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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!:  Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 05 2009 : 3:22:17 PM
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Kayla Howard (bevibrant, #588) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a beginner level Shopping Green badge!
"I have 6+ reusable shopping bags that rotate through my car and into the house.
I use them on my weekly shopping trips to town, (at least until they are all full)! (= "
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2009 : 3:43:54 PM
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Kayla Howard (bevibrant, #588) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a beginner level Backyard Farmer badge!
"I’ve had chickens for 3+ years now. They have a VERY large range area (fenced because my husband doesn’t like stepping in the “present’s” they leave) and produce wonderful, dark yolked eggs. I currently have 16 hens and one mother hen is setting, due to hatch today or tomorrow! I also sell my extra eggs to friends. I feed them natural food in addition to being free range.
It’s very rewarding to have delicious eggs and darling baby chicks running around with momma."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 05 2009 : 3:57:22 PM
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Ashley Meerwarth (farmerette of Farmgirl Sister Carrie Meerwarth, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Crochet badge!
"Ashley learned to make granny squares recently, so for her friend’s birthday she made her a granny square scarf.
Here’s what she had to say:
'I loved making it. It was made out of gray wool yarn. She loved it! She has worn it all winter and enjoyed using it!'" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2009 : 2:00:05 PM
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Ashley Meerwarth (farmerette of Farmgirl Sister Carrie Meerwarth, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Crochet badge!
"Ashley made her first large crocheted project, a granny square afghan! She used up most of my small balls of scrap yarn as well as a skein of black yarn, and made a lap size afghan for herself. This included some major ripping and tearing as she is just learning how to sew the squares together in such a way that the sewing doesn’t show. I was very proud of her for caring enough about her finished project to take the time to pull out the old stitches and make them look better. That was very mature of her!
This is what she had to say about her afghan:
‘I had so much fun making the afghan! I couldn’t stop crocheting! I had fun choosing the colors and outlining everything in black! When I ran out of black,I just took a ball of yarn and just started crocheting! I couldn’t stop! I love my finished project and use it often!’"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2009 : 2:29:42 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth (carrie m, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Crochet badge!
"I have spent the last year working on this badge, in between other projects! It started with borrowing books from the library and learning some new stitches I could do with mercerized cotton. I made a small crocheted flower and added a border to a thrift store pillowcase. I enjoyed the patterns in one particular book so much that I ordered it through a used book seller. It is “Encyclopedia of 300 Crochet Patterns, Stitches, and Designs” by Phyllis Mayfield. I continued trying new stitches while adding a topper to a hand towel. I filled the topper with several different designs that I could build on top of one another.
To satisfy the 20 hour requirement, I crocheted two shopping bags with leftover balls of cotton yarn that I had picked up at a yard sale years ago. AND… since I was also teaching my daughter Ashley to crochet, we stitched together for several hours!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2009 : 2:41:47 PM
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Ashley Meerwarth (farmerette of Farmgirl Sister Carrie Meerwarth, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a beginner level Backyard Farmer badge!
"Ashley has been caring for her own flock of chickens. Dad helped us fence off a small portion of the chicken yard and moved an old calf hutch into the area for a coop. She has nine hens, many of which were given to her by a neighbor and a few from my own flock. She cares for them by taking food and water to them each morning, and shutting them in at night. She gathers 3-7 eggs daily from her flock.
Here’s what she has to say about being a Backyard Farmer: ‘I enjoy taking care of my chickens, and I often go up and visit them! All of my chickens (except 2) are used to me and they never stop following me! I usually let them out into the green grass so they can eat it. I love them.’"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2009 : 2:56:04 PM
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Ashley Meerwarth (farmerette of Farmgirl Sister Carrie Meerwarth, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Quilting badge!
