The Apartment Farm

What a shocker – this is some machine! It’s a White cabinet sewing machine that was purchased in 1953 at the Famous Barr department store. It’s a handsome dark wood cabinet that has a storage tray, fold out work surface, and storage in the seat. The entire machine itself is not only metal, but cast iron – this machine is a true workhorse. Not a piece of plastic on it. It came with all of it’s accessories (in red Bakelite storage containers!) including a button holer, foot zipper thing and numerous other pieces and parts that I have no idea what to do with at this point.

It also came with the original manual (including 3 untouched sewing patterns), an additional sewing book and the original warranty receipt. This baby has provenance. It came to me through my husband’s aunt by way of Mrs. Potts’ son (they own a lake house with them) – she died a few years ago, and are finally selling her old farmhouse. The sewing machine was in the basement of the farmhouse, and was given to my husband’s aunt. They were just going to throw it out! So thank you Mrs. Potts – it’s an honor to have such a fine piece of furniture in my own home. And it’s great to be able to have the story that goes with it. (Oh and pictures coming soon! I have them taken, but WordPress “upgraded” the upload process and un-tech-savvy me has to relearn it.)

I have a ton of patterns just waiting to make their debut. They range from the super easy to the difficult, but I plan to start simple and work my way up. The easiest pattern I have is for tote bags – the Butterick Yes It’s Easy See & Sew B4169. You can make a standard tote bag, a square tote bag and a round drawstring-style bag with this pattern. For clothes, I have the following patterns:

Shirts

Butterick Six Sew Fast & Easy B4684 – six variations of a tunic shirt.

McCall’s M4455 – five variations of a corset-style top.

Skirts

Butterick Fast & Easy 3061—three variations of an A-line skirt.

McCall’s M4925 – six variations of a pencil skirt.

Butterick Fast & Easy 3526 – five variations of a wrap skirt.

Dresses

Butterick Yes It’s Easy See & Sew B4492 – two variations of an A-line summer dress.

McCall’s M4826 – three variations of a 1950’s style halter dress.

Butterick Retro ’57 B4513 – three variations of a flared ‘party’ dress.

Costumes

Butterick Making History B4212 – two variations of a Victorian dress.

Butterick Making History B4669 – four variations of a peasant corset.

Butterick Making History 6630 – two variations of a Renaissance lady-in-waiting dress and coat.

Butterick 6698 – four variations of Japanese kimono.

McCall’s Costumes 3674 – four variations of a Wild West style can-can dress.

McCall’s Costumes M4626 – men’s and children’s pirate costume.

Okay, so some of those are pretty out there and advanced – but I fully intend to become an accomplished sewer in a few years. And I’ve got no excuse! I’m going to start with the tote bag and the A-line skirt. I have some cute fabric for both – I have some red ticking that would look cute as the bag, and some blue calico-inspired floral on white that would be great as a swingy summer skirt. After I learn those, I’ve got some black pinstriping that would be perfect for a pencil skirt.

Oh, and I also some patterns that I found on the web – there are some really great resources for free patterns. I have the following:

Fitz Wrap Skirt

Fitz Long Wrap Skirt

Shift Dress

Linen Pouch

Obviously, Fitz has some good stuff for download. They’ve got new/different stuff on their website now, so I’ll post my pdf links as soon as re-figure out how too (see lament about pics above).

There are also a ton of fabrics I’d love to add to my drawer, and my favorite online store for fabric is Ladybutton Fabrics.These are the ones I covet:

Dumb Dot in chocolate/white by Michael Miller

Eiffel Tower Crème Toile by Michael Miller

Forget Me Not Boutique Stripe in pinks/browns by Robert Kaufman

Small Pastel Flowers on Crème

Sushi on Wasabi by Timeless Treasures

Wonder Dots in pink/brown by Michael Miller

So let the sewing begin! Well, as soon as I read the manual and learn how to thread the thing… J

Ever wanted to make your own mead, vinegar, mustard, or such things? Does it seem to intimidating to learn it all yourself and get together all of those “special” supplies? Why not get a kit? I came across a website that sells kits for all manner or DIY foodstuffs, and I think it’s great. Pretty affordable too. This stuff would also make good gifts. Check out the goods at Leeners and see for yourself.

