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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 - May 26 2023 : 08:06:03 AM
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Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an Intermediate Level In the Garden Merit Badge!
“So many cat food tin cans, and I’ve found a use for them other than recycling! This is the second year I’ve cut the bottoms off the small cans and pushed them into the soil to form a collar around the tomato plants. This is a preventative against slimy slugs and cutworms. The pull tab tops from these small cans are a golden color, and make a great addition as name tags. I also added these lids to the roof of an older homemade bird house I refurbished during the winter. I did not like the looks of the flattened cans, so they were recycled. I also decorate gallon cans to use as planters and often give those away. Just recently I’ve added a raised herb garden. I’ve nail punched lids to make garden markers for my herb plants. I followed the instructions in MaryJane’s Ideabook, and they look great.
There are so many uses for tin cans in the garden. I’ve made painted pumpkins, a snowman,and outpost lights out of gallon cans. The windsock made a great noise maker to keep the birds away from the blueberry bushes. I love to recycle but I am always thrilled when I find a new use for a cat food can, or a gallon can, or any size can!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2023 : 08:07:34 AM
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Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Origami Merit Badge!
“According to an article, A Brief History of Origami, in Spruce Crafts’ website, origami was initially known as orikata (folded shapes). In 1880, however, the craft became known as origami. origami is derived from the Japanese words meaning "to fold" (oru) and "paper" (kami). The art of paper folding was popularized in Japan but originated earlier in China. Origami was originally practiced by monks who brought paper and the ideas for folding it to Japan from China in the 6th century. Akira Yoshizawa is often known as the "grandmaster of origami." Born in 1911, he first learned origami as a child. In his 20s, he used his knowledge of origami to teach new employees in the factory where he worked on the geometry concepts needed to complete their jobs. It is estimated that he created over 50,000 different figures during his lifetime.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered I had made some of these figures as a child, and we were never told we were creating origami! The Fortune Teller was a favorite during 7-8 grades, always with boys’ names to predict who we were going to marry and how many children we would have. Imagine! Needless to say, almost sixty years later I remembered nothing! I watched the video over and over to create the figure. I can hardly wait to give this to my 11-year-old granddaughter next week and explain what fun we kids had growing up with this teller of future wisdom. I also created the simple and fun Floating Boat. Easy! The “Fan” is another favorite. My granddaughter and I will make fan earrings during our time together next week. Then I found the Gum Wrapper Chain! How many of those did I make in the day! Did I know anything about origami then? No! The information we kids never knew is mind boggling. With so much scrapbooking and wrapping paper available to me, I foresee numerous origami projects in my future.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2023 : 08:10:02 AM
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Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning a Beginner Level Cheesemaking Merit Badge!
“I started this project during my summer break 2022. I learned to milk a cow! A friend gifted me some of his homemade yogurt made with the raw milk from his cow. I was hooked! I wanted to make my own. My friend first taught me how he cleaned and sanitized the stainless-steel bucket and washed and rinsed the udders. He showed me how to position my hands to pull downward on the back udders. He milked the udders while explaining this first milk could have bacteria and needed to be thrown away. Then it was my turn. I positioned the stool, reached under her belly, and began milking. She cooperated by letting her milk down while I got into a steady rhythm. I brought home a gallon of the rich, creamy milk I had extracted from the cow. I researched ways to make yogurt safely. I decided to purchase an Instant Pot with a yogurt setting. My first batch was good but not great. Fast forward months later. I no longer had access to raw milk, so I bought non-homogenized, low temp pasteurized whole milk from grass fed, field grazing cows. Happy Cow Creamery, located in upper South Carolina, bottles the milk on the premises. I decided to use as my culture an organic plain whole milk yogurt with active cultures. I followed the Instant Pot instructions to the letter, careful to scald the milk at 180 degrees, then quickly cool the milk to 112 degrees before adding the culture in a cup of the cooled milk. The mixture went back into the Instant Pot to complete the work. At a holding temperature of 110, the yogurt was finished eight hours later. I then strained it through cheesecloth to thicken the product. I saved the whey liquid (old-time buttermilk) to make several batches of pancakes. I refrigerated the yogurt overnight. I added orange marmalade just like my friend had done. Delicious!
