If there was a power outage in your neighborhood for the length of a day, how much of your household appliances and gadgets would be useless?
After a few good outages the past few years, I’ve grown to dislike the electrically powered appliances and tools we own. These include both small and large items such as, a sewing machine, a hot water heater, a grain grinder, an oven, a washer and dryer etc. It’s not that I don’t appreciate electricity. I don’t doubt how wonderful the invention of electrical current is. However, I think that independent solar/wind/water generated power is the ideal situation.
But we do not live in an ideal world. Many are unable to attain independent homemade power because of cost and lack of knowledge and resources. But because of the days in which we live, I believe it is foolish to rely on our local power plants. One small step at a time we should move closer to owning and using non-electric tools and appliances around the house. I also must make mention that I do not just want to make do with the products we find at Wal-Mart. It is essential that we find items that will last a lifetime.
My own list of ideas include:
Learn to enjoy sewing by hand, become very proficient at stitching fast and very well. I’ve heard stories that our great-grandmothers sewed beautiful small perfect stitches that created durable clothing, quilts and crafts.
Use a clothesline during warmer months, and a indoor drying racks throughout the year.
Use dry land farming irrigation techniques for garden instead of relying on well water being pumped.
Make lots of homemade candles and invest in an Aladdin lamp or other non-electric lighting
Learn to work with leather, investing in a few essential leather tools.
Eventually invest in all the expensive items such as, a wood burning stove for heating and cooking, non-carpeted floors dismissing the need for a vacuum, a hand-pump for the water well and a gas fridge and a well designed root cellar.
More thoughts to come. Please share anything you have found or thought of.
I’ll never forget watching Meg, Marmee and Jo preparing bandages for wounded soldiers of the Civil War on Little Women. Recently, I decided to try and make some of our own sterile bandages just in case we do not have access to a local hospital or store bought bandages. You never know what may happen in periods of emergencies, plan prudently now while life is peaceful! Here is how I put mine together.
I found clean cotton and linen fabric scraps and tore them into long strips of various widths and lengths. Then I tightly rolled each piece and tied a few rolls together with thin cotton strips. Next pile your rolls onto a cookie pan or baking dish to a reasonable height, you don’t want them falling off the pan. Bake fabric rolls for 2 hours at 200 degrees with a dish of water sitting in the oven. They shouldn’t burn but stay near in case you accidentally put a roll of synthetic fiber in the batch.
Once cooled, with clean hands, wrap several rolls in plastic wrap or plastic bags. Seal and place bundles into a container or clean coardboard box and seal shut. Keep some in a storage area and some in close reach for emergencies.
Ani and I recently put together a few bird houses with some recycled milk cartons. Instead of buying a generic bird houses or feeder, make your own by recycling any weather-safe containers. Some container ideas include: empty Hydrogen Peroxide bottles, empty honey cartons, milk cartons, juice bottles, etc.
After cleaning the container, cut a whole large enough for a bird to peep through for a feeder or larger for a bird house. I painted my milk cartons with plastic adherent paint to make them look nicer but also to make them hardier against the rain. Make sure container is dry and then fill with bird seed through the hole you cut. Children love to help with this! You may also want to use a stick or dowel pressed into the container for a bird stand on while they eat the seed.
Ani helping fill bird feeder
Hang outside with string or nail to a recycled board. Enjoy watching your flying visitors.
Making your own cloth pads is easy and smart. You not only save on money, you also do your part lessening plastic production and waste. Everyone I know who wears cloth pads say they are so much more comfortable than store bought disposable pads. For those of you who prefer tampons over pads see: The DivaCup
Flannel is the best fabric to use for cloth pads because it is both soft and very absorbent. You can find flannel sheets at the thrift store or bargain bin flannel on most fabric sites such as: Fabric.com I look for darker colors, especially pink or red for hiding any stains. Unless of course you bleach you pads, then lighter colors are fine. Bleaching is not necessary if you are drying them in a sunny spot.
I make two types of pads, some for light days and others for heavy days. The light ones seen below with snaps are made from just two layers of flannel. I put Velcro on each end to keep the thicker pads stationed on top. For the inner liner in the thicker pads I use a baby waterproof crib pad/liner found at either Walmart or Target. For more than 25 pads, I used about 2/3 of the crib pad. My friend uses a different type of pad found at Target that does not have plastic inside, it is just made of very thick cotton. I place the thicker pads on top of the thin pads, attached with Velcro. This is mainly for ease in changing just the top pad and leaving the bottom snapped to the underwear. Surprisingly, this does not feel too thick. But if you like very thin pads try making just one variety, the lined type that have wings to hold on to your underwear.
