tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47560898012469113652024-02-07T14:24:46.430-08:00The Utility QuiltUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-46129972409141014722010-05-10T20:27:00.000-07:002010-05-10T20:27:58.149-07:00Transport Help and Canby High SchoolHello all.<br />
<br />
Well, Spring term is winding down...which actually means winding up. I'm getting pretty busy with school and everything but I really would like to wrap up this project. Thats why I need your help.<br />
<br />
I need help getting these Utility Quilts to Haiti. If you or anyone you know can help, please please please contact me. HELP!<br />
<br />
The last tarp making even I am holding is approaching this weekend. This Saturday, at Canby High School. Be there at 10:30am! Bring irons, bring scissors....we have enough bags!!<br />
<br />
See you all there. And help get these tarps to Haiti if you can!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-74338129138189399042010-04-18T16:25:00.000-07:002010-04-18T16:25:37.987-07:00VIDEO: How to make a Utility QuiltWe have a video! <br />
HUGE thanks to Brian McAndrews for filming and editing this video. Without him, this would not be possible. <br />
<br />
<object width="853" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2hBgdHObsM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l2hBgdHObsM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="853" height="505"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-76471073967896311802010-04-16T13:24:00.001-07:002010-04-16T13:24:44.657-07:00WOW Hall event cancelled.Hey...<br />
...so the thing at WOW Hall is not happening today.<br />
<br />
The whole thing was too last minute and poorly planned anyway.<br />
<br />
Sorry for any inconvenience caused by this. :(<br />
<br />
RubyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-78216230732042112662010-04-14T09:00:00.000-07:002010-04-14T09:00:59.646-07:00Last minute Eugene event!The WOW Hall in Eugene has graciously allowed me to host a Utility Quilt making event THIS FRIDAY from 1-4.<br />
<br />
I know its very last minute, and at an odd time of day, but if you can make it out, we really need the help!<br />
<br />
The WOW Hall is located at<br />
291 W 8th Ave<br />
Eugene, OR 97401<br />
<br />
Remember to bring bags! And if you bring your own iron or pair of scissors, those items will also be needed.<br />
<br />
See you there!<br />
-Ruby<br />
<br />
P.S: Don't forget about the event happening next week at Southridge High School in Beaverton, OR from 10-5pm. We'll be making tarps all. day. long. <br />
<br />
P.S.S: Video coming soon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-2713347128172190622010-04-12T02:02:00.000-07:002010-04-12T02:02:27.408-07:00VideoExcellent news!<br />
My friend Brian McAndrews has agreed to help me film and produce a video detailing how to make a utility quilt.This means that people from all over the world will be able to make them and send them to either me, or find their own way to get them to Haiti. I'm thrilled! I think that together, we just might be able to reach 100. <br />
<br />
Expect it to be up by the end of next weekend!<br />
-RubyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-20503217549995179882010-04-05T17:11:00.000-07:002010-04-05T17:11:43.754-07:00Weekend Update.What an overwhelming response I have had in the past week. The article really made things take off and I think we might have enough momentum to make a lot of tarps.<br />
<br />
I want to thank everyone who came to the event on Saturday at SCRAP. You all helped so much. So many people came that we actually had to turn some people away. The irons blew out all of the outlets in one of the rooms! So we mostly got a lot of prep-work done but that is just fine because now, at the next event, we will be ready to go right off the bat. YOU'RE AWESOME! THANK YOU!<br />
<br />
Speaking of next events, I am busy at work planning two for the Portland area before the end of the month. One will take place at Southridge High school on April 24th from 10-5. <br />
<br />
The other is not finalized yet but it will most likely take place on April 17th. Stay tuned for more info.<br />
<br />
Other things to look forward to: A YouTube video and a PDF with instructions on how to make your own Utility Quilt. Its hard to get all of this done AND go to school full time, but with everyone's help, I think we can get it done.<br />
<br />
Again, I can't thank you enough.<br />
<br />
-RubyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-41594222745680381662010-03-21T13:56:00.000-07:002010-03-21T13:56:21.042-07:00SCRAPHey everyone!<br />
I have my first event solidified for Portland!<br />
Saturday April 4th at SCRAP<br />
located at:<br />
2915 Northeast MLK Jr Blvd<br />
Portland, OR 97212<br />
<br />
Bring irons! Bring bags!<br />
<br />
Still looking to put on more events. Contact me if interested in hosting. Thanks!<br />
-RubyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-66050157446006982372010-03-21T12:34:00.000-07:002010-03-21T12:34:10.956-07:00Progress.The Craft Center and the MECCA events both went very well. We've made two tarps and have enough prep-work done for one more.<br />
