Catie George

This was bumped (admittedly by spam). Interesting to see how things change in 6 years!

So... I've found a. 'solution'. At least to the pants that last issue.  I still struggle to find T-shirts that last.  And my beloved blundstones no longer fit my even wider feet, so shoes are an issue again.

My mom retired and started getting incredibly annoyed with how badly my clothing fit me. We altered together a wide leg pants pattern with an elastic waist back waist band, and now I literally wear nothing but these pants. Shorts in the summer, pants in the winter. It's a huge time commitment for my mom - I think she spends 10+ hours sewing them (probably less now that she bought a serger), but some of my shorts I still wear in public are now 4+ years old (a couple have disintegrated due to poor fabric). I get a ton of compliments on them, which is something I genuinely can't say has ever happened with pants before. They fit so well, and make it so easy to move, they're breathable and airy and comfortable - as they get older and patched, I start using them as pyjamas. Oh, and I have functional pockets!

Do I save money vs buying new? Absolutely not in the short term, or when the fabric turns out bad.  Shorts cost probably $20 in materials. Pants 40-50.  I try to get heavier weight natural fibres, current favourite is cotton or ramie twill, though I admit my most durable pair of shorts has been  poly cotton twill. I tend to have 3 pairs of shorts, and 3 pairs of pants at any one time. Seems crazy, as I wear a pair of  4 year old shorts that pants sometimes only lasted me 2-3 months!!!

She also now makes my event dresses, which means instead of trying to shred after one wear, I can now wear dresses multiple times and I wear things that are actually flattering. I have a wedding coming up where I'm a bridesmaid - my mom has done 3 muslins of a simple bodice to make sure it fits perfectly, so I'll be wearing a stunning ramie twill with a bit of shine to it, a lined bodice, and no spandex for the wedding (late summer, outdoors ) in a fitted a line dress that actually fits, rather than an awful polyester chiffon that I am constantly worried will fall off or flash someone.(thankfully bride just wants a certain colour and tea length, and was more than fine with the pattern/fabric).

I am aware I am incredibly spoiled!

I was reminded of this thread today.

I have been going in circles for a bit now - I want to play with acrylics again, (okay, let's be honest, I want to play with gouache, but I OWN acrylics), but I hate painting acrylics on paper,but art boards are expensive and my local dollar store didn't have any craft panels, and I hate dollar stores so don't want to try others and ...

Anyway, spotted a piece of leftover, somewhat  banged up plywood flooring underlayment in the corner of my garage while thinking about acrylic painting today. A couple swipes of a circular saw and a bit of scuff sanding later, I have 2 practice boards. Now gessoing them.

A 4x8 sheet new is 35 bucks, so if this works, I'll have plenty of practice boards to play with!  Better yet, the first two panels were the grand price of "free".

Theoretically I should varnish the backsides, and I will, if I decide any thing I make is worth keeping.  But I'm just as likely to paint the backside too.

Edit - I see there's info online about first sealing wood with a gloss medium before gessoing it. If I struggle, I might try that. But again, these are practice panels!

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:I'm wondering about a cheap, bulk source of chalk to try this.

I have some glass skylight windows that add too much heat in summer (but are wonderful in all other seasons). Previously I covered them with aluminized bubble wrap insulation, which is a pain to install because of the wind that rips along our roof.

I know weightlifters have bags of chalk, for "gription." Where can I get this stuff cheap?

Looks like hardware and feed stores sell it as 'line marking powder'or powdered agricultural lime.(Stone) - chalk is calcium cabronate. A lifetime supply, or 50 lb bag, for about 20 bucks.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:I never thought of using temporary chalk paint on windows. I wonder if there is an easy way to make it a bit more durable (rain resistant).

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260625-why-the-french-are-painting-chalk-on-their-windows

"Why French people are painting chalk on their windows in the heat"

"As record-breaking heat sweeps over France, some shops are running out of a simple, cheap and unexpected product – crushed chalk.

