I'm Dreaming of a GREEN Christmas. . .FREEBIE!

Before I started making shopping bags, I was making these little gems. Disgusted by the amount of waste in the form of wrapping paper at the holidays, I bought a bunch of holiday fabric on sale last year and started sewing. Those on my gift list will get a half dozen fabric gift bags wrapped in a fabric gift bag! I will distribute them early so they can be used this Christmas.

I would love it if all of you out there started making fabric gift bags too. The link for the pattern is below but you can make them in just about any size!

Pattern is here.

Leave a comment at THIS post and we will send out at least 15 holiday gift wrap bags to some lucky winners. If we get a lot of response, maybe I will find some time to whip up some more! Remember to leave your email address spelling out AT and DOT so you don't get spam!

The last day to post a comment to be considered for the FREEBIE will be midnight St. Nick's Day, Dec. 6.

Happy Holidays to all of you. Let's make them as GREEN as possible.
Green Bag Lady Teresa

West Virginia Bag!

Hi Teresa

Just a quick note to let you know I received my green bag in the mail today and I  love it. Thank you so much. I can't wait to use it. I am enclosing a picture of it.

Thanks again--Iris
Iris Jane Harris

Thank You Les Indiennes!

A HUGE thank you to the fabulous fabric company, Les Indiennes!

Check out their site, it is gorgeous. It was hard to cut such loveliness, but the bagettes and I worked through it to make even more bags!

Have a wonderful green Thanksgiving. Is your turkey free range? Teresa

What the Hey, Friday Giveaway!

Well, I had decided a few days ago that I would do a giveaway next Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. I still plan to do that. . . new Green Bag Lady item. . .very exciting. . .stay tuned. . .

However, in the meantime, I have gotten antsy and will do another give away before then. No time like the present for a present! :)

Leave a comment on this post, with your email, don't forget to spell out AT and DOT so you don't get spam. Bagette Dad will choose 10 of you to receive 2 fun produce bags each from us here at Green Bag Lady central. Bagette Dad needs something to do anyway. He's back here in Nashville working as a driver since my hubby tore his ACL, had surgery and can't drive at the moment. Have you thanked your Dad today?

Yes, I am aware that I have used this photo in previous posts but no time to take new ones for this spur-of-the-moment freebie.

Post away. Oh, you have until midnight, CST, on Saturday, November 22 to leave your comment to be considered to win 2 produce bags. If you would like to sew your own produce bags, the pattern is here.

TGIF, right Bagette April? Teresa and the Bagettes

Bagette's Husband

Teresa -

Here is the picture of my husband Peter doing his part.

Bagette Lindsey

Nebraska Bag Lady!

Teresa,

Thanks so much for everything. First, for your desire to do something so simple, yet so big. I was truly inspired to do my part as well. I know I won't get to the scale that you are at...but every little bit, every bag, makes a difference!

A little about me: My husband is in the military, and is currently stationed at Offutt Air Force base near Omaha, Nebraska. We were previously living in Germany, where this "green" living isn't a new thing! Our kids are nine and six. And I am a college student. In my speech class, we were asked to do one persuasive speech. Mine was on using reusable bags. In my research I came across your site. About five days before my speech was due to be presented I decided to make bags for everyone in the class.

Here are a couple pictures I took. Both my kids helped a great deal. They helped me stay organized, asked tons of questions, and were all around great sports during the two days I was making the 20 bags (my machine only works well for a few minutes at a time ). When I was finishing up the bags, my daughter trimmed the threads from around the tops of each.

I did do a post on my speech and a more detailed one on the bags on one of my two blogs.

Thanks again, and good luck with everything!!! Elissa Black

New Hampshire Bag Lady

Hi Teresa,

Thank you so much for the bag you made me, I so love the roses, and you have inspired me as I knew you would. Since I received your bag yesterday, I have made 2 of them today. I am a major beginner when I saw how yours was done a light blub went off and I got it, so thank you so much for showing me how to do these and I, for one, will make you so proud and start making more and giving to my friends and family to use and go green!!!!!!

Thanks again and have a wonderful Holiday Season!

A Fan for Life--Rose in NH

Produce Bag Usage

Hi Teresa,

Here's the picture of the veggie bag in use!

:)
harmony
Harmony Susalla
Harmony Art
www.harmonyart.com

You can make your own produce bags! Pattern is here. Green Bag Lady Teresa

Update on CNN Bag Giveaway

Bagette April has chosen the names for the CNN bag give away. Bagette Dad aka David Van Hatten will be contacting those of you who were chosen to get a bag soon.