"Ashley earned this quilting badge by making a doll-sized quilt out of scraps of fabric that she found in my sewing room. She made it in a simple nine patch pattern and trimmed it with 1 1/2” strips. We then found a square she could use for the back and layered it with batting. She pinned it and stitched it closed. She sewed it together beautifully!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2009 : 2:58:05 PM
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Ashley Meerwarth (farmerette of Farmgirl Sister Carrie Meerwarth, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Quilting badge!
"Ashley joined my quilting guild meeting and learned some new sewing skills! She put together a tic-tac-toe board and finished it up in “pillowcase” fashion (layer, sew, turn) then closed the small opening up by hand. She also put together a larger lap-sized quilt out of a fat-quarter collection I bought for her. I taught her how to “tie” her quilt and she did a beautiful job!
Here is what she has to say about her project:
‘I enjoy sewing, and doing it at the guild was extra fun! The girl scouts were there and it was fun getting to see all the finished projects the ladies did. My mom taught me. I picked out a bag of colors that were my favorite! I loved it!’"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2009 : 4:05:17 PM
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Ashley Meerwarth (farmerette of Farmgirl Sister Carrie Meerwarth, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Homespun Christmas badge!
"Ashley earned this badge by making most of her Christmas gifts this year. She made scarves for her friend’s whole family (six in all!), a bracelet for Mom (that’s me!), biscotti for Dad, a painted suncatcher for Grandma, and candy ornaments for the rest of her friends and distant family members. She saved a lot of money and had a whole lot of fun! (Unfortunately, we forgot to place all of her gifts together for a photo.)
Ashley says:
‘I loved making the gifts. I liked not having to use so much of my money! I think they all enjoyed the homemade gifts better than store-bought!’" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2009 : 12:19:15 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth (carrie m, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning a beginner level Light the Way badge!
"I made my chandelier out of tin cans into which I punched a design using a hammer and large nail. The secret to being able to do this was that I had pre-filled the clean cans with water and placed them into the freezer until they were solid. Then they were easy to work with! I started by punching handle holes on either side of the can, then I made a simple pattern around each can.
I scrounged in our garage for something I could use as the chandelier “center” and found an old metal “ladybug” wind chime. I also found some discarded, heavy-gauge wire and a couple of metal hangers from a shop light we no longer use. The two hangers fit perfectly into the top of the ladybug, allowing me to add a small loop of wire to connect them for hanging on my post. I then cut four equal lengths from the remaining bit of wire for the handles on the tin cans. I first draped the wire over and through the ladybug, then poked the two ends of each wire into the holes in the sides of the cans. That gave me four “lanterns” hanging evenly around the edge of the ladybug.
Lastly, I dug up some partially used candles and cut them in half to fit down inside each can. I lit one candle and, one can at a time, dripped hot wax and stuck a half candle into each. Then I lit the candles and carried the chandelier out to my post where I showcase an old, but still heavily used, birdhouse and some wind chimes.
I finished off my lovely Mother’s Day by sitting nearby in my yard swing, enjoying my quiet spot!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2009 : 12:27:04 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth (carrie m, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an intermediate level Light the Way badge!
"I put MaryJane’s wood-splitting advice to the test by working with my husband in our woodlot, splitting large round logs so that they could be loaded on a trailer and taken to the house. Unfortunately, the wood was still greenish so it was a difficult task. We used a combination of sledgehammer, wedge, maul, and ax. I found that I was able to split quite a lot of wood by slowly working away in the “Brains, Not Brawn” fashion. (In the photo I am working with my son to free the maul.) My pile did not grow quite as quickly as his did, BUT… I was not sore the next day! In fact, I felt quite energized by the fresh air and constructive “exercise”!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2009 : 12:28:15 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth (carrie m, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an expert level Light the Way badge!
