Friday Farm Girls~ Dreaming of Future Sewing Projects

Part of being a Farm Girl @Heart is dreaming of what you want to create next. I have had a re-birth of the desire to learn to sew more and better. I have very basic skills and want to expand on them and have fun building one skill at a time with one project at a time. I have dedicated a section of my Learning Room as my sewing area. I want to have a space to be creative in this way. I love how it is also not too far from my wood stove and I will have a chance to enjoy it too. Here I have shared links to many of my dream projects and I have also invested some sewing books that I hope to share as I start using them this year. Do you have any dream projects you want to learn? What are they? Share please. [0=

Braided Rag Rug

Woven Rag Rug

Simplicity Skirt 7141

Rolled Hem Hankies

Spring Napkins

How To Change a Dress into a Skirt

Reversible Totebag

Boxers

Notebook Cover

Flower Pin Cushion Or Apple Pin Cushion

Simplicity #3842

Jenny of ELEFANTZ Give Thanks Wall Embroidered Hanging

Annie's Crazy Thumb Pin Cushion

( To join in on the fun go visit my friend Lori's blog by clicking on the graphic)

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Simple Pleasures~ Reading That Feeds The Soul

It seems I have limited reading time so I have to pick my books carefully. During last nights visit with my oldest son and his new bride...Essie gave me a new book. It was un expected but very happily received. I have been wanting to read the Pilgrims Progress original unabridged edition for a long while. (I have in the past read The Dangerous Journey) I mentioned to my new daughter-in-love a future birthday gift idea to for a copy of a the unabridged Pilgrims Progress would be wonderful. Little did I know she would give me one that night. After spending a wonderful dinner and evening visiting with them we came home and I got everyone settled down. After the evening chores were done I got to settle down with a warm drink and a new book, *grin*. What a wonderful Simple Pleasure that is. Other than the Bible this book also feeds my soul. I hadn't heard of the book till I was a young lady reading Little Women. It mentioned Pilgrim's Progress in it. I asked my parents what book that was. My dad's response was it was a book that all kids were required to read when he was in school. Hmmmm just think what the world would be like today if that was still on the required school reading list.

.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

To join click on the Simple Pleasures graphic and see what it is all about.

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Dyeing Wool With Food Coloring or Kool Aide

I was going through my craft patterns last night and found my notes on how to dye wool with food coloring or Kool Aide. I sure am getting the itch to try my hand at it once again this winter.

On January 10th, 2010 I posted on my old blog of my experience dyeing wool with food coloring and had to share it with you all. I have have been enjoying my hand dyed wool Calorimetry headband this fall and winter. ( pattern HERE)

(January 2010)

I have been wanting to dye my own wool for years but never have had the courage to. But I keep hearing about those ( my older brother included) who have dyed animal fibers with Kool Aide. It is a safe and wonderful non fussy way to do it in your own kitchen. You even can use your crockpot ! My crockpot has become one of my most favorite tightwad tools.

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My brother gave me some white sheeps wool last year. I have been holding onto it for awhile and decided to take the plunge and dye it. But as I was researching how to dye it I found out you can also dye it with food colouring ! This neat must see homestead video that shows how to dye wool with Kool Aide. Off there they gave a link in in their more info a very well written out instructions too and a neat link to food colour dyeing your wool.

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Here I am winding my wool into a hank of yarn.

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I tied my hank in several places to hold it together while I dye it. ( suggestion here: tie very loose or it will give a tie dye ring…not reccomended unless you want that look.)

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Here I am soaking my wool in a vinegar and water bath over night to help it to absorb the dye better.

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Here is my yarn in the crockpot after I have poured my food coloring mix into it. Please watch video and read the instructions on the side. It explains it very well. There is one other site that I recommend to read too. Go HERE.

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This is what the water looks like after it has exausted all the colour from the water. It is so fun to keep peeking in and seeing it disapear. This is a GREAT science experiment with learning color therory. I had a ton of fun mixing my own colours with the food colouring.

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TA DA ! Here is my first tries !

((((HAPPY DANCE)))

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And my second tries !!

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I thought I would show what my knitting basket looks like right now. The top right corner shows the two balls of yarn that I dyed the second time round. Doesn’t this make you want to try it ?!?

