Nummies 911

Projects Galore

My head is exploding with projects for the new house and the holidays coming up. I did manage to complete a few things, and I'm busy working on others.

Here is one I finished: a bath mat. The idea came from a book I picked up at Lowe's Home Improvement...my second home, it seems, whenever I move. The book is Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule. I altered the pattern to match my new shower curtain.

 

 

 

My other time consuming quest came with my new kitchen island from IKEA.

I have loved this piece since I first saw it, but it has been kind of a pain. First, I put it together in the dining room, only to realize that I couldn't fit it through any of the doors. It seems I should have realized that, but in the midst of a move, even simple things slip past you. It came with two booklets, assembly instructions and care instructions. I threw the assembly book away after getting it together in the kitchen and threw the other one on the dining room table. After two days of use, the top was covered in little marks from even the slightest of moisture. Finally, I read the care instructions which tell you that the oak top is dried out for shipping and you have to apply oil to finish it. Of course they recommend you use the IKEA brand of oil, and of course, I would, if IKEA were local, but it seemed a long way to go for a small can of oil. So I just got linseed oil and tried that. The top was so dry it soaked up a generous application of oil in just minutes. All the marks disappeared, but even a day later, the smell didn't. Now if you not aware, I have a keen sense of smell that debuted with my first pregnancy and never went away. I will be preparing food and eating at this table, so I had to find something else to use. After hours of researching the internet, I went to Lowe's, again, to browse. I was staring at the products available when a Lowe's worker asked me if she could help.

"Not unless you can tell me what this smells like," I said jokingly. To my absolute surprise, she said, "We'll see," and opened the can. It smelled worse than the linseed oil. We opened at least five cans. They all smelled too strong. She was the most helpful person I have come across in years. We discussed a recipe I found online...beeswax and mineral oil, and I decided to give that a try.

I bought beeswax from Michael's (in the candle making section) and mineral oil from Walgreen's (in the laxative section.) I had read instructions with ratios of 1:5 to 1:1, but being that one was liquid and one was solid, I just experimented. I started with 200mL of oil and 2 ounces (weight) of beeswax. Beeswax is very hard to chop up. I heated the oil in a double boiler and added the chopped beeswax. It took quite a while to melt. Once completely melted and combined, I let it cool and applied it with a soft cloth while still liquid.

First of all, it smelled divine, like honey. That problem solved! Second, the top absorbed it within a couple of hours and I buffed off what little was left very easily. It resulted in a beautiful finish! But most importantly, the next day, a three year old left a fast food drink cup on the island, you know, the kind that sweats like crazy and leaves a puddle around the bottom. When I picked up the cup, the water had barely penetrated the wood. You couldn't even see a ring. Problem SOLVED! Now I have a beautiful finish that still leaves me with the raw wood look and feel, but the finished wood protection. It's safe and it smells good. The leftover mixture was poured into a jar and I have since applied it in paste form to other wood pieces with just as much success.

I'm building open shelving for the kitchen. So more photos coming soon.

Altered T-shirts

Here is an idea from Simply Handmade which I picked up at Michael's the other day.

First you sew a ribbon down the middle so that the sides are loose. Then cut a scallop and a heart from contrasting fabric. Back each one with fusible interfacing. Sew the heart to the scallop and then the scallop to the t-shirt. Lastly sew a button on with embroidery floss. The book called for using die cuts but since I never invested a couple hundred dollars in that, I just made a Heart Template in Photoshop Elements. It took no time, really and I was very pleased with the results.

Rice Sock 101

The rice sock has been a familiar thing in our house since my first pregnancy in 1996. It started as an actual sock. A white tube sock filled with rice and knotted at the end. Place it in the microwave for 2 minutes and it feels great tucked below a pregnant belly, wrapped around a neck, or swaddling cold feet.

I made tons of them as I started doula work and gave them to each client. I made each of my own children one when they started sleeping on their own (about 2-3 years old for our house.) And of course, I always have one for myself. I've made them for gifts. One Christmas I made about 20 of them.

Over the course of time, the sock has been replaced by a pillow construction. Which allows for pretty designs and the ability to tell one person's from another. The design has also gotten larger over time, which has both pros and cons. It holds heat longer but it's heavier for little hands to carry and it takes longer to heat up. (Especially important at night when three or more are being prepared for bed.)

So this morning I am sewing in my pajamas and I thought I would share the instructions.

You will need:
A little bit of fabric, 1/4 yard will be enough and coordinating thread.*
2-4 pounds of rice (I buy it in bulk at Sam's.)

