Planted

We've been doing so much gardening these last 2 weeks. Here is a rundown.
SMALL GARDEN:
- 2 rows of beets
- 1 row of kale
- 2 rows of broccoli
- 3 rows of onions
- 4 short rows of peas
- 1 1/2 rows of carrots
- 1/2 row of lettuce
BIG GARDEN:
- 33 hills of potatoes
- 23 hills of pumpkins/squash
- 10'x10' block of corn
- 3'x3' block of wheat (just an experiment)
NOT PLANTED YET:
- 50+ tomato seedlings still indoors
- blueberry seedlings not germinated yet - 12 pots
- still going to transplant 2 raspberry bushes
If you have any great ideas for canning or cooking these foods, let me know!

Planting

Just got back from a trip to BC and the world is in bloom! I left while it was winter and came back to summer. I have already planted 2 rows of beets, a few flowers, a single plant each of thyme, oregano, and basil, and plan on doing the rest before the weekend. So what are you planting?

Sewing Ideas

I do not have a Pinterest account. Sometimes I get directed to there when I'm searching for new patterns, but largely I like to dissect clothing I see in the Sears catalog. If you are new to sewing, or an expert, go through the catalog and see what you like - chances are it would be easy to sew. I get lots of inspiration from there. Some things I love to sew apart from clothing for me are: baby sunhats, ring slings, pajama pants, and pencil cases. All these items are for sale on my website Tina's Crafty Treasures - please support small/local businesses! On a completely different note, don't forget I will be giving a Dehydrating Fruit workshop on June 29th at 1:00 p.m. in the Strathclair Community Centre. Everyone in Westman is invited to this FREE workshop as part of Food Matters Manitoba.

Manual Sewing

I am trying to reduce my dependence on technology. I'm not some "insane Prepper" who thinks there might be some world catastrophe, solar flare, or electromagnetic pulse that will destroy all electronic signals, but I do believe in getting back to our roots and reducing "screen time" and the need for electrical gadgets. The non-electrical ones require hard work, patience, and give a great workout. So I wanted to give you a challenge: every single thing you do throughout the day stop and think: Am I using a modern gadget or electricity to do this? Could I use an "old-fashioned" gadget to do it instead? For example a can opener - go buy a manual one. Your fancy electric one just won't do in a power outage! I am an avid sewer and thought that buying an old manual treadle machine would be costly, but there are hundreds of mini hand-powered "pocket" sewing machines on Ebay. Anything electronic stemmed from a non-electronic item. Take a look into the roots of all the gadgets you use and see if you can replace them and "down-power" your household.

Etsy Shop

I would like to take the time to promote my Etsy shop. Please support small/local businesses and crafts-people! Rather than buy a product at a large international box-store, why not buy the same item from a mom & pop shop where you will get better service, personalized items, and know that you are supporting a family's livelihood rather than slave-labour in a third-world country. Yes, it will cost more, but not much, and it's worth the price. The more you buy, the more milk I can buy my toddler. If you buy from a large box-store, you only line the pockets of the CEO. So click on an item to see more pictures and the price. Thanks for browsing!

Sew a Baggie

After 3 solid days of searching for an easy zipper-pouch to sew, I've found it:

http://threebears.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/little-boxy-pouch-tutorial/

This is a wonderful tutorial. I managed (on my first try!) to whip one up in 20 minutes. It's only one layer of fabric so no need to fuss with several layers, like other pouches. Here is a picture of mine:

Within the next couple months I will be advertising all my items for sale. They will include my baby sunhats, my zipper pouches and larger diaper bags, and pajamas. I will be posting the items for sale in the Strathclair & District Review as well as my Etsy shop and other social media. Keep an eye out!

Baby Sunhats

I just posted a pattern on the "Make Your Own" page illustrating how to make your own baby/toddler sunhats. I love this pattern! Most patterns you'll find on the internet only use 6 pieces but this one uses 8. It makes for more versatility with "patchwork" hats and colour combinations.
These little hats are very easy to whip up and are adorable on. Add some elastic or ribbon if your little one likes to take their hat off. I'm also going to try to experiment with some bucket hat patterns for adult-sized heads. Keep an eye here for the results!

Also some sad news on the "homesteading" front... I had planned on tapping my maple trees this spring, however.... I have lost my single tap. I don't get into the city often enough to go buy some more before the melting starts so I'm putting that project off until next spring. I've got a lot on my plate as it is, offering daycare during the week! I'm sure some of these wee ones will benefit from my hat patterns!