Wednesday, April 22, 2009

An Earth Day Don't and Do

Don't:


Litter by sticking your chewing gum in a nearby potted palm.
I started to take the picture because I was struck by the pink/green color combination. But then as I focused through my view finder, I realized that the "pretty pink thing" was actually gum. Yuck!
Do:


Use recyclable cloth totes to carry your groceries, sundries, science experiments, etc.
This one is crafted out of my hand dyed and patterned fabric with interfaced and stitched handles.


And it's reversible.
Also it could be yours because, in honor of Earth Day, I'm giving this tote away. Just leave me a comment and I'll enter you into the drawing for the bag.
I'll select a random winner and announce the name on my blog this Friday.
OK, now have a Happy Earth Day!

109 comments:

~Michelle~ said...

Oh pretty bag! I really enjoy the reusable bags, it even makes shopping more fun!

Cara said...

Gum and cigarette butts - why are people oblivious to the fact that tossing them in the nearest tree, potted plant, garden, etc. doesn't actually make them go away?

misplacedpom said...

Ewwww, gum is gross. I've been carrying my two reusable bags around with me for months now and I love them! I'm planning on making a bunch as birthday/Christmas presents this year :)

Unknown said...

Eww for the gum! How thoughtless!

And since I live out in the country where there are brush fires/grass fires, it bugs me that people toss their cigarette butts out the window! Aah! Don't they realize that can start a fire??!!

Love the bag!

mytinyrobotheart said...

gross... i hope a little kid or elf walking by doesn't think "free candy"... ewwww

love your fabrics.... they're beautiful
rachel

JD said...

I love your fabric. I hope to make my own cloth bags one day. Little hard right now with 16 month old under foot

kellie: thelemondime said...

hand dyed? yeah!!!

Rachael Adele said...

Thanks for being so generous!

Anna said...

That "Don't" is nasty...

But, the "Do" is fantastic!

Rachel said...

I didn't notice that was gum until I read your comment-yuck! Great give-a-away. thanks for the opportunity to win a lovely tote bag-you can never have too many!
Happy Earth Day!

waldorfmama said...

oh my goodness, i LOVE LOVE LOVE this tote! i went to your shop first to see if it was there, then realized you were giving it away. i would so love to win it! ~ shelley

Unknown said...

Love the tote! Beautiful fabric. So much snazzier than the typical re-useable grocery bag!

PrairiePeasant said...

Ewww to the gum! How inconsiderate! I walk to work, and am always seeing things (read: garbage) people don't see from their cars.

The bag is simply beautiful!

karen said...

I love the bag! I have lots of canvas bags, but none so pretty!

Sarah DeSalvo said...

Yuck yuck yuck to the gum!

LOVE the bag, though! I'd love to win it!

Kris said...

I love the picture, even if it is gross. I also use reusable bags (at Target they always look at me funny) and yours is so much prettier than the plain canvas ones I normally use, count me in for the drawing!

The WoodLand School said...

What a lovely giveaway!
Hope tomorrow is a gum-free day.

Ashley said...

Fun bag! And I think it's about time for a new one! Thanks for the giveaway!

team cowan said...

I was actually at a play date today where one of my friend's little boys found someone's discarded "a.b.c." gum and thought it was a delicious treat! We were all pretty grossed out. I thought his poor mother was going to puke!
Anyways, the bag is beautiful! All of your handiwork is beautiful. I check your blog every day for a little inspiration. Thank you!

KatyK said...

I keep reusable bags in my car trunk, but none as pretty at this. Thanks for sharing

Mushyhed said...

Gross to the gum! I love using reusable bags and always keep a few in my car. I don't think any of my bags are as cute as yours though! Thanks for doing the giveaway!

MichelleB said...

A great bag! Thanks for the chance to win it.

ilovebabyquilts said...

Happy Earth Day! I want to win!

anxiously hopeful said...

Love the bag...don't love the gum. Yuck.

connie said...

Oh, I would love this bag. The fabric is wonderful. What an appropriate give away. I would be proud to carry this with me.

Audrey Romonosky said...

Malka - my first time at your website - looking for your pillows. Love the tote bag.

Amber said...

I am just amazed by your creations! The bag is beautiful!

Rochelle said...

Love the bag. What a great way to help the environment.

Digs (Amanda Carestio) said...

Please add my name to the drawing: I loe your fabrics!

Amanda said...

