Blog - Page 11 of 52 - Linda Nelson

A LITTLE PILLOW TALK

March 14, 2018

No, not that kind of pillow talk! I’m talking, little pillow talk. Literally.

A few years ago, I whipped up a few miniature pillowcase prototypes. I had done the calculating to sew them to scale and used some not-so-pretty fabric for my trial run. And then, I packed up my ugly little creations and put them away.

During yesterday’s slushy snowfall, those little pillowcases came to the surface of my thoughts, and I was motivated to make them again. Only this time, I wanted to make pretty ones.

©Linda Nelson 2018

Their finished size measures 4.75″ x 7″, a “mini me” version of a standard size pillowcase. Aren’t they sweet? They’re sweet smelling too! There’s a little surprise hidden inside each pillowcase – a little lavender pillow sachet, the lavender harvested last season from two plants I have growing in my garden, and which yielded me about four cups of dried buds.

©Linda Nelson 2018

Now, I’ll let you in on a little secret – there’s another surprise hidden inside…..

©Linda Nelson 2018

The pillowcases are reversible!

©Linda Nelson 2018

Well, I hope you enjoyed joining me in a little (scented) pillow talk.

©Linda Nelson 2018

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THRIFT SHOP RESCUE

March 11, 2018

In my previous post, I shared with you my thrift shop score for a child related craft idea that had been brewing in my head. Well, the child related theme continues in this post.

What I also picked up at the thrift shop was this delightful little art piece that I’m assuming was done by an adolescent(poster paint on colored paper) female – a “Picasso-ita”. How sad that someone gave this treasure up. I immediately fell in love with it, and not because I though it was “cute”; I simply thought it was good. Period. Which…. brings me to getting up on my little soapbox.

©Linda Nelson 2018

Parents, please don’t tape your children’s artwork to the refrigerator like you would a grocery list or parent/teacher conference reminder notification. Instead, encourage your child to accept that not every single art piece they produce is exceptional. For the ones that are, get them framed and mount them in prominent places throughout your home. Yes, incorporate them among “pricey” pieces. As for the others, purchase an artist’s portfolio for storing all their “exercises” in and suggest to your child that they periodically look back at those pieces to analyze in what way their art has evolved.

The little thrift shop find now hangs in my dining room. Pictured below, are two pieces my daughter made back in grade school many, many years ago. I love them, and they are a part of the “permanent collection” that hangs throughout my home.

©Linda Nelson 2018

Furthermore, framed originals make lovely gifts for giving to grandparents, other relatives and teachers, too. Okay, I’m stepping down off my soapbox now.

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A THRIFTY NOR’ “EASTER”

March 8, 2018

Hey there! Just before our area was gifted with a windy, slushy mess yesterday, I scrambled to get some errands done. On my list was visiting a new-to-me little thrift shop, and a mission to find a very particular something. I scored!

So, pay attention moms with little tots; this one’s for you!

My vision was toddler size clothing that could be turned into Easter egg hunt gathering bags.

Ta-da!

©Linda Nelson 2018

Aren’t they adorable? And, after the egg gathering activities are over, these fashionable little vessels can hold socks, mittens, trinkets or any little clutch of goodies.

For the dress, I simply turned it inside out, sewed the bottom shut, then turned it back to right side out. With a few machine stitches, I reinforced the straps to handle the weight of anything stashed inside.

©Linda Nelson 2018

The process was basically the same for the overalls, though I did cut off the leg/crotch snaps and reduce the length of the legs.

©Linda Nelson 2018

You can even take it a step further and adorn them with bows, colorful buttons, appliques, etc….

Now, go raid your kid’s wardrobe and get creative!

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SOW BY NUMBERS

February 25, 2018

The southeast coast of New York has been blessed with a string of spring-like days lately, and I’ve been taking full advantage of it. What a gift! I’ve been able to turn my compost pile, do a bit of garden bed grooming, and seed sow a few cold hardy crops – all without being bundled up in a snowsuit. Sweet! Kovacs, my foster cat, looks on from the comforts of my office as I toil away.

We’re all familiar with the classic “Paint By Number” kits, right? Well, today I’m sharing with you, “Sow By Numberâ„¢”, a very practical method I created for labeling seeded vegetables and flowers that’s as easy as 1-2-3!

What you’ll need is –

a bunch of landscape fabric anchor pins
a plastic placemat with printed decor on only one side
permanent magic marker
a clipboard, paper and pen or pencil
scissors and a hole punch

Cut your placemat into a bunch of 1″x3″ strips. Punch a hole at the short end of each strip, making sure the hole is big enough to slip one prong of the landscape pin through the hole. Grab a label, write a number “1” on it and drive the pin into the soil at the site of where you sowed your seeds.

Log the number “1” onto your paper chart along with the seed type and sowing date. Your next label will be number “2”(obviously), and you will anchor it in a the site of a different type of seed. Continue this process for each type of seed variety that you sow. If you plan to succession sow a particular variety, label your marker with a letter next to the number and catalog those dates on your chart.

What’s nice about this method is that, no matter what you plant, the numbered labels can be used over and over again every year; simply create a new chart for each season. Your labels won’t blow away, either; the anchor pins keep them in place all season long. And……… you don’t have to painstakingly fit your descriptive scribble on a tiny little marker label. Now, THAT’S sweet!

Hey, did you know that window wells make perfect little cold frames for growing potted cool crop/winter sown seedlings? They do, try it!

Ahhh….. now it’s time to sit back and watch things sprout.

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