2. What a brilliant idea, Angela.

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  3. Great idea! (Enjoyed the vestal virgin laugh, too!)

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