We have bags in envelopes and ready to go, once we get your snail mail address we will send your bag out to you!

Thanks for your comments. Stay tuned for the NEXT giveaway! Green Bag Lady Teresa

Over 2700!

AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY = 50 states

plus 47 cities in 30 countries/territories:

Agnes Water QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
West Leederville, AUSTRALIA
Queensland, AUSTRALIA
Summer Hill, AUSTRALIA
Dombirn, AUSTRIA
Manama, BAHRAIN
Rixensart, BELGIUM
Pembroke, BERMUDA
Petropolis R.J., BRAZIL
Fortaleza, BRAZIL
North Bay ONTARIO, CANADA
Vancouver, CANADA
Abbotsford BC, CANADA
Mississauga ONTARIO, CANADA
London ONTARIO, CANADA
Ontario, CANADA
Guelph ONTARIO, CANADA
Calgary, CANADA
Alberta, CANADA
San José, COSTA RICA
Jaco, COSTA RICA
Havana, CUBA
Copenhagen, DENMARK
Quito, ECUADOR
West Sussex, ENGLAND
Stockton, ENGLAND
Ramsgate KENT, ENGLAND
St. Werburghs BRISTOL, ENGLAND
Paris, FRANCE
Freiburg, GERMANY
Hyderabad, INDIA
Nesher, ISRAEL
Sicily, ITALY
Camp Zama Army Base, JAPAN
Monrobia, LIBERIA
Lansingerland, NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
Huntly, NEW ZEALAND
Multan, PAKISTAN
?, SINGAPORE
Pietermaritzburg, SOUTH AFRICA
Barcelona, SPAIN
Upsala, SWEDEN
Taipei County, TAIWAN
Kampala, UGANDA
Nottingham, UNITED KINGDOM
Christiansted, VIRGIN ISLANDS

After School Green Art

On top of everything else I have going on, I teach after-school art classes at the school that my daughters attend. This year the theme is Green Christmas Gifts. Imagine that. The first project we did was take plain white Green Bag Lady bags and have the kids decorate them with fabric markers. They did a great job and loved the fact that they would give a gift that had their art on it and would be used again and again.

I highly recommend making these with your kids, your church group, your day care, etc. The possibilities are endless. They can also be made and sold for a fundraiser.

Here are some of the sayings the kids wrote on the bags:

•I am not a plastic bag.
•Respect Reuse Recycle
•Go Green, Help the Earth
•Your hands touch the Earth
•Choose to Reuse

Enjoy! Send me pics of your kids making them too! Green Bag Lady Teresa

Dad was/is Right.

Ever since I can remember, my dad has been green. Certainly LONG before it was cool. Growing up, my father was meticulous about recycling, still is. He only ever buys exactly what he needs, no more. He doesn't like a lot of "stuff" in his life. Especially if it is not useful. I can remember more than one time hearing him say, "It doesn't matter what it cost or how much of a bargain it is if you don't NEED it."

Dad is an engineer and grew up on a farm so I think that is largely what shaped his ideas of what is necessary and what is stuff. He has never been sucked in to buying something because it was new, cool, etc. He doesn't even own a TV. He does love his computer and cell phone though.

When I first sent my dad the Green Bag Lady link for the site, I was amazed at his response. He was living in California at the time and I got a huge email from him telling me how great he thought the project was and he had many questions about the blog. He is still one of my greatest supporters and I love him dearly for it. This could not have grown the way it has without his financial, technical and verbal support.

Thanks for the "green genes" Dad. We both know Mom would have been in the Green Bag Lady cheering section as well.

Teresa

Overdue thank yous. . .

Thank you to all of you who have left comments lately. They are so wonderful and kind. I appreciate, and have read, every one of them.

Thank you to all of you who have donated fabric, time and postage for shipping. I apologize for this mass appreciation if I have not thanked you personally (which I try very hard to do).

Thank you to all of my Bagettes. I would be completely lost without your humor, your brilliant ideas and the donation of your valuable time. This includes Bagette Dad who was here for a month and worked tirelessly addressing envelopes, ironing labels, folding bags, and going to the post office (many times).

I am humbled by your selfless generosity.

Have an amazing green weekend. Go outside and remind yourself why we are fighting for this gorgeous planet.

In sincere gratitude, Green Bag Lady Teresa

Green Bag Lady Produce Bag Pattern

You asked for it, here it is. Send me photos of the ones you make!

Green Bag Lady Produce Bag Pattern

Happy GREEN shopping! Green Bag Lady Teresa

Nebraska Bag Lady!