I’ve monitored and adjusted the process each time I make yogurt. I made a recipe for my granddaughter for Easter. I’ve learned the following: Twelve hours of processing makes the yogurt tart and thicker and is tastier a day later. I also add fresh homegrown fruits or homemade vanilla extract, homemade chocolate syrup, or homemade jam. The blueberries are ripening early this year. I’ve ordered a powered culture for comparison from a reputable source. I’ll be making yogurt next week, along with several batches of pancakes. YUM!
FYI: Recent update, I like it better with the powder culture.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:28:14 PM
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Candy Hogan (Tigger9777, #8283) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Dyeing for Color Merit Badge!
“I learned how to dye safely, wrote my article and presented at my Wednesday craft group at the local senior center. I used coffee to dye a piece if cloth, made it into a pillow case and stenciled a farm design.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:30:06 PM
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Emily Nellinger (citychick03, #8229) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Lost Art of Letter Writing Merit Badge!
“I wrote letters to a pen pal and I participated in two mail art swaps. I really enjoyed learning about my pen pal in California through letters and emails. It was so nice to get mail and a small writing package in the mail from her! I posted about my experience on the merit badge chit-chat page. I participated in two mail art projects, in March and May. I designed a rainbow for March and cut and pasted a flower from magazines featuring flowers for May. I enjoyed participating in the swaps.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:31:42 PM
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Patricia Krug (patty, #8551) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Civics Challenge Merit Badge!
“I also knew some of these answers as well, but as usual I looked them up anyways. You can learn a lot more about what was not taught in class.
Turned out really well. I knew that there were nine judges on the Supreme Court, but I was interested in how many years they had served so far. One judge less than a year and the longest for 31 years. I didn't know the chief justice's name either. The Speaker of the house I couldn't remember his name either. Finishing this badge was interesting and fun.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:32:52 PM
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Patricia Krug (patty, #8551) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Buttoned Up Merit Badge!
“My grandma gave me a bag of buttons and I added strays to the bag and extra buttons you get on shirts sometimes. So, for this badge I got them out and sorted them. There were three cardboard packages in the bag with buttons still on them, 19 cents and 39 cents for pricing. WOW!
There were lots of cool looking buttons in there with some very different designs. My goal was to go to some garage sales to see if I could find some more before I applied for this badge and I did. A box with craft items in it had a jar of buttons. Yeah! Cooler looking buttons then I thought there would be. Different textures and designs.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:33:39 PM
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Patricia Krug (patty, #8551) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Intermediate Level Buttoned Up Merit Badge!
“I made two bracelets and one necklace, but no charm string, I had to look that up to see what it was. One bracelet I bought some buttons to incorporate with the buttons in my bag and the other bracelet I had my grandson pick out the buttons we used (I gave him kind of a pattern to go by). The necklace I did the same thing, bought buttons to incorporate with the ones in the bag.
They all turned out really well, and I wore them to work one day. I'm sure I will find other days to wear them as well. The charm string when I looked it up said that girls started these from family and friends that gave them buttons and when they got around 500 or so they would get married and still add to the string with buttons from memories and hand them down through the family. That is so cool!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:34:21 PM
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Patricia Krug (patty, #8551) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Expert Level Buttoned Up Merit Badge!
“I researched the Victorian Age era of buttons. I just think those buttons are so neat and cool looking, along with the dresses they wore. The buttons reflected the romantic notions. The Victorian picture buttons featured detailed scenes and themes.
Those buttons are so cool. For the 10 antique buttons I looked up what they looked like and some of the buttons I have look like the ones we had to find, but I really don't know how old they are. I plan to go to more garage sales through the summer to see if I can find more buttons. This is a really cool badge and I'm really wanting to find more buttons just to see what's out there and what people used.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:35:15 PM
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Patricia Krug (patty, #8551) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Intermediate Level Her-story Merit Badge!
