If you're seeking a creative way to reuse the plastic bags used by so many stores, look to the Mat Makers, a group of women crocheting them into sleeping mats for the homeless.

Group organizer Georgia Coleman, of McMurray, and more than a dozen women occupied themselves with the effort during a weekly gathering July 15 in North Strabane.

"We're cutting back on the recycling, we're helping the homeless, and all it costs you is a crochet needle for 29 cents," Ms. Coleman said.

Each mat uses 700 to 900 bags and takes 40 to 60 hours to produce.

So far, the women have made nearly 40 mats for donation to We Care, a street outreach associated with the Washington City Mission in Washington County.

"I have everyone in McDonald collecting bags for me," said borough resident Hannah Fay Descutner, who recently learned to crochet. "I just love to help."

Agnes Schweinebraten, of Washington, demonstrated how to turn a grocery bag into the plastic yarn, or "parn" that is used to crochet the mats.

She flattened it, folded it in half vertically and trimmed off the top handles and bottom seam with a hand-held rotary cutter. She cut the remaining material into 3-inch-wide strips and then knotted together the resulting loops in a way one might join rubber bands.

After repeating this process for multiple bags, the thick chain of plastic yarn is rolled into a ball sure to tempt any playful kitten.

Mary Lou Karas of McDonald has crocheted for 45 years, but it took her a while to become comfortable with using plastic rather than comparatively soft and pliable fiber yarn. She said a fat, P-size needle is best for the simple, loose, single-stitch crochet.

"It's a little more difficult than yarn, but it's fun," explained Vivian Lewis of Canonsburg.

Carol Cox, of Eighty Four, was working on her sixth mat and becoming more proficient with each one. "I enjoy doing this in the evening, crocheting and watching TV," she said. "I enjoy the socialization here with all the women, too."

A strap and a stow-pocket are attached to each 81-inch mat so it can be rolled up and carried with possessions inside. The mat provides cushioning but is not waterproof, so an industrial-strength trash bag is provided for use as a tarp between the ground and the mat.

Donna Bussey, who founded We Care and works as the City Mission's associate director for public relations, has distributed about a dozen mats.

"People are using them," Ms. Bussey said. "They're holding up well."

She said the mats help people who sleep outside and may not wish to come into the West Wheeling Street mission's shelter, which also provides meals and rehabilitation services.

Unofficial estimates of unsheltered homeless in the City of Washington have numbered 40 to 50 people, Ms. Bussey said.

The Mat Makers hope to supply a backlog of 50 sleeping pads for the winter and eventually expand donations into Allegheny County.

Elaine Smith, of Washington, said she's glad to help. "I have a warm home, and it bothers me to think of those who don't."

More than 30,000 plastic bags are estimated to have been collected from individuals and groups. Some bags have come from the Mat Makers' friends and families. Others have come from grocery store recycling bins and bag drives held by organizations.

The Route 19 Sheetz store in Canonsburg donated 3,600 red, blue and green bags. In August, a bag collection will be held by The Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center of the Washington Hospital.

The women have taken advantage of the variations in bag colors and prints to produce a stunning array of designs, including stripes and herringbones, that make each pad unique and identifiable.

"I get carried away with the patterns," said Shirley Bark of Cecil.

She noted the same materials and techniques could produce mats for lying on the beach or kneeling in the garden.

Ms. Coleman said she has made pads to use as a stadium seat and an auto mechanic's mat.

The Mat Makers began meeting in January, after Ms. Coleman heard a radio story about a women's group turning plastic bags into sleeping mats for homeless people in Chicago. Fascinated, she found some how-to videos online, experimented with crochet needle sizes and gathered several women who made five mats for homeless men served by Faith United Presbyterian Church in Washington.

The effort soon expanded and outgrew Ms. Coleman's dining room, moving to the educational building of Chartiers Hill United Presbyterian Church, 2230 Washington Road in North Strabane, where they meet from 10:30 a.m. to noon every Thursday.

Ms. Coleman said no prior crocheting experience is necessary, and people are welcome to assist with any aspect of the mat making. In fact, an extensive network of family, friends, schools, businesses and assisted living homes have been donating bags and making the plastic yarn, she said.

Jean Lyons, of Washington, has made six mats, an accomplishment that took an amount of time equal to working a full-time job for about two months.

When she gets tired of crocheting, she motivates herself with the thought that someone needs the mat to sleep on, and she keeps on stitching.

"It's a good feeling in your heart when you do it," Ms. Lyons said.

Anyone interested is welcome to attend a meeting or e-mail MatMakers15317@gmail.com.

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