Young Cultivators Merit Badge: Toys, Intermediate Level

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 7,130 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—10,150 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! ~MaryJane 

Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life   

For this week’s Stitching and Crafting/Toys Intermediate Level Young Cultivator Merit Badge, I picked up Piper for some one-on-one, bonding time with her Aunty (that’s me). We had earned her Beginner Level badge with only some mild trauma suffered from Yours Truly, so I had recovered enough to charge onward. Onward and upward, I always say. Well, when I’m not saying, Let’s have some more cake, that’s what I say, anyway.

Pipes had assumed I had grown up in the last century sometime, and insisted I must have played with only sticks and dirt as a small child. Since our next badge involved paper dolls and/or finger puppets, I knew my vast knowledge of toys would boggle her little mind and restore my place as Aunty Fun and Games.

It’s all fun and games until someone pokes an eye out. I also say that one. But for no particular reason. Seriously.

Continue reading

Hear Ye!

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Linda Olivera!!!

Linda Olivera (#1919) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner, Intermediate, & Expert Level Quilting Merit Badge!

“I know how to quilt, so I made some scrappy table runners. They are smaller projects, use up fabric scraps, and don’t take as long as a quilt. Here are just 3 of the table runners I made. I love making table runners out of extra or ‘orphan’ quilt blocks and strips. All of my table runners have batting and backing and are bound. Backing fabrics sometimes, but not always, match the theme of the fabrics on the top.

quilt1

Continue reading

Hear Ye!

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … CJ Armstrong!!!

CJ Armstrong (ceejay48, #665) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Expert Level Rootin’ Tootin’ Merit Badge!

“I decided to try a few new things in my garden this year, and for root crops, chose red potatoes, parsnips, and leeks. I know that some say leeks aren’t a root crop, but my research tells me that they generally are considered to be a root crop. I’ve purchased them at the farmers’ market in the past and really like them, so thought I’d give them a try. My mom always planted parsnips in her garden, but in all my adult years and gardening, I have not. Thought it was worth a try. I always plant beets and carrots, and have my favorite varieties, but do try different ones.

We have researched different ideas for storage for our root crops, but usually leave them in the ground and dig as we need them. In our climate, typically the snow layers insulate from the cold, and if we mark where they are planted, we can usually just go dig up what we need. The leeks will be kept in the refrigerator. I don’t have a large crop, so they probably won’t last long.

I didn’t put any potatoes in the photograph, as I didn’t want to dig any of them up just yet. I did post a pic of the plant with blossoms on it in the Garden Gate section of the forum. I’m always happy with planting a garden and even happier when things grow. This year has been relatively successful, and I hope to try a couple new things next year … just for fun!”

00133

Continue reading

Rootin’ Tootin’ Merit Badge, Expert Level

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 7,130 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—10,150 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! ~MaryJane 

Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life   

For this week’s Garden Gate/Rootin’ Tootin’ Expert Level Merit Badge, I was basking in the warm glow of achievement. Oh, Expert Level Badges, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

The warm and fuzzy feeling I get when I earn one.

The newfound knowledge that makes my head swell (in a totally humble and attractive way, of course).

The eagerness with which I tell my friends and family.

Embroidering my badge and feeling oh-so-accomplished.

Continue reading

photo-of-the-day

farm-romance-8147

Continue reading

Hear Ye!

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Ashley Edstrom!!!

Ashley Edstrom (#7053) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Community Service Merit Badge!

“As a quilter, I researched organizations where I can use my quilting skills. There are many (local and national), including Project Linus, Quilted Comforts, and the one I ultimately chose, Quilts of Valor. The quilts made by QOV are donated to veterans upon request of their family in honor of their service. I have attended “sew days” where we work on blocks to create one quilt, or we may work on individual quilts.

I have finished my latest project for QOV, with approx. 40 hours of time into this quilt. This quilt will be presented to a Vietnam veteran in September!”

qov_august_2016

Young Cultivators Merit Badge: Make It Fruity, Expert Level

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 7,130 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—10,150 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! ~MaryJane 

Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life   

For this week’s Farm Kitchen/Make It Fruity Expert Level Young Cultivator Merit Badge, I made sure I was fully recovered from my blackberry-bush war wounds, and Piper and I set about earning the last and final badge in our pursuit of all things fruity.

First off, I had to bring Pipe down a notch: Turns out, becoming an “expert” in something went straight to her tiara-topped head. She got so big for her britches she nearly didn’t fit in the kitchen. But she came ‘round and her eyes got big when I told her we’d be making fruit leather.

photo by George Wesley via Wikimedia Commons

Continue reading

Hear Ye!

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Susan Bird Olds!!!

Susan Bird Olds (Bird Brain, #7085) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Quilting Merit Badge!

“There are thousands of historic and contemporary quilt blocks, and I decided to create one myself. The block I created is called ‘Eggs and Bacon.’

I think it’s a hoot, although the colors belie the theme somewhat.”

Golden_Era_Special

Furniture Makeover Merit Badge, Expert Level

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 7,130 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—10,150 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! ~MaryJane 

Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …

For this week’s Make It Easy/Furniture Makeover Expert Level Merit Badge, I combined my love of daydreaming about furniture upcycling and my love for taking things apart and putting them back together again. And I had just the project in mind …

You see, at one end of my block, there was a yard sale happening.

And at the other end of my block, there was a preschool opening.

You see where I’m going with this?

No?

You obviously don’t waste spend as much time on Pinterest as I do, reimagining my life as a DIY Queen of Recycled and Homemade Furniture.

photo by Jimmyjazz via Wikimedia Commons

 

Don’t worry about it, chickadees, I’m here to clue you in. My plan was to …

Continue reading