Friday, March 15, 2019

Flannel Update

I am pleased with most of the results.

I cut out 40 bandage pads, 20 of the 4x7 family cloths and 20 of the 6x10  paper towel substitutes  and ran a zig-zag stitch around each one.  I wanted to test them before going crazy cutting flannel.

I am using the bandage pads now.  The nurse was here and applied them to the areas on my legs that needed them.  I use an antibiotic salve on each one.  Without that, they could stick to an open wound, but any kind of salve including just Vaseline would work.  My personal preference is Bag Balm (for cows) to use on scrapes or minor cuts.  My legs are wrapped from toes to knees in Ace bandages and they hold the pads in place.  For use in other areas I have found the first aid tape they sell in stores to be pretty much useless.  It doesn't stick well at all.  I would use duct tape before I would use the first aid tape to hold a pad in place.  I have used the ribbed part of a sock to hold a bandage pad on a cut on my arm, but I need to find a better way to keep them in place where I wouldn't use the Ace bandages.   I think two or three layers of flannel could be sewn together with a zig-zag stitch to provide different sizes or thicker pads, but I will make mine single layered and just use several together if I need more absorption.

I got another dozen or so family cloths cut and then decided to quit being so persnickety about size.  My ruler that I use with my rotary cutter is 6.5 inches wide.  The cloths are now 6.5 x 6.5 inches square.  Went much faster cutting.

I have been using the family cloths for a couple of days and find no problem with them.  They are softer than toilet paper and are very absorbent.  I washed them in my little apartment sized washer on the low water setting in hot water with a little bit of bleach and laundry detergent, and they came out clean with no odor.  In a grid down situation, they can be washed by hand.  Sometimes I think we have become more squeamish and less practical.  Grandma washed diapers for 9 children using a wash tub and washboard.

I need to buy a small trash can with a lid to hold the used ones until laundry day each week.  I folded each cloth and stacked them in a basket that sits on top of the toilet tank.

I don't like the flannel paper towels.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe they are too small and too thin, but when I made a couple larger sizes and double thickness, I still didn't like them.  The ones I have seen in how-to videos online and in Etsy shops are much more elaborate, often using terry cloth on one side and another fabric on top, with enclosed edges and top stitching around each one.  This isn't rocket science.  This is paper towels and I just can't justify the time and expense for making them like that.  So I may just buy some cheap washcloths at the dollar store or maybe use some of my older terrycloth dishtowels  instead and use the ones I already made for handkerchiefs.  I have a big bag that holds more sturdy rags that are from old clothes I cut up and recycled for scrub rags, mostly t-shirts and sweatshirts and pants.  With those and a few washcloths, I likely can get along just fine without paper towels of any sort.

I will definitely be making more of the bandages and the family cloths.  I can dry them in my little clothes dryer, but I think I will look for one of those fold-up wooden clothes drying racks.  I should have one anyway in case we lose our electricity for any length of time making the dryer useless.  If stored in zip lock bags, they will stay neat and clean and can be tucked anywhere for storage.  Because they can be stored flat rather than on a roll, they take up much less space.  Any fabric will eventually wear out so having extras stashed seems like a good idea to me.  Lord knows - I surely do have enough flannel for it!!

12 comments:

  1. Good to know about the flannel paper towels. I have 3 drying racks in my house, and need a few more.

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    1. Kristina...Others may find them perfectly fine, but I just didn't like them. Living alone, I need only one drying rack, though I suppose there will be a time I wish I had more. :)

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  2. In our early married life we bought a washing machine, but not a dryer, it didn't fit into the budget and would have raised the electric bill. We went without a dryer for about five years.

    When the weather allowed, we used a clothes line outside, but when it didn't we dried them inside. Frank devised an indoor clothes line of sorts.

    He used two dowel rods, I think they were about 4 feet long, I don't remember for sure now. He drilled four evenly spaced holes in them with two being close to each end. Then he tied a rope or clothes line rope between each dowel rod.

    On opposite walls in one of our rooms he mounted hooks in the wall that were big enough to hold each dowel rod. One end we left permanently on the wall, maybe he attached it there. The other end we would string across the room to create the clothes line as needed, but when it wasn't in use, we would take it down and hang it on the wall with the other end so it would be out of the way. When in use and full of clothes, this took up most of the small room we used. We also used a box fan on the clothes sometimes.

    Thanks for the update on your flannel endeavors, Vicki. If I may ask, why do you need the bandages for your legs? You may have explained it on here before and I just missed it, and if it's none of my business, please let me know.

