DIY: Wooly dryer balls

I am not sure why I did not do this sooner.  I have plenty of wool.  I love all-natural, diy projects.  I had friends asking me about it.  In any case, it has happened.  I finally stopped the spinning wheel and turned my wool roving into those eco-friendly dryer balls that everyone is talking about.  These are used instead of dryer sheets.  They combat static, soften your clothes, and shorten your drying time because they tumble the clothes better.

Draped in plaid

Earlier this Winter I decided to take a scissors to some wool and try my hand at draping.  I am confident enough to alter a pattern, sometimes quite drastically, to suit my taste, but never had I just draped the fabric off a dressform in hopes that it would magically transform in a couture garment.  In my collection were three pieces of lightweight wool in coordinating colors.  The problem:  I only had one yard of each.  I decided to put all three together and play with the possibilities.

Swishing my way out West

When Hank and I first started planning our vacation out West, it was clear that we had very different approaches to the 3000-mile trip out to Yellowstone and back.  He immediately pulled up Google maps, started plotting cities, researched attractions and calculated mileage.  I casually thumbed through my sewing patterns.  Hank anxiously gave the 1950 Chevy a thorough run-through, hoping she'd hold up for just one more roadtrip.  He changed the oil, checked the brakes, checked the suspension, double-checked his emergency toolbox and, just because he's that cautious sort, signed up for AAA.  I thrilled at finding the perfect piece of summer-weight wool.  Priorities, you know. 

When I think of Summer vacation , I immediately picture billowing, cotton sundresses and snappy playsuits in novelty prints.  But when I combine that image with Summer traveling, I cringe at the thought of ironing said cotton dresses with teeny hotel irons and flimsy boards (should you be *lucky* enough to even have one).  Such was my dilemma.  The South Dakota Badlands in August were sure to be hot, but once again, I opted for wool.  Hank looked up from under the hood of the Chevy just long enough to raise his greasy eyebrow at that decision, but I sewed on.   Ultimately I decided on two staple pieces on which to build my wardrobe:  an A-line skirt and a pair of pants. 

Retro Restyle: Felix and Val's

This past winter I scored a fabulous wool club jacket at an estate sale.  It was dirty and moth-eaten and my husband couldn't believe I actual put it on to take these photos, but the embroidery on the back was too cool!  Felix and Val!  Well, that's almost as slick sounding as Lenny and Squiggy! 

Hoffman Construction Co.

On the front of the jacket was a large patch advertising the Hoffman Construction Company.  After a little online research, I found that they were started before the turn of the century and based in Appleton, Wisconsin.  So why was Wausau listed on the patch as well?  Did Felix and Val own a local branch office of Hoffman's?  Like a lumberyard?  I immediately sent an email off to the company to find out.  

The Shepherdess in Winter

No matter the weather, the Shepherdess is on duty.  Might as well make it fashionable! 

Knit for Victory Challenge: My entry

I'm coming in just under the wire here for the knit-along over at By Gum By Golly.  The Knit for Victory challenge started before Christmas, but mercifully we have until the end of January to finish up.  I chose a small project that had been floating around in my head for a while, but the story of this simple piece is a bit convoluted so I'll explain.

Two years ago I purchased a fabulous coral-colored coat and made a simple tie-on hat to match.  Details are over at the Hometown Victory Girl blog (here). Well, I've worn that hat to death and decided that I needed more. 

Enter a pair of alpaca gloves from my wonderful husband.  Warm and gorgeous, I decided to make a jacket to match.  So this past Fall I restyled a 1960s wool shift dress into a bell-sleeved jacket (here).  The gloves were great with the jacket, but (you guessed it) I wanted a hat.  Enter this knitting challenge! 

Retro Restyle: Your Grandma's Blanket!

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess overworked shepherdess.  Every day after brushing her long golden hair pitching hay to the animals, she would sit on the couch and dream of spending time in her sewing room.  One day she awoke...

...to find that all her sewing dreams had come true!
 

details on the wolf pillow are here

Retro Restyle: Secret Garden Jacket

A few years ago I picked up this 1960s wool shift dress for a couple of bucks.  It was wool.  It was plaid.  I was powerless to resist.  But deep down I knew that it probably wouldn't get worn too much.  Comfy though it is, I like a defined waistline because I figure that at some point in my not too distant future, I won't have a waistline.  I'm enjoying it while I can.

I liked the clean lines, and my first thought was to simply add darts, shape the side seams and add a bit of trim.  Pockets maybe, or a belt?  But it turned into one of those dreaded mending projects that I continually avoided.

