2 May 2017

Looking back on April, it is a bit of a blur...so much happening both inside and outdoors. The month started with a snowstorm, but as it progressed, we had some very nice sunny days here and there.  
Inside, I painted lots of trim and closet doors which Mike installed.  Then the weather got nice, meaning that there are pieces of baseboard sitting in the laundry room still waiting to be nailed into place.  We changed gears and headed outside--me to the gardens & planting and he to start work on a fence for the back yard.  
In the raised beds I planted radish, collard, and kale seeds...so far the radishes are coming up.  For cutting, I planted some glads and dahlias also.  In the flower beds, I planted peony bushes, hostas, lilies, lily of the valley, a clematis vine, as well as an Angel Face floribunda rose bush and a bridal wreath spirea.  This past weekend I went to a 49 cent perennial sale and picked up coral bells, delphinium, coneflower, saxifraga, rock cress, english lavender, and carpathian bellflower.  The plants were a very generous size for the price and I had to restrain myself from buying more.  
Last year we planted a lot of trees, so this year we have only added a Kousa dogwood.  I would love some fruit trees {the two we planted last year died}, but am not sure I will get to it this year.  
On the snowy/rainy/cold days I enjoyed time at the sewing machine.  I made up some drawstring project bags and zippered pouches for my firefly farm goods shop   as well as a vintage army canvas tote.  Also started reading Onward and Upward in the Garden by Katherine White.  I am continuously knitting dishcloths and am working sporadically on the cable knit throw for my daughter.  Once in a while I pull out a sweater that I started for myself, and which will probably not be finished for some time at the rate I am going. 
My next major project will be outside...if it ever stops raining...All the fence boards and posts need to be stained, as does the Amish-built shed we had put up last year.  I just finished painting the antique gate and will be back soon with some pictures.
Thanks for stopping by--I hope you are enjoying warm weather---are you working on any projects?

Deb

Happy Autumn...

In honor of the first day of Fall, I rummaged through some of the moving boxes upstairs and found the Japanese lanterns, which I have saved for several years. They have gradually been losing a few lanterns and fading--this may be their last year.  I saw the blue-green glass bottle at the thrift store and thought it would make a perfect vase.

The house is moving along well and it now has all its exterior and interior walls. It's so satisfying to see the three-dimensional as opposed to a plan on paper. Now we have a much better sense of the space and have made some changes as we realize certain ideas just aren't going to work as we thought.

This is an old pocket door we found on Craigslist--it's quite large and requires at least two men to move it.  I have been scraping, sanding, and scrubbing this side, and I just finished painting it today.  When I can get someone to flip it around, I will get started on sanding the other side, which I think I will just sand and wax as there is no paint on it.  It will hang barn-door-style in our hallway.

The Eastlake chair is progressing slowly; I realized that the old burlap, springs, and stuffing had to go, so I removed it all, patched the wood as best I could, and am ready to start rebuilding.  I'm following the instructions in my old Popular Science book, How to Repair, Reupholster, and Refinish Furniture .  The seat will be remade with plywood and layers of foam padding, and muslin.

Happy Autumn everyone--I hope your weekend is a good one!

Deb

an update from this week...

I have {another} new houseplant--a spider plant--which loves the light from the front window in my workroom.  Surrounding myself with plants is becoming a new Spring ritual that cheers me up when it's still too cold/wet/snowy to get outside and do any real gardening. In the sunroom I've added a split leaf philodendron, and a Hirt's Fiddleleaf Fig Tree - Ficus - Great Indoor Tree - 4" Pot/Decorative Cover* that I ordered online--it arrived in the frigid month of February, miraculously lived to tell about it, and, so far, appears quite healthy.
A couple projects that I've finished this winter are the drawstring dress 3C, made as a tunic, from Interweave Press Simple Modern Sewing* and the Artfully Simple Infinity Scarf.  The tunic is sewn from a somewhat sheer linen-weave fabric that I had on hand; I think it will be great for summer over a tank top or camisole.  The scarf is crocheted with an indigo heather, baby alpaca yarn from mooglyblog's pattern--it will be the perfect scarf for Spring.  More information is available on my Ravelry page here.  There are also new bags in progress for the shop--a new-style lined leather bag and another Indian stripe blanket tote.
The muffins pictured are from a new-to-me recipe, flourless peanut butter chocolate chip mini blender muffins.  I double the recipe and make a dozen regular size muffins, which I bake for about 13 - 15 minutes.  They are a new favorite around here...delicious!
A visit to the library this week was especially worthwhile--the Birds, Insects, and Outdoor Cookbook were found on the sale shelves. I could not resist the illustrations on that cookbook cover!  The rest are borrowed, and I will be reading up on quilting and house building--a perfect way to spend a cold weekend.  Hope yours is a good one,

Deb 


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cooking & crafting...

