Tag Archives: recycle

This corner of the yard

15 Aug

has been reserved for compost of tree, shrub and yard debris for years.  The black compost bin in the background hasn’t stayed together even with a “zip tie” fix.  Time to shop!

Found on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0085O6NXQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The cylinder in the foreground has an open bottom.  It was unrolled and secured with three plastic pieces that work like a key and lock inserted in slots.  The size is adjustable.  It is possible to expand the circumference an additional two feet.  Also, I could go smaller.

Last summer between kitchen, garden and yard waste, we yielded about 200 pounds of compost which we used at our remote garden site (future post).  We are on track with another 200 pounds…Eight  repurposed  cat  litter  buckets  filled (20 pounds each).  Two  more  to  go!

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Dirty job: composting

27 Jun
Yard compost bin

Yard

Kitchen compost bin

Kitchen

 

Compost bins

 

 

 

 

 

Composting is both a dirty job and “Black gold” to enrich vegetable garden….this season’s yield…200 pounds!

For eighteen years, I have used a three step process to mitigate the slime and smell of kitchen waste.  This year I added a fourth step.

  1. Compost kitchen and garden waste (very slimy and smelly)
  2. Compost yard waste (primarily trimmings of perennial flowers).
  3. Add kitchen compost to yard waste = black gold
  4. Top off with ashes from fire pit for enrichment

All gardening starts with dirt.  Yes, it is less expensive and messy to buy compost by the bag at garden centers.  Homemade is better.

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Support of hospice care with prayer shawls

18 Apr

The season of Lent concluded Easter Sunday as did this project offering prayer shawls for hospice care ministry.

The challenge using this bulky acrylic/nylon yard from my stash is that all the edges rolled!  I am grateful for the knitters who have posted instructions for “blocking” on the web.  This solution required some trial and error.  These small shawls got straightened out.  I will avoid buying bulky yarn in the future.

 

 

 

 

One more thing!  I had this nice “satchel” style bag…marketing material from an exposition.  Well…It occurred to me that a large appliqué (from my shower caddie project stash) would cover the advertising.  It is just the right size to hold seven folded “blocked” shawls.

Well…I meant two/three more things.

Last month, I was introduced to the pattern for these caps.  Two of them now belong to long time friends who are undergoing chemotherapy.

May God bless everyone during these difficult times.

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Dirty job: composting

27 Sep
Yard compost bin

Yard

Kitchen compost bin

Kitchen

 

Compost bins

 

 

 

 

 

Composting is both a dirty job and “Black gold” to enrich vegetable garden….this season’s yield…100 pounds!

For fifteen years, I have used a three step process to mitigate the slime and smell of kitchen waste.  This year I added a fourth step.

  1. Compost kitchen and garden waste (very slimy and smelly)
  2. Compost yard waste (primarily trimmings of perennial flowers).
  3. Add kitchen compost to yard waste = black gold
  4. Top off with ashes from fire pit for enrichment

All gardening starts with dirt.  Yes, it is less expensive and messy to buy compost by the bag at garden centers.  Homemade is better.

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Twice recycled, Thrice used

3 Dec
From curtains, to pillow covers, to three pocket tote

From curtains, to pillow covers, to three pocket tote

I chose this fabric with watercolor hues for curtains.  Alas, the curtains were replaced with blinds.  Shortly afterwards, I had the opportunity to recycle curtains in to pillow covers for screened porch seating.  Now that the seating is being reupholstered, the pillows will have new fabric.  I was about to THROW AWAY these covers when I realized sewing them together and adding a handle would make a respectable three pocket tote.  (Three pockets are made when the pillow backs are intact and sewn together with the fronts.)  DONE!

 

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