“I picked Jane Addams for this part of the badge because she did a very good thing in Chicago on Sept. 18, 1889. She and a friend named Ellen Starr opened up Hull House for immigrants and the poor. They educated them so they could get a job in a trade. They had classes in the arts and writing too. It was a social gathering for many types of nationalities. They all got along and worked together.
Here are five things I learned: She was a very hard worker. She loved to help out and got involved in a lot of projects to help cure some problems in Chicago for the immigrants and the poor. Fought for the child labor, got on the Board of Education, and fought to clean up the streets with all the garbage in them that was causing Tuberculosis because of the dirtiness and the rancid smells they were breathing.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:36:23 PM
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Patricia Krug (patty, #8551) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Intermediate Level MaryJane's Better Butter Merit Badge!
“This was fun! You can use left over buttermilk in cooking with soups, biscuits, or just drink it. Kneading and washing is to get excess buttermilk out, prevents mold, and makes butter last longer. The difference between sweet crem butter and cultured butter is FLAVOR and fat content. I whipped up some butter and it turned out great. I did it with 2 cups whipping cream sat out overnight and electric hand mixer.
The handheld mixer was messy, but it worked well. I pushed out as much buttermilk as I could and rinsed it well too. It tasted really good on my bagel. I didn't add salt, but my husband said that he would like a little added next time I make it, so I will. I think I'm hooked on making butter. It doesn't last long either. Definitely good stuff!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:38:44 PM
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Patricia Krug (patty, #8551) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an Expert Level MaryJane's Better Butter Merit Badge!
“1. I made Buttermilk Biscuits Pg. 138-139 in Milk Cow Kitchen and used the buttermilk also.
2. I made Roux gravy with beef bouillon cubes and put it with hamburger and noodles for a hotdish.
3. I made flavored butter. 2 TBSP of homemade butter with a TBSP of honey and 2 TBSP of homemade butter with 3 tsp of cinnamon sugar.
Biscuits turned out great, but next time I will make them bigger. Good flavor with the gravy on the hotdish. Flavored butter on toast was wonderful. Like I said before I think I'm hooked!! Since I can't get into the chatroom, I did share with my daughters and shared how I made it and how easy it was to make. Hand mixer was messy but next time bigger batch and in the stand up mixer.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:40:47 PM
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Kris Sievert (#6020) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Intermediate Level Her-story Merit Badge!
“I read Love, Life & Elephants: An African Love Story by Dame Daphne Sheldrick.
I posted in the chat a bit about her. I have been an admirer of hers for years. I have made plans to leave any estate of mine to the Sheldrick Trust because of the practices they employ.
I just never knew how much failure played a part in her success. I can't imagine burying one little being after another and not giving up.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 12:42:06 PM
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Kris Sievert (#6020) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning a Beginner Level Mindfulness Meditation Merit Badge!
“I had surgery last month. Researching different meditation methods, I came across a 7-day meditation on pain. I found it in my Bedtime Stories app.
It went really good or really bad depending how you look at it. I keep falling asleep while listening to the practice. You can't get more relaxed than to fall asleep.
Unfortunately because I kept falling asleep, it took awhile to listening to all 7 days in a row.
Each focused on a different technique to help with pain. I felt it was useful in the first couple of days after surgery.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 1:01:51 PM
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Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning an Expert Level Bibliophile Badging Merit Badge!
“I am an unofficial member of a book club in a neighboring town, made up of women from 55-88 years of age. The theme for the end of the year meeting was straight out of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. Each of us brought a food dish that could have been served for Christmas dinner. The table was decorated with fine china and crystal goblets, and cloth napkins adorned each plate. We all dressed in “our Sunday best” dresses. Some of us wore shawls and the older ladies wore bonnets. The book club had previously decided to cast secret ballots at this early Friday evening meeting for the one member who deserved recognition and the reason why such recognition should be granted. Each ballot was placed at the door where the member placed her ballot. After dinner, the ballots were read. The oldest member of the group received the most votes and for various reasons. I learned this elderly lady, an 88-year-old widow, is indeed the oldest member and one of the original organizers. She has attended every meeting this year, and read the most books in 2019, a total of 88, one for each year she has lived. She was also praised for being the best dressed woman in town. I also learned she was infamous for baking the best cakes ever and always sharing with her book club members. She received a handcrafted felted corner page book mark. Pictures were taken and will put into the local newspaper. A fun time was had by all.