I don’t usually refer people to big box stores (shop local!), but I do have to admit that mega home store Lowes does have a pretty good resource available for DIY-ers in their free Creative Ideas magazine. They have pdfs on their website, and you can also sign up to recieve them mailed to your home. They have an archive of most of last year’s issues up as well.

It’s a DIY magazine in the flair of the early days of Martha Stewart Living, which as Martha would say, is a “good thing”. The current issue includes some great projects, including designing a pantry, painting planters, building a basic box, etc. You should check it out - and why not? It’s free.

You can do more with china than let it collect dust in a cabinet in between annual Christmas dinners. Even better, you can rescue china that has seen better days by transforming it into something entirely new—how about a vanity set for your dressing table or bathroom counter? A mirror, jewelry dish, and tray can be fashioned out of vintage china, glue and a little love.  

To craft this set, you’ll need 1 dinner plate with a decorative edge (transferware is perfect), 1 teacup with saucer, 1 platter with a decorative edge, Alene’s Glass & Bead glue (or other similar glass/china glue), 1 small round mirror (probably about 6 inches, but this will depend on the size of your plate. Various sizes can be had at craft stores.), 1 medium round or oval mirror (probably about 10-12 inches, but again the size and shape will depend on the size of the platter.), 1 table-top plate stand (wood or decorative metal are prettiest, but the utilitarian plastic or wire ones will do.). 

The first thing you want to do is wash all of the dishes in hot, soapy water, and let them air dry. We’ll assemble the tray first. Place beads of glue around the perimeter of the back side of the larger mirror, and fill in the center with glue dots also. Centering the mirror on the platter, press it down firmly and set aside for several hours to dry. Repeat this process with the smaller mirror and plate.  

To create the jewelry dish, turn the tea cup upside down on the table. Put beads of glue around the bottom of the cup. Affix the saucer, right side up, to the bottom of the teacup (so bottom sides are touching). Set it aside for the glue to dry.  

As an optional way to further customize your set, you can either etch the mirrors with glass etching cream, paint words or sayings onto the plates with china paint, affix a charm or monogram to the teacup handle, or swap out the mirror on the tray for clear glass under which you could put photos or a collage.  

Once the glue is dry, use window cleaner or a little vinegar to wipe the smudges and fingerprints off of the mirrors. Place the small mirrored plate in the plate rack, and arrange the set in your chosen location. It’s as easy as that—now you have a stylish place to show off your rings and perfume bottles! (Oh, one other thing—while the glue bond is permanent, you’ll want to hand-wash your set when it needs a cleaning, and avoid the dishwasher. Just too harsh for our nice things!).  

I really enjoy the ambience that candles lend, but I really hesitate to use candles made of paraffin since they are a petroleum by-product. I love beeswax candles, and over the past year I have become equally as enamored with soy candles as well.  

Soy wax has a clean, odorless burn, a smooth texture, takes added scents and colors very well and is very easy to work with. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a three-pound tub of soy wax flakes at my local independently-owned craft store for only $10! I also picked up some tabbed votive wicks (the pre-waxed short wicks attached to little metal circles), some candle putty (for securing the wicks into the candle containers) and vanilla candle scent. When you are purchasing your soy wax, it’s important to note what grade you’re purchasing—there is container wax (obviously, for making candles directly in their holders) and pillar wax (for making free-standing candles that you take out of a mold). For my vanilla candles, I decided to make them in 3 ounce tins that I picked up at the Container Store. I think tinned candles are great because they’re travel-friendly—you can throw them in your travel pack and have them handy in your motel room or at your campsite for ambiance, relaxation and as way to improve the smell of your surroundings. You can also re-use the tins by making another candle when the original one burns down.   