Fold the fabric and cut it to measure about 6 1/2 by 18 inches. If you can, use the fold on one of the long sides (less sewing.)

Fold the right sides together and sew 3/8 to 1/4 inch seams all around, leaving one end open for filling. Use a small, tight stitch to keep the rice in. (Here are some samples of recent fabrics used. All-American for Anna, Chinese for Cullen, dogs for Molly, cupcakes for Camille and aqua for me.)

Turn right side out and fill with rice. (I weighed all our rice socks and they varied from 3lb to over 4lbs. When I used an actual tube sock, it was about 2lbs.) Just don't over fill as you want to be "fold" in it half to place it in the microwave, plus you want to be able to wrap it around hands, feet, neck, etc.

Then fold inward the open seam about 1/2 inch. Top stitch that end with a zig-zag stitch.

To heat, place in microwave for 2-4 minutes, depending on the size of the rice and the user.**

Here is my new rice sock, the dogs ate my old one and I took over Camille's. I'm hoping I will use it less and less for my back this year.

Here is Camille, happy to have her rice sock back.

NOTES:
* I have used lots of different fabrics from flannel, fleece, cotton blends, etc. Flannel and cotton are my favorites because they are study under the weight without stretching and take the heat well. I made Molly a "furry" one, but it felt like it was "sweaty" when I heated it. She didn't mind; however, it eventually pulled out of the seams.

** You know this, but....Be careful when using with children or anyone who cannot move the rice sock, such as an invalid, as you can actually burn the skin. Do not used on any part of the body that you cannot feel. Older people often have decreased sensation in their legs and hands. On the other hand, a rice sock was THE best thing for my back pain.

More than a Mom

I love being a mother more than I ever thought I would. However, that is not my defining measure. I want people to know that there are many things I love. There are many things I am.

I am a

• birth advocate
• baker
• nurse (neonatal and labor & delivery)
• an artist and writer
• gardener
• knitter
• environmentalist

I love

• being outside when the weather is cool
• snow
• sweet confections with a multi-layered texture, such as tiramisu and tarts
• meditating in a new place
• the soft fur of my cat when he snuggles in the morning
• buying new art supplies
• watching a garden grow and produce and then turn back to soil with so little to waste and so much to gain
• seeing a woman give birth on her own terms with no unwanted intervention
• being in the room when a baby is born and takes its first breath
• beginning a new journal even when my last one isn't quite finished
• the thought of raising chickens for eggs
• buying yarn and roving from people who own the animals
• reading about almost everything
  

And while the list is by no means exhaustive, it is a start. Comment on your own interests outside of parenting.

Great finds

Here is one of the items I bought at the auction yesterday. I still need to put up the shelves inside of it, but I thought I would also show you the Easter tree I made this year. Molly helped me paint it.

This project was a joy in that I was able to go to the store(s) and find exactly what I wanted for the price I wanted. If you know me, you know that HARDLY EVER happens to me.  In fact, it is common that I will be in a store with Anna, and stand in an aisle and stare at the contents of the shelves, FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.  Anna will go and complete her shopping and then return to find me exactly as I was when she left. She finally suggests that perhaps what I'm looking for is not here. I agree continuing my trance-like expression as if memorizing the contents of this particular are. Then she reminds me that staring longer and longer into the shelves will not make the store fairies come and magically place the item on shelf. "Are you sure?" I reply.

This phenomenon is the basis for my impulse shopping. Any time I see something, it could be for the house, the kitchen, art, decoration, books, gardening etc. that looks useful in some way, even if I don't have a project at the moment, I will gladly buy it.  My thinking is, "If I don't get it now, I won't be able to find it when I need it." It's backwards I know, but my best finds are when I'm not looking.

There was a day when I thought the internet would solve all my eclectic and exotic desires. Back in my younger years, I would read Martha Stewart Living and want to make something, only to realize that some of the items I couldn't possibly find in a small town in Mississippi. When the internet because more and more popular, I was able to order all kinds of Marthaesque supplies. But alas there are still specific items that cannot be found readily on the internet for what I am willing to pay.  A recent example of this was when I found a shortcut recipe for French Onion Soup. The ingredients were simple but the instructions called for four 11oz oven safe bowls in which to bake the soup. Well, I started out with Linen's N Things, Target, etc. and then moved on to the internet. Couldn't find anything! But you can be sure three years from now, I'll be in Dollar General or the Dollar Tree and they will have 11oz oven safe bowls in a pattern or color I love and while I jump to get them, Anna will say "What do we need those for?"