Seasons at Home Magazine by Joyous Home

Seasons ome at H

Magazine

Build a Bookrack

In This Issue: ~ Westward Ho! by Amy Pak ~ Sweet Pin Cushions by Jessica

Schwisow

~ A Girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pioneer Sampler {Dying Fabric with Dandelions by Theresa Powers

Homemade

Fresh Fruit Sodas

Ice Cream Sandwiches

elcome to the Seasons at Home Magazine summer issue!

In 2012, we tried our hand at a digital publication, The Joyous Home Journal. We enjoyed putting it together and sharing great things through digital access, but our hearts belong to print! The Joyous Home Journals are filled with wonderful articles and projects, not featured in any print issue we have put out. They can be accessed at the Joyous Home website. Also, in November 2012, our daughter Jessica, and primary partner in Joyous Home, was married to a wonderful young man, Joshua Schwisow. We are now happy to announce the Lord has blessed their union to bring forth their first baby! Baby Schwisow is due next February! We are blessed beyond measure. Psalm 115:14 “The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.” Let raising your family to the Lord be your primary goal. Let your home express all the gifts of handiwork the Lord has given you. Learn new things to share with others. Happy Homemaking! Joyous Home

“

Psalm 112

Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

”

Westward Ho! by Amy Pak -3-

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches - 10 -

Tea Tray Chalkboard

Tomato Pin Cushions & Papercraft Needle Tin

-5-

- 11 -

The Schoolroom Bookrack -6-

The Gift of SAying Thank You - Homemade Cards - 13 -

salad dressings and Fresh Fruit Sodas

A Girl’s Pioneer Sampler Dying Fabric with Dandelions

-7-

- 16 -

Production: John Powers CONTACT: theresa.joyoushome@gmail.com Film and Audio: John Powers Jr, and Zachariah Powers Joyous Home, LLC Editors/Publishers: Theresa Powers and Jessica Schwisow P.O. Box 1596 Editing: Annie Sechrist Castle Rock, CO 80104 ONLINE: www.joyoushome.com (website) 303-663-3856 (order by phone) www.joyousnotions.com (blog) Email us if you would like to submit an article/project! Seasons at Home Magazine ©2013 - No part of Seasons at Home Magazine may be copied, resold, or redistributed.

PROJECT

Supplies

Make

a Bookrack!

4 - 1” x 4” x 8’ 4 - 3/4” dowel 48” long 1 1/2” wood screws 3/8” Flat head wood plugs 1 1/2” finishing nails Sand paper Wood putty 1 quart paint Miter saw Drill, 1/8” and 3/8” bits Corner clamp Scroll, Jig or Coping saw

1. Cut two 1x4’s to 50” long. You can round the top of the board by drawing a simple pattern or using a pattern. Trace the same pattern to the second board. You can buy a French Curve pattern very inexpensively at Michaels Craft store.

2. Cut five 1”x 4” x 8’ boards to 39”. 3. For the bottom shelf, clamp a 50” side board to one 39” board. The side board is 1/4” below the 39” bottom shelf board. 4. To align and connect the bottom shelf to the side board, drill a 1/8” pilot hole on each side. About 5/8” in from the bottom of the sideboard, 3/4” down from each side. Drill two pilot holes. On each pilot hole, using the 3/8” drill bit, drill 3/8” deep for the wood plugs. Using wood screws, screw the shelf into place.

Children’s bookshelves have never been easier. This rack is easy to make and leaves room on the floor for other things in your school room. Give this attractive piece a try! Glue the wood caps into each of the 8 screw holes.

Install the Railings 1. Cut 4, 3/4” dowels 40 1/2” long. Clamp each end of one dowel to a workbench or a sawhorse. 2. Sand the dowel flat, 3/4” in on each end. 3. Starting at the second shelf up from the bottom, use finishing nails to fasten the dowel, flat edges against the front side board, 3 1/2” up from the shelf. Repeat for the next two shelves. 4. On the top shelf, the dowel will be fastened 2 1/2” up.

5. The shelves will be spaced 7”, 9 1/2” and 9 1/2”. For the first shelf, measure 7” up. Using a corner clamp, clamp the shelf into place and using finishing nails, nail the shelf to the side board. Repeat for the other side. Make the next two shelves measuring up 9 1/2” and repeat the instructions.

