2017 Recycling solution from sewing room

7 Feb

2014, I purchased flannel fabric in one to three yard lengths.  Each Days for Girls International kit includes 8 reversible, tri-fold, flannel pads.  My strategy included sewing pads from 8 different colors and patterns for each kit.  By year-end, I had over 30 types of remnants.   Variation due to cutting, shrinking from washing and fabric width created a significant amount of remnants in strips and block shapes.  I recycled these scraps into two light weight blankets.

In the three years since the original post, I tightened my strategy on purchasing flannel to reduce the waste (given my experience with shrinkage and end of bolt pieces).  The most significant change was to buy 4.5 yard lengths.  My 2017 striped flannel piece represents is a reduction of over 75% scrap.

Stripes

2014 pieced flannel strips, 18 fabrics in 18 different widths

2017 flannel recycling

2017 flannel recycling

 

 

 

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Indy Star: Hares exit car biz after 170 years

1 Feb

From Indy Star

Hares exit car biz after 170 years

http://indy.st/2jQygwo

A car dealership changing hands isn’t typically considered a historic milestone, but this is different.Hare Chevrolet’s sale last week to Duluth, Ga.-based Asbury Automotive Group marks the end of a freakishly long run in the transportation business by the Hare family of Noblesville. Transportation is the right term because Hare Chevrolet predates the automobile by more than six decades. The company began as W. Hare and Son Inc., a maker and seller of horse-drawn carriages.That was in 1847. Among the things that did not exist: the Federal Reserve banking system, Theodore Roosevelt, women’s suffrage, football and the state of Wisconsin.

Haiku: Work at home today

24 Jan
Office assistant "Eve" approves

Office assistant “Eve” approves

 

Wash, dry, fold laundry,

Reply, click send, scan, save, shred

Eve approves blog post.

Time to turn out the lights.

Time to turn out the lights.

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Friday Photos: Washington D.C. 2008

20 Jan

Best wishes to our nation on this 45th inauguration day!

Vietnam Memorial
Washington Monument
Marine Corp Barracks
White House
Lincoln Memorial
National Cathedral
Naval Academy Chapel
Jefferson Memorial
Lincoln Memorial from WWII Memorial

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“I have a dream” engraved in stone

16 Jan
"I have a dream" from the location the words were spoken.

“I have a dream” from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial where the speech inspired our country and the world.

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Book Review: Tenzing Norbu Mysteries

15 Jan

The First Rule of Ten, The Second Rule of Ten, The Third Rule of Ten, Fourth….This series is engaging…a charming young Chinese American male takes us on his journey from Tibetan monastery to private investigator in Los Angeles. The plots and character development improve with each sequel. Ten’s rules remind me of the famous rules of Special Agent Gibbs in the NCIS TV series…interesting with Norbu’s Buddist connection. The authors take on contemporary problems of violence and crime with compelling compassion.

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Friday Photo: Portrait

13 Jan
Millie Wissen

Millie Wissen

My neighbor for over 30 years…Millie Wissen passed away Sunday.  She loved her family, friends, gardening and Christmas.  Up until her husband Floyd passed away 13 years ago, she unloaded eight storage bins full of Christmas decorations each year and used all of them!

Millie had a gift for identifying birds by their songs.  That requires spending a lot of time outdoors and paying attention.  Sounds like a good New Year’s resolution for me to honor her memory.

Rest in Peace dear soul.

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Priority: Days for Girls International

10 Jan

eve_priority_img_20170106_085617770-copy

Yes, dear Eve (office assistant) we are ready to ship liners and pads to the Days for Girls International Chapter in Iowa…but the box is not BIG enough.

FYI Elfcroft’s 2016 contributions were included in kits assembled in Iowa then distributed to communities in Uganda, Ghana, Haiti and Swaziland.

Our first 2017 shipment has 320 tri-fold, reversible, top stitched flannel pads….

Featuring bold, bright, varied color and patterns

Featuring bold, bright, varied color and patterns

dfgi_2017_pads_img_20170106_134944242_hdr-copy

Liners stacked 10 high. Polyurethane laminate or PUL middle. Pockets to insert pad. Wings will have snap installed at assembly location.

Plus Liners (stacked 10 high) with polyurethane laminate or PUL middle and pockets to insert folded pad. Wings will have a snap installed at assembly location.

These components are put in draw string bags with (2) pairs of panties, wash cloth, soap, and (2) ziplock gallon size freezer bags to help washing.  The design intention is for each kit to be reused over a three-year time frame.

http://www.daysforgirls.org

Just one of many reasons Days for Girls International is so important…

http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/lens/2017/01/05/in-nepal-monthly-exile-for-women/?_r=0&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

 

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Indy Star: 5 lucky foods for New Year’s

31 Dec

From Indy Star

5 lucky foods for New Year’s

http://indy.st/1ckgSUF

This story, originally published Dec. 31, 2013, has been updated.Did you know that in Spain, it’s considered good luck to eat one grape with each stroke of the clock at midnight? Or that in Greece, a pomegranate is smashed on the floor when the clock strikes 12? Around the world, certain foods are thought to bring good fortune when consumed (or in the case of the poor pomegranate, destroyed) on New Year’s Eve.Here are five lucky foods to eat on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day for your most prosperous year yet.1. Ring-shaped foodsThese foods should be eaten to signify the year coming full circle. Enjoy ring shaped foods like doughnuts or bagels before you swear off carbs — or at least for the first two weeks of 2017.

Tree Story

21 Dec
"Eve" was a Christmas present to us Christmas "Eve" of 2006.

“Eve” was a Christmas present to us Christmas “Eve” of 2006.  (She should NOT be on the table cloth.)

If trees could talk….

The six sparkly cane shaped ornaments were my first purchase (early 1970s).  I remember the Christmas Shop well.  It was July in North Carolina!  The shop was cool!  Full size trees were decorated to the max.  Enchanting.  Delightful.

The Christmas Shop, 621 South Highway 64, Manteo, NC 27954 – See more at: http://outerbankschristmas.com/About.htm#sthash.i4bIvfu5.dpuf

According to the history on their website, they downsized and closed the business for 90 days in 2008.  It has since reopened and sounds delightful as I remember.

For more than twenty years I had fresh-cut Christmas trees, they are not talking.  About twenty-five years ago, when “more was more”, I bought this little tree to be a “theme” tree in my master bedroom.  The vision:  white lights and blown glass ornaments.  That plan was in effect for several years.  When my stepdaughter insisted on decorating a Christmas tree each Thanksgiving weekend, she claimed this little one for her room the next 10 years.  The decorations were all of her choosing.

After a seven-year storage period, our littlest tree regularly appears with ornaments selected to remind us of our angels Anne, Grandma Sophie, Kathy and beloved cat Shelby.  Merry Christmas to all!

Tree Story

Tree Story

 

 

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