In September 2014 I made a button art tree by sewing colored buttons to a stretched canvas.
My button grandma had a high distain for anything that destroyed buttons, such as glue or cutting off the shank, since that makes them unsuitable for button collectors. So all the buttons are recoverable from this art, should they need to be. I do like how I used the lighter colors to indicate light direction.
I went to rinse and block my small twined cotton bag and was a little shocked when it held water. It wasn’t completely water tight, there was a slow drip, but it didn’t absorb water like I expect cotton to do. My hypothesis is that because I hadn’t washed it at all to this point, there may be some natural water resistance on cotton bolls. Not enough to keep the harvest safe from rain (as this cotton farmer describes), but some. Or the twining is tight enough and thick enough to resist the water for a short time.
I’ll file this under “things that make me go hm.“
I love the concrete countertops in our house. I don’t have to worry about setting hot dishes on them, and the installers finished them silky smooth. They had started to develop rings and water stains, though. I used a mixture of baking soda and olive oil to rub them down, then added vinegar to the paste before wiping it off. I wiped the whole surface with a wet towel to make sure the vinegar was gone, then applied a sealing product used for butcher blocks. The sealant is made of natural oils and waxes and is food safe. The counter soaked up the mixture, so I did two applications, then buffed it with a dry towel. The counter looks new again, and I tested the water resistance by sprinkling it with water. The water beaded up and did not soak in.
So here is another Howard’s product I can recommend. But no, I’m not paid to do so!
Today we honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Our flag is flying, and we remember.
I hadn’t even finished putting new corn cobs on the squirrel-go-round when a squirrel came down to investigate.
This one has a notch out of the right ear. She may have earned herself a name.
Critters and Craft 