The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,399 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,095 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ 

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/In the Garden Beginner Level Merit Badge, I went shopping.

Outside.

In my yard.

And maybe in my neighbor’s yard.

And by yard, I mean trash.

Ahem. Hey, now, before you get all judge-y on me, farmgirls, (no, I am not advocating a Freegan Badge) remember this little nugget of truth: A penny saved is a penny salvaged. Or is it: A bird in the bush is worth two in the garden?

Well, no matter. Whatever your personal mantra and creed is, your own yard (and your friendly neighbor’s) is an excellent place to find all sorts of treasures to recycle/upcycle/DIY. Golly, I could probably have my own reality television show at this point. And an action figure.

Wait. I AM an action figure.

Well, anyway. Back to the show. My goal was this: Make a garden trellis out of material I could salvage/find/discover.

Don’t get all overwhelmed on me, chiclets—this was going to be easy-peasy. (In fact, a pea or bean teepee was next on my list, to boot.) I had so many ideas, my head was swimming with them. You can make a trellis out of nearly anything …

• Old doors
• Pallets
• Fencing
• Bamboo (bonus points if this is actually growing in your garden; talk about double-duty)
• Antique headboard (so French chic)
• Old windows, with or without the glass
• Wire (mesh or cable)
• Chicken wire
• Saplings and vines
• Lattice
• PVC piping
• Antique mattress frame (the wire part, not the fabric part)
• Bicycle
• Bicycle or wagon tires (screwed into a post vertically)
• Old screen door
• Anything, really!

“The Grey Trellis,” by J. Alden Weir, 1891

And now that you have a fabulous, unique, one-of-a-kind garden trellis, what to do with it? Well, you came to the right place, doll. Here are a few creepers (and by that, I do not mean a shady-looking character … I mean some climbing plants) and crawlers that adore trellises almost as much as you do:

• Flowering Jasmine
• Black-eyed Susan
• Snap Peas
• Beans
• Roses
• Honeysuckle
• Morning Glory
• Hyacinth Bean Vines
• Cucumbers or Zucchinis
• Twisting Snapdragons
• Climbing Nasturtium
• Raspberries or Blackberries
• Clematis
• Passion Flowers
• Petunias
• Canary Creepers
• Decorative Gourds
• Hydrangeas
• Squashes and Melons
• Glory Lily Bulbs
• Wisteria
• Sunflowers

Photo by Stephen McKay via Wikimedia Commons

And did you know these fun facts about growing veggies on a trellis, as opposed to on the garden floor? The fruit and veg will be cleaner, better-shaped, take up less space, will be less discolored (no resting on the ground), easier to water, and easier to harvest.

And this most important reason of all:

It’s totes adorbs!

Try a trellis today. Don’t go shopping for supplies, just use your imagination. Then get planting. You’ll have the cutest, most functional garden on the block (of course, your neighbors might want their stuff back … let ‘em share in the bounty instead). Happy DIY-ing, peeps.

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Beth Lohman!!!

Beth Lohman (cntybuff, #2591) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Backyard Farmer Merit Badge!

“I received two beautiful chickens for my birthday last October. I have been learning a little about how to take care of them and improving their pen.

I love having chickens. So does my granddaughter. We love watching them free-range in the backyard. I haven’t had to buy eggs in months!!! I’m ready to add a couple more.”

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,399 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,095 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ 

For this week’s Make It Easy/Candlemaking Intermediate Level Merit Badge, I was thrilled to put all my candlemaking know-how into action. I gathered my supplies and got to work to make two entirely different types and scents of candles to gift to two entirely different girlfriends. You don’t have to gift them to girlfriends—I can attest to my own Mr. Wonderful loving a good Cracklin’ Fire taper, or an Autumn Leaves pillar. Well, actually he requested a Bacon and Sausage scent, but … yeah. Haven’t exactly found a meat-scented essential oil yet.

