I stacked up 3 buttons and then repeated the action 7 more times. The little buttons were embellishments for gingerbread men, a new design for journal covers. I threaded up the machine, successfully sewed on two buttons, then cracked the third and broke a needle. I took the thread out of the machine and found … Continue reading An Economy Lesson from my Mother
Tag: frugal
Enough: canned tomatoes and darned sweaters
My first-born son and I have had pleasant conversations about "enough" for quite a few months. But yesterday I shot all the verbal ammo a farm girl raised in the fifties could muster against the idea of home canning. I have distinct sensory memories of hot summer days in a kitchen made hotter by processing tomatoes: arms … Continue reading Enough: canned tomatoes and darned sweaters
Materials at hand
I was thinking about Miss Alice this morning. She was my mother's mother and an expert in frugal living. She made patchwork quilts and rag rugs from used clothes and household linens. Her handiwork was colorful and serviceable. At lunch time, she opened the doors to the pantry and the refrigerator to survey what was at … Continue reading Materials at hand