Fur and Feather Friday

Happy Friday. This week has been a hectic one. The homestead is still a work in progress, but there is progress :) I'm not going to go all journal style about the week, just wanted to share a piece of my happiness. So, without further ado...

Here is this weeks round up of the cutest most cuddly Farmily. (And a big part of my heart) 

The boys, aka the dogs, love giving the "crazy face" 

Sir Sainic as usual, resting his old man bones. 

Bella trying to get my coffee. Sometimes, not often, I will let her have the last sip. 

Pete Pete our handsome Cayuga duck. 

This dog knows how to sleep. He will even fall asleep with his head falling off the couch. I will be on the look out for it, to snap a pic for y'all.

Of course, I have to include my sleeping beauty Bella. 

Notice she is smiling:) moments like this melt my heart... but then she wakes up, haha.

Happy weekend y'all. I will be enjoying some long over due time with my Momma. Till next week y'all keep it green, clean, and classy. 

Shalimar 

Project Suds - DIY Wall Framing

The sud shack / wash house / whatever you want to call it is finally becoming a structure. Well, maybe calling it a structure is a little premature, but it's getting there. We put some walls up and that's got to count for something structure-ish, right?

So we started by framing out one wall and adding the studs. Now, normal stud spacing is 16" which is what we did in the studio, but for this "shack" we went with 24" spacing for purposes that will be highlighted later on...way later because every step we take comes with some kind of delay.

Once our wall was built we brought it over then lifted it into place. We screwed the wall down to the floor but having only one wall isn't very stable. To secure the wall until we could get the next one up we used a 45. This was just a temporary support, and it wasn't windy so just the one side was fine.

Then, it was a process of repeat, repeat, repeat. We would build another wall and then put that up securing the walls together and to the floor. 

We only built three walls, because the fourth wall will actually be two big doors that cover the length of the wall completely. This front wall of doors, haha, will also be the wall with extra height so the roof slopes to the back. 

We started by building the wall height up, then supporting that with studs. 

The doors will be larger than normal but we didn't want the doors reaching the ceiling. Plus, the wall needed some vertical support to hold the weight of the doors and the roof. We could have used some 45's but we went with squares so we could use the openings as windows. 

With our fourth wall framed we called it a day. The forecast showed ten consecutive days of heat and sun with no rain in sight, but we have been down that road before and have long since given up on trusting the weatherman. So, we put down a tarp. 

Keep it green, clean, and classy.

-Shalimar

Homestead Life - Farmily Pictures

Hey y'all just posting a few pictures of our fur and feather family. With all the construction going on to establish our home on the homestead we haven't had as much quality time with our farmily as we would like. 

Pete Pete and Mr. Bill have been enjoying the summer heat. They currently have access to a creek that they retreat to most days. If not the reprieve of the creek then they are out chasing around the chickens and showing those chicas who's boss. Well, the younger chicks anyway. Our alpha hens, Blackie and Ole Red, show those ducks that their bills don't compete with beaks, haha. Love'em! 

Those lovely ladies getting a bite to eat are my alphas. They don't mind our dachshund mix, Sir Beckendorff. 

However, sometimes Miss Blackie will get jealous of the attention he gets and want in my lap. If I rub the back of her neck she will just go to sleep:) if I'm in the rocking chair then I can rock her to sleep:) Blackie is a dominique chicken. The Dominique breed has been known for their eggs and meat, but I'm impressed with their docile nature. On a homestead volume isn't a concern, which is a good thing because this lady can holler. 

What fur and feather post would be complete without Bella. She is the newest member of the farmily and her child like energy and curiosity demand much of my attention. 

Till next time I leave you with this...

While waiting for the water to heat up for a shower, collect the water for plants. In average cases this could be two gallons... That's per shower, per person, everyday! Adds up. Alright y'all keep it green, clean, and classy.

-Shalimar 

Taking in a Waistband with Darts

So, we head out to our homestead wearing almost like "homestead uniform" ...aka the same clothes because I use natural detergent and it's great for the environment but it isn't kicking any stain butt... (my Mr. Constantly wearing his too big shorts)... 

As far as butts go my Mr.'s was hanging out. I got tired of seeing his plumber crack so here's a tutorial of the process of covering that crack:).

 

So I'm sure you have hear "baby got back" that is not my Mr. he is more like "baby is flat" so I put a dart above each cheek. 

Grab some pins.

Pinning the left side first. 

Then folding the shorts and lining the right dart with the left. 

Pull the elastic taught and pin in place.

Head to the sewing machine and stitch over the pin. 

If you pin the garment with the point forward then you can zig zag stitch right up to the pin head so the elastic stays tight. 

Till next time, you know the drill...keep it green, clean, and classy.

-Shalimar