Extra absorbent pad
Directions:
After pre-washing your fabric, cut them to your desired size and shape. I used a disposable pad for a pattern while cutting. You may want to make a few extra long ones for wearing at night. Remember to allowing a seam allowance.
For the thicker pads cut your inner liner about 1/2 inch smaller all around than the fabric allowing space for the liner to lie flat after being sewn inside the fabric (imagine a pillow being slightly smaller than the pillowcase). I sewed my liner onto my fabric because I didn’t want it to be swimming around in the pad. Once the liner was sewn onto the top fabric layer I sewed the bottom fabric layer to the top layer (back to back). I sewed right next to the liner without actually sewing it. Remember to leave a part to flip right side in. If your sewing machine can handle it you can sew another stitch about 1/4 inch in from the edge to make it nice and flat. Sew on two small pieces of Velcro by hand (or better yet sew them on to the bottom layer of fabric before attacking to the top layer and liner). Be sure to make the Velcro sit at equal distances on all your pads so they all sit well on any thin pad you make.
Front side of thinner pad
For the thinner pads with no liner, cut your fabric with wings. And sew the pieces back to back leaving a section big enough to turn right side in. Add snaps or Velcro to the wings. A snap setter is very cheap at Walmart or other sewing store and pretty easy to use with a hammer and some patience. Add two pieces of Velcro (the same distance apart as the top pad’s Velcro).
After using, wash in washing machine and add vinegar to your rinse cycle. Air dry in sunny spot.
Today I realized how utterly frustrated I become now while sewing! I think I know why, first of all I’ve always used such ridiculous machines that are so finicky about fabric thickness, or thinness, belt issues, motor issues etc. Secondly, fabric! Fabric is not like wood where you can cut it to an exact size and it stays still. After being cut, fabric can stretch and dance like liquid. It all makes me go crazy, even though I know it is SO practical and wise to sew for your needs. Perhaps I need a break and then I think I need to keep my eye open for a good brand that I can rely on, and a good quite sewing spot would be wise too. For now, I’m going to try to crochet like mad and rely on nailing my fabric to the window frame instead of sewing glamorous curtains! Or maybe I’ll stick to a needle and thread far more controlled sewing.
I’ve recently decided that I want to try to make a few clothes by crocheting rather than sewing with a machine. My sewing machine is rather finicky with fabric thickness and although I can not complain that it is an electric machine, I am wanting to be less dependent on electricity. Using a crochet hook or a knitting needle gives me much more freedom to create something strong, natural fibered and original. I am currently working on a cotton summer dress. I am not using a pattern, to the great dismay of my mother; I just can’t help it, directions are so hard to read. So far it is turning out great, even though it is more time consuming than whipping out the sewing machine. I will post more photos soon when it is complete.
1 Bar of Soap, shredded (some prefer Fels Naptha, but I like to use natural glycerin soap)
1 Cup Baking Soda
Mix in large container outdoors. Use 1/2 per load of laundry.
Note: I’ve found that using just plain borax saves me the hassle of mixing and makes my cloths just as clean or maybe even cleaner than using the above recipe. But feel free to try what works for you. When washing cloth diapers I se the same amount but I do add about a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
Last year while living in the city, I said a little prayer asking for an older woman friend who would be a good influence and teach me all the “old ways”. Somone who I could look up to and glean important wisdom from.
Today, I think my prayer was answered. I met Grams. She is wonderful, her heart is precious, her mind is full of experience and her hands are gentle with years of crocheting, sewing, gardening, cooking laced within them. She experienced a strock a few years back but it really didn’t cling to her because she is a doll as far as I’m concerned. She said she will teach me how to crochet rugs, butcher roosters, how to can meat and vegetables and how to grow anything! Oh thank you Abba for giving me an older wiser mentor. Little one enjoyed her as well, especially the fact that she has dogs, cats, fish, horses, goats, chickens, geese, and ducks, oh my!
I’ve recently decided that I want to try to make a few clothes by crocheting rather than sewing with a machine. My sewing machine is rather finicky with fabric thickness and although I can not complain that it is an electric machine, I am wanting to be less dependent on electricity. Using a crochet hook or a knitting needle gives me much more freedom to create something strong, natural fibered and original. I am currently working on a cotton summer dress. I am not using a pattern, to the great dismay of my mother; I just can’t help it, directions are so hard to read. So far it is turning out great, even though it is more time consuming than whipping out the sewing machine. I will post more photos soon when it is complete.
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