Tea Kettles and Lavendar

Free Vintage Sunbonnet Pattern: {Sewing}

I love these bonnets I where them I have many that matches my dresses.. I even where mine to church and town..

Blessings sisterbrenda

sunbonnet

Sunbonnets and more sunbonnets! Make ‘em to match your housedresses, your gardening outfits, even your sports clothes or your square dance costumes. Here’s one that opens flat for easy ironing and it’s so very easy to make. Two-thirds of a yard of average material will be enough.

Vintage Sunbonnet Pattern (1952)

The proportions shown on the chart should remain, but the scale may be varied to suit the size you plan–two and a quarter inches for each square will come out about right for the bonnet for an adult. The straight side of the brim should measure 18 inches and crown piece should be 20 inches long and 16 inches at the widest point-enlarge the scale accordingly. For a child’s bonnet, make the squares smaller.

Face the crown piece all around with a bias strip cut an inch and a half wide. Then sew a bias casing at X for drawstrings; work an eyelet in the center of casing and fasten strings at the side seams; later, tie them at center.

Cut an interfacing of heavy muslin and stitch with both brim pieces. Turn right side out and stitch around curve–as many rows as desired. Whip the straight edge. If you wish a light-weight slat type brim, it can be done with long emery boards from the manicure goods section. Use these stiff boards as slats, sipping them into channels that are stitched crosswise just outside a penciled outline of the emery boards; leave one end open so the “slats” may be removed for laundering.

Click Picture To Download Pattern

Sew snaps or buttons at dots. From O to O, sew, snap or button a band about a half inch wide by 8 1/2 inches long, to be a stay to keep the bonnet from slipping forward.

The curved outer edge, as well as tie ends, if you wish them, may have lace or embroidery trim. Broken line on chart shows optional shape for neck, if you want more protection from the sun.

Source: The WorkBasket (June 1952)

Free Laundry Bag Pattern – Vintage (1944)

Well now that spring is coming upon us it's time to start hanging clothes in some areas.. I think I'm going to make one of these

Blessings sisterbrenda

laundry bag for your clothes pins

Materials:

3/4 yard Printed Cotton

J. & P. Coats Percale Bias Trim, single fold

Coat Hanger

J. & P. Coats or Clark’s O.N.T. Mercerized Sewing Thread in matching colors, or Best Six Cord in white

Directions for Cutting:

1 piece — 18″ x 36″
2 pieces — 7″ x 17 1/2″

Directions for Making:
(1/2″ allowed for seams)

1. Place 7″ x 17 1/2″ pieces (top section) wrong sides together.
2. To shape top edge, place a hanger along edge, draw around outside curve and cut along outline.
3. Cut one piece in half up the center and hem cut edges 1/4″ and press.
4. Baste the 2 small pieces against the one whole piece, right sides together, and stitch across the top and down the sides, turn to right side and press.
5. To make bag section, stitch selvage edges of 18″ x 36″ piece together (right sides together) to within 6″ from top edge and press.
6. With selvage seam at center front, stitch across bottom edge, turn to right side and press.
7. Gather top edge of bag section.
8. Baste and stitch top section to bag section, raw edge to raw edge (right sides together).
9. Baste and stitch both edges of bias trim across front 3″ from top edge and repeat this over seam line, allowing 10″ to extend at each side of center opening for ties.
10. To finish ties, top stitch 10″ of bias to wrong side of each tie. Insert hanger.

Source: J. & P. Coats Gift Bazaar Sewing Suggestions (1944

Shamrock Pincushion: {Free Pattern}

Here is a cute craft to make

Blessings sisterbrenda

shamrock pincushion

This pin cushion can be made in a short time from a few small pieces of felt. The model is red and black with a green shamrock; however, other combinations can be used.

Click Picture To Download Free Pattern

• Cut 2 circles from black felt for top and bottom, the shamrock and the side piece from green.
• Applique the shamrock to top section.
• Sew a red button in center of shamrock.
• Cut a strip of felt 1 x 8 3/4 inches for side, sew one edge of side section to top circle, the other edge to bottom circle.
• Cut a circle of cardboard slightly smaller than the bottom section and place in bottom of cushion, stuff with cotton or kapok.

Source: The Workbasket (1952)

Grow $700 of Food in 100 Square Feet!

This sounds great..

food

Today’s feature is from Mother Earth News with Grow $700 of Food in 100 Square Feet!

You Can Reap Big Rewards With A Small Patch Of Land

If more Americans grew a little food — instead of so much grass — our savings on grocery bills would be astounding.

 

The total value of the fresh vegetables author Rosalind Creasy grew in her 100-square-foot garden in 2008 was $683.43!