Cooking and crafting, that's how I am managing to get through our 'long, cold winter'.  It's been over a month since we were above freezing.  Many days, in fact, have begun at below 0 degrees F or in the single digits; wind chills of -20 or -30; snow, snow, and more snow.  On a bright note, I saw two flocks of Canadian geese fly over today while I was walking the dogs--maybe they know something about a sudden thaw...?

Before Ash Wednesday I made up a batch of Paczki, which are a traditional Polish pastry.  I used this recipe, and although it was my first try, they didn't come out too badly.  Keeping the oil at a constant temperature was a challenge, and quite a few ended up a little burnt--we did suffer and eat them anyway, filled with cherry filling and glazed.

When we moved, I realized just how many fabric scraps I have accumulated over the years.  I was considering donating them, but then decided it was just time to start quilting.  Looking through Pinterest has been fun and I am filled with ideas, which you can see on my sewing board.  Thanks to Leila's recommendation, I am reading The quilters: Women and domestic art, which 'chronicles the lives and quilts of pioneer women of Texas and New Mexico at the turn of the twentieth century.' It is a wonderful look into the part that quilting played in their lives.  I think it would be almost impossible to read this book and not be inspired to quilt something. It has been added to my list of favorite reads.

So, I am now working on a crib quilt--my first really-from-scratch quilt, as the only others I've made were a 'cheater' quilt and one from a pre-cut kit long ago.  I am using this tutorial for improvisational quilt blocks using scraps of fabric.  It is amazing how fast these came together! I now have the top done, need to come up with a backing fabric, and am trying to decide whether to quilt by hand or machine--by hand would be nice, though I am not sure how long that may take me.  

I received a new order of leather, which I would like to use for some totes.  I've sewed one up and am excited to test it out for myself; if all goes well, maybe some can be added to the shop. Sewing with leather has been a real learning experience, and I continue to try and perfect my methods; my motivation--I just love leather bags!

Hope you are keeping warm, or maybe even enjoying Spring,

Deb

June

The beautiful month of June is ending too soon.  Never has this month smelled so sweet...from the fragrance of the roses and wild honeysuckle to the heady scent of the mock orange and the sweet clover in the hay meadow.

The gardens are doing well with plenty of warm weather, sunshine, and just enough rain.  We are harvesting lots of lettuce, green onions, and radishes for salads.  The green onions were started from a bunch I bought at the grocery store {as mentioned by The Prudent Homemaker} and are doing wonderful.  Again this year, the strawberries are doing poorly, and I've only picked a handful.  I was unable to order more of the mara des bois plants, my absolute favorite, as they were already sold out.

This is my first year growing hard-neck garlic, and I was completely unprepared for the scapes.  I've only just researched them and found out they are best cut early for eating; I thought this recipe sounds good, but am not sure whether my scapes will be tender enough at this point.

When it is tea time or just too hot and muggy, I take a break for a little knitting or the reading of a few pages.  I'm working on a tea cosy from Jane Brocket's book, The Gentle Art of Knitting: 40 Projects Inspired by Everyday Beauty and am reading Forty Acres and No Mule by Janice Holt Giles; both books are good so far, if you're looking for a summer read...

A final note: homespun living is now on Instagram!  Though I don't own a smart phone, my Nexus 7 is working out great for this purpose...I hope you'll stop by and take a peek.

~Deb

sewing, some color, robins...but no Spring yet



 

The robins have returned despite the cold and snow, as have the Canadian geese...sure signs that Spring can't be too far behind...right?  To distract myself from the near-agonizing wait for warm weather, I have been:  visiting the library for books packed with color, sewing some bags, planning some drawstring sacks, painting some furniture, and pulling out all my fabric scraps with some new pot holders in mind.

 

I found this knitting book at the library, Color by Kristin: How to Design Your Own Beautiful Knits. After months of gray outside, this book is a feast for the eyes!  The gorgeous slipper socks have been added to my things-to-knit list ~ they will be a perfect way to use up many leftover balls of wool.  I wouldn't mind making some of the beautiful pillow covers either...

 

What have you {Northerners} been doing while you wait for Spring?  {I'm sorry, but I know those of you in the South are probably enjoying some sunshine, flowers, and gardening, and I'm not sure I could bear to hear about it ;) ...just kidding! Please let me know what you've been doing--enjoying--making. } 

 

 

 

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