A Sweet Seat

It is such an absolutely beautiful spring day today that being outside on the property is a must! Lots of prep work for the garden to be done. Only one problem... my favorite work around the house and yard jeans are showing their age.

My poor jeans have defiantly seen better days. They are just about thread bare. There is a large hole in the left knee but that doesn't bother me. Isn't that fashionable right now anyway? No one could say that I'm not in style!

The problem is the large rip in (you guessed it) the seat! I love these jeans though. So, before the work outside can proceed, I'll have to mend them. Hmmm... what to do.

My favorite pair of shorts when I was a teenager was actually a pair that I swiped from my mom. It was a pair of cut off Levi button fly jeans. They were a perfect fit! The thing that I loved best was the patches on the butt. They were flowers and hearts (a definite product of the sixties). So cute! I always wore them with my bright orange "Hang Loose" t-shirt that I brought back from Hawaii (the shirt was cut short of course because... it was the 80's). Loved that outfit. I would share a picture if I had one. For how often I wore them, I'm surprised that I don't. Mom eventually confiscated them, much to my dismay. I should see if she still has them and take them back.

Anyway, when I was deciding how to mend my jeans that is what popped into my head. I decided on the hearts. Quick and easy. I always have tons of denim around so I picked out a contrasting swatch, I used three different colors of thread to sew the hearts and left the edges raw so that they would fray when washed. It only took about 20 minutes and my old friend was good as new!

Now, I don't usually take pics of my rear, but I wanted you to be able to see the end result. My husband will be thrilled though! Over the years he has taken hundreds of photos of my back side! At least now, with digital cameras, I can erase them and not pay good money to develop them unaware. So, this one's on me honey. They turned out cute if I do say so myself!

Now that my jeans are mended though, it is time to enjoy this day. I'm off to the garden! Hope it is nice where you are too. Till we meet again....

Tina :)

Ridged Chevron Stich Dishcloth/Washcloth

If you don't use handmade cotton Dishcloths and Washcloths here is your chance! Today for my "Make it Monday" project I am sharing a free crochet pattern created by me.

I love using these for doing the dishes, no more germy and smelly sponges. They hold up forever! I had a cotton handmade dishcloth given to me as a wedding present and it lasted over 15yrs before it vanished (things like that happen when you have kids).

The washcloths that you purchase at the store are expensive, if you buy quality, but even then they really don't last long once the family starts to use and abuse them. These do! As far as care, I put them through the washer and dryer (yes they will shrink so make them a little larger to allow for that). As they shrink it seems to really lock together the yarn to make a very durable cloth. Can you tell that I love these?

 

Ridged Chevron Stich Dishcloth/Washcloth

Materials: Lion Brand Recycled Cotton in "Sunshine" & Size I/9 (5.50mm) Crochet Hook

Instructions: Chain 39

1st Row: Skip first 3ch (counts as 1dc), 1dc into next ch, *1dc into each of next 3ch, [over next 2ch work dc2tog] twice, 1dc into each of next 3ch, [2dc into next ch] twice; rep from * ending last rep with 2dc once only into last ch, turn.

2nd Row: 3ch (count as 1dc), 1dc into first st, always inserting hook into back loops only of each st *1dc into each of next 3 sts, [over next 2 sts work dc2tog] twice, 1dc into each of next 3 sts, [2dc into next st] twice; rep from * ending last rep with 2dc once only into top of tch, turn.

Repeat 2nd Row 13 more times and bind off, weaving in ends to finish.



If you don't know how to crochet or are confused by any of the terms, there are tutorials on www.RedHeart.com and YouTube. I personally learned the old fashioned way, from books. This Kindle book Crochet 101: Master Basic Skills and Techniques Easily through Step-by-Step Instruction is rated 4.9 stars if you like eBooks or  A to Z of Crochet: The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner to Advanced Crocheter if you like to have an actual book in hand like I do. It's rated 4.7 stars and is great for all skill levels.

This pattern took about an hour to make one cloth and I was able to make two cloths with one ball of yarn. If you use other cotton yarns like Lily brand, usually one ball makes one cloth this size. I try to learn new stiches from time to time to incorporate into my dishcloth collection. I will share others with you as I create them. If you don't have time to make these yourself, I do sell them online in my Etsy shop, www.LivingSewGreen.etsy.com along with several other colors and patterns.