<br />
Look forward to an article in the Oregonian some time next week! I was interviewed on the phone and a photographer came to MECCA and took some pictures. I really hope that the article gives this project some attention. I need some help making these tarps and would like to set up some events next week in Portland but I have no where to do it. Maybe the article will elicit some responses. <br />
<br />
I also would really like to maybe contact another organization out there, one that is already established and has a volunteer base and connections and everything. Making people care is hard business! I wish I could fully commit to this project but I'm a full-time student...I don't exactly have time to start a non-profit.<br />
<br />
Two things I'm trying to make happen:<br />
-A place to host an event in Portland next week.<br />
<br />
-To make a video that I can post to YouTube instructing people on how to make the tarps themselves so that I can get more and more people making these things. <br />
<br />
If you can help out in anyway with these two things, please e-mail me!<br />
<br />
-RubyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-45516309179231972832010-03-13T19:45:00.000-08:002010-03-13T19:45:38.672-08:00MARCH 17th!! Be green in more ways than one.March 17th marks the very first Utility Quilt making event. It will be from 12-5 at the EMU Craft Center. If you have any free time at all that day, please come in and help. I will need it! <br />
<br />
Here are a few things that would help the process out:<br />
<br />
1. If you can, bring an iron. I only have a few and the more we have, the faster the process goes. Fusing the bags does no harm to the iron.<br />
<br />
2. Bring bags!!<br />
<br />
3. Wear green (it IS St. Patty's after all)<br />
<br />
I look forward to seeing you all there.<br />
<br />
Can't make it? There will be another opportunity on March 20th at MECCA from 11-3.<br />
<br />
-RubyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-56100723740855320962010-03-05T16:39:00.000-08:002010-03-05T16:39:29.665-08:00Call for help.Hello! Maybe you have stumbled upon this blog, maybe you've been linked to it, maybe you looked for it, in anycase, welcome.<br />
<br />
I have a favor to ask you! If you live in the Portland Metro Area and have access to a large open space where I can invite people to come and help make Utility Quilts to send to Haiti, please contact me. I need to make as many of these things as I can and the only way to do so is with tons of help!<br />
<br />
I'm looking for space between March 21st and March 28th. If you, or anyone you know has a space available, please contact me.<br />
<br />
-------<br />
If you are in the Eugene area, remember! There are some upcoming Utility Quilt events that I will need your help with!<br />
<br />
EMU Craft Center, March 17th from 12-5<br />
<br />
M.E.C.C.A. March 20th 11-3<br />
<br />
THANKS!<br />
<br />
-RubyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-49614960453698719122010-03-03T19:12:00.000-08:002010-03-03T19:12:53.854-08:00We were on the news!KEZI did a piece on Plastic Bags for Haiti!<br />
<br />
...and linked to this website which is kind of awkward that I'm linking you back to their website...<br />
<br />
but anyway, here it is!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://kezi.com/greenspace/recycle/164771">http://kezi.com/greenspace/recycle/164771</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-18209925165117859502010-03-02T21:26:00.000-08:002010-03-02T21:26:29.111-08:00NPR pieceI HIGHLY recommend listening to this piece on NPR.<br />
<br />
I'm concerned about how to make sure that the people of Haiti will ACTUALLY be receiving the Utility Quilts. I know there have been some issues with the disbursement of emergency food and goods and I absolutely do not want the work of my friends and volunteers to go to waste. I got some really good ideas as to how to direct my efforts after listening to this.<br />
<br />
Please, listen.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124243603">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124243603</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-48266757088219110482010-03-01T00:39:00.000-08:002010-03-01T00:39:16.326-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMNP8D81Ae9zwgawppjp2wwEeRZ1qEACqzqapCp0pKaAGE0FmmoN-Pm2kwbxCKNf9K7trWFb_5lXlm4oxv-nz63JBpXxWXZwpSX9b_OR_p0ohI-jlI-Mq3g-eQG4N-WZv8uNuJIhjIg/s1600-h/march+17th+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMNP8D81Ae9zwgawppjp2wwEeRZ1qEACqzqapCp0pKaAGE0FmmoN-Pm2kwbxCKNf9K7trWFb_5lXlm4oxv-nz63JBpXxWXZwpSX9b_OR_p0ohI-jlI-Mq3g-eQG4N-WZv8uNuJIhjIg/s640/march+17th+copy.jpg" width="416" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756089801246911365.post-7471969809447811402010-02-17T14:13:00.000-08:002010-02-17T15:06:52.997-08:00The beginningHello Community!<br />
<br />