You never want to melt your wax over direct heat, so you’ll need to use either a double-boiler or your microwave. I think the microwave is the easiest, low-mess way to make candles, so that’s what I prefer. You’ll need microwave-safe glass bowl, a spoon, a small ladle, tabbed wicks, candle containers, candle putty, an old rimmed metal baking pan, your chosen candle scent and color (if using), and of course you soy wax flakes.  

Assemble your work area first. Soy wax cleans up with soap and water, but it takes some scrubbing and several rinses, so working on top of a metal tray will contain spills and is easier to clean. First, prep your containers. Make sure they are washed and dried. Affix one wick into the center of each container with a small ball of candle putty. Line them up on one side of your tray. On the other side of your tray, put the bowl. Measure your soy wax flakes into the bowl. I found that around ½ to ¾ of a cup of wax filled each tin. If you melt too much wax, don’t worry about it—once it cools completely in the bowl you can chip it out and use it again another time. And if you don’t melt enough, just do another batch. Have your scent and color handy, but don’t add them yet. To melt the wax, microwave it at one-minute intervals until it becomes liquid, stirring it periodically. Once the wax is liquid, remove the bowl from the microwave and place it on your work tray. Be careful and use a potholder—the bowl will be very hot! If you’re adding color, add it now and stir until completely combined. Using your small ladle, carefully ladle wax into each holder, leaving a little headroom in each container. If you are adding scent, add a few drops (I add 5-7 drops per container for a strong scent) to each tin. Once each tin is done, walk and way and let them sit until hardened—this will take several hours, but I usually leave them overnight.  

I also don’t do my cleanup until the next morning—cleaning up hardened wax is much easier then liquid! Since everything is on the tray, the mess is contained, and you can set it in an out of the way spot once the wax has started to harden. The next morning, clean up your containers—use a wet cloth to remove and spilled or dripped wax. Cap the tins with their lids and affix a label, ribbon or other embellishment. To clean up your work supplies, scrape and chip any remaining wax into your wax container to use next time. You can make it even easier to remove from freezing your supplies until the wax is even harder. Once you have removed as much wax as possible, wash your supplies in hot soapy water. It will take some scrubbing and a few good rinses to remove all of the residue.  

And that’s it, you’re done! Beautiful candles perfect for accenting your home or giving as gifts. You can personalize them by using any type of glass or metal container, natural scents, natural dyes or packaging. For giving, I packaged two candles in a kraft coffee bag (with the metal tab closure at the top), punched to holes at the top of bag where I strung a red and white baker’s twine bow and gift tag, and it was ready to go!  

Christmas was a great success at Apartment Farm this past year. I didn’t do everything I set out to do (the Wild West gingerbread façade, for example) but we had a great holiday and enjoyed the time with family. I put a lot of thought into gifts this year; giving things that were handmade, hand-assembled and purchased responsibly. I made a few sets of crocheted potholders that were well-received and the preserve gift baskets I assembled were a great success—I picked out a selection of jams and preserves from Stovers Farm, threw in some Wisconsin-produced mustard and maple syrup and packaged it all in a raffia-lined shallow red peck basket. To contain it all and get a nice finished look, I used shrink wrap plastic and tied a bow with red chenille ribbon with a handmade tag and a wire ornament. For gift wrapping this year, I used brown kraft paper and red chenille ribbon or red and white baker’s twine to tie up the packages. I recycled candy cane Christmas cards into gift tags with my 3-inch circle hole punch. The look was quite fetching under the tree.   