"I spent the month of June splitting wood for my family’s woodstove. It took several Saturday hours as well as several evenings for me to split and stack a full cord of wood. It was difficult work since most of the logs were knotty and awkwardly shaped. Though my cord was hidden from view in our “processing area” I did get a nice compliment through my husband. He was sharing with a couple of men, who also burn wood, that his WIFE was home splitting wood and stacking it. They were shocked and exclaimed, ‘You’d better hang on to her!’"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2009 : 12:42:34 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth (carrie m, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an expert level Quilting badge!
"I started this quilt about 7 years ago when my son saw it in a magazine and requested it. I bought the fabrics and cut and sewed about 5 of the 130 nine patch squares. Then I went back to school and the quilt ended up in a drawer, all but forgotten.
So this year I set myself to finishing up old projects and this one topped the list. I pulled the 20+ different fabrics out, organized them, then started cutting and sewing. The unique flow of colors was very fun to work with, though a little trying to my patience. I was unprepared for how much sewing was involved in this quilt. I used a whole spool of dark blue thread and then used up 7 partial spools of varying dark colors trying to finish.
I had never machine quilted before and do not have the proper machine for this, but the special design required quilting so I dove in and was pleased with the results. I have a couple “bubbles” in the back, but it was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to turn out!!!
My son will be thrilled when, on his 19th birthday in July, I surprise him with the quilt he picked out all those years ago.
For the last piece of this badge, I have definitely taught more than five people, because one of the things I did with my guild was host a teaching event for the local girl scout group."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2009 : 12:56:48 PM
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Carrie Meerwarth (carrie m, #147) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an expert level Aprons badge!
"I finished the expert level of the Aprons badge by making myself a more frilly version of the apron pattern I used for the three intermediate aprons I made (McCalls 3068). For the main body of the apron I used pink flowered fabric that had been given to me, and added pockets and ties in a contrasting blue fabric that I already had. I also found some peach solid fabric for the lining, making the entire apron without purchasing anything new! I love it when I can use up some of my stash for something so pretty AND useful!
I wear my apron everywhere, including when working at the Food Co-Op of which I am a member, and the 4H food booth. I also wore it during Easter dinner, hosted by my daughters and me. I love having domestic wear that makes me feel so pretty and feminine!
For the second apron, I made a half apron from a crazy quilt that is a gift for somebody special. It isn’t just like my own, and it’s only a half apron, but it's a DOOZY!! Really beautiful!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 12:58:00 PM
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Janie Edwards (janiee, #390) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Crochet badge!
"My babysitter taught me to crochet when I was 6 years old. Didn't do much with it until I joined MJ's forum. This past month I have crocheted several items for HAIN and donated them to a Texas hospital.
Also, there was a lady with the school district that I work with that went online and asked for crochet help. I was able to help her finish her baby blanket (first time crochet project).
I enjoyed the month of crochet and found it to be very relaxing and lowered my blood pressure quite a bit! Made my doctor very happy. Also found that I am fairly good at the basics and am wanting to learn a lot more!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 1:15:41 PM
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Cindy Stephens (Girlonaroof, #592) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a beginner level The Secret Life of Bees badge!
"I borrowed a copy of “The Secret Life of Bees” from my local library. Such a great book; it didn't take me long to finish it. I watched the Vanishing Bees trailer on the website. I cleaned up my flowerbeds around my bee attracting plants — black-eyed susans, aster, purple coneflower, and rhododendron. I did a little research online and discovered I need to group these plants together, instead of having them spread out in my garden.
I shared what I learned about bees and the flowers that attract them with my kids. They are always excited to learn new things. They loved this fact: 90 foods we eat rely on bee pollination to grow. With bees disappearing, it compromises our food sources."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 1:52:48 PM
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Audrey Beth Kirk (Faransgirl, #572) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an intermediate level Aprons badge!
"I made three full aprons. One for me, one for my sister, and one for my mom, from fabrics chosen by the person the apron was for. I let each person choose their pattern and I chose mine. I made changes in the pocket of mine because the pocket was not massive enough. After I finished the aprons, my mom, sister, and I went shopping “all day” wearing our fancy aprons. We even wore them to the stable to take care of the horses. All the aprons had pockets (mine self-designed), linings, and ruffles.
