Vintage Sewing Machine Table

When it comes to old treadle sewing machines, I seem have a magnet in me that draws me to them.  One day I spotted this rusty frame (below) sitting in the rain and sun on someone's yard. I couldn't help but ask about it. For a small fee they let me have it. It is a FARMER sewing machine frame, something I don't recall seeing before.

  I cleaned, scrubbed and sanded the frame quite a bit. I was debating what color to paint it. The original was brown, so since I was in a restoring mood, I went with it.

 An old piece of plywood found in the old shed works well for the tabletop. I took a rosewood colored polyurethane (that was lying around from before) for the finish, and there I have it. A simple yet sturdy little table that could be turned into a sewing machine table again, or just to be used as a coffee table. In this case I have my vintage bowl and pitcher sitting on it.

Plus, it makes a nice place for little feet to play . The kids have fun pushing the pedal up and down. This is one 'sewing machine' they are allowed to do that on as much as they want to!

See you again soon! I've got more fun coming up!

Making sugar cane syrup, the old-fashioned way

  Years ago we had a sugar cane press at home that we used occasionally to make juice with and boil it into a syrup. When my parents moved we salvaged it and now it was restored to working condition and put to use again.

Grandpa needs all the help he can get to get this machine up and running again.

 After that was done, it was time to head to the field and cut our cane.

 That sweltering Belizean summer heat can get to a person pretty quick these days.

  The sugar cane has to be washed in order to get a clean clear-looking syrup. Or if we want to drink the juice.

 On one side the cane sticks go in. In this case two went in because they were so small.

On the other side it comes out, all wrung out and squeezed dry.

One long cane stick produces almost a pint of juice. One gallon of juice makes about a pint of thin syrup.

 The juice is a very unattractive greenish looking liquid. It will change color completely.

 Get a fire going to boil the sugar cane in.

 Here we poured it through a sieve to get some dirt out and into the pot.

 Bubbling, boiling juice.

 Grandma handing out samples of juice to the grandkids.

This is the syrup after it is just done. It settles somewhat and turns a clearer color later on. It closely resembles sorghum syrup made in the southern US, but if made right, will be sweeter and less sour.

I believe we have just started a new family tradition! Our whole family really enjoyed the day and the work together, besides, we love the syrup!

Old Quilts update

Remember the old quilts a while back? I have come to give you that promised update. I visited my aunt before the baby came, and found out some neat facts about my buy.

She remembered the quilts, but not too well. She did say they were made of feed sacks. (Actually I now believe only the oldest one, the white one, was from feedsacks) She said when a new shipment of feed had come in, the women had all been eager to go shopping for feed! It had been exciting to be one of the first to be able to pick out the prettiest sacks possible.

She must have found some real nice sacks.

 This was the one I did not know what it was used for. I found out quickly that it used to be a sewing machine cover, so I spread it over mine for the photo.

I treasure these old pieces for now, and look at them now and then. My daughter and I are planning a tea party soon, and hope to use one of the quilts as part of the setup. 

Have a good one!

Little House on the Prairie

A long time ago I promised I would do the story on how we visited the Little House in Kansas on our way down from Iowa to Texas, and now the time has finally come. This is not the actual house the Ingalls lived in, but someone has replicated the cabin on the same site where they believed the original house would have stood.

Joseph checking out the fireplace.

I had sewn Jessica this pioneer dress last year, and had no idea then that it would be put to good use like this! Laura would have been very much her age when she lived here, so it was easy to imagine what she might have looked like.


This is the well Pa and Mr Edwards dug. I think it must have changed a little since then, but at least you can say you've seen it.

On our way to the creek.

Prairie. I think there is not nearly as much prairie as was in Laura's time, because I did not see what she wrote about, endless prairies with no trees in sight. There were always trees in sight, no matter which way I looked.

Picking the wildflowers.

As we got to the creek, it was easy to see where Pa could have gotten his rocks from to build the chimney.

I think this creek would have been wider back in the day. There was a lake upstream, and the creek now was hardly deep enough for a girl to drown in, like it says in the story.

We visited the site in April of this year, and it was simply the best time of year to do so. We were the only ones there, and the weather was great. It is a place worth seeing, especially if you have little girls that love Laura!

Plum Creek and Walnut Grove

From Milford we went up a little further to explore some Laura Ingalls history. First we went to the museum in Walnut Grove. I have enjoyed the little house books so much that I found it interesting, but to some it might be boring. But if you have little girls that enjoy those stories, they would definately love visiting these places.

Here is a dugout at the museum. It would have looked very similar to Laura's home on the bank.

A schoolhouse at the museum.

Playing at Plum Creek.

Exploring the prairies behind the dugout. To the left are the plum trees that grow along creek. Laura and Mary picked up a lot of plums to preserve.

This is the scene you see if you were standing at the dugout door looking out.

This is what's left of the spring, where they got their clean water from.

And this is where Joseph re-enacted some history. While I was standing at the dugout site, trying to imagine what life would have been like so long ago, Jessica and Joseph ran over the bridge and on the banks along the creek. All of sudden I heard some big splashes, and wonder what kind of big fish swim in this little creek. I realized it was none other than my little boy! I yelled at Daniel that Joseph was in the creek! He tore down the bank to the creek like you wouldn't believe it, fully prepared to dive into that frigid spring water to rescue his son. By then I saw Joseph had gotten out of the water by himself. It turned out that he saw this log, and decided it would be a perfect way to walk across to the other side. Lucky for him he never got to the log. He had to get into the water to get to the log and must have decided it was too cold or unpleasant. That little man had to run around barefoot and pantless after that. But, that doesn't dampen a little boy's enthusiasm at all. I think he rather enjoyed being barefoot.

Whew. I thought I knew all about raising little boys by now, but I guess I am just starting to learn all about little boys and their big ideas...

Field Trip to the Museum

The homeschoolers made a field trip to a Pioneer Museum. We all had a grand time.

Many of the girls decided to dress up Pioneer style, so I decided to join in on the fun. I never had the chance to dress up Pioneer style when I was little, but I still have a little girl in me, and my daughter loves it when I play dress up with her!

Last week after learning that we were making a field trip and other children where dressing up for it, I scrambled to get a pioneer dress made for Jessica. It was well worth the effort. She likes Laura Ingalls so much, and now she will be able to play Laura when she wants to!

Patiently waiting for the train.

I am sure the kitchens all look very similar in museums, but I never get tired of looking at them and imagining what it would be like to be working in them.

What I found of special interest was this cradle made out of a barrel.

I thought these two looked so cute and alike in their blue dresses and braids.

This is Grandma's glasses, this is Grandma's hat.... :)

"I gotta see what's in here!"

Giggly little girls.

After the museum trip we went to the park in town and had our lunch there and the children had a chance to play.
It's great to be a homeschooler!