Free-for-all Friday: Sweaters to Blankets

It's been a week of illness in our house and I don't even mean the cancer-related variety. We've had food poisoning (my husband and I, thankfully not the baby), fevers, lots of runny noses, and now pink-eye. My husband and I cried over taking our little boy to daycare, but he's barely been there. Needless to say, I haven't done much of anything except wipe noses and eyes and snuggle all day.

It occurred to me this week that I often say to Kandyce when she calls, "I can't talk, the baby..." (fill in the ending with anything from "is sick" to "is playing with playdough"). I have never, in all of these years, heard Kandyce pick up the phone with "I can't talk." And she has eight children! My husband and I can't believe how consumed we are with our one child sometimes. Until this morning when my husband generously stayed home to let me go to a coffee shop for a writing break, I started to even forget there is a world outside of my little house of illness. That's not a good thing.

So, my project today combined a little bit of charity with a little bit of Spring cleaning. I have wanted to do something to contribute to the Knit-a-Square project ( we'll keep that button up on the left under "We Wanna Help"), but I neither knit nor crochet. This charity asks for squares that will be made into blankets and donated worldwide--what a great cause! When I checked in with them recently, I found they have added a felted square option. I just happen to have a stack of sweaters that are not in good enough shape for Goodwill that I didn't know what to do with. So, I felted them by running through the hot cycle several times and then cut them into 8x8 squares. I'll be sending them off next week. You'll find the mailing address here.

Even though my project this week was small and didn't take any creativity, it just felt good to think of someone other than myself-my husband and I have spent a lot of time this week talking about our daily grind. I have decided that I will dedicate Fridays to projects for charitable giving and I'll share these ideas with you. So many of you are doing/planning great projects for Haiti and we'll be sure to post links and participate as much as we can.

Speaking of giving, don't forget that this is the last week to comment on any post this month to be entered into our January Giveaway. Good luck!

one small change: wipes no more!

If you haven't heard, over at Hip Mountain Mama there is a challenge. A challenge to make one small change. A change that will bring you closer to being the green mama you've always

wanted to be :)

My one small change came unexpectanctly. I had wanted to participate, but didn't want to bite off more than I can chew. One day, last week, as I sat down to change a diaper (the story of my life for the past 13 years! not bitter, I'm just saying....) and called for someone, anyone to bring me baby wipes. A sad call echoed back, "We're all out, out, out..." Now, this is not the first time I have been in this place; a squirming, naked adorably fat baby in one hand with a, ahemm, less than clean rump and nothing in the other.

this rump is clean :)

Normally, I would feel a sense of panic, carry said baby to the bath tub, wash and dry as needed, then proceed to the store where I would purchase the industrial size of much "needed" wipes and vow to never let this happen again. Well, not this time! This time, I called for a wet wash cloth and did my job. No panic, no bath, no trip to the store. It was lovely. And then a revelation, I don't need those wipes! I was just fine with out them! This is my one small change! "It's over between us wipes! My dependence on you is through!"

So, what to do? In my newly liberated state ideas came quickly. I took a thrifted pillowcase, cut it in half, long ways,

sewed up the cut side, added some elastic to one end and a handle at the other.

And what to fill it with? Well, after 8 little ones,

I have more receiving blankets than I knew (catch the tense change :) what to do with.

I tore them into wipe-size rectangles and voila! lovely soft reusable wipes.

Now when I call out for wipes, there is a small stampede because everyone wants to use the new contraption. I know their enthusiasm wont last long, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

I really love this new system. It is so much easier than I could have imagined. The transition has been painless. I believe I owe the handmade challege a load of thanks for transforming my way of thinking.

What to get rid of next?!

Project Monday: Picture frame and quilt

Monday's project is done:

This project has taken me a few weeks to finish. Before I tell you what I did, let me explain what this odd little framed quilt with buttons is for. Over the holidays, Garden Mama created the beautiful blog, the Wellness Tree Project that inspired many of you to make handmade ornaments to send to me and my family. These ornaments (over 50!) lifted our spirits and really made me feel how many women are out there praying and hoping the best for me and my family. I was so touched by these little creations, that I just couldn't put them away after the holidays. My husband and I agreed that we would find ways to display all of them--they really are works of art.

The first idea I had was to use simple vine wreaths that could really be for any season. Ornaments now hang permanently on the glass doors that open between our family room and dining room. Here is the bird wreath:

And the outdoors, little critters wreath:

Our son loves for us to hold him up to see each ornament. He especially loves the owls (he was an owl for Halloween if you remember) and ringing the bell dangling from that wonderful blue bird at the top of the first wreath. I am planning on making some kind of children's wreath or some other display for the ornaments made by children or that are especially child-like (a sweet, tiny little sweater, for example). There are so many more ornaments!

The idea for today's project came to me when I was thinking about how I could rotate different ornaments and other wonderful things above my desk. On a framed quilt with buttons, of course:

The project was simple: find an inexpensive frame and paint it until you like it. I like to prop up anything I'm painting on cans. I started with a grayish color, then decided to try a product that promised a crackle finish. It was a strange texture--kind of like plaster. I put on vinyl gloves and just smeared it on. It did crackle, while also looking a little like stucco. I really wanted to try liquid silver leaf, so I painted that on next with the sea sponge (the silver leaf was the original main idea that came from our theme). When that dried, it was a little too shiny, so on went the gloves and more plaster paint. The second coat didn't crackle as much, but I liked the old, peeling-paint look.

I made the quilt top using Moda Turnovers (which reminds me, check out fresh squeezed fabrics on Etsy for really wonderful fabrics!). I am a beginner, so I just "stitch in the ditch" and sometimes it's more like stitching up onto the curb. When I was done, I rummaged through my jar of vintage buttons and added eight across the quilt. Now I have the perfect place to hang my new handmade treasures from.