Small yard means small savings? Not so! This article reviews how you can grow quite a lot of food in just a 5 ft x 20 ft space. I know square foot gardening isn’t a new concept, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone break down the amount of money you can save in such a small area. There’s also a spreadsheet download available (listed towards the end of the article) to keep track of what you’ve planted and what the yield was (from Rosalind Creasy’s site here: Edible Gardening).

A few tips listed on the last page of the article:

• Choose indeterminate tomatoes. They keep growing and producing fruit until a killing frost. (Determinate varieties save space but ripen all at once.)
• In spring, plant cool-season vegetables, including lettuce, mesclun and stir-fry green mixes, arugula, scallions, spinach and radishes. They are ready to harvest in a short time, and they act as space holders until the warm-season veggies fill in.
• Grow up. Peas, small melons, squash, cucumbers and pole beans have a small footprint when grown vertically. Plus, they yield more over a longer time than bush types.
• Plants such as broccoli, eggplant, peppers, chard and kale are worth the space they take for a long season. As long as you keep harvesting, they will keep producing until frost.

Please visit the site listed above to view the entire article. Also make sure to check out Grow 100 lbs. Of Potatoes In 4 Square Feet: How To for an impressive potato growing technique

How To Turn One Stick Of Butter Into Two

Here is another great one I would like to share with you..

Blessings sisterbrenda

Butter

Today’s feature is from Choosing Voluntary Simplicity with a tip for How To Turn One Stick Of Butter Into Two, I’ve also included another recipe plus tip below:

Extended butter is easy to make. Just beat one half cup of lukewarm water into one softened stick of butter. If you use a mixer, start slowly to prevent splattering. Add small amounts of water at a time and keep beating until the water is thoroughly incorporated into the butter. The mixture will be smooth and fluffy, and you will end up with one cup of soft butter. After this soft butter is refrigerated, it will become as firm as regular butter.

Cool tip! Please visit the site for full details. Use extended butter to save money on groceries but also to save on calories (less fat). The site doesn’t recommend it being used for baking.

Another recipe I found for making extended butter is from Raising Arrows (Extended Spreadable Butter ~ A Tutorial). This recipe calls for 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp liquid lecithin, 5 oz water and 1 lb of butter and makes a nice spreadable butter.

In an old cookbook of mine, I found this tip for extending butter:

• To one pound of butter, gradually cream in one tall can of evaporated milk and a little salt. Chill and you have two pounds of delicious spread.

Added: Here’s another recipe I found in an old community cookbook . . .

Extended Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup safflower, soy or corn oil
1 cup butter
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. dried skim milk
1/4 tsp. lecithin (powder or granules work best)
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

• Dissolve salt in water in blender. Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into containers and store in refrigerator or freezer.

An unpredicted charm of this butter is that you need to use much less of it than margarine or butter because it spreads so easily; ideal for the weight-watcher.

One version of this butter can be made by simply blending equal parts of oil and butter together, pouring into covered containers, and storing in the refrigerator. By including the other ingredients though you will have a spread that stays solid longer at room temperature (still refrigerate when not in use).

Update: Just adding this recipe from Average Betty that looks like another goody, Incredible Spreadable Butter (recipe):

Don’t let soft, fresh bread get roughed up by that bully, hard butter! And don’t pay extra for whipped, spreadable or light butter. Make spreadable butter yourself… save some dough on your grocery bill, and save innocent bread from destruction!

Kitchen Q&A: Is It Ok To Reuse Cooking Oil? (And More)

Good afternoon from Maine.. I use my cooking oil sometimes three times it all depends.. When I make homemade french fries I like to use the oil more than once..

Blessings sisterbrenda

Is it ok to reuse oil? and more

This week’s Kitchen Q & A tackles questions on reusing cooking oil, if there’s a difference between white and brown eggs, testing the temperature in your oven (and refrigerator), how to darken gravy and more!

Kitchen Q&A: Is It Ok To Reuse Cooking Oil? (And More)

