Today is Monday......

Monday equals washday. Well it does according to the old kids' song. So.....How about some things to help you do your wash? Technically these are for the drying part.

I am going to put you to work making clothespins, bag and a hanger on which to hang it.

I saw some clothespins at the first NAME National House party that I went to back in the early 80s. They were turned and made the hard way and were very expensive. When I got home I pulled out some of the fancy turned Japanese toothpicks that you can buy at the import stores. Here's what I came up with.

I cut most of the fancy part off with my razor saw and miter box. It takes only one stroke but turns out better than doing it with an Exacto knife and the pieces don't tend to fly so far.


Then I marked the toothpick at 3/8" long and cut again.

After that I held the toothpick bottom up between my finger and thumb and cut the slit down 1/4". That seems to control the cut and keep it in the center.

I then used an emery board to smooth the end into a V shape. That's all there is to it.

For the hanger I use a plastic coated paperclip. I get them at Wal-Mart. They come in lots of different colors in the package. I even found some that are striped! For hangers you need a pair of chain nosed pliers(Both points are round and needle nosed. They are usually found in the jewelry section.)and a pair of regular needle nosed pliers with flat openings. You bend one end in a circle. Straighten a neck. Bend for the shoulder. Use the chain nosed pliers to bend the curved end and do the same about an equal distance from the center. Bring the tail back up to the neck and cut the end off where it meets the neck. You can use the drawing in the photo. The bottom of the hanger is about 12" across. I do them this length so that they will fit into any of the clothes that I make, including children's sizes.

The bag is made of a scrap of cotton material. It is cut 1 1/4" wide by 2 1/2" long. In one end cut a "neck" out of the top. Then fold it in the center and cut a quarter inch triangle off for the shoulders. Put glue on the two long edges and across the shoulders. Sandwich one of the hangers in between the front and back. Press the front and back together. Let it dry. If you want a pocket on the front simply cut a strip to fit and glue the sides and bottom to the front. I used bunka for the trim. You can use anything you like. Perle cotton will do if you have it or silk ribbon. If you want clothespins on the edge of the pocket, put them on first and then put the trim around them. They will fit over the thickness of the fabric, but they will be difficult to push down over the trim.

Now I am going to go do my real laundry. I am not going to hang it out to dry. My excuse is that it's raining here........Well OK.....I wouldn't hang it anyway. The dryer is right next to the washer and the only clothespins that I have are the spring kind. I use them for holding together things while making minis. Nope. They have never touched laundry. Thank goodness for automatic washers and dryers! They make more time for mini-ing! See you tomorrow.