One night last week, I was frustrated with seeing it on the mending pile, just laying there, taunting me, so I took a scissors to it.

And the vintage gods smiled down...

I should warn you right-off that this post is full of unabashed narcissism.  Some days on the Homestead you will find me in rollers and wool workshirts.  This past Sunday I was all Old Hollywood Glamour (humor me awhile, won't you).  And if you can somehow stomach all the 1950s hokey posturing, there is a pretty cool story about this outfit.

Once upon a day at the thrift store, the vintage gods were smiling down on me...

For the love of plaid

It's no secret.  My love of plaid.  And this time of year my sewing thoughts always turn to plaid...and wool.  I recently received several 2-3 yard pieces from my mother's friend.  I'm envisioning varsity jackets, swing coats and pencil skirts.  But to start things off, I opted for a pair of pants.  Nothing fancy, slightly high-waisted (which is how I typically sew my pants) and narrow through the leg. 

Retro Restyle: Navy Uniform

A while ago I purchased a Navy uniform at the local thrift store.  The wool pants were in pristine condition and fit my husband beautifully.  The uniform top was in poor condition, full of moth holes and almost too small for me across the bust.  It had not a single patch or trim, and immediately, I began to ponder how to salvage it.  I threw the top in the wash, and waited to see what would come out.  It washed up well, shrank just a tich, and I put it in the "restyle" pile.

Spring Shearing for Sale

If you can't buy the sheep, you can still own the fleece!  Our "Spring" shearing is finally complete (although it dragged into Summer a bit due to the wet season we've had in Wisconsin this year).  I'm proud to say that Hank whirled through 17 sheep with nary a nick!  The sheep are happily out in fresh pastures with fresh, new coats.  And that leaves me with a bit of a storage issue.  I already have a healthy supply of lambswool (which I don't sell) and a huge batch of roving expected back from the mill any day now.  So, my friends, that means this year's wool needs to find a new home. 

So have we any spinners in the audience?  Felters?  Weavers?  Here's your chance!

All fleeces are raw.  They have been heavily skirted and given a once over.  That means no manure, no matted tags, no briars, no cornstalks, no barbed wire.  They will still require a a second picking for fluffing and to remove minor vegetable matter.  All fleeces include britch wool.  Most include neck wool (unless it was too full of hay).  Fiber length is approximately 4-5 inches on average.  Most fleeces are double-coated and wavy, not excessively crimpy.  I do not coat the sheep so all fleeces have sun-fade.  Several fleeces are heathered, meaning they have a grey flecking throughout even if the fleece appears brown or ivory.  You will see second cuts as Hank is not a professional shearer.  Raw weight is approximately 3-4 pounds resulting in 2-3 pounds washed.  Fleeces are $15 each plus shipping.  

Buttercup - very dark brown, almost black

Retro Restyle: Military Sweater

Now I've been known to take my husband's old flannel shirt and sew it into jammie pants for my son.  I've also repurposed my clothing down into something else for my daughter.  But this was the first time I've reworked a sweater. And I think I'm hooked.

I started with a 100% lambswool sweater in size large.  Bought it at the thrift store for $2.

Then I scrounged some coordinating cotton twill, buttons and patches from my supplies. 

I did a bit of cutting and embellishing and came up with this.

Big Bad Woolf : an Update

Just wanted to post a quick update on my Big Bad Woolf pillow.  I did some simple outline quilting around the entire design and added a yellow, oval button eye.  The pillow cover closes with a zipper across the bottom edge.  I made my own pillow form using thrifted poly-fill and muslin.

This was a great project.  I had forgotten how fun it can be to buy a brand new pattern, cut into my special herringbone wool and have a finished product ready to use just days later!  Really, Ladies, try to sew those projects while you're still excited about them.  If everything is put off until after you've plowed through the neverending mending pile, the honeymoon might be over.  And then your once highly anticipated projects turn into the dreaded UFO! 

the Big Bad Woolf

I'm so pleased to be able to show you my finished Big Bad Wolf block!  This is a paper pieced Block of the Month pattern available from Bungalow Quilting and Yarn Shop.  January was Grandmother's cottage, and February was the wolf.  Can't wait to see Red Riding Hood who is expected to be strolling through the woods in March!  Check out their website to see the same block done up in cotton.

I pieced my block from wool and used 1/2" seam allowances where possible.  I also attempted to press the seams open on the back to alleviate bulk.  I scaled this block up quite a bit from the original pattern.  My finished size measures 18".  For those of you not familiar with paper piecing, the block is constructed in sections or quadrants.  You literally place your fabric onto the paper template and sew on the pattern lines.  The paper is sewn to the fabric and removed later. 