Known as Blanc de Meudon, or Meudon whiting, it is normally used to make paints or as a cleaning product. But faced with punishing temperatures, there are reports that ingenious people have been using the chalky material as a home remedy against the heat, covering windows in schools and private homes.

Mixed with water, then painted on glass, the result is a milky, whitish coating that lets in some light but reflects the heat. And a growing body of research suggests that there may be some solid science behind the DIY cooling hack."

I wonder if mixing it with washable kid's school glue would make it last a little longer (while still being easy to eventually remove).

I love the idea.

(And yes, exterior shade cloth makes a huge difference, too).

Do you have access to dolomite/dolomitic lime? It's crushed magensium-rich limestone.  Potentially not ideal if you have very alkaline soils, as it will raise the pH, but about 13% Mg by weight (plus 21% Ca). It's a very common soil amendment.

My dad once spent most of a summer ripping 2x4s into 1"strips, then ripping those strips into wedge shaped strips  then hammering those wedges into the gaps between the logs of a very drafty, unfinished log house, then adding chinking to cover.  Might be a better air seal than  furring strips.

Can you focus on weather/draft proofing one room with your stove?

I am an outlier - I use septobac. Not as often as the package says, but occasionally. My parents started using it in the 90s, including for reducing the odour in RV sewage and in an, ahem, 'unapproved' septic at a weekend home, after being recommened it by their sptic pumping guy in the 90s... Definitely made a difference in the second 2 use cases..

One of those things where i dont know if it works, since we have never had septoc issues... But, we've never had septic issues, despite not pumping our septics or being paranoid abot what goes in them. I spend maybe $20 on septobac a year, which is cheap insurance. I had the septic pumped when i moved in 2 years ago, will probably do it again next fall to see how it looks. Mine isnt accessible in the winter (hatch is under a foot of dirt)  which makes me a bit more cautious. A cousin's septic system failed midwinter, and that was a nightmare.

Lt Hauler wrote:Like the thread, this is a difficult task these days.  I like to go on hikes and have been looking for rocks, cool wood and things to pickup to make into unique presents.  Your thread got me thinking.  Any cool rock ideas?

I actually just gave a 6 year old a few cool rocks as a gift. A pretty chunk of local coloured marble and a rock with some nice fossils. Apparently he was thrilled. Kids are great.

Mindat.org can be really helpful for interesting rock hunting. I have never been to Alaska, but picked up some really fascinating volcanic rocks on the shore of BC.

Lately I have been using smooth rocks and an oil based paint pen to make no-fade garden markers for my fruit trees and bushes. One day I'd like to try carving the labels with a Dremel.

Walking sticks are nice gifts.

A local library cut up a small branch with a miter saw into think slices, drilled a hole at the top of each slice ,strung them on strings, and turned them into Christmas tree ornaments for kids to decorate.

I strongly prefer the Radius Ergonomic brand grips over a traditional D style. Never thought I'd fangirl a tool brand, but here I am. Only downside is that their tools are very strong - and quite heavy.


I like short handles for digging, long handles for prying and for shovelling.  For shovelling, a long handle is more ergonomic for me, plus, lifting my heavy Radius tools gets tiring.

It's finally summer - gardening season is in full swing here, which finds me spending WAY too much time in the heat and sun, coming in craving a cold, refreshing drink before heading back out. (Especially since my AC situation is somewhat lacking).

I've rediscovered home made ginger ale. Somehow mildly sweet, yeasty, bubbly ginger water hits the spot when I'm dehydrated.

(Ginger Ale - Combine approx 3.75L of water, a tiny pinch of yeast, 1-2 cups sugar, a small glug of molasses, and a finger of minced ginger in a soft 4L water bottle. Screw the top on, leave it in a moderately warm place, refrigerate after the bottle is hard, in 6-48 hrs, to keep it from exploding. Avoid glass. At the lower sugar level, this is pretty close to a commercial sports drink, and only mildly alcoholic if you stop the fermentation once bubbly. To serve - pour in glasses over a strainer if you dislike chewing ginger pieces).  

What do you make to drink while working outside in the summer?