5. Using the wood filler, fill all nail holes and then sand everything smooth. Paint the shelf .

To Hang: Drill 2, 3/8” holes 1/8” deep, on the back to create a slot. Screw on flat keyhole wall brackets to fasten to the wall. This bookshelf adds a nice touch to any room. The children can clearly see their books and it’s very attractive! 6. The last shelf on top will be screwed in the same way as the bottom shelf. Measure up 11 1/2”. Clamp the board into place and follow the instructions in step 4. Schoolroom Bookrack ©2013

If you have questions, feel free to email John Powers at johnepowers@live.com 6

Inexpensive and delicious are two good reasons to make your own salad dressing! We love fresh salads vegetable, bean, pasta, coleslaw, it doesn’t get better! Naturally, our family goes through a lot of dressing, so it’s more practical to make it than buy it. All-natural salad dressings are very popular, but homemade, in our opinion, is certainly tastier and definitely cheaper. Try your hand at making your own! Keeping a few basic ingredients on hand will provide dressings when you need them. I find a lot of dressing recipes call for ingredients that have healthier substitutes. Use balsamic and apple cider vinegars in place of white vinegar. I love to use honey in place of white sugars. Olive, grapeseed, and sunflower oil are wonderful oils to use in place of canola and vegetable oil.

2 cups mayonnaise 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1 1/4 tsp. worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 2 tbsp. dill weed 2 tsp. fresh or dried parsley 2 1/2 tsp. dried granulated onion 1/2 tsp. fresh minced garlic

Try this as a marinade and sauce for honey mustard chicken! 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup honey 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1 tsp. sea salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. dried granulated garlic 1/8 tsp. dried granulated onion

Cut french bread, whole grain bread, or leftover garlic bread into cubes, enough for 4 cups. Place bread cubes in a bowl. Add 1/3 cup melted butter and toss to coat. Add 1 tsp. dry granulated garlic, 1 tsp. crushed fresh or dry rosemary, 1 tsp. cracked black pepper, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat and bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

3/4 cup honey 1 cup sunflower oil 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 2/3 cup ketchup 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/4 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. each chili powder, celery seed, dry mustard 1 1/2 tsp. granulated onion

This is one of my favorite dressings! Perfect served with homemade garlic croutons. 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce 1/2 tsp. fresh minced garlic 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sunflower or vegetable oil (no olive oil) 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

This is such a simple, yet rich and delicious dressing! 1/2 cup each of mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk or plain yogurt 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. dried granulated onion 1/2 tsp. sea salt (add more to taste) 3/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese

The tomatoes are now ready for the jar. Take very clean, sterilized jars and begin to fill them with your tomatoes and juice. Put one teaspoon of salt in after the tomatoes and then fill the jar the rest of the way with water. 1. Have your lids and bands simmering in hot water and your water bath canner filled half full of water. Make sure that this water is boiling as well! 2. Clean the rims of your jars, screw on the jar lids, and lower them down in your hot water bath. 3. Process times for canning tomatoes is about 20 minutes for quart-sized jars and 15 minutes for pint-sized jars. 4. Once your processing time is finished, lift jars gingerly out of canner and set on a towel until completely cool. Afterwards, line your shelf with your own summer bounty! Moma Chas, as her blog readers know her, is the wife to Shannon and mother to her 4 precious children. She loves the Lord and does her best to serve Him in everything she does. She enjoys chickens, gardening, canning, baking, stitching, homeschooling her children, and doing whatever she can to grow their homestead. You can visit her at www.heritageacreshomestead.com, Heritage Acres Homestead on Facebook or Instagram name homesteadmoma.

Visit my Blog!

Bright, fresh fruits made into your own special sodas, as light or sweet as you like them! A simple fruit syrup mixed with soda water for a refreshing summer treat. Juicy fruits will yield the best flavored syrups! Making fruit syrup is also a good way to use up fruit that is getting overripe. Berries are wonderful, as well as peaches, cherries, mango, and ripe pineapple. For citrus syrups, zest the peel and set aside. Remove and discard the peel. Combine the fruit and zest together and continue with the recipe.