Here is the paper pattern for the tree trunk (missing the very top point).  The original size is at the far left.  I continued to enlarge the pattern on the copier until it was the size I wanted.  The pieces of fabric are sewn onto the backside of the paper in the order of the numbers.  When each section of the block is completed, they are then sewn together.  I apologize that I don't have any 'in progress' photos to show you.  This was my first paper piecing project in quite a few years, and I was so thrilled that it was turning out, I just kept pinning and sewing!

My wolf will eventually turn into a couch pillow.  He needs beady, yellow button eyes and a bit of outline stitching.  Hank suggested I do a barn and sheep block to finish off the matched set, but we'll see.  I love sewing with wool, but next on the List is my daughter's Easter dress and jacket.  

Winter Wool Bathrobe

I know, I know.  You're thinking, "a bathrobe made from wool?"  But, honestly, did you expect anything else from me?  It's winter.  I love wool (on or off the sheep).  Enough said.

I didn't want to sew the traditional wrapped front, shawl collar robe so I used Butterick 5744 from the 1970s that I found at the thrift store.  I like that it's slightly fitted through the high waist but still comfy enough to "let it all hang out" at the end of the day.  And the 3/4 sleeves have proved to be a Godsend!  No more bulky sleeves dragging around while I'm trying to mix up the pancake batter for breakfast!  Okay, confession.  Typically Hank does the pancakes while I sip coffee.

Winter Trends: Layering

The fashion designers say that texture and layers are the thing this winter fashion season.  And since I'm all about haute couture on the Homestead, here's my trending ensemble for daily chores.

long sleeve cotton shirt
long sleeve cashmere turtleneck sweater
Dickies insulated work coat
Duofold long john bottoms
WWII Army-issue wool pants
Wrangler denim coveralls
alpaca wool socks
knock-off Sorel boots
cashmere scarf
fleece-lined waterproof gloves
fleece-lined knit toboggan hat

Oh yeah, we're styling now!

Hi-ho! Hi-ho! Off to the Mill I go!

yes, that's a black metal bed frame on the right...

This year's shearing was officially wrapped up on June 27th, but the fleeces sat around on my side porch for the duration of the Summer.  Embarrassing, really, but when one major job is finished around here, it seems there are three more urgently waiting.  This was something that I always meant to get back to.  And now that Winter is knocking at the door, we need to clean off the side porch and get it stacked with wood.

Each bag is one fleece (one sheep's worth).  Raw weight (which includes all the dirt and lanolin) is approximately 2-3 pounds per fleece.  Washing out the dirt lightens the fleece by a half pound.  And if I had to guess, I'd say one fleece will spin up into about 800 yards of two-ply, sweater weight yarn.

Since the weather was mild last week, I set up the skirting table outside and got to it.  My husband built me a large frame from 1x3s covered in mesh, similar to a screen door, that I can prop up on chairs (and bucket).  I lay a fleece on the screen and pick out all the bits of hay.  All the rubbish ends up on the ground.  I could make another whole sheep with all that rubbish!

Technically what I'm doing here is called "skirting."  Skirting is the process of removing the wool from around the entire outer edge.  This outer edge is the wool from the shoulders, belly and rump, and is typically the dirtiest.  After skirting through all those fleeces, I got a pretty good feel for the quality of my flock.   It became obvious which sheep had the longest fleece (Abner), which was starting to have a poorer quality fleece due to age (Knight and Mammy), and which one had the best coloring (Gretl's is gorgeous!).  Lambswool is the first fleece taken off a young sheep.  On our farm, sheep are sheared for the first time at one year of age.  These fleeces are very long and much softer than adult fleeces.

One positive side effect to having your hands buried in fleece all day is a good working in of lanolin (and dirt) which left my hands fairly soft.  The next step is taking all this to the mill to have it washed and carded so I can get some yarn spun.  The winter months are the perfect time to sit by the woodstove in the evenings, spinning and contemplating my next knitting project.  And I need to make a serious dent in all this wool because the next shearing is only six months away.  Hopefully we'll have the wood cleared off the porch by then so we can fill it up with wool again!

Project List...again

Just a peek at a few more of the projects I've been working on.  Seems I have deviated slightly from dressmaking these days.  But the winter months just don't inspire me as much.  Maybe a pair of wool pants is in order, but eh, I can get by.  These quirky projects stretched my creativity a bit more than banging out another pair of pants from the old tried-and-true pattern.