I don’t own a Little Free Library yet. There is one not far from my house and several in my hometown that I donate books to frequently. I plan to put one up in my country church yard for all the beach goers who travel the scenic rural road.
My favorite author is Pat Conroy from Beaufort, SC. I own every book he has ever written and read a few of them twice. I love Southern Fiction! I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Conroy at an Authors Seminar in Columbia, SC a few years ago. He had a resounding message to all of us aspiring novelists to keep writing, find our own voice, if we read a phrase we like, or unfamiliar words, write it down in a notebook. Above all else, keep writing, if only for our own pleasure. Keep writing!
Books have been my life! I began reading at an early age and often hid in a world created by stories and characters. I wish I could go back in time to keep track of all the books I’ve read. Books fill the custom-made book shelves in the library in my house. Based on my daughter’s request, I know at some point I will have to purge and keep only my favorites. Where will I begin? I hope I will always possess the ability to read and comprehend. I still have a TBR pile or a downloaded Kindle e-book, and most of the time I’m in the process of reading one or the other and sometimes both.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 1:03:04 PM
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Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Expert Level Going Green Merit Badge!
“With the downsized move in November 2021, my home is green. There is no carpet, no toxic paint, and plenty of natural sunlight. I use both indoor and outdoor drying racks and an outside parallel clothesline. I don’t use fabric softener, dryer sheets, or perfumed detergent. I prefer the clean fragrance of laundry dried in the sunshine. I use a steam cleaner with washable pads on the easy-clean linoleum flooring, so there is no need for harsh chemicals. The charging stick vacuum has been the best purchase ever! Why did I wait so long? This vacuum picks up all the dog hair, dust and dirt without depositing everything back into the air, and is so easy for this senior lady to use. I still make most of my own cleaning supplies using essential oils or dried herbs. I also use microfiber clothes for dusting that require no cleaners. I’ve encouraged others to go green for a better-quality life. I no longer suffer from asthma! One friend with frequent health issues has decided to purchase a stick vacuum and take up the carpet in her small den area. She called for my help. Early Saturday morning, we ventured out to a local department store to purchase the much-needed items. She wanted washable throw rugs to replace the carpet and window sheers to replace the old, dark, drab curtains to finally allow natural light into the room. Perfect! I then directed her to purchase Murphy’s Oil floor cleaner and a new sponge mop. After a few more items bought for organizing the den, we left the store ready for a full day’s work. We first took down the dusty curtains, cleaned the windows, and removed books, magazines, and clutter into the hallway. Now we were ready to tackle the carpet. We found the old carpet was not tacked down so it was easily removed for disposal. The weight was a bit difficult for two old women, but we managed. I vacuumed with her ancient canister vacuum as the new one wasn’t charged yet. She then mopped the wood floor. We hung the sheers on tension rods. We also went through the pile of clutter. I loaded old magazines to recycle and boxes of books to donate into my car. By the time I left late Saturday night, the small den was immaculate and smelled clean. The lamp light reflected onto the clean windows. It was a job well done! This week, I’ve put together a basket of goodies to help keep the house clean. Homemade window cleaner, an all-purpose cleaner made with Thieves essential oil, toilet bombs, a few European compostable sponge cloths, and two air-purifying houseplants are ready for delivery on Friday. I also included a few of my books on making homemade cleaning and beauty products, living a frugal life, and a few of MaryJane’s magazines. I hope to get my friend interested in membership. We could do projects together while we learn and have fun.
I feel grateful that I was able to help my friend to complete this one project in her small house. I am satisfied I can lead her to better health through better air quality in her home. I can hardly wait to see the small den with the bright sunlight streaming through the windows. The transformation of this one room should make a huge difference in her life. It will be certainly be a more inviting place for her and for others. She’s already talking about maybe repainting the room. That is for another day, another week, another month, maybe when and if I retire next summer. In the meantime, I’ll research non-toxic paint!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 1:04:45 PM
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Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Water Conservation Merit Badge!