Keep Your Refrigerator Temperature Cooler Than 40° F. For Food Safety

1. Is it ok to reuse cooking oil after deep frying? Deep frying foods takes a lot of cooking oil and it’s such a waste to throw out the oil after one use. You can reuse cooking oil but you need to be aware that the smoke-point lowers after each use. Once you’ve cooked with the oil, allow it to cool down then strain it (through cheesecloth) to remove any food bits. Store the oil in an airtight container in a cool dark place (I like to save an empty cooking oil container for this), or store in the refrigerator if you will go weeks before using again. Cooking oil can also be stored in the freezer. If the oil smells off it’s likely rancid so don’t reuse it. For best results, don’t mix different types of oil together (i.e.: canola oil and peanut oil). Tip: When using the old oil, add some new oil to the batch when heating–this will help give good results.
2. What temperature should my refrigerator be set at? Refrigerator temperature should be cool enough to slow bacterial growth on food, but not so low that it freezes food. An optimal temperature is below 40° F. (see USDA Refrigeration & Food Safety). If your refrigerator doesn’t have a digital temperature display, you can buy a thermometer to hang inside.
3. I don’t think my oven temperature is accurate, how can I test this? One year my Thanksgiving turkey didn’t cook properly (ummm, it was raw in places) and that’s when I discovered that my oven temperature must be off. Here’s how you can test it: buy an oven thermometer and place it on the center rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to a high temperature like 425°. Once the oven indicates that the temperature has been reached, open the door and read the thermometer. If the thermometer shows a different reading, you know the oven temperature is off. You can either adjust your oven’s settings (see the owner’s manual on how to do this or bring in a repairman) or account for the difference in temperature each time you use the oven (for example: if you know your oven is 10° lower than what the dial is set at, set it 10° higher when you bake).
4. How long are boiled eggs good for? Keep them refrigerated and they’ll be good for the week. If they’ve gone bad, the smell will be off. Have you seen this neat tip: How To Cook Lots Of Hard Boiled Eggs At Once.
5. What’s a substitute for eggs? Or cake flour? Or buttermilk? You’ll find lots of options for egg substitutes here. For cake flour and buttermilk substitutes (and other ingredients too), see my growing list here: Handy Substitute Recipes For Baking.
6. How do you scald milk? Some recipes require you to scald milk before adding it to the rest of the ingredients (I find this a lot in my older household notes and recipes). To scald milk, you just need to heat it to the point that the milk starts to steam and bubbles appear around the outer edges, you do not let it reach the boiling point. Take your time heating the milk, low to medium heat is sufficient. Stir milk frequently while its heating.
7. What’s the difference between light and dark brown sugar and can they be used interchangeably in recipes? Light brown sugar has less molasses in it than dark brown sugar. If a recipe calls for dark brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar but you may notice a slight difference in flavor.
8. I like having freshly squeezed orange juice on hand, is it possible to make a few days worth at once and store it in the refrigerator? You can keep fresh orange juice (and other citrus juices) in the refrigerator for about 3 days. If you have too much left over, freeze the juice in cubes or in freezer bags (with as much of the air removed), thaw as needed.
9. What is drawn butter and how do I make it? Drawn butter is clarified butter and is usually served with seafood (like lobster).
10. I love a nice dark gravy but it doesn’t always work out that way, any ideas? Pale gravy unappealing? Try these easy fixes: Darken Gravy Tricks & Gravy Enhancer Recipes.
11. What’s the difference between white and brown eggs? There are no differences between the two eggs (nutritional value and taste are the same). The breed of hen is what determines the color of the egg shell.
12. How do I know if my flour is good or bad? Does it go rancid? Yes flour can go bad, you’ll smell an “off” odor if it’s rancid. You can check for bugs by putting a bit of flour in a glass and covering it with warm water. See if any bugs float to the surface. If you’re not sure how old your flour is and it’s possible that it’s at least a year old–I’d throw it out and buy a fresh bag. Keep it in an airtight container for best results. If you’re not a baker and don’t typically use up flour quickly, mark the bag/container with the date on some masking tape.

The Mega Shopping and Stock-up

THAT Shopping Plan and THAT Binder...

1. Sticky Chicken
2. Poor Man's Chicken Parmesan
3. Fried Chicken
4. Pot Pie...Chicken or Beef
5. Stew
6. Roast
7. Taco Soup
8. Taco Casserole
9. Wet Burritos
10. Chicken & Broccoli Pasta
11. Stroganoff...Beef or Chicken
12. Mock Steaks & Gravy
13. Beefy Vegetable Soup
14. Chili
15. Pork Loin
16. Chicken Santa Fe
17. Meatloaf
18. Tater Tot Casserole
19. Ham & Bean Soup
20. Chicken & Gravy
21. Baked or Smoked Chicken
22. Lasagna
23. Rigatoni
24. Hamburgers & Mac-n-Cheese
25. Spaghetti & Meatballs
26. Quiche
27. Ham & Veggie Scalloped Potatoes
28. Ham...could be turkey ham, could be the real deal
29. Chops
30. Beefy Nacho Casserole
31. Sloppy Joe...could be sandwiches, could be casserole form
32. Sausages & Potatoes
33. BBQ Sausage
34. Homemade Pizza
35. Sweet & Sour Meatballs...on rice or pasta
36. Sweet & Sour Chicken...or could be pork from that loin
37. Chili Chicken Casserole
38. Chicken Vera Cruz
39. Tuna Casseerole
40. Chicken Bruschetta...or plain chicken & stuffing, no pizzazz
41. Spicy Sausage & Rice
42. plain ol' fish sticks
43. Sausage & Potato casserole
44. Sticky Ribs

Green Spring Clean!

Dishcloth Crochet-Along going on...

Making Dishcloths...wanna join along?

Dishcloth Mania!

Straw Bale Happenings......Shopping for Windows!

Click for Habitat For Humanity Store Photos