I'll try not to miss a Monday in the future. At you later!

Tina :)

Beware The Bus!

If you are planning to travel by bus now or in the future, there are some things that you should be aware of. My husband is in "route" (I use that term very loosely) to Seattle from Idaho at this very moment. Since he doesn't like to fly, we thought that the bus would be a good solution. We were wrong though. Very wrong! Here's our story so far.

Eric decided to come home to Idaho, he has been in Washington State for medical treatment, for a couple weeks between procedures. He decided to take the bus because, as I stated, he prefers not to fly. Even though it meant almost 23 hour travelling, he was ok with that. He had plenty to keep him busy on the trip (books, music, pod casts, etc...).

The trip started out on a bad foot. His first bus left Seattle over an hour late. We thought, oh well, this is your glitch for this trip. Not so. He had to make 3 transfers to get home. The first one went ok, but when he arrived in Butte, Montana the route was cancelled due to the snow.

Travelling by bus in the winter through the mountains you have to expect that sort of thing. No big deal. The local Churches in the area were wonderful and brought in food and beverages for stranded travelers. Eric hunkered down and slept at the bus station till morning when the busses started running again. He finally arrived at his final destination about 10 hours late but he got here. We were thrilled to see him too!

Fast forward a couple weeks to last night. We put him on the bus at 11:45pm (Friday) and he was to arrive in Seattle today (Saturday) at around 5:30pm. Much quicker trip. We were very glad to hear that he wouldn't have to travel for as long. Plus, with all the sun that we have had, snow delays would not be a problem this time. Ignorance is bliss, right?

He arrived in Butte at around 3:30am and he was scheduled to depart again at 5:40am. All the passengers waited, and waited, and waited for the bus to arrive. Once the bus was 2 hours late, the bus station employee started making phone calls trying to find out what had happened and when to expect it to no avail. The passengers were told that they weren't able to reach anyone to get any information. So, everyone just kept waiting. Some people called family members to come and pick them up after several hours with still no ETA.

Finally, enough was enough! Eric started making phone calls and so did I the bus at this time was 5 hours late). He called the original ticket issuer in town and I called the bus line directly. Since Greyhound Lines does not come here, Eric had to transfer to two other bus lines that they contract with, Jefferson Lines and Salt Lake Express. It was Jefferson Lines that dropped the ball, Salt Lake was fine. 

Eric found out from the bus station back in Idaho that they had just found out that the route had been cancelled. Evidently, it was due to a driver walking off the job. They had not sent a replacement to cover the route but the next scheduled bus would be arriving at 6:40pm. 13 hours after their original departure time!

I received the same departure time from the bus company but they would not tell me the reason for the delay. The route had been cancelled at Midnight, 15 minutes after Eric had left. When I advised the representative that my husband was physically disabled she was "sorry" but there was nothing she could do and no compensation to be made. She did assure me that he would only have a 1 1/2 hour layover in Missoula, MT though. He will arrive in Seattle at 7:30am on Sunday (we hope!). That will make it about a 32 hour trip! Yuck!

I will update this to let you know how the rest of the trip went for the friends and family reading this. I'm sure that he will get home safely, eventually!

The moral of this story is, think twice before you take a trip by bus! Here are some facts to chew on...

  * After visiting all of the related bus web sites, none of them guarantee anything! The arrival/departure times are an approximate only! If you have a schedule to keep or a plane to catch at the end, think again!

  * You will not be issued a refund or any compensation if your bus is delayed or cancelled. If you miss a connecting bus or flight you are out of luck. They don't care because they don't guarantee anything!

  * Don't travel over the weekend with Greyhound! Even though the busses are moving, their offices are closed! If you have a problem or get stranded somewhere there is no one to call! The customer service numbers tell you to call back during business hours Monday-Friday.

  *Don't assume that if you purchase a ticket with Greyhound Lines that you will be on one of their busses. They contract a lot of their routes to smaller companies and they don't guarantee the service provided by those contractors.

  * Greyhound Lines is not a member of The Better Business Bureau (BBB). They have been issued a C+ rating based on limited public information only. The generous rating is mostly due to the length of time that they have been in business and the fact that only 1516 complaints have been received by the BBB in the last 12 months (I suspect that most complaints go directly to Greyhound and they do not share that info with BBB since they are not members).

