The Rise and Fall of Plastic Bags

I was born in the middle of World War II – aeons ago! Our writing instruments when I first started school were slates and slate pencils. Biros (ballpoint pens) were invented in my youth but we were not allowed to use them at school. We had to use the school watery ink and pen with a nib. Can you imagine how difficult it was for a child to draw the weekend homework maps and write place names with a tiny little mapping pen nib that would split and splatter Indian Ink if you pressed too hard?

Our dolls were made of celluloid. I had an antique bisque doll left to me by my great-aunt Lily but wasn’t allowed to play with it when I was young. I’m thankful for the sense of my parents as it is a beautiful doll with the sweetest face, and probably worth quite a bit of money, and it would be terrible to think of it being smashed by a careless child. Post-war was the age of innovation and design and soon dolls that were able to be cuddled, washed, dropped, and roughly handled were freely available.

Then came the plastic bags! In the late 1970’s the plastic bag was introduced to the grocery industry and by the mid 1980’s supermarket plastic bags had replaced paper bags – popular because they were cheaper and stronger. It really isn’t that long ago, is it? 

I confess to a love of plastic bags, especially those thick ones that are used to package your new dress or pair of shoes. I’ve used and reused them for decades. They are strong enough to hold a myriad of items, especially wool, and cotton and patterns and fabric and all things stitching. 

Then came the biodegradable plastic bags. I didn’t think much about that fact when I grabbed a bag to package my year’s taxation papers. In they went to the box marked ‘Tax Papers’ to be kept for the compulsory seven years. A couple of years later, and delving into the box for an important piece of paper, I was greeted with thousands of pieces of small white pieces of plastic all through my papers!!!

And now we have a total ban on supermarket plastic bags where I live. That doesn’t bother me, because for many years I have been taking my canvas fabric bags to the supermarket so that I didn’t add to the environmental disaster that these plastic bags have caused. HOWEVER, I kept my supply of those lovely thick ones to carry around whatever current craft project I was stitching.

THEN …. one of my lovely readers saw my little zippered pouches that I sell on Etsy. She suggested I make a pouch that would fit a 'project-on-the-go' - fabric, pattern, hoop, threads etc. I came up with a pouch that is 8½ inches square which fits a 6 in hoop comfortably.

When I realised what a fabulous size such a pouch is, and how suitable it is for all sorts of things (and especially projects on the go), I had to make another one!

Of course I couldn't stop at two, so made yet another one! 

What a difference - having your project in a beautiful zippered pouch, compared to carrying it around in a reused plastic shopping bag! My love affair with those thick plastic bags is over! 

You can find my zippered Craft Pouches
here in my Etsy Store.

PS I’m happy to take order to suit your personal taste if you are interested.

 Happy stitching!
Val