HOW DO YOU MANAGE?

Barb Sanderson and I had the pleasure of attending a volunteer recognition luncheon at Herschel, Sask., this past week. Since January, a group of community volunteers numbering as many as 17 per day have been meeting twice a week to recycle used clothing and materials.

The major effort was the construction of 39 quilts from jeans, cotton and polyester materials. Other projects included placemats and hot pads woven from jeans seams, homemade soap, pot holders and the salvaging of buttons and zippers. The community project was an expansion of the Mennonite ladies annual quilt making for foreign aid.

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When the Herschel school was closed due to low enrolment two years ago, a community action group formed to find new uses for the building. The former school is now a business centre, tea room, museum and community quilting/recycling centre. The community group successfully recruited a small clothing manufacturer to the building, Jabbok Clothing Factory, and a hair stylist/day spa is opening soon.

The 3 Rs

In keeping with the recycling theme, Judy Montgomery, a home economist and a volunteer for the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council, gave a presentation on recycling.

Rethink – Do you really need an item, or could you rent or borrow it? Consider if you could make do with what you already have. When you do buy, purchase only what you need. For a durable, long lasting item, buy the best quality you can afford. The initial cost may be higher but in the long run you can save. Separating real needs from wants, planning purchases, using a list and avoiding impulse buying will reduce your costs and limit the items you accumulate.

Reduce – Cull out what you don’t need. Don’t just throw the articles into the garbage, but try to find ways to keep them in use. Sell them at a garage sale, give them to a friend, Salvation Army or thrift store. Take beverage containers, cans, jars or papers to a recycling depot.

Reuse – Avoid items with excess packaging and purchase in larger quantities and then repack in smaller, reusable containers. Carry groceries home in cloth bags either purchased or homemade from old sheer curtains and upholstery material. Put produce in string vegetable bags, rather than using plastic bags.

Cleaning products

Montgomery also encouraged the use of safer cleaning products that aren’t destructive to the environment. Baking soda can be used as a scouring powder for tubs, sinks and ovens. Warm water and vinegar can be used to clean windows and mirrors, using an eight-to-one solution. Twice weekly rinses with boiling water will keep drains open. A tablespoon of baking soda and a half cup of vinegar will clean out drain buildup.

More recycling ideas

The reusing ideas of Tony Krahn, an avid recycler from Saskatoon, were displayed. She collects items from the thrift shop that no one else wants and then reuses them. Some of her ideas included:

A satin quilted pillow from the satin lining of a coat (she recommends the flannel backed satin).
Pile coat linings also make great pillows for kids.
An old trench coat was made into a garment bag.
Rubber gloves were cut into elastic bands.
A terry towel housecoat was made into wash cloths with embroidered edges.

Reused yarn was made into knitted dolls.

Recycling milk jugs

What to do with those plastic milk jugs, cottage cheese and margarine containers? Recyclable plastic containers have a small triangle and number on the bottom of the container. All of these containers and plastic bags can be recycled. Outlook, Sask., has the only plastic granulator in the province. The plastic granules are bagged and shipped to markets in Western Canada and the U.S. There they are remelted and used for anything but the food industry. Plastics are being collected from all across the province. The 1995 collection was eight tonnes.

Hazards of quilting

Cathy Watts, a physical therapist and passionate quilter, combines her knowledge and skills in a guidebook for making quilting more comfortable and enjoyable. The book shows how to modify your quilting workspace to avoid straining your body. “It all begins with a proper chair,” she says. There are also tips on how to warm up before quilting with a series of exercises and stretch breaks. The book is available through mail order from Physio Diversity, 1136 Temperance St., Saskatoon, Sask., S7M 0N8. It is $24.95 plus $3 shipping and handling.

“I love the ability to be creative and to create a work of art from all kinds of fabrics that by themselves don’t express anything.” – Grace Whittington, The Hidden Hazards of Quilting.