Project #1:  My daughter has just decided that she wants to be a vet when she grows up.  This stems from her ever-increasing love of horses.  Oy vey!  Do you realize how much more hay we're going to have to put up?!  Well, for her birthday last month, I sewed up a doctor's bag.  I used scraps of white wool and leftover red bias binding.  It has a magnetic snap in the closure and measures approximately 8" tall by 12" wide.  It was a hit.  Perhaps she can start doctoring the calves . . .

Project #2:  I don't know any farmer who doesn't have bags and bags of used baler twine sitting around the barn.  Seriously, we have 50# dog food bags crammed with the stuff!  Yes, I've seen the Boy Scouts make rope out of it, but I'm just not in the market for lassos right now . . . not yet, anyway.  So I decided to take my crochet hook to this lone spool of twine because I am in the market for more outdoor rugs.

Technically this isn't "used" twine, but one orphan spool is not very useful (for those of you who aren't familiar with the inner workings of a baler, you have to have two spools working together to tie up your bales of hay).  It is a bit stiff, but I don't have to deal with all the knots that would be in used twine.  I'm doing a single crochet and will go until I run out. 

Project #3:  Because my first peek-a-boo pin-up towel turned out pretty well, I had try another one.  This time I went for a more risque pin-up.  This platinum blonde fan dancer has no need for a wooden spoon.  :) 

I perfected my embroidery stitch a bit so the outline is cleaner and her face turned out much nicer.  I also used lace on the hem as rickrack was just too 'domestic' for this beauty.  For a look at the original 1950s towel that inspired these, check out EllynAnne Geisel's blog on her vintage linens.

And as was true with many of the fan dancers of the 1930s, this girl is sans her sheer panties.  I really enjoyed making this towel as the peek-a-boo concept lends itself perfectly to the type of girl.  I think I need to do a BoPeep pin-up with a shepherd's crook next (and ruffled undies). 

Project List Status: Done!

There's something wonderful about checking things off the Project List.  Perhaps it's because some things have been on that List faaar too long.  Or maybe it's because things are continually being added to that List.  So while I'll never see the end of it, I might just get closer to the Latest and Greatest Project Idea!  And we all know that those are not in short supply!  So here are a few things that I've been finishing up in those precious hours after the kids are in bed.

Project #1:  I started this wool braided rug over a year ago.  I ripped, literally, wool yardage into 2 inch stripes, folded in the raw edges (like double fold bias binding) and started braiding.  It was great fun putting colors together, and it made a huge dent in my wool collection.  I planned to use the light grey throughout the whole rug and then shade the other colors lighter and darker as I went.  And yes, I said rug.  Originally I had wanted to make a 6 foot circle rug for my daughter's playhouse.  Oh, she would have loved it, but a thrift store rag rug seemed a more prudent option.  Having been stuck at this size for well over 6 months, I decided to add ties and voila! chair seat cover!  All the other yardage went back into the stash and now I have some great pieces for winter clothes!

  Project #2: Last month I knitted up a pink 1940s tie-on cap to match my pink coat.  I blogged about it over at the Hometown Victory Girls if you're interested.  Well, my daughter, who is young enough to still want to be like her mom, asked for one.  So a quick rummage through the yarn supply produced a skein of variegated pink left over from her slippers I did last winter. This little beauty works up so fast and is easy to size (I may make another one for myself).  So check off the List one going-to-church hat!

Project #3:  Last week my niece was confirmed in the Catholic Church and asked me to be her sponsor.  For her gift, I sewed up this cute little shoulder bag using Wild Kat's tutorial for reusable shopping bags.  Instead of using two carrying handles, I improvised a single shoulder strap.  I made a drawstring top and ran a heavy cord.  It closes with a sliding toggle, and the cord is sewn into the seam at the bottom of the bag.

The fabric was a remnant I picked up at the local thrift store (shocking, I know).  I think it may have been a valance at one time.  These whimsical birds scream 1960s and you can't help but smile!

Project #4:  It's so easy to come up with sewing projects for my daughter!  I used McCalls 8471 to make a simple bathrobe for her out of flannel.  I left off the cuffs and took some of the fullness out of the back.  And I only put one vintage button at the neck. 

She told me it's like wearing a blanket.  What could be better?!  And there are her slippers peeking out, made from the same yarn as her hat.  She and the cat, Zehny, are sitting in front of the wood stove (which stands just outside the picture).  This is the most coveted spot in the house during the winter!

Next up on the Project List is a wool pencil skirt for myself, a pair of corduroys for my daughter and a crocheted shrug.  The work never ends, but then it's not always work.  It's therapy!