Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

JoAnns is a dangerous place!

Yep, although it helped I didn't want to spend much.

Plus they didn't have too many patterns that seemed like good skirts. There was a pretty sunflower patterned one (gold and red) I toyed with the idea of getting, but I would have needed at least two solids in complimentary colors to tone down the pattern and they didn't have a gold that matched. I probably wouldn't have worn the completed skirt anyway, I have trouble wearing bright flashy colors so I put it back.

I've been contemplating buying some fabric online but I like being able to feel it before I buy it, plus the colors don't always turn out the way they looked in the picture. I'm trying to start using less man made materials (rayon/polyester) since they don't seem to last as long as cotton/linen etc. But I hate ironing, so that makes it difficult to find fabric I like.

 

[Mini Horses]

fabric online but I like being able to feel it before I buy it, plus the colors don't always turn out the way they looked in the picture.

This is so true! Feeling is critical for me.

Joann's dangerous?? Maybe that's why they closed ours

Seriously, if I'd start sewing again I could clothe myself for years with fabric on hand! I was trying to win "who has the most" honors.

 

[Ridgetop]

I have boxes of lovely fabrics that in planned on making but they are just sitting there now. My largest sewing frenzy was when we were square dancing. I made full mid-calf ruffled skirts trimmed with cheap sale lace and ric-rac. Then I made shirt yokes for DH's western shirts from the same fabric. They were in different plain colors so I stitched the new yokes over the shirt yoke to make matching skirt/shirt combos. Square dance partners like to match their outfits! LOL

 

[Ridgetop]

Have you seen the patterns for making denim skirts from old jeans? Really cute, and you could always find jeans at thrift stores. If you use men's jeans, they will have more fabric in them.

 

[Baymule]

I used to sew a lot. Just drifted away from it. I had an upholstery business when my kids were small. I still have one of my commercial machines and 3 home machines. I need a she shed!

 

[farmerjan]

This is so true! Feeling is critical for me.

Joann's dangerous?? Maybe that's why they closed ours

Seriously, if I'd start sewing again I could clothe myself for years with fabric on hand! I was trying to win "who has the most" honors.

Me too... and I still buy some when I see something I like.,...I used to make all my skirts and matching shirts/blouses when we danced with the Country Western 2-step dance club doing competitions and exhibitions.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I planted black beans in the gaps for those two rows, hopefully they will grow quickly and not be too far behind. I used a whole packet of pinto beans and it barely filled the gaps in one row, there's less in the packet than the black beans I guess. I filled in the rest of the pinto beans row with okra. No clue if it'll grow but why not?

Moved another wagon full of plants to the new garden. There's two blue berry plants that are making a comeback, they had lost all their leaves. I need to soak them and give them bigger pots and some fertilizer, then they should be really happy.

Went by Walmart on the way home from work yesterday since I actually went into the office for once. They had a clearance area with bulbs for only 2.50 each packet. Those are usually bad and dried out in my experience but I checked it out anyway and they actually felt like they had life in them. Some even had see through plastic and you could see the bulbs were trying to grow! I grabbed some calla lilies in a dark purple, and several types of canna lillies in different colors. One even has striped leaves. I'll be super excited if they are actually the plants marked on the packaging.

 

[SageHill]

I had a garden accidental experiment this year. I've had trouble growing peppers - yeah really! We're hot and full sun most of the time. I think a bit too hot and windy for the peppers. So this year I bought a few pepper plants. I put them in the garden boxes. One I put in the middle of a 4x4 box and planted some beet seeds around it -- thinking I'd grab the beets and then the pepper plant could take off. Wellllllll - those beets grew and created a microclimate for that pepper plant. It is easily at least 5 times bigger than all the others that were planted in different boxes w/o beets. This one lonesome pepper plant is thriving -- and I've left the beets in place (good lordy they are HUMONGOUS) - wonder if they'll even be ok to roast once I pull them whenever - Ill try and find out.
But just thinking that you can create little microclimates using simple things like beets - and CA is all about microclimates.

 

[Ridgetop]

If you find that the beets become woody and tough, chop them for the sheep. Hot peppers may like heat but I have found that my bell peppers don't like excessive heat. They either produce nothing or tiny bell peppers with thin walls.

 

[SageHill]

If you find that the beets become woody and tough, chop them for the sheep. Hot peppers may like heat but I have found that my bell peppers don't like excessive heat. They either produce nothing or tiny bell peppers with thin walls.

Alright! Beets for sheep - sounds good to me. They get the lettuce that bolt too -- sometimes I let it bolt on purpose! For my pepper plants - not even the hot ones like it here. Go figure and it hurts to have to buy jalapenos at the market.