In a saucepan, combine: heaping 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen fruit 2 cups water 1 1/4 cups sugar Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture starts to boil hard, lower heat slightly to keep the it at a gentle constant boil. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes, until fruit is very soft and the syrup has thickened slightly (not too much). For harder fruits, such as peaches, use a potato masher to break the fruit up as it cooks. Remove the mixture from the heat. Strain the syrup into a bowl with a fine mesh sieve. Gently push the pulp to release as much syrup as possible, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t force the pulp through. Pour syrup into quart-size canning jars and chill until cold. Gathering Around the Hearth ÂŠ2013

Ice cream sandwiches are one of those nostalgic, childhood treats. Who doesn’t remember sitting on the front porch on a summer evening with one of those soft, cold, creamy filled cookies? Homemade ice cream is wonderful for these, but not necessary. The ice cream only needs to be soft enough to press and fill the sandwich. For homemade ice cream, make the ice cream right before you make the cake, so it has time to ripen in the freezer, but not become too hard to spread. Add sliced fruit, lemon and lime slices, mint leaves or fresh slices of fresh ginger

Combine the following in a bowl: 3/4 cup sugar 2/3 cup softened cream cheese 1 tbsp. vanilla extract 2/3 cup cold milk

Line two 9” x 13” glass baking dishes with parchment paper, with a few inches of overhang on either side. In large bowl, combine: 1 cup butter, melted 1 cup white sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 cup unbleached white flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp. sea salt

Whisk together until completely smooth. Add an additional 1 cup whipping cream, and 3 cups cold half & half. Pour into an ice cream freezer and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Whisk together until smooth. Divide batter between the two dishes and spread to the edges, but not up the sides. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Lift cakes from pan and cool completely.

After the cakes have cooled, lift and place one of the cakes back in the dish, with parchment paper overhanging as before. Spoon 2 quarts (one recipe of the Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream) of softened ice cream over the cake. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the ice cream and press to the edges. Carefully place the other cake over the smoothed ice cream. Freeze for 6 hours, or overnight. Longer is better!

In a saucepan: 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup coconut oil (measured when solid) Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over ice cream and wait a few seconds for the chocolate to harden! Gathering Around the Hearth ©2013

Thaw the frozen sandwich for 10 minutes at room temperature before cutting. Use a sharp knife to run around the inside of the dish to loosen the ice cream from the sides. Hold both sides of the parchment paper and lift the sandwich from the dish and place on a baking sheet or a piece of plastic wrap. Use a knife to cut the sandwich into smaller sandwiches. If you want even edged sandwiches, cut around the outside of the sandwich first, then cut into smaller sandwiches. Save the scraps! Wrap leftover sandwiches in plastic and store for up to one week. ~ Makes about 12 large sandwiches 10

Seasons

at Home

Magazine In This Issue

Build a SimpleLoom A Fall Runner

Build a

Family Table

with English Paper Piecing

CrockpotApple Butter Beeswax Candles and

Make it Simple

Mozzarella

Cheese

For the Boys...

Build a Periscope

AChanging

Season

October, 2013

Published by Theresa Powers &

Welcome to the fall issue of Seasons at Home Magazine!

Jessica Schwisow

The past few months have been very busy creating our new issues, and running our blog, Joyous Notions! If you haven’t stopped by to see what we are up to, please stop by! We are having weekly blog hops, and with the holidays approaching, we are certain to have some nice things for you.

Edited by Joshua Schwisow Production Director John Powers For information reguarding subscriptions, submission

Thank you for your continued support of Joyous Home and guidelines, advertisement or permissions, write: theresa.joyoushome@gmail.com or Seasons at Home Magazine! May the Lord bless your home P.O. Box 1596 Castle Rock, CO 80104 | (303) 663-3856 as you fill it with your creativity!

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese - 3-

English Paper Piecing A Fall Runner - 12 -

Autumn Cakes | Crock Pot Apple butter

Beeswax Candles, Moonsand & The Boys Periscope

-4-

- 14 -

Building The Family Table

Build a Loom & Basic Weaving - 16 -

-7-

Changing of Seasons Girl’s Tea

Unit Study Ideas

- 10 -

- 18 -

Homemaking

Blog Hop

Wednesdays

www.JoyousNotions.com Do you blog about your homemaking? Do you love to post your current recipes, crafts or maybe just new things for homeschooling? Then join Homemaking Blog Hop Wednesdays on our blog, Joyous Notions! Share what you’re doing with us!

Join Our Mailing List!