We had a great time with our new aprons, and since my sister lives with me we bought hooks while we were out shopping so we can hang them in the kitchen and keep them handy. My sister and I have decided that for Christmas we are going to make aprons for all the women we normally give gifts to. Hers will be for general use and mine will be Christmas ones. Can't wait to get started."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 3:10:26 PM
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Audrey Beth Kirk (Faransgirl, #572) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a beginner level Shopping Green badge!
"I collected bags from the places I shop most. I got one from the quilt fair, and had a couple given to me as gifts. Then, I made a couple. I ended up with more than 6, but that's ok since I have a large family and need more for groceries.
It worked well. I keep taking them and using them for other things. They go back and forth from my mom's and my daughter's. They are very useful for shopping and carrying things back and forth from the barn where I use to use old plastic bags. A lot less waste."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 3:19:56 PM
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Audrey Beth Kirk (Faransgirl, #572) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a beginner level Crochet badge!
"For my beginning level badge I decided to crochet an edge around a blanket like my Grandma used to do table runners and dishtowels. I got two fleece panels and raided my Mom's yarn closet and did a border around the two panels attaching them together to make a throw. I used a blanket stitch to join the two layers and attach the yarn. Then I did two rows of double crochet.
I taught my second daughter how to crochet the basics. She loved the throw and wanted to do one for herself.
I completed this project while in Denton caring for my youngest daughter after her car accident.
It turned out very nicely. I love the throw and after making it I have had several requests from family and friends to make them one."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 4:03:27 PM
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Merry Amann (Merry, #536) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a beginner level Farmgirl Gratitude badge!
"Kept a gratitude journal for 30 days.
Went, well, pretty well, and I think I should keep it up. It helps everyday to write down something you are grateful for, if only to remind you that usually for every one thing you write down, there are probably dozens more that you didn't. Trying not to repeat gratitudes sometimes was tough, but it seemed that a certain gratitude bore repeating, so I just wrote it down along with another one for that day. This is really a great way to mini journal, it's low pressure and you don't feel you must bare your soul or come up with something fantastic, just something you were grateful for that day." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 4:15:05 PM
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Merry Amann (Merry, #536) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a beginner level Pay It Forward badge!
"I loosely figured we spend about $5 or so per meal, so for the two of us it would be about $10. I volunteer for our local food co-op, and we have an option on our orders to donate money for people who use food stamps. Food stamps cannot be used to pay for the membership fee or handling fee, so donations cover that. I chose to donate the money to the co-op so that more food stamp recipients could buy healthy and organic food, and not be shut out because they couldn't afford the membership fee and handling fees." |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 4:31:40 PM
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Merry Amann (Merry, #536) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a beginner level Gaining Ground badge!
"Started a compost heap and read “The Earth Moved” by Amy Stewart.
In February I purchased a composter and put it in a corner of my garden. Amazing how well everything is growing in that corner. Since I started it during cold weather I didn't see a lot of progress, but now that it's summer, I have compost! It's almost like a miracle, leaves, grass and veggie waste turns into this wonderful fertile material. It's not quite done, so I will just keep adding and at the end of the summer, I will use it to overwinter my garden, what a great garden I will have next spring.
I read “The Earth Moved,” and loved it. I now feel like each worm I find in my garden is my partner, helping me grow great food and make good soil. I never realized there were so many different kinds of worms, now I want to find that giant worm that smells like lilacs!" |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2009 : 4:40:54 PM
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Merry Amann (Merry, #536) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning a beginner level In the Garden badge!
"Made a pea trellis and bean teepee with found materials I already had.