“I love days like this one. It’s a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon with no work scheduled next week. (I am officially on lock down until further notice). The rain barrels are filling up, the food grade buckets are in an open space in the backyard, getting filled with rain water for me and the dogs. Yes, I drink rain water! The barn cats’ dishpans on the deck are getting filled with water now. The tiny garden is getting watered, and the nearby pond is filled to the brim. All is well here at home for now. When Brian first sent me the “Attitude with Gratitude” Oct-Nov 2010 article via email, the quote from Thomas Fuller resonated with me, “We never know the worth of water until the well is dry.” This article gives simple ideas to reuse gray water. One of my favorites I never thought to do was to wet a facecloth using pre-use water, then popping it into the microwave to heat. I’ve done this. I also use an enamel bowl to collect water when I shower that is then used to wash my hands in the bathroom during the day. When I hand wash dainties, the soapy water is then used to clean the toilet. I keep a 5-gallon bucket in my shower to collect most of the wasted water. I use this lightly pre-used water to flush my toilet and water my houseplants. Reusing water just takes some thought and a little effort. One day, the well just may go dry!
We take so much for granted when we turn the faucet on and out pours an abundance of water. So many people do not have that luxury. I’m fortunate to live in an area of the south where we seldom have severe drought. The collection of rainwater and/or the storage of gray water is not prohibited by local government. I have a flowing black water river practically in my back yard, and I own a small fish pond that is great for watering the nearby fruit trees. I am also fortunate to have had a grandmother who loved me enough to teach me to “waste not, want not,” among so many other things.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 1:06:08 PM
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Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Expert Level Water Conservation Merit Badge!
“So much has changed since I wrote the Intermediate Level Requirement. I downsized in November 2021 to a small and cozy double wide mobile home that is custom built to my specifications. It is well organized, well-insulated, with up-to-date modern appliances, heat pump, and a walk-in shower in the master bathroom. At last, I can get wet, cut the water off while I soap up, then cut the water back on to rinse! The toilets are designed to flush lightly with little water used or a stronger flush with more water when needed. The washing machine has a sensor to fill to the amount of water needed, and I use a rapid cycle for my lightly soiled work clothes. I still like to wash the dainties by hand, and still using the water to clean the toilet. I still collect rainwater for plants, animals, and myself, and use dishwater for other purposes. Some habits never change! Because I work full time (unlike 2020), I am gone all day, five days a week. I don’t cook big meals that require a lot of cleanup. I wash dark clothes once weekly, bedding and whites every other week.
I have been so vigilant in water conservation these last few years, I doubted I could reduce the usage by 10 percent. I committed to undressing out of my good work clothes immediately when I get home. I hang them up on the outside rack on the deck, weather permitting. I then wear these clothes a second time without washing them. Limiting my time in the shower every morning also limits the water usage. I never run water while brushing my teeth. I run my car through a local car wash occasionally for the added discount per gallon of gasoline. I totally wiped out 10 percent usage.”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2023 : 1:08:37 PM
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Teresa Roberson (Carolinacateyes, #7386) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Basketry Merit Badge!
“On January 18, I journeyed to Charleston, SC for a Sweetgrass Basket Weaving Workshop, sponsored by The Charleston Museum. The goal was to weave a small basket and to learn about the history of the sweetgrass basketry, one of the Lowcountry’s best known art forms of Gullah tradition. In the late 1600s, enslaved West Africans were brought to the Georgia and South Carolina sea islands to tend the rice and cotton fields. Many of the descendants, known as Gullah, stayed on the sea islands. Throughout the years, the Gullah people have protected their heritage through language, food, and customs such as basketry and quilting. The intricate art of making sweetgrass baskets is one of the most treasured Gullah traditions in the Lowcountry. The craft has been passed down through generations for more than 300 years.