Cooking and baking pretty much came out as planned. The weekend before Christmas, I baked hundreds of cookies—green spritz trees, plain spritz stars, snickerdoodles and Russian teacakes. I didn’t get to do the rosettes or springerle this year, but that will give us something to look forward to next Christmas. For Christmas dinner, we did roasted duck, Norwegian meatballs, mashed potatoes with truffle oil, dark rye stuffing, wilted kale with bacon and cranberries. Everything turned out except for the duck—it looked gorgeous, but wasn’t nearly as done as it should’ve been on the inside, and when trying to correct the error, we overcooked it to an inedible degree… so learning how to cook duck properly will be the task at hand for the coming year. Maybe we’ll get our technique perfected in time for Christmas dinner this year. But dinner was salvaged anyway with the always-delicious meatballs and plenty of sides. I also made home made glogg (with Aquavit and red wine) but it came out only so-so, but only because I forgot to add the sugar! Sugar and spice are certainly what makes a great glogg! But it smelled fantastic while it was simmering on the back of the stove before dinner, and was drinkable.  

The weekend prior to Christmas was spent at my sister’s house, and that was a great time as always. She made roasted Cornish hens and cranberry stuffing for our holiday meal, and it was a joy to experience our first Christmas gift opening with my niece. Christmas Eve with spent with my husband’s family and then we had a quiet Christmas Day at home, as is our tradition for the past several years. We woke up at a leisurely hour, had brunch together, opened gifts (he got me the book “The New Farmer’s Market”, among other things!) and had a nice, relaxing afternoon spending time and cooking our Christmas dinner together.

So all in all, Christmas was a great success. I always enjoy this magical time of the year where we can slow down and spend time with those we love. I hope your holidays were just as memorable and wonderful as mine.

I’m always looking for unsual ways to package my bath salts and soaps, and I came across some cute containers while browsing online today that I thought I would share:

- Mini Apple Crates

- Wood Scoops

- Kraft Wrapping Paper

- “Reindeer Feed” Muslin Feed Sacks

- Mini Muslin Feed Sacks

- Baker’s Twine

- Metal Tins

Mason jars are essential in any homestead kitchen in putting up the harvest. They’re also great for dry storage in the pantry, small jars are perfect as lunchbox containers, and they’re perfect containers for handmade candles and bath products. In addition, with a few simple adapter kits, you can find uses for them all over the home, including making a lotion/soap pump, an electric lamp, or an oil lamp.

Tis the season for decorated sugar cookies, and to bake sugar cookies you need cookie cutters. There are so many shapes available these days, but wouldn’t it be great if you could make your own custom designs? Well, where there’s a will there’s a way, as Peggy Weaver demonstrates in her online instructions “Make Your Own Cookie Cutters & Gumpaste Cutters” at the neat site What’s Cooking America. You can also purchase all the materials you need in one handy kit at H.O. Foose Tinsmithing.

I really like paint can lanterns (yes, I know I’m a dork), and what’s cooler than a snowman sitting on your porch or in your apartment window? They’re easy to make and are quite festive. You’ll need:

1 1-gallon paint can with lid

1 quart paint can with lid

1 pint paint can with lid

white spray paint

black enamel paint

orange enamel paint

awl or large-gauge nail

hammer

3 battery-operated votive lights

Crafting the snowmen is simple:

1.) Fill each can with water and freeze until solid. Using the hammer and awl or nail, punch a ring of holes around the top and bottom of each can. Defrost water and dry cans.

2.) In a well-ventilated area, spray all the cans and lids with the white spray paint and let dry. If any of the punched holes are filled with paint, just use a toothpick to clear the hole.

3.) On the pint can, paint your snowman face with the black and orange paint.

4.) On the quart can, paint a row of buttons down the front.

5.) Put a battery-operated votive in each can, stack the cans with the largest on the bottom, and enjoy!

I recommend using the battery-operated votives instead of real candles in these lanterns because the cans will have the lids on and be stacked, causing a fire hazard and ventilation problem. You can get a 10-pack for what I think is a decently reasonable price at Plow & Hearth. You can also embellish your snowman any way you want- dress it up with a knit or felt scarf and hat, mini broom and corncob pipe. And instead of painting on the face detail and buttons, you can always hot glue buttons and a wood or paper mache carrot to the face- whatever your imagination dreams up, as always!