I apologize for the long rant, but this has been such a frustrating situation that I want everyone to be aware of what can happen when you travel by bus. This was a new thing for us and boy have we learned our lesson! Never again!

Next time he'll fly!

Tina :)

   
*** Disclaimer ***
The information stated in this article is based solely on personal experience with specific transportation providers listed. Information was also obtained from self stated company literature from their own web sites and employees. All statements are true to the best of my knowledge at the time of publishing this article. I am not responsible for misinformation published on said company web sites or stated by company representatives.  

Wash Day & Walipinis

Every Wednesday is wash day. I know, not the most exciting chore around the house. Today has me smiling and singing a song in my heart though. This sunny spring weather we have been given today makes the task much more enjoyable.

I decided that this weather was just too nice not to be taken advantage of. So, I dragged out my drying racks (a clothes line is on the "honey do" list) and hung out some clothes to dry. It not only saves me money on my electric bill but I absolutely love the way fresh hung clothes smell!

Of course, I use my homemade laundry soap which I do not scent. I prefer not to use scents in my laundry soap because I figure that with all the other scents in other products we use, why add to it. You can find the recipe for my laundry soap here http://myhomesteadingproject.blogspot.com/2014/02/homemade-cleaners-that-work-save-you.html.

That is really all you can say about laundry though. Not very exciting. I did find something very exciting though as I web surfed between loads. (I absolutely believe in multi-tasking!) Since I am planning my garden now, I have been searching all the garden sites for tips and tricks for maximum harvest. That is when I came upon this and knew that I just had to share it with you.

Build a $300 underground greenhouse for year-round gardening

The article on TreeHugger.com shows you how to build a Walipini. It is basically an underground greenhouse. They were developed over 20 years ago in the South American mountains by the Ayamara Indians to grow food in their cold climate. It is an awesome idea and I much prefer this to a standard greenhouse.

The article shows how to build one and also has a video made by a family that has one and how they have theirs set up. I think it is absolutely brilliant! It is definitely something that is going on the "honey do" list! (Poor man) Of course I will help though. I love to get my hands dirty!

A Walipini would definitely be the answer to growing more produce during the winter. Especially things like lettuce and fresh tomatoes which don't keep. You could also grow things like strawberries and melons to have fresh fruit. The possibilities are endless. Just talking about it is getting me excited! I want to go start digging the hole now!

Anyway, although I would love to start now, the laundry (and other chores) are calling. This has given me something to mull over today as I work though. I hope it has inspired you too.

Have a great day today!
Tina :)

Homemade Deodorant

As promised, todays "Make It Monday" project is something a little different. I decided to make my own deodorant. In my quest to live a more healthful life this is the next thing that I am tackling, personal care products.

There is much information concerning the dangers of the ingredients contained in the personal products which we use every day. For reasons that I can not fathom, manufacturers continue to make them regardless of the detriments to the health of consumers. I suppose if people continue to purchase them then nothing will ever change. I will no longer be one of those people though.

The aluminum in your typical antiperspirant has been linked to breast cancer among other things. I won't reiterate all the studies and research here as a quick search on the internet will lead you to a plethora of information which will scare you silly! It certainly did me. Hence, my decision to finally make my own homemade personal products starting with my deodorant.

There are tons of recipes on the internet for all types of deodorants. You can find concoctions for powder, spray, roll on, stick or cream. Initially I was going to make a stick type. I even saved and cleaned out old tubes that I had to do just that, but instead I decided to make a cream to start with. (The whole plastic thing, you know.) I figured that way I could perfect my recipe first and then decide whether to make the stick.

After perusing several sites and recipes, I decided to kinda wing it and see what happens. Here is what I came up with.

Homemade Cream Deodorant
(Butters and essential oils can be purchased at Mountain Rose Herbs )

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. Shea Butter
6 Tbsp. Cocoa Butter
1/4 c. Baking Powder
1/4 c. Baking Soda (Aluminum free)
10 drops Tea Tree Oil
10 drops Lavender Oil

Directions:
In a glass Mason jar, I melted the butters. (I didn't have a double boiler handy so I used my steamer instead. It worked great.)

I turned off the heat and added the powder and soda. Mix well until all the lumps are gone and it is a creamy texture. 

  

This is when I added my oils. All that is left is to pour it into a glass container and let it cool. If you are inpatient you can do what I did and put it in the fridge to speed it up.