( To join in on the fun or check out other Friday Farm Girls @Heart posts click on the graphic and go visit my friend Lori)

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Simple Pleasures~ Reading The Little House Books

I am going to start off my reflections in "Simple Pleasures" meme with something that I have enjoyed over the many years in my little homeschool. It starts when my boys have read through all the I Can Read books, Frog and Toad books, Owl books. Then, I have them read The Little House On the Prairie books with me. In the beginning (well for quite awhile) I read a paragraph and then I have them read a paragraph. Back and forth we go for the alloted time set on the kitchen timer. By the time the child gets through all the books in the series their reading is pretty smooth. I have really enjoyed this and building their reading fluency and heart ties with mom. I am getting VERY close to starting this ritual with my youngest boy. I can't wait to start. I am thinking it might be in a week or so. *grin* I can't wait to start.

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.....Simple Pleasures is to remind me to stop, to look, to listen, to slow down and pay closer attention to the simple things in life. And when ever I do, I am never disappointed.

To join click on the Simple Pleasures graphic and see what it is all about.

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Count It JOY

In the last 1o years the Lord occasionally will give me a message through a wonderful man at church. I really do feel like I am hearing a direct audio-able message from the Lord. I am usually in tears because it pierces my heart as I hear what is being said. This dear sweet man of God has taken such physical wounds and have allowed to learn from them and praise the Lord and constantly minister to others. He shares his story and shares how God is in control and knows every last detail of what is happening in our lives. He shares how he was spared two times from near death accidents and lives to still spread the good news. He says that God must not be done with him yet here on earth or the Lord can't stand him and is not ready for him to come home yet. [0= He shared how nothing in our lives is happening outside of Gods protection. He knows everything what we need and is very involved in our lives. Nothing is too hard for God. He shared with me that after suffering for 20 years then a second near death accident that happened year ago is causing his body to heal things that he has suffered from the first accident. PTL!

For 20 years he would have to leave right after church to avoid all the noise because it would cause such pain and suffering but now he can stay and visit. He also couldn't sing because it would cause such suffering but over the last month or so he has been able to sing through a whole service. What doctors thought would never improve IS. PTL !

As my dear friend was sharing all this with my this last Sunday I felt God was speaking strait to me. I felt through my dear friends words that the Lord was saying to me that He (God) knows every last detail in my life. That He (God) is in control of it all and knows what I need. I felt the Lord was telling me through my friend that He has not forgotten me. ( sometimes lately in my frustration I felt this) I have never given up but I have felt tired and dry and I am very ready for the Lord to breath new life into me again. I prayed that this morning in my quiet time with the Lord. I am ready to trust even when times get tough.

I am going to share that things have been very tight lately. With friends who have followed my blogging over the last 4 and half years know that I am very frugal but the Lord is teaching me even more in this department. I have said over the last couple of years...." I have cut so many corners that I am down to a circle". *grin* Well every time I seem to say that.... the Lord says that there are a few more corners you can cut. I rejoice that I am learning this because I am thankful as I learn to cut another corner that I get to share with others how to save money and put it where it is more needed.

"I count JOY my brethren when I meet various trials for the testing of my faith produces steadfastness and let steadfastness take full effect so that I may be perfect and complete."

James 1:2-5

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Homestead Ramblings ~The Snow Scenes Before It Rained

This last week was a winter wonderland in the beginning and then it warmed up and the rains washed some of it away. I am a Pacific Northwest raised gal and the novelty of snow has never left. I much prefer snow over rain in the winter. I love how it brightens up everything and makes it all new. I can see how the analogy of when we are forgiven that our sins are washed away and it is as white as snow. No blemishes all is perfect and beautiful. It really does look like new beginnings after a good snow.

This is a picture from our front door looking up to our neighbors barn. The border of our property is just beyond the lilac bush that the two bird feeders hang on. I never get tired of looking at that barn. It was a barn that was built by the original owners of the land before it was sub divided and sold. Where our house is is where the old log cabin was. Being up here on this mountain top feels like a world removed and in itself. And sometimes it feels like times stands still. I hope you enjoy some of the fun I had with my camera and also editing them on a free photo editing site...Picnik.

Our Home Sweet Home

It is a bit misleading because it is a bit bigger than what it seems. The house is set into the hill and there is a walk in basement level.

There you have it ...a taste of winter on our Mt. *grin*

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{this moment}

{this moment}

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A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

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