Recycling

       When I grew up in the 1930’s — Depression years — we saved everything, including used screen wire.  Back then we had no storm doors — only screen doors and at night they were fastened using a little hook and the wooden doors were left open.  No air conditioning either.

Anyway all fly swatters were made of screen wire — it was before the days of plastic – and around any farm there are flies.  Now when the screen on the door got a rip or hole in it and had to be replaced, the good part of the old wire was saved.  This is what my mother used to cover the end of the handle (frame) of a worn out fly swatter.

I’ve tried to duplicate this, however, I believe her framework was larger than what we have today and I remember her work being neat, which mine isn’t.   Here’s what is needed.  Of course, a piece of wire, bias binding cut from cotton fabric, a fly swatter handle, thread, scissors and a thimble is a must.  I’ve used ball thread which is what ladies in the 1930’s would have used.  Ball thread was used for patching, quilting and any other hand sewing job.  I cut my bias binding 2 1/2″ wide, and then ironed  it in half with the raw edges together.  In this picture I have basted it in place and slipped the ending edge into the beginning point.  Now I turned the folded edge of the binding over the raw edge of the screen wire and fastened it down as best I could — stitches show and I don’t remember Mother’s showing, but back then I was not interested in making fly swatters either.  Finally the bottom corners of the wire are folded up  with each covering one-half of the triangular part of the swatter handle and securing them with ample stitches.  On the larger swatter  (pictured above) the frame wiggled in the finished product and I made random stitching just to hold  it in place.  These swatters are not easy on the eyes, but they work.  We use them everyday.  This is how it was done during Depression days with that style of country living.