Got some quilting supplies
An odd thing for a woodworker, no?
Well, in this case it makes sense. When we’re done putting puzzles together and in their box (which is open topped, at least for the moment) we have to have something to keep them contained. Originally we had planned on shrink wrapping them, but our first opportunity to sell our puzzles at a physical location was at a place that has a decided slant towards the natural and green side of things.
So, Cher and I figured that shrink wrapping might not be in our best interest. We decided to go with muslin bags. The first set of bags we sewed up I cut by hand. I had a cardboard template, drew the outline, cut them out with scissors and then Cher sewed them up. I threaded the drawstrings and put the beads on the ends.
This worked out well and was well accepted at the store.
Now it’s time to make more bags, but I know there has to be a better way to do this. I talked to a friend in the fabric business and she told me about the cutter and cutting mats. That’s in line for tomorrow – cutting up 4 yards of tea stained muslin so we can sew up some more bags.
1 comment
Being a recycling fanatic, I do have some suggestions as far as the fabric goes. You could use fabric remnants or scraps in different prints (which you can find at fabric stores or thrift stores) and offer a unique bag for each individual puzzle. Alternatively, I highly recommend used fabric that would offer an additional “green” feel to the product. Old flour sacks, canvas or burlap, bed sheets (dyed if necessary), etc.
I don’t know what the dimensions of these puzzles are, but if you don’t want to sew, could you wrap each puzzle in a bandanna or other square of fabric, gather it up into a pouch, and tie it? The pouch wouldn’t be “reusable” per se (although most people are smart enough to know how to tie the pouch back the way it was), but I figure most people would want to leave these sitting out anyway.
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