I happened to have some really cute old canning jars with tin lids that I received from my mother-in-law. They are the perfect size as this recipe makes approximately 8 oz. of deodorant. After setting up, it is the texture of natural peanut butter. I suspect come summer, it will be more like softened butter. It should last me quite a while.

Now, a couple of quick tips regarding deodorant over antiperspirant. You are going to sweat. The powders in the recipe will help to absorb moisture, but if you are working hard you will still sweat. That is ok and how it should be. God made us to sweat. Some people associate sweating with stinking. Not so! It is the bacteria that grows under your arms that causes odor. The essential oils I chose have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties to take care of that issue.

You may have an adjustment period while your body is detoxing. I think that I am going through that myself right now. I am using it about every other day while I adjust to it. I do love it though! Just a dab on your finger and apply like lotion to your underarms. It absorbs quickly and I haven't had any discoloration or residue on my shirts like I did with traditional antiperspirants (no matter what they said). I will continue with this formula for a while and adjust it as needed.

I will probably have to make a stick version for my husband and boys though. I don't see them using it as I do. So, I'll add some beeswax and switch up the scents for them. Guess I will be using those recycled tubes after all.

I will let you know how this formula works for us and update as necessary if I find that I need to change anything. If you have a recipe for deodorant or any other personal product that you enjoy please feel free to share them. I will be looking for other recipes to make hair care products next.

Have a great week.

Tina :)

Traveling Socks

Now, I know that it isn't Monday but today I thought that I would share my favorite sock pattern with you.

I will be forgoing my play day in the craft room in favor of visiting family. It should be a lot of fun. It is such a beautiful day here! Whenever I go somewhere I always bring my knitting with me. It is a nice productive way to pass the time as we visit. It's hard for me to be idle. I usually am working on a pair of socks at any given time. It makes the perfect take along project as it doesn't take up much room to tote around.

My favorite pattern is from Red Heart Yarn for their self striping socks. I have used it for years with just a couple adaptations. I love using the striping yarn because they are so pretty when they are done and it is easier than carrying several different colors with me to create a pattern. Just not into plain Jane socks.

So, here is the basic pattern. (I do a K3, P1 to make them ribbed for the leg and top of the foot.) 

Self-Striping Knit Socks
LW1619

Directions are for size 5-5½; changes for sizes (6- 6½, 7-7½, 8-8½, 9-9½, 10-10½, 11-11½, 12-12½) are in parentheses.

RED HEART® “Heart & Sole™”: 2 (2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3) Balls No. 3965 Razzle Dazzle.
Double-pointed Knitting Needles: 2.75mm [US 2]. Stitch marker; yarn needle.

GAUGE: 36 sts = 4”; 48 rnds = 4” in St st. CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size needles to obtain the gauge.

NOTE: Slip all sts as if to purl.

LEG: Cast on 48 (52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 68, 68) sts, dividing sts on 3 needles. Join to work in the round taking care that sts are not twisted. Work in K2, P2 ribbing for 1¼ (1¼, 1½, 1½, 1½, 1¾, 1¾, 1¾)”. Now work in St st, K every rnd, until 7 (7, 8, 8, 8½, 9, 9½, 9½)” from beginning.

Divide for Heel: With the 4th needle, K12 (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17, 17) sts on first needle, slip the same number of sts from 3rd needle onto the opposite end of the 4th needle – 24 (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 34, 34) sts on 4th needle for Heel. Cut yarn. Divide the remaining 24 (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 34, 34) sts evenly onto 2 needles for the Instep to work later.
With wrong side of work facing and working on heel sts only, work as follows: Row 1 (Wrong Side): Slip 1, P to end. Row 2: * Slip 1, K1; repeat from * across. Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for 2 (2, 2, 2¼, 2¼, 2¼, 2¼)”, end by working Row 1.

Turn Heel-Row 1 (Right Side): K14 (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 19, 19) sts, K2tog, K1; turn. Row 2: Slip 1, P5, P2tog, P1; turn. Row 3: Slip 1, K6, K2 tog, K1; turn. Row 4: Slip 1, P7, P2tog, P1; turn. Continue in this manner, working 1 st more st before the decrease every row until all heel sts have been worked, end by working a K row – 14 (16, 16, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20) sts remain.