I had purchased last year some bamboo sticks for a bean teepee that I never made. So this year using twine I lashed two sticks together to make 6 ft sticks and then arranged them teepee style and lashed those together. For the pea trellis, I used some tomato cages that I used last year, but wasn't going to use this year for tomatoes in that they were too flimsy; but folded and laced with twine, and lashed to more bamboo sticks, they will do just fine for the peas and cucumbers. Unfortunately, I have bunnies that crave the taste of organically raised heirloom peas and beans! Using natural and organic means to help them find another salad bar!"
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2009 : 10:13:30 AM
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Audrey Beth Kirk (Faransgirl, #572) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a beginner level Horse Dreams badge!
"I took my girls and we joined the Girl Scout Equitation Program. After that we took riding lessons that included how to care for the horses — grooming, tacking, feeding, cleaning stalls, bathing etc. We also visited friends with horses at other stables and took trail rides on vacations.
Girl Scouts don't focus much on breeds and I don't either. Early on I learned that a good horse is never a bad color, or a bad breed. There are smart and dumb horses in every breed depending on their training. My oldest daughter is into drafts, the bigger the better. Percherons are her favorite. Black ones. The middle one likes Andalucians and Arabs. Her dream is to have an Andalucian/Arab cross. The youngest just wants one that is fast and has a lot of spirit. Her favorite was a Polish Arab. My favorite to work with of the regular size breeds is the Quarter horse. They seem to actually have a brain and know how to use it. But, that being said, if I had my dream horse it would be a Dutch draft. The one in the photo is a grade. He is part undetermined draft and part Quarter horse. He is very smart and very sweet.
My girls and I all became very interested in horses and they have become a part of our lives. I hope to have my own farm at some point so I can keep horses with me."
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2009 : 10:36:04 AM
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Audrey Beth Kirk (Faransgirl, #572) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an intermediate level Horse Dreams badge!
"To earn this badge I first researched the Quarter horse breed. I am interested in Quarter horses because I own two and share one with a friend. The Quarter horse breed was developed in the 1600s by settlers for use in quarter-mile races. Thus, the name “Quarter” horse. They have shown great abilities in working with cows, and do very well in rodeo events. They make great family horses, and do well with children and beginning riders. Quarter-horses tend to be calm, cooperative, intelligent and dependable. They are short, stocky, and strong as a breed. I was once lucky enough to be the very first rider on a direct descendant of the stallion Impressive. Her name is Miss Mighty Impression. She is a beautiful horse and has been tested for the HYPP gene and doesn’t have it.
I also read the book “The Soul of a Horse” by Joe Camp. I did agree with a lot of the things that he had to say in his book. I do agree with the need to keep the feet bare-foot and keep them in conditions as close to natural as possible. I think feeding them and keeping them in a pasture as much as possible is very important. However, I do not agree with him when he states that horses are fine in the rain and cold. I have worked in two large herds of horses. One of 40 horses and one of 50 to 90 horses depending on conditions. We had Mustangs to minis and donkeys. Working closely with them and observation have taught me that horses and other equines do mind the rain, and they do get cold. On many, many occasions I have seen horses standing and shivering. The body does not turn on the shivering action until and unless they are cold. I have seen horses that have lived in a pasture all their lives become hypothermic. I have seen serious fights happen over the jockeying for space under a shelter to get out of the rain or snow. They hate thunder and lightning. So, I do believe there is a need for stalls and barns. I believe that he should address the need for shelter, especially with older and unhealthy horses. Young, malnourished, old, and sick horses need shelter and sometimes they need shelter and blankets.
The results of my study have convinced me that Quarter horses are very good horses and would work well in most situations where a good, strong, calm and dependable horse is needed. I think the book by Joe Camp is a good book, but it needs to be used in conjunction with a good book on horse health and given with qualifications that include the needs of sick, old, young and malnourished horses. A beginning horse person with one of these horses could do a lot of damage if they strictly went with Joe Camp’s book."
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Merit Badge Awardees - Woo-hoo Sisters!: Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees |
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Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badge Awardees
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