What a unique and beautiful bag! You can never have too many totes.

Frogdancer said...

Ooo! OOO! Pick me! Pick me! (Waving hand frantically in the air....)

The gum thing isn't so surprising. I'm a secondary school teacher and I had yard duty near the canteen yesterday. The amount of papers and glad wrap that those kids left around the place was disgraceful. The bins were only around 10 steps away, too. Next week I'm going out there armed with some buckets and tongs. Anyone I see littering will have 10 minutes of picking up after themselves and their messy mates.

Melissa said...

Love the bag! Love being green!

Charlotte G. said...

Love the bag -- love your fabric -- love your creations!

Andrea Q said...

Love your fabric and your photos!

Sarah said...

I always use reusable bags and that one is very pretty! I would love to win, count me in.

Jo Hopwood said...

Saving the earth for Earth Day, love it :-)

Jen said...

Malka, I LOVE the way you put colors together. Love it.

Joyce said...

Happy Earth day to you too. I could use another shopping bag so please count me in.

Mary Ellen said...

Wow - great blog and great bag - Thanks for giving one away to some very lucky person!

jane said...

Earth Day seems to have passed by un-noticed here in North Yorkshire. Thank you for making us think a little x

Pam said...

I'd love to have one of your original bags. What a great Earth Day treat.

Monika said...

Love the tote bag! It's community clean up today around here. I never litter anything, but boy people are pigs! I even found a used condom!!! And it's NOT that kind of neighborhood were I live.

Fulvia said...

I still think the 'pink thing' looks like something extra-terrestrial! Good for you on the bags. Thanks for the giveaway.

Penny said...

Love the bag! I just took my first class on dyeing fabric--really helpful to see what can be done.

Rossie said...

Lovely! I hope I win...I have many science experiments to tote around!

Oh, but my word verification says "fucta" which doesn't bode well.

Wendy said...

Hi Malka . . .
I love your work!
Wonderful vibrancy
. . . craziness with the gum! Why? People can be so lazy which is so sad because life is more wonderful than that!
Thankyou for sharing!
Wendy

tricia of bitsandbobbins.com said...

how amazing are those bags??

you are such an inspiration to me...your use of color is utterly delightful.

Deanna said...

I love your bags... I enjoy reading your blog and am inspired when I leave!

two hippos said...

Beautiful bags!

brown robin said...

Wow! What a beautiful bag and ewwww... gross (about the pink stuff)! How is it that a human thinks a plant is a good place to deposit spent gum?!

Jennifer said...

A lady can NEVER have too many bags! Thanks for reminding us.

Joanna S. said...

Your bag is so bright and cheerful! I always have one with me in case I need it. I get so mad at myself when I forget!

pklaw said...

How could anyone ever use a plastic bag again when there are so many cool totes out there! I would love to win this - and promise to put it to good use!

superstahr said...

I love it! Pick me! Pick me! :)

Bethany said...

I love the bag. Thanks for the giveaway.

Julie Alvarez said...

Oh, oh, oh...! The chance to have something from you again! Woooot.

Joyce said...

Your bag is so pretty. I'd love to win it. Thanks for adding my name to your drawing.

Maria said...

delurking & entering the drawing :-)


happy earth day!

Anonymous said...

Happy Earth Day and thanks for the drawing....I do love that tote.

Marissa said...

What a great way to celabrate Earth day. I love the bag.

chermonblie said...

I've got bags like this on my to do list! :) Happy Earth Day!

Sarah said...

Happy Earth Day to you too!
That gum is gross! This morning I worked in some flower beds at gwens' school and pulled out tons of candy wrappers :(

ezeldabeth said...

i used to work at an ice cream shop and when the lot needed to be cleaned, gum and butts made up an overwhelming percentage of the trash ... it never ceases to amaze me how people feel that those items aren't really litter... so awful in so many ways! i so hope to win this tote ... it is so fabulous!...i love your fabrics :)

nicole said...

love the bag!
please count me in.
happy earth day :)

michelle said...

your work is so beautiful! I would love to learn how to dye fabric like you do! What a lovely giveaway!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous bag :-)

I'm please that as of this week one of the major supermarket stores and our biggest discount store have started charging for palstic bags, in a bid to encourage customers to bring their own. I always take mine to the supermarket.

xanadu.fan said...

my green bags are starting to wear apart. I need to repair some of them and it would be great to add a pretty one to the pile. Thanks for offering a give away.