Gusset: With the first needle, pick up and K12 (12, 12, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16) sts along edge of heel; slip the Instep sts onto one needle and with the 2nd needle, K24 (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 34, 34) sts of Instep; with the 3rd needle, pick and K 12 (12, 12, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16) sts along other edge of heel and with same needle K7 (8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10) sts from heel needle. Slip remaining sts from heel needle onto first needle. There are 19 (20, 20, 25, 25, 26, 26, 26) sts on first and 3rd needles and 24 (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 34, 34) sts on 2nd needle.
Shape Instep-Rnd 1: K to last 3 sts on first needle, K2tog, K1; K cross 2nd needle; on 3rd needle, K1, slip 1, K1, psso, K to end. Rnd 2: K. Repeat last 2 rnds until 12 (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17, 17) sts remain on each of the first and 3rd needles. Work even until 4 (4¾, 5½, 6¼, 7¼, 8, 9, 10)” from center back of heel.
Shape Toe-Rnd 1: K to last 3 sts on first needle, K2tog, K1; on 2nd needle, K1, slip 1, K1, psso, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1; on 3rd needle, K1, slip 1, K1, psso, K to end. Rnd 2: K. Repeat last 2 rnds until 16 sts remain. With 3rd needle, K across sts of first needle – 8 sts on each of 2 needles. Cut yarn leaving a 20” length of yarn. Graft sts together.

Grafting: Thread needle with yarn. Holding the 2 needles together with yarn at the right of the back needle, draw yarn through next st on front needle as if to purl, leave st on needle,* draw yarn through next st on back needle as if to knit, leave st on needle, draw yarn through same st on front needle as if to knit, drop st off needle, draw yarn through next st on front needle as if to purl, leave st on needle, draw yarn through same st on back needle as if to purl, drop st off needle. Repeat from * until all sts are grafted together. Fasten securely on wrong side. Take care to draw yarn up so that gauge of grafting equals gauge of knitted sts.

RED HEART® “Heart & Sole™ with Aloe”,   Art. E745 available in multicolor 1.76 oz   (50 g), 213 yd (195 m) balls.
ABBREVIATIONS: K = knit; mm = millimeters; P = purl; psso = pass the slipipped st over; rnd = round; sl = slip; St st = Stockinette stitch (Knit every round); st(s) = stitch(es); tog = together; * = repeat whatever follows the * as indicated

I have used this pattern with all types of sock yarns with success. I really like using wool blends in particular. You just have to remember to not dry them in the dryer!

Hope you enjoy making these. I have dozens of pairs and love them! But, now I'm off to the in-laws. Hope you have a great day!

Tina :)

Paper or Poisonous Plastic?

Ok, all of us know that plastic is bad stuff! It's one of those things that I have known for years but have never been very diligent to do anything about. I mean, it is everywhere! You can hardly escape it. So, what's a person to do? Well, I am finally going to try to do whatever I can to eliminate as much as I can from my home.
I recently read an excellent article about plastics (it is a little long but worth the read) at http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certichem-eastman-bpa-free-plastic-safe?page=1. [Disclaimer: I do not agree with many of the views on this site but the article referenced is very good.] It really hit home and hit hard. I knew that I finally had to do something about it for my family. After all, I have eliminated all the paper products in my home. I know that I will not be able to get rid off all the plastic in my house (I can't very well rip the PVC pipes out of the walls) but there are things that I can do.

My first task was the kitchen. I have been gradually switching to glass storage containers for food as I have needed replacements. Everything that was plastic came off the shelves! Water bottles, Rubbermaid containers, popsicle forms, Jello molds....almost everything! I say almost because there were a few things like my colander, ice cube trays and measuring spoons that I need to replace with stainless steel before I dispose of them. All the plastic kid's cups, bowls and plates went though along with the plastic pitchers. When my 14yr old son asked what I would do with all the stuff I told him that I would donate it. He said, "so, you are just going to poison other people?" Little smarty pants! Throwing it away means it will end up in a landfill though. So, it is sitting in a box for now. Not sure what to do with it all.

