Making – Page 4 – Organizing Threads

July 5, 2014July 5, 2014

Fudgesicle

In yet another attempt to find a trigger for my migraines I decided to try a dairy-free diet for a month. The first week is a flop, as this is day 5 of a migraine. And truth be told, it is hard to make the switch. I unthinkingly ordered two iced cappuccinos from Timmy’s when I took Mom out for a drive last Monday. And another time put butter on my toast, and didn’t remember until after eating it that I shouldn’t have done that.

One of the things I miss most – and I’ll blame my California kids for this – is frozen yogurt. Just a little serving after supper…

I went online to find dessert recipes that don’t require milk or cream. I came upon this recipe: Chocolate Banana Tofu Pudding.

I picked up a bunch of too ripe bananas on sale and spent part of my afternoon making cookies, muffins and pudding. Then I dug out the old Tupperware popsicle molds.Not quite the same as frozen yogurt, but I think I could get used to this.

June 10, 2014June 15, 2014

Recycling for a cause

Every morning (except when the temperature is lower than -12C) I walk my little dog, Billie. We typically walk 2-3 kilometers around our neighbourhood.

For a couple of years now I have been picking up aluminum cans and alcohol bottles while out walking. This behavior started because a friend of mine collects recyclable materials, sells them every fall and uses the proceeds to fund a Thanksgiving turkey roast for family and friends. Disgusted by the amount of trash I see as I walk, inspired by Tracy’s generousity, I decided to pick up the returnables and give them to her.

This morning, as I walked, I saw and empty plastic bag, appropriately, a Beer Store bag. I picked it up. Not fifty feet down the street I saw a beer can, then, within the next fifty feet, three more beer cans and a pop can. *sigh* I wish people wouldn’t do this. I wish there were no cans or bottles for me to pick up. Above are the cans (several bottles under the cans) I’ve picked up over the last couple weeks. The Beer Store wants the beer cans un-crushed. The pop cans I step on to conserve space. The tabs I remove — Tracy gives those to an organization that uses them to fund wheelchairs.

Here’s a picture from Tracy’s 2004 Turkey Roast: Tracy is on the left. She is now raising the turkeys herself to about 40lb each and roasts four birds for this event.

May 13, 2014May 13, 2014

Pass it on

I remember the year that my mother made clothes for my dolls as a Christmas present. We didn’t get a lot for Christmas; as small children we each got something, but even that stopped by the time we reached our teens.

But one Christmas, when I was four or five I knew my Mom, after we kids were in bed, was still up sewing. I don’t know if I knew it then, though I did later, my Mom did not like to sew, she sewed because she had to! So Christmas morning I awoke to a wardrobe for my doll — I don’t remember how many pieces, but I know along with the usual dresses there was a little coat — that impressed me!

As I have four older brothers and two younger I felt obliged to keep up with the boys and didn’t spend a lot of time playing with dolls, though Mom tried hard to encourage me. My brothers also had a doll each, but they were more inclined to other kinds of play; though they would sometimes play “house” with me.

Barb with dolls and dog — Barb and friends

I enjoyed sewing much more than my Mom ever did. When my kids were little “Cabbage Patch Kids” were all the rage. I started making soft sculpture dolls for sale. For her 5th birthday I made Trina a large doll she named “Randy.” Not only does she still have that doll, but Mina loves to play with it.

Trina's 5th birthday -- with Randy, her new doll. — Trina’s 5th birthday — with Randy, her new doll.

Trina loved sewing even more than I. She not only sews, but designs and drafts patterns to sell as well. Although she made a doll for her new daughter, she also worked with Mina to make her own doll (after reading the book “Fanny”) when she was only four years old.

So where will Mina take this tradition?

March 3, 2014

Quilting

I am so very grateful to the women of Bloomingdale Mennonite Church for their willingness to do the actually quilting on my mother’s quilt. Work was started on it today at Kathleen’s home:

Helping today: Kathleen, Marie, Lorrie, Ailene, Sharon, Lois, Linda, Trish and me. By four o’clock this afternoon the quilt was a little better than half done! So grateful!

February 15, 2014

Grandma’s Quilt

This morning, after a short visit with my mother in St Jacobs, I drove out to Len’s Mill Store in Hawkesville. This store was recommended for quilting supplies and I needed to get fabric to border and back my quilt squares.

The saleswoman in the store was so very helpful! I am a newbie at this and know very little about any of it. We pick a pale yellow for the borders and a matching yellow flannelette for the back. She figured out the quantities I’d be needing, something I had no clue how to do. I paid for my purchases and home I went to start constructing a quilt.

By 5:30 this afternoon I had my four columns made. Laying them out on the spare room floor it was apparent that one column was too short. My grandma made these quilt blocks, likely when she was quite old and her eyesight was not good; they are not very even. The blue square seemed to be the culprit, so I first tried taking it apart and re-sewing it — that wasn’t sufficient. I went looking for fabric to make a new square.

I wanted another blue but didn’t really have much. I did have a bit of fabric that we’d used for Trina’s flowergirls’ dresses — dark blue with silver spider webs. This really appealed to me — I want this quilt to be flower garden like because Mom’s greatest joy in life was her flowers. And it’s my opinion that gardens need spiders.After supper I cut and pieced my spider web block. Laying it down with the other I realized I’d pieced it wrong. Can you see my error?Taking it apart and re-assembling it will be a task for another day.