The class was taught by Mrs. Sarah Edwards-Hammond, a 7th generation basket maker. We were given a very small bundle of sweetgrass, binding strips, the center coil, and a spoon handle. A sweetgrass basket is made using a spoon handle to push through the coil to tighten the binding strips to stitch together the sweetgrass. The coiling process is quite tedious as the sweetgrass is added little by little to create a uniform circle and sides to the basket. I have made a small pine basket before using the same technique but sweetgrass is stiff and more difficult to work with and because of the sharp edges on the binding strips. We were given small amounts of sweetgrass as we needed it by the instructor. Experienced basket makers worked quickly and were able to create large baskets; inexperienced students like myself could only make small baskets due to time constraints and lack of instruction.
Making a sweetgrass basket was on my bucket list of things to do. I worked for four hours on my little basket. It’s not the neatest basket that came out of the class, but it’s mine! It now hangs in my bedroom!”
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2023 : 11:15:02 AM
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Krista Davis (maryjanesniece, #528) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Quilling Merit Badge!
"Krista researched the history and the materials used for quilling. She used her new knowledge to create 2 small designs for herself and then created some 4 leaf clovers and put them on some cards to mail for the monthly card swap.
My little designs turned out great and are displayed in my room. The cards that I mailed turned out good, but some were slightly damaged in transportation. I learned how I can prevent that in the future."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2023 : 12:42:55 PM
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Krista Davis (maryjanesniece, #528) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning an Intermediate Level UFOs Merit Badge!
"I earned this badge by completing 2 more large projects. I finished an Easter pillow that only had a couple rows started on and completed a shawl that I only had the yarn for. I completed my 5 hours with my daughter. She would work on her little diamond painting as I worked on my crochet.
They both turned out great and were given to their intended recipients."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2023 : 1:13:48 PM
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Krista Davis (maryjanesniece, #528) has received a certificate of achievement in Each Other for earning a Beginner Level Lost Art of Letter Writing Merit Badge!
"I earned the badge by getting a basket and filling it with all my letter writing supplies. Now they are all together in one place.
It turned out perfect and I have used the basket ever since I put it together. Makes my letter writing more organized."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2023 : 1:20:18 PM
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Nancy A Joplin (Nancy Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Living Zero Waste Merit Badge!
"I have continued to work on reducing waste in our home. I have worked to buy second hand items when I need things. When parting with material goods, I have used alternate methods instead of trashing things that we don't need or use.
I have worked to lower our food waste. We freeze certain leftovers for turning into soups or stews. We compost our kitchen scraps through a city program, but a compost bin is in the works. We trade clothing with other family members and friends to reduce waste in that area. We share large less used kitchen items among family members, such as juicers and large cooking items.
We have put items on websites when we haven't been able to trade with, or give to, family or neighbors."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2023 : 1:29:17 PM
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Nancy A Joplin (Nancy Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning an Intermediate Level Leave It Better Than You Found it Merit Badge!
"I made a point to remove litter from public places. I paired litter clean-up with conscious waste disposal, making sure to recycle or compost. I did it on at least five separate times.
I always try to leave places better than I found them. I pick up trash when I see it and make sure to dispose of it properly. I carry a bag with me when I go on my walks, picking up as I go. I have spent time at the park walking and cleaning up. It has become a habit of mine to clean-up when ever I go somewhere."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16458 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16458 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2023 : 1:32:08 PM
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Nancy A Joplin (Nancy Joplin, #8352) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Pottery/Ceramics Merit Badge!
"I researched types of clay and how they are fired. I researched different forming techniques. I read Ceramics: A Beginner's Guide to Tools and Techniques by Elizabeth Landberger and Mita Lundin.
I signed up for a pottery class.
I found a local pottery supply.
I did my research and discovered that there are so many different types of clay available. There are so many different techniques for forming clay. I read the ceramics book that I was able to borrow from MaryJane's library. I got so many ideas from the book and my searches on Pinterest and YouTube.
I found a pottery supply that is not far from my house in Ontario, CA. I can also buy supplies from the city recreation department where I am taking my classes.
So far I have had a great time making things."
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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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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