    Always good to hear of your doin's. Fern

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    1. Fern... What a nifty method for drying clothes indoors!! I have used clotheslines strung in a basement before, but I really like your method. I have serious doubts if a landlord would allow something like that. They get all bent out of shape if you paint a wall a color that isn't white! But I'll bet one of my sons could rig up something similar. In the meantime, drying racks it is.

      I have cellulitis in both my lower legs. It started three or four years ago and quickly became so infected that I was hospitalized for two weeks. The Ace bandages are mostly to protect my legs and to provide pressure to help control swelling from fluid buildup. There are small patches of skin on my legs will slough off leaving an open wound that drains. That's what the bandages are for. One will heal over and another will break out. Arthritis limits my mobility so taking care of my legs alone is nearly impossible, hence the lovely nurses who care for me three days a week. Since I pay for the supplies, making my own bandages made sense to me.

      I have written about this condition before if I think someone else might benefit from my experience. I usually don't dwell on it. There are too many other things in my life that are good and in spite of these inconveniences, I am mostly happy and content. Unless something our government does ticks me off, and then my soapbox comes out! :)

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  3. I was wondering if the flannel would stick to your wounds, Vicki. I'm glad the Bag Balm worked. I use that stuff too! I got it when my dog had a sore on its paw, and found that it worked just as well on MY er... paws...

    I've never found flannel to be much use for wiping anything up. Terry cloth wins that race hands down. A trip to an auto parts store will net you bundles of cheap terry "shop towels." Amazon has 50-packs of them for $15.00... thirty cents a towel. Those work fine.

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    1. Pete...The nurse and I tested it out this morning and with the salve on the pad, there was no sticking of the flannel to the wound. I started using Bag Balm many years ago. I guy I knew wanted an old car I had for parts. I traded it to him for a young milk cow. I had four young kids. It was a good trade! Fresh milk, cream, butter...Sigh. The cow's udder would get chapped in the winter and Bag Balm healed it right up, so I used it, too. Love the stuff!

      As long as I got my hands on so much flannel, it was worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion of shop towels. I believe I will order some as that should take care of what I am trying to accomplish.

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  4. Wash cloths and a wooden rack sound like good ideas.

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    1. Gorges...Right now, if the electricity goes down for any length of time, I have no way to dry clothes except maybe on hangers hung on the shower rod. And I may just order some terrycloth shop towels as Pete (above) suggested. I think they will work much better than my efforts. :)

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  5. Try vet wrap to hold o your bandages, it works for me and sticks to itself. Available online or at a livestock type store like Tractor supply. Very economical also.

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    1. What a great idea, Lisa B...Thank you so much for the suggestion. I never would have thought of it.

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  6. Vicki, you have been busy! You were wise to do a test run with each type of cloth before you did a lot more. I know you will use any remaining fabric for other handmade projects. It won't go to waste.

    Back in the early 1980's, money was really tight in our household. One of the "luxuries" I gave up was purchasing papertowels. I used dishcloths and changed them out frequently. I am still papertowel- free almost 40 years later so it has worked for me and saved money as well.

    Also, I rarely use my dryer...mostly just for towels so they are soft. I have used drying racks for many years. There are good drying racks and then there are flimsy ones. Investing in a well made rack or having someone make you a good sturdy one will make all the difference for you.

    I hope you will see some sun peek through your windows today. The badly needed sun to help melt our voluminous amounts of snow, is struggling to show this morning. The melting that has occurred, is making a mess of our gravel roads. Some are closed due to flooding and others are simply full of ruts making them nearly impossible to use. Aaah, spring....gardening is around the corner. Have a pleasant weekend...CW

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    1. CW...I think I will take the advice of some others and order a couple of bundles of terrycloth shop rags to use in place of paper towels. Most of my old dishcloths and kitchen towels have been already consigned to the rag bag. They don't get the kind of use they did when I had a house full of kids, so not many wear out quickly. :)

      I use my apartment sized dryer all the time. When I lived in a house rather than an apartment, I used clotheslines, either in the basement or outside. My electricity is included in my rent and my landlord approved my washer and dryer that were not included in the apartment. But there is always the possibility of the grid going down, especially with the storms we get both summer and winter, (and I don't trust N Korea not to try something stupid) so a good drying rack is next on my list of 'needs.' Maybe two.

      I have a couple of ideas for the rest of the flannel. Might be worth a blog post later on. I just can't stand to waste anything, which is why I am also cutting quilt pieces from my fabric scraps. I just love one of those 'scrappy' quilts!

      We have blue skies and sunshine here today, with temps a bit cool, but in a few days they tell us we will see 50 degrees and higher. Woo Hoo!! I am ready! Hope your mud dries up soon - that's got to be miserable.

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