THE RAG BAG

Today I started a rag bag in my “old house)….yep – it was time…things were out of hand – pretty good dish towels were being used for painting rags, washing the floor – everyone – the cleaning lady, my fab guy, myself – were ignoring the rules for frugality and waste. This lack of rags was soon going to send me to the store to buy some decent looking dish towels!!!

It was a happy accident – I found an old vintage table cloth that had been chewed by a mouse. It looked good enough to make a dozen napkins from the good areas- so I started ripping….not into hemming, I frayed the edges – the first laundry will add to the effect…I recommend it to everyone – cloth napkins save paper, they save your pants from that uneasy swipe, they may even save your carpet if a glass goes over…So – lets do it! Make your own napkins! They can be made from new fabric that you just ca’t resist, or from old clothing that you love, or like me – a “saved” bit of vintage cloth.

Sure a bit of water and soap are used to clean them – but you can use them over a few times before they need a wash…esp if you use napkin rings for each person in the family…

Ok, anyway – I make napkins, rags, and a rag bag – all in less than an hour – and my wonderful vintage cloth has a second life!

As I cut and ripped, I pondered this old fabric – what stories could it tell? What has it seen? Did some woman proudly place a pitcher of freshly made lemonade in the center? Did children spill cherry pie – making those old stains?