Teresa,

I just wanted to thank you for starting this project. It's been such fun for our family. On August 5th I blogged about our adventures in making our first "Green Bag Lady" bag from your pattern. I'm not a seamstress and actually learned how to thread my portable sewing machine by reading the manual. We've enjoyed making new ones continually with the tons of fabric I picked up at a rummage sale for less than a dollar! I try to spruce them up by using fun "kiddie" fabrics for the handles. For example: Carebear, Bob the Builder, Sweethearts, Cars (the movie), etc. Here's a picture of a few of our bags with groceries in them.

I wanted to also send you a shot of something I thought was interesting. Here's a whole endcap full of cloth bags. SIX dollars a piece and they really have little to no personality at all. I would hate for people to think they have to go out and buy pre-made bags at this high prices. The bags I'm making literally cost me pennies. Yes, it takes time to make. But I get to put a little love and specialness into each one. I won't be able to do this on the scale that you do at this time, but I can start small.

We've also used old shirts to make bags. The Mexican yellow shirt picture was an old shirt of my daughter's. It has permanent paint (acryllic) across the front from a painting project she did last summer. She really loved the shirt, so we just made it into a bag and she loves to fill it with toys and carry it around.

One other idea I'm implementing this year is making reusable cloth Halloween bags for NEXT year. We've made the horrible mistake year after year of getting those horrible plastic containers for trick or treating. This year it was princess and spiderman plastic candy holders. They looked so sturdy, but they're so poorly made that they usually break before the following year (plus they're hard to store). So starting this next year we'll be using re-usable trick or treating bags and our hope is to make enough to give some really neat ones away to friends and family starting in September of next year. Right now Halloween fabrics are going on clearance, so it's the time to pick up some really good and cheap stuff.

Anyway, thanks again and we'll continue to keep up with you!
~Shaye (Chadron, Nebraska)

California Bag Lady!

Hello Teresa-

I saw your CNN video online and was really inspired by you and the Green Bag Ladies. Here is a pic of me and my first two bags that I sewed today. I’m looking forward to sewing and sharing many more. Thank you for sharing the pattern and for saving the planet one bag at a time.

Laurie
Northern California

South Africa Bags!

Teresa,

Here are 2 of your bags in South Africa.  Please let it be known, that I am better behind the camera than in front :)

James (the FABULOUS maker of the Green Bag Lady videos!)

California Bag!

Hi Teresa,

Owwwwwwwwwww! I just watched the CNN clip! Most excellent! And... I recognize the bag you were using!

Here are a couple of photos of my hubby's bag in use... one at the grocery store being filled and one at home.

Hugs and Congrats!!!
Harmony Susalla
Harmony Art

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead

Fundraising!

Teresa,
 
The Newborns In Need fundraiser** last Saturday was a success.  We gave away 35 bags and received $200 in donations, plus signed up 9 new volunteers!  Attached is a picture of our booth from the event.  Thank you for this great idea for fundraising, we truly appreciate it! 
 
Best,
Sara
Knoxville, Tennessee

**You, too, can have a Green Bag Fundraiser. Make a bunch of bags and sell them for a few dollars! Help a cause AND save the environment. Thanks for the great photo and idea Sara! Green Bag Lady Teresa

Tennessee Bag!

I was inside Walmart buying flour for bread dough, not coming from the ATM with a bag of "dough". Thanks, Teresa.
Diane Hawkins, Mooresburg, TN

Election Day!

Alright, unless you have been in a coma, you know that a very important election is TODAY! Please get out there and VOTE. Yes, that means you. Well, at least those of you 18 and older.

So, we here at Green Bag Lady have decided to let you leave comments until MIDNIGHT on TODAY, November 4, 2008 in the CNN post below to be considered to win a Green Bag Lady bag.

After that time, Bagette April will pick 75 of you to get a Green Bag Lady bag in the mail. Wahoo! She will pick another 25 of you to get a Smokey Mountain Bag Lady bag in the mail. Another Wahoo! That means that 100 of you that have left comments will get bags.

What should you do if you are not elected to win a bag? That is OK, you can download the pattern and watch the How To video and make your own bags. Surely you know SOMEONE that knows how to use a sewing machine. OR, you can buy a sewing machine and make your own. It is the easiest beginner project around. AND the pattern is FREE!!! You can make them for yourself and for EVERYONE else that you know! Which, of course, is the point of the project.

So, cast your VOTE today. Write your comment by midnight today (whew, busy day) and we will contact you via email to let you know if you have been elected, I mean selected to win a bag.

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE and stay green too! Green Bag Lady Teresa