Now one of my biggest dilemmas is what to do about my deep freezer.  I have a freezer full of meat and veggies that I have stored in airtight plastic (seal a meal bags). The bags are BPA free but that is not the only dangerous chemical in plastics. I know that this year I will be canning all of my veggies, but I'm not really keen on canned meat. I know that I can put meats in metal containers, but I stock up when I can. I don't want it all getting freezer burn and spoiling. Not sure what to do. If any of you out there have any tips or tricks I would really appreciate it! Having a stocked pantry and freezer is important to me.

Of course I am getting a little flack from my family! The kids don't like seeing their favorite drinking cups and water bottles go and my husband was kind enough to point out that a lot of my glass containers have plastic lids. (I have found glass containers with glass lids like this Anchor Hocking 12-Cup Baking 'N' Store Dish with Glass Lid on Amazon that I will be getting from now on though.) As he so kindly pointed out, we have plastic everywhere. Thanks! Hadn't noticed! So help me do something about it! (Sorry, sarcasm runs deep in my family.)

It almost feels like an impossible task! The more I look around my house the more plastic I see. I know this will be a huge undertaking but it is one that I feel is important to the health of my crew. After all, it is my job to keep my home safe for everyone. It is a job that I take very seriously.

Well, I apologize if this post has been a little on the dark and depressing side. Unfortunately, I could go on and on but I think that I've made my point. This has just really been on my heart lately, so I decided that I should share it with you all. We are all in this together after all. 

If you have any suggestions for me or would like to share some of the ways that you have eliminated some of your plastic use please do! I would like to hear about it. Thanks for listening to me vent today. I promise to post a more upbeat piece next time.

Tina :)

The Nose Knows!

My quest to eliminate all paper products from my home has inspired this weeks Make it Monday projects. Today we will make tissues and handkerchiefs. These are two super quick and easy ways to cut down on your families waste of money and natural resources.

It is still cold and flu season around here soon to be replaced by allergy season. We use a lot of tissues at our house year round. Seems that someone is always blowing their nose! My hubby always has a hanky on him but the rest of us have always used disposable tissues. It doesn't seem to matter which brand you buy though, even if you use the "super soft" ones with lotion you always end up with a sore red nose. No more though! Now we are using the softest tissues you could imagine. Flannel.

Now these are made the exact same way that we made our fabric napkins before so I won't go into a huge amount of detail. Just a few quick tips.

I purchased a whole bolt of white cotton flannel when it was on sale at JoAnn Fabrics a while back. I seem to use it for everything! This is what I decided to make my tissues out of. Now, your average tissue measures approximately 8 to 8 1/2 inches square. Since I want to recycle my old empty tissue boxes, I decided to keep them about the same size.

First step is to wash and dry your fabric to pre-shrink it.

Next, I cut 9 inch wide strips (to allow for the serged edge) followed by using my quilting square to cut the strips into 9 inch squares.

Then you just need to serge around your edges and your done. I made a couple dozen to put in several old tissue boxes around the house. I love how these feel on my nose! Much better than paper!

For the handkerchiefs, the process is exactly the same except for the size, material and the finished edge. I have a king size cotton top sheet that my old washing machine ate. I was so mad! It literally ate holes in the sheet and ripped part of the top edging off. I have been holding on to it because it is really nice material and I knew that I could eventually use it for something. Now I am!

If you don't have anything around the house to repurpose, I would recommend a medium weight muslin or cotton fabric. It is inexpensive and if you have a JoAnn Fabric & Crafts near you, sign up for their mailing list, they always seem to have coupons for fabric.

 
I decided on 12 inch square for my measurements as that is about the size of the cotton hankies that I have bought my husband in the past. Cutting off the edges and working around holes, I was able to get 50 squares. We will have plenty of hankies for a long time!

For the edge I decided to use the rolled hem foot on my regular sewing machine. Now, I have never used it before so I went on YouTube and found several tutorials that helped. I advise it if you are just starting with the foot too because it is a bit tricky. After 50 hankies I am sure to get it down though. Here is what the foot looks like.

If you don't have one of these, just fold over your edges 1/8 inch, press, and fold over again straight stitching close to the edge of your fold.

After stitching around all sides you will have your own handmade handkerchief! Of course, I couldn't stop there. I wanted to add a little detail to them to make them more special. So, I used a decorative leaf stich along one side. I think they turned out really cute. So glad I made these! 

There you have it. Two super easy ways to eliminate another paper product from your home. Bravo for you! Hope you enjoyed this. Back next Monday with something a little different for you. Have a super day!

Tina :)