Chveya said...

Very nice bag! Happy Earth Day!!

Donna said...

What a cute bag...........you are so right about the gum, always on the sidewalk.......

melissa s. said...

LOVE the tote! (and ewwwww to the gum!)

Robyn said...

Thanks for the giveaway and the pretty pictures!! (not the gum of course!)

Tara said...

Ooohhh--you so make me want to play with dye! What do you use? I've only worked with acid dyes for wool and RIT for tie-die!

Dot said...

despite the "yuck", the colors and textures in the gum/plant photo are great. As for the bag--fantastic patterns.

JWhit said...

Love the bag - count me in for your giveaway please. Happy E/day!

Julie said...

Beautiful bag. Funny story about the gum picture. Thanks.

LauraJ said...

Happy Earth Day!! What a lovely bag!

sugarcreekstuff said...

Happy Earth Day to you.
Yea, that gum, gross.
That tote, a beauty.

linda kl said...

just love your work!! thank you for the givaway!!

Theresa N. said...

totes. Don't feel bad about the gum, I don't know if I'd ever figured out what it was.
Theresa N
weceno(at)yahoo(dot)com

Rebecca said...

I love your bag and even more I love your cloth!

leslie said...

happy e-day. and i love all things reversible. whoohoo.

courtney said...

awesome pattern, as usual!

Leslie said...

Love your site and all of the earth friendly advice.

Sadie said...

what a lovely bag! the bags we carry are ugly, with big grocery store logos all over them. we use them anyway, but i would be proud to show my face at the farmer's market toting this one! happy earth day.

Unknown said...

Love the bag, and love your blog---you have inspired me!

Unknown said...

Love the bags, love the planet! Happy Earth Day

Unknown said...

Such a pretty bag! It would be such an honor to carry anything made out of your fabric.

It's gross, but that picture is so cool.

Anonymous said...

The bag is wonderful and using them is something we all should be doing. I would love to be able to use yours to carry my important parcels!

Karissa said...

Yuck--the gum is gross! But that tote is great! Enter me, please!

Sarah said...

what a great bag! i would love to win it. and "yuck" about the gum.

Unknown said...

I love the Elf references! :) That's the first thing I thought of when i saw the picture. Great tote!

Nancy said...

The bag is great; the gum . . . not so much. Thank you for the giveaway.

gretebirgitte said...

Thank you for a fantastic blog! I love to see your fabric and what you make of it! Love the bag- and would be proud to use it! Grete Birgitte

Monica said...

I stumbled on your blog and I'm in love with the fantastic things you create. I was so entranced with the quilt the made you a cover girl, I immediately called my quilt shop yesterday to see if any additional copies remained. Thank you for sharing, your talents.

swengie.g said...

Great colors! (well, except for the gum surprise) Recently found your blog, I really enjoy your photos & dye-ing and quilts. What a great bag!

Katie R said...

so cute! love the colors.

Judy H said...

as always, love what you do...and a person can't have enough totes to shop with!

Jan said...

Cigarettes: Bad
Gum: Bad
Cloth bags: GOOD

Maya Sara Matthew said...

Thank-you for the opportunity to win some of your work. I carry an unbleached cotton cloth bag for my vegetables.

Mary said...

Love the bag, love the fabric, love to have it. Thanks for being willing to share.

Julia said...

Oh, Oh!! I love this pretty pretty bag!! I promise never to stick my gum in potted plants!

klwkent said...

Oh how pretty. I would love to win this.

drake iz my man said...

Beautiful bag, like all your creations.

Mel G said...

I LOVE the totes, thank you so much for the chance to win!

mikawendy said...

Great bag! Yick on the gum. When I first saw the picture, I thought it was a very far-away picture of a baby pig, but alas no.

patty a. said...

Love your bag. The fabric you make is awesome! Hope it is not to late to throw my name in for the bag.

Anonymous said...

I'm prob'ly too late for the giveaway, but just in case - here I yam.

Btw, I bought the two issues of Quilting Arts just for your articles. Got the supplies all ready to try it out too. Just can't decide exactly what fabric yet and only could get squares (not circles) cut out of plexiglass at the local hardware store.

Seems like so much fun!!

jacquie said...

i'm probably too late for the giveaway...but this is a great reminder. i've been telling myself forever to make some bags to use when i shop...so i'm going to just do it!

Sharon said...

Love the bag, please enter me in the drawing!