Lavender Soy Candle in a Teacup

• Soy-based wax flakes (try to find a non-GMO brand)
• Fresh-grown and handpicked lavender from your garden (Rosemary or basil would work just as well. Or mint. But maybe not chives or sage … unless you’re gonna run with the whole sausage-inspired candle)
• Chopsticks (one for mixing, one for holding up your hair)
• Candle wicks
• A pot for mixing and melting
• Chipped teacups (with or without the saucers)

Slowly melt your wax. If you’re like me even a little bit, put one pot atop another as a double boiler. This will keep your wax from burning when you get distracted by a phone call, a sandwich hankering, or a Downton Abbey marathon.

Use your chopstick to spread a bit of melted wax on the bottom of your wick. This works as adhesive to keep it held to the bottom of your teacup. It also works as an adhesive if you get some on your fingers and then tuck your wayward hair behind your ears. I told you to use the other chopstick, didn’t I?

Add in your herbs and swirl in a loving manner. Pour carefully into teacups. Allow to cool. Give to girlfriend with much aplomb and the proper humility when she gushes over your cleverness.

*Other options: use Mason jars, juice glasses, salt cellars, baby bowls, coffee mugs, wine glasses, shot glasses, champagne flutes, spice jars, ramekins, or those wee little individual casserole dishes.

Coffee and Coconut Candle

• 3/4 lb filtered beeswax
• 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• Cotton wicks (beeswax burns hotter, so you want a thicker wick than you would use for the previous recipe)
• Jars (This recipe will make about two 12-oz jars’ worth, so plan on two large candles. You can totally make teeny ones and give your girlfriend a set of lights instead. Try a muffin tin! They’re the perfect size for floating candles).
• A double boiler or a pot-within-a-pot
• Coffee beans

To make this type of candle, you will follow the directions above, only you won’t make as many mistakes (ahem). Now beeswax is a little more temperamental, so you might want to use a candy thermometer and stop the melting procedure when it gets to about 160-164°F.

When your wicks are attached to the bottom of your jars or tins, stir in your coffee beans and add the whole concoction to your containers. Let set. If you’d like, you can add in some organic food coloring, but I liked the contrast of the white candle with the brown beans.

Mr. Wonderful says the coffee aroma is nearly as good as bacon. Honest.

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Katie Wright!!!

Katie Wright (#5600) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner, Intermediate & Expert Level Aprons Merit Badge!

“I made several aprons from old pillowcases, decorated them with some old doilies, and made waistbands from patterned fabrics, matching some to the bottom of a few of the aprons.

I wear aprons in my kitchen whenever I am cooking or baking. I like the full aprons, but use the half aprons mostly for gifts.

The half aprons were very pretty and made simple, but special, gifts for several friends.

These are the types of aprons that I enjoy wearing. Maybe it is because I get flour all over when baking breads or making pies. I have made some special aprons for friends and family. Recently I helped my granddaughter, almost 13 years old, sew a full apron. I wore one of my aprons to her house, and we enjoyed an apron day, making her apron, wearing mine, looking at some of my others, and having lunch that her mom made for us.

Alorah’s apron turned out wonderful. My latest apron was fun to do, and I like the pattern. I also enjoy the print, which I purchased at our local quilt shop, The Hickory Stick, in downtown Hannibal. It is one of the 10 top quilt shops in the nation. Both aprons are nice, and I believe we will both enjoy them for years. It also built wonderful memories for us both.

My apron is not that frilly, and I do have some frillier ones, but the most recent apron I made has such a lovely print … it has aprons all over it. It makes it special to me, an apron lady. I also made one for a friend for a Christmas gift, so have not given it to her yet. As far as wearing it, I wore it to my family’s home today, 4/20/15, but I wore it to my knitting circle last week after finishing it. I told them I was working on my MaryJanesFarm merit badges.