Do you receive our email newsletter? Sign up! Go to www.JoyousHome.com and sign up to receive news about upcoming products, sales and blog events!

ozzarella cheese is one of those simple, special things you must make at least one time. A few simple steps turn a gallon of milk into a perfectly smooth, round loaf of creamy cheese and is well worth it! We have found making cheese to be quick and fairly inexpensive, not to mention the children will love making pizza with their own homemade cheese! Before you begin, you need to know that the kind of milk you use is very important. You cannot use ultra-pasteurized milk. Organic is preferable, but beware that many of the organic milks are ultra-pasteurized. Friends of ours make their cheese with their own raw cow milk, and have told us that raw is best. Good raw milk is not always easy to find however, so you may have to try different pasteurized milks from the store to see what works. I tested two different milks from local stores, one worked the other didn’t. The only specialty ingredients you’ll need are rennet (vegetable or animal) and citric acid. Both of these, including cheese salt, are available online from: Cheesemaking.com. This is a wonderful online source for cheesemaking supplies!

This recipe will make a 1 lb. loaf of mozerella cheese 1/4 rennet tablet 11/2 tsp. citric acid 11/4 cups distilled (chorine-free) water, divided 1 gallon of fresh milk {skim, 2% or

whole milk, NOT ultra pasteurized} 1 tsp. cheese salt or sea salt large pot, thermometer, mesh strainer or colander, glass bowl

Prepare the Ingredients Use a sharp knife to cut a rennet tablet into fourths. Dissolve one of the fourths in 1/4 cup of the distilled water; stir well. Wrap the remaining pieces of the rennet tablet in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use again. In a glass measuring cup, dissolve 11/2 tsp. of citric acid in 1 cup of distilled water. Stir until dissolved and pour into the large pot. Now add the gallon of milk and stir very well.

Heating the Milk Place the pot over medium-high heat. Bring the temperature of the

milk to 90°, while stirring constantly. Once the milk reaches 90°, immediately remove it from the heat. Add the dissolved rennet solution. Combine the rennet into the milk with a large spoon, using an up and down motion (not circular stirring) for 30 seconds. Cover the pot and let the milk sit for 5 minutes.

Cutting the Curds After 5 minutes, check the curd. The curd should have a custard-like appearance, and be gathered into one mass, separate from the liquid. Use a long sharp knife (long enough to reach the bottom of the pot, and cut the curds into cubes, by cutting both horizontally and vertically.

Heating the Curds Return the pot to

the stove on medium-high heat and bring the temperature to 105°, while gently moving the curds around with a spoon while heating. Once the curds reach 105°, take the pot off the heat and continue to stir for 3-5 minutes. The curds will start to come together in one mass. The longer you stir, the firmer the cheese will be.

Pour Off the Whey Pour the curds into a strainer and drain off the whey. Don’t press

the whey out of the curds! Transfer the curds to a glass bowl. A little more whey will come out of the curds, but don’t drain this off. Now, the curds are almost ready for the stretch! Before you can do this, yes, you need to heat the curds just one more time. It is at this point that you will be able to tell whether your milk is going to make cheese. If it’s not, the curds will not 3 Seasons at Home Magazine ©2013

Mix until the apples and sugar are combined well. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the mixture is at a low boil, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the apples and all of the syrup to a crock pot. It will be very syrupy!

Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally. The apples will become extremely soft, and turn to a deep caramel brown color. You can remove the lid during the last hour of cooking.

Spoon the apples and the syrup into a blender. You can do this in two batches if necessary. Blend until completely smooth. Transfer back into the crock pot to keep hot if you are going to process it in jars.

Extra Tips:Many apple butter recipes call for ground cloves and

other spices, but I have found that simply using a good cinnamon is perfect. Spices such as cloves and allspice become very strong during the long simmer, and make the apple butter bitter. The best cinnamon varieties to use are Saigon and Vietnamese. Vietnamese cinnamon is very strong, so only use half of the amount called for in a recipe.

remember a few years ago, our family took a short vacation into the mountains during the fall. On the way home we stopped at a small farm and bought a big box of apples for apple butter. We spent days in the kitchen peeling, chopping and simmering the spiced, sugary apples for hours, filling the house with the sweet fragrance of cinnamon and cloves. I love that memory, and I think of it every time I make apple butter!

