Easter is over!

Golly! It's been a week since my last post. I've been on happy, happy holiday and I've been awfully busy celebrating so there hasn't been much time to sit down to type much.

Much chocolate has been scoffed and Spring has truly Sprung. I know the weather is yet to realise this but the clocks going forward makes all the difference to my cycle home.

Having taken a few days off post Easter my Matey and I went to the Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men exhibition at The Museum of London . It's only on for another week and a half but I would highly recommend it as I came out having definitely learnt stuff and pondering the continuing and controversial issue of the need for donor bodies for Medical Science to grow.

I often don't go to exhibitions that are ticketed at museums in London. I feel that the whole of museum is free so why do I need to pay for a small exhibition when I can occupy a day in the main part. However when I do fork out I always realise that it is often easier to really learn something from a small and well curated exhibition that focuses in on a subject. Wandering round a vast museum it is easy to learn nothing at all despite being surrounded by fascinating objects.

I did finally get on with a very small project I have been meaning to do for sometime now. (Why is it that the small tasks are always neglected.) The recycling system has changed in our area so we now have plastic bags to put it all in. The only problem being that the bags go everywhere and with a small kitchen it's hard to fit things in anyway without a sprinkling of green bags everywhere. Simple solution. A bag stuffer! This was one of those things I always thought was a bit naff and too cute for me. Until I was given one for plastic shopping bags and discovered that they do the job very well. Time to make a new one for the recycling bags.

This is a truly easy job and takes about half an hour.

1. You need to cut out a rectangle of fabric for the main body and a strip of fabric for the handle.
 

2. Iron both strips in half and sew along the long edge to make two tubes of fabric. (It is worth ironing the seams open at this point for a nice finish.)

3. Turn the strip for the handle inside out and iron.

4. Fold the two ends of the main body tube over twice so that you have a hem that is wide enough to feed some elastic through.

5. Sew the bottom hem leaving a small gap, around 1cm, for the elastic to feed through. I always double stitch around the gap to make sure it is really secure.

6. The top hem needs the two ends of the handle inserted under it and folded back up to keep it hanging nicely (see the photo below). Stitch the top hem in exactly the same way and stitch the top of the hem where the handle is.

7. Using a safety pin as a needle feed the elastic through the gaps at the top and bottom, decide on the best tension for you to be able to get the bags in and out and tie a knot.

8. Trim any loose threads and stuff with plastic bags.

 

Told you it was quick and easy! Free as well if you use leftover bits and bobs.