The apron turned out well. I like the black bias tape on the edges, which make the fabric “pop” even more. I also like the fitted sides and back. It’s almost like a dress coverlet. I believe this apron will be worn lots. However, I do have some others I like just as well, simply made, but pretty prints. I even take my aprons, a few, in my camper to wear when cooking over the campfire.”

It’s here! Our first annual Farmgirl Jubilee. Farmgirls are celebrating far and wide by gathering together (in person or online); we’re going glamping; making Jubilee banners; and in some instances, spending a reverent day alone in the garden, in a hammock, or on a mountaintop.

Dream it! Make it! Bake it! Shake it! I’m sure more photos will be rolling in …

Here’s a sampling of the many banners:

ceejay

Sara

Here’s a sampling of the many aprons:

RedTractorGirl

marilyn

Hope you’re enjoying your Jubilee weekend thus far. I know I am.

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

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

Linda Van Ausdell (Vanavista , #4347) has received a certificate of achievement in Outpost for earning a Beginner Level Speak for the Trees Merit Badge!

“I went to the Sandy Historical Museum and found an old tree book, then found a newer copy at the library. My husband and I own a tree farm, and by that I don’t mean Christmas trees. I can identify many different types of trees. My favorite trees are Cedars. They grow by streams and rivers. They consume up to 30 gallons of water a day. We also have Douglas Firs and Hemlocks.

I enjoy walking through our forests and looking at our trees, so this was a very enjoyable merit badge.”

The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 6,346 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—9,010 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ 

For this week’s Stitching and Crafting/Sew Wonderful Beginner Level Merit Badge, I took advantage of the fact that I had been a human pincushion one too many times this month.

Eh?

I know, you’re not following. Perhaps that’s because you’ve never spilled an entire collection of straight pins into your entire collection of fabric?

Well, count yourselves lucky, my chickadees, because, well, darn it, I don’t recommend it. Ouch. There’s another one.

Sucking on my poor, Swiss-cheese fingers, and determining never to attempt acupuncture—at least not without a professional—I made up my mind to do something about this awful situation, and why not earn a badge? Seemed sensible. Yowch.

Time out to find the homemade first-aid kit …

All right, I’m back and more determined than ever. (And wearing thimbles on all 10 extremities).

I sorted through my bolts and squares and stacks of calico, gingham, toile, corduroy, denim, satin, flannel, and the like. In order to earn my Beginner Level Badge, I needed to make a sewing kit, complete with pinkeeper, to give to a friend.

You know what they say: Be your own best friend.

What? No one says that? That isn’t a quote? And I was going to embroider it on a pillow.

Well, fine, I’ll simply make two, because I have the puncture wounds to prove I need a little organization as well. Ow.

I decided there was no need to shop to earn this badge. Not with all the lovely things I have lying about my home. Upcycling is the name of game with this farmgirl these days. Why, I hardly remember what the siren call of the mall sounds like, now that I’ve turned over a new (organic) leaf. (Okay, okay, I do occasionally answer the siren call of the Pretzel Palace, which is inside the mall, but hey … I’m only human).

I found two sweet baskets left over from my basketry-making season, and they were a perfect fit for the following:

• A few adorable fabric squares (perfect for quilting)
• Several different shades of threads, both for machines and for hand embroidery
• Straight pins (since evidently I own approximately eleventy-seven thousand)
• Safety pins (oh, how I love them … and am considering switching to them for all my pinning needs)
• A handful of buttons
• A fabric pen
• A small embroidery hoop
• Scissors

To top it all off, I put together two rather charming pincushions. One is the old-fashioned, stuffed-strawberry type. You know the one: made of red felt and stuffed plump, it’s extra endearing with the white-tipped pins. The other, I got fancier with: it’s a blue satin dolphin. Well, it was supposed to be a blue satin dolphin, but it turned out more like a cheerful and overfed flounder. Either way, it’s cute. Until I started poking him with pins, and then I felt terrible. Like a flounder killer. I should have stayed with strawberries.