Apple butter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks if you are going to use it quickly, but canning is the best way to make a lot to store. is a good way to stock. One recipe of apple butter will make 6-8 half-pint jars. Sterilize washed jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove from water with tongs and quickly dry with a clean dish towel. Ladle hot apple butter into jars, filling 1/4” from the rim. Wipe the rims with a wet paper towel, and seal tightly with lids and rings.

Process in boiling water (water needs to completely cover the jars) for 10 minutes. Timing will vary according to your altitude if you’re not at sea-level, so you will need to check.

HeartyS oups This soup is our new favorite! Try adding italian sausage, or beef for a meaty version of this classic soup!

RoastedRed PotatoS oup

Roasting the potatoes makes all the difference, it’s so good! You can add chopped rotisserie In a large pot heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add 11/2 tbsp. chicken as well! minced garlic and saute` for one minute. Add: 1 large red onion, chopped 6 stalks celery, chopped with 1/4 cup of finely chopped celery leaves 5 carrots, peeled and sliced 2 small zucchini, washed and sliced (don’t peel)

Continue to saute` over medium heat until the onions are soft. Now add: 3 cups of white navy beans, cooked and drained or 2 14.5 oz. cans of great northern white beans, rinsed and drained 10 cups chicken broth 3/4-1 cup red wine 2 14.5 oz. cans tomato sauce 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes 1 tsp. black pepper, 2 tsp. dried basil and 11/2 tsp. dried thyme

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for about an hour. Then add: 2 cups small pasta, cooked al dente` and drained 21/2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped Cook for an additional 20 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Wash and dry 5 lb. of small red potatoes. Cut in half and rub with olive oil. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375° until tender. Cool and cut into cubes.

In a large pot, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil. Add 1 tbsp. minced garlic, 1 large onion, chopped and 6 stalks of celery, sliced. Saute` until the vegetables are tender. Add the potatoes and: 10 cups chicken broth 11/2 cups half & half 11/2 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. dried thyme

Bring to a low boil, then lower heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve soup topped cheddar cheese and sliced green onions!

Cake Pops

Cake pops are truly a fun tea treat! They are a combination of crumbled cake and frosting, rolled into ball and dipped in white chocolate or vanilla candy coating. You can use a homemade cake recipe or a boxed cake mix. We have included our recipe for chocolate fudge cake!

Chocolate

one recipe for a 9” x 13” cake, any flavor one recipe of cake pop frosting 24 candy/cake pop sticks 10 oz. vanilla candy coating, white or dark chocolate sprinkles, colored sugars, etc. styrofoam block (to hold dipped cake pops) 1. Bake the cake according to recipe, do not overbake. Cool completely. Once cool, the cake needs to be crumbled into fine crumbs. Cut off any crisp edges on the cake because these will not crumble well. You can use a food processor, blender or your fingers, but the crumbs need to be very fine. 2. Next, you need to add the frosting. This part is important, because you only need to moisten the cake until it can be rolled into balls. If you add too much frosting, the cake balls won’t stick to the candy sticks. Start with two large spoonfuls of frosting and mix together with your hands. Add a little more if it’s still too dry, but be careful not to make it gooey! The cake has enough frosting as soon as it is sticky enough to be rolled into a ball and hold its shape.

This cake makes one 9” x 13” cake, enough for 24 cake pops. In a mixer with whisks, combine: 2 cups sugar 21/2 cups soft wheat flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 11/2 tsp. baking powder 11/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. sea salt Mix until blended. Add: 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix until batter is smooth. Pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan. Bake at 350° for 2025 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then flip out on to a baking sheet to finish cooling.

Constructing the Quilt Top

Fold the next side over as you did the first side, and take the needle down on the edge of the fabric fold as shown; pull through to the front. Bring back through to the back again, making a long running stitch as before. Finish with two more running stitches, stopping at the end. Repeat with the remaining three sides of the hexagon. Finish off with a knot. Your first hexagon is finished! Complete the remaining 15 hexagons in the same way.

Constructing a quilt top with hexagons is a lot like putting together a puzzle. In the pictures, I’ve already sewn a few together, so you can see what it’s going to look like. First, you need to lay out your pattern. The diagram below will show which pieces you are going to start with - the first two pieces that are connected. Remember, in the photos, I’ve already connected a few.