My name is Ruby Sprengle. I'm a Product Design student at the University of Oregon. Yesterday morning, as I was listening to NPR on my walk to campus, I heard a piece about the rapidly approaching rainy season in Haiti and the problems it has already begun to cause with the country's rebuilding efforts. The Red Cross sees this deluge of precipitation causing some serious problems in the future. Displacement and lack of shelter are two looming problems that have yet to be addressed. The people of Haiti are confused as to why the Red Cross hasn't supplied them with adequate shelter. The answer was simple: They don't have enough tarps.<br />
<br />
They don't have enough TARPS?! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. People were sleeping under cardboard boxes (which are anything but waterproof, I might add) because there wasn't enough plastic for them to sleep under. How interesting...<br />
<br />
...As I took this information in, a project that my friend Greg Peterson and I did this summer popped into my head. It is a portable shelter for the homeless people of Portland called the Utility Quilt. I thought, "Wait a minute...homeless people in Portland...homeless people in Haiti...why can't the Utility Quilt work in Haiti?" <br />
<br />
The Utility Quilt is made entirely out of recycled plastic bags using an extremely high tech and uniquely named process caused "Plastic Bag Fusing" which involves layers of plastic bags, just like the ones you get at the grocery store, a piece of tracing paper, and an iron. It was designed to be a lightweight, portable, waterproof shelter that can be used in a variety of situations and locations, depending on the user's needs. They can be used as a singular unit or linked together with other Quilts to form a larger protected area. <br />
Here are a few images of how it turned out:<br />
<br />
Installed on the Portland Waterfront:<br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_oyjCgn6hMePC3x7TNE9LtGoAwLzvswxW5W8nTeidwnVgjcTiVYMABl2kRwIwmtzq92KPz_8jqG4fHPT1aSlV_b-E2HHEDydiuV3-pVfYIVU8MRI5xcshkglJv5RbpS3ZF-QZSabRg/s1600-h/IMG_6473.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_oyjCgn6hMePC3x7TNE9LtGoAwLzvswxW5W8nTeidwnVgjcTiVYMABl2kRwIwmtzq92KPz_8jqG4fHPT1aSlV_b-E2HHEDydiuV3-pVfYIVU8MRI5xcshkglJv5RbpS3ZF-QZSabRg/s400/IMG_6473.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439345730504394258" /></a><br />
<br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq2Gg1moptvHHMzqA2m-KUKZu5RgI9zkPPMKx9k-mLCuPqAhRJqcjX1yu4RRHdKy7IiWhAxAvWFwDzhMuJvZnWFfcWdXXV-RdTue4mmhZjfX08AKC059KpPgoHr4oYNClB5LcFn6euw/s1600-h/IMG_6475.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqq2Gg1moptvHHMzqA2m-KUKZu5RgI9zkPPMKx9k-mLCuPqAhRJqcjX1yu4RRHdKy7IiWhAxAvWFwDzhMuJvZnWFfcWdXXV-RdTue4mmhZjfX08AKC059KpPgoHr4oYNClB5LcFn6euw/s400/IMG_6475.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439345911568183442" /></a><br />
<br />
The Utility Quilt as a tent:<br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAC_6CLdJOob0ntBOt-YWIp-IjPZUnNokYOkurIK1SjMJMQuuVHsZ6TPmXzC8GfmORu6AZ9yBdJ0uMBX20mr0Y0uJJSl9rFjLPwSDr9viJRKX3Dcj6mSv2bp4a8vJjk6_QoW9168lRDA/s1600-h/IMG_6491.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAC_6CLdJOob0ntBOt-YWIp-IjPZUnNokYOkurIK1SjMJMQuuVHsZ6TPmXzC8GfmORu6AZ9yBdJ0uMBX20mr0Y0uJJSl9rFjLPwSDr9viJRKX3Dcj6mSv2bp4a8vJjk6_QoW9168lRDA/s400/IMG_6491.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439346320670668994" /></a><br />
<br />
The Utility Quilt is even strong enough to be a hammock:<br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbncMUTenkYvzIUX8YOwWljsmEBLxujJarI1NE1QqDOuxk_ALEUybHGXxdf2QYNwMatVkqs7OZouYGBpOpMTVajKN-9LwvbtAqLU1vxoLZViQu_7OtdXf4vFYUSdhyphenhyphencRXS5ZVTNP5BJA/s1600-h/IMG_6483.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbncMUTenkYvzIUX8YOwWljsmEBLxujJarI1NE1QqDOuxk_ALEUybHGXxdf2QYNwMatVkqs7OZouYGBpOpMTVajKN-9LwvbtAqLU1vxoLZViQu_7OtdXf4vFYUSdhyphenhyphencRXS5ZVTNP5BJA/s400/IMG_6483.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439346524205006946" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Level one of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Food, water, shelter. Efforts have already begun to supply the country with food and water but the fact remains that buildings are still in ruins, schools are still being used as shelters and there still aren't enough roofs to protect the people from the rains to come. I propose that we, as a community, come together to produce as many Utility Quilts as possible. Let's use design to solve problems and better the lives of those who truly need it. <br />
<br />
I ask you all today to begin saving your plastic bags. If you already have some stockpiled in your pantry or under your sink, hang onto them for future use. Stay tuned for information on where to deposit your plastic bags for collection, a call for volunteers, how to make your own, and other ways that you can help.<br />
<br />
For more information <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/pageinfo_pays.php3?Pays=HAI&Opt=climate">Here is a link detailing Haiti's average rainfall</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2010/02/haiti_a_month_after_the_quake.html">Here is a link to one of the pieces I heard on NPR</a><br />
<br />
Thank you all!<br />
-Ruby SprengleUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5