1. Thread your needle and knot the end. Place the first two pieces right sides together, align the edges and pin. 2. On the side you are connecting, insert the needle under the fold of the fabric, but over the paper. Bring the needle out of the corner as shown. 3. Whip stitch the edges of the hexagons together, making the stitches tiny and about 1/8” apart. Make sure you are only catching the edge of the fabric, as to not go through the paper. Whip stitch to the end, then finish off with a knot and clip the thread. Remove the pin and open the two pieces. You’ve finished your first seam! Now, how do the other hexagons connect? In the pictures below, the left side seam has been whip stitched together; now I’m moving to the center seam. Fold the hexagons right sides together and pin. Whip stitch the seam. Remove the pin and unfold. The next seam will be the seam to the right of the center. Don’t remove the paper. Once all of the hexagons are sewn together, press the right side of the runner with a hot iron. Cut the basting threads and remove the paper. Press again well, pressing the points and creases flat. Don’t press the seam allowances open.

whip stitch the seam

Constructing the Runner

1. Layer the batting and the backing as shown - batting on the bottom, and the backing right side up, on top. Smooth completely flat. Lay the runner in the center, right sides together with the backing, as shown. Trim some of the excess backing and batting, so that there is about 3” around the runner edge, don’t trim too close. Pin layers together very well; you don’t want the layers to shift while you’re sewing them. I used regular straight pins, but you can use quilting safety pins if you wish, both are fine.

Finished and trimmed

2. With a straight stitch on the sewing machine, and the needle aligned to the center position (no seam allowance), stitch in the creased fold along the edge of the runner. Yes, it’s that easy - simply sew in the crease. When you come to a seam, lay the folds so that they are flat; it doesn’t matter which way, as long as they are flat. Leave a few inches for an opening, so you can turn the runner right side out.

Use the rotary cutter and quilting ruler to trim off the excess batting and backing 1/4” from the sewn seam.

Clip the inner point 1/8” away from the seam - this is going to prevent the seams from bunching after turning right side out. Turn right side out through the opening. Smooth flat and press the runner with an iron. Slip stitch the opening closed. Your runner is finished!

Autumn Unit Study Ideas Unit studies are a lot of fun, especially during autumn. With a few good books you can pack lessons upon lessons. Here are some ideas for unit studies and I willl include three of my favorite autumn books to for your consideration. Each of these books are for ages 4-8, although older and younger children don’t mind listening to them! In November by Cynthia Rylant - This is a quiet little book that goes through the different changes that happen in November. What do mice, birds and barn animals do? From changing trees to family gatherings, in November things are different. This book is filled with beautiful watercolor illustrations. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman When the market is closed, an adventure begins around the world in search for ingredients to make a great apple pie! Do you know what comes from the bark of a kurundu tree? This book is an all around favorite in our house. Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White - Rebecca Estelle does not like pumpkins! When a pumpkin truck comes by at harvest and drops a pumpkin into her yard, her attitude must change. A delightful story about a woman who turns her dilemma into an opportunity to serve her neighbors. You’ll feel like making pumpkin treats with the children after reading! (Note: She carves Jack-o’-lanterns, but nowhere is Halloween mentioned in this book.) Language Arts

The Bible Life Lessons - even if the book doesn’t mention the Bible - moral lessons of good or evil can be always be addressed with Scripture. •

• • • • • • •

Write down verses to memorize.

Geography

• map study • compass use • map drawing • terrain study (plains, mountains, desert)

vocabulary rhyme action words (verbs) punctuation adjectives story setting (theme) creative writing

Science • • • • • • •

animal study flower and plant study seasonal changes climate astronomy natural resources habitats

Math

• • • • • •

counting concepts months, days, years patterns/geometry fractions measuring money

If you want to make your own lessons, these are only a few ideas for study opportunities. When you start with one topic, many times you’ll find you can expand into another topic, and then another. One book often brings forth several topics of study we didn’t expect when we started. You can supplement academic lessons with crafts, music, field trips, nature walks with journaling, sketching (art), plays and more. Have fun as you discover new ways of learning!

Silk Embroidery Ribbon www.PritiRibbons.Etsy.com

Giveaways!

The

Coming in December!

12 Days of Christmas

Holiday Food & Crafts

and more for

Christmas

A yearly Joyous Notions event! Twelve days of fun ideas to do and share! Join us!

Join Us on Our Blog! | www.JoyousNotions.com