The Pleasant Times

Pages

  • Front Page
  • Renovated History
  • The Chicken Page
  • Vandy's View
  • Make Your Own Home Newspaper
  • About

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Light the Way

 

After hours and hours looking for just the right wall sconces, we decided to go with the cheapo Lowe's ones. They are kinda western looking, but we ended up really liking them. If I ever take them down and paint them matte black instead of the current brown "bronze" they will match our other fixtures better. Put that on the to do list... we were just trying to speed things up with the "temporary" install. 
(Note to readers: at this point wild laughter should accompany anytime you see the word "temporary.")


We put "Edison" bulbs in them since the the bulbs would be seen on the way up the stairs, and since they were some of the dimmest we could get (thinking of their use in the middle of the night, since they will shine into the bunk room). 

On one of the Electrician's visits, he left a long list of things we needed to buy. When I got to the store I saw items in the electrical department that I had wanted in the house, but didn't remember when the house was being wired. The boys were able to swap out some outlets and switches to accommodate my wishes (example: nightlight switches in the bathrooms!) but the little tiny side lights to illumine each stair at night? Too late. 

I thought that finding, choosing, and buying light fixtures would be the fun part of this whole construction process, but it ended up feeling like another big waste of life! Not because we were looking for organic, free-range light fixtures (thankfully, we know nothing about toxic light fixtures... yet), but because there are MILLIONS of choices, and NOTHING is matching the picture you have in your mind's eye. And, after hours of looking, when you find just what you want the items are out of stock. 

We toyed with making our own wall sconces out of wood, which would add yet another potential DIY burden to our list. 

Then one day out of the blue, a lighting consultant showed up! She had a list of new builds in our area and was visiting every single one offering free consultation. Was I ever impressed! Now someone else could spend hours on the internet finding our lights for us! What a luxury, so I thought. When her recommendations came in with NO prices, I had to get online yet again and figure those out myself. Alas! "Back to Lowe's we go." 






posted by Lillibeth No comments:
filed under Under Construction

Friday, March 10, 2023

Second Floor

 
Now lets go and see what the flooring progress was upstairs to forget the struggles of plumbing...
We used tongue-and-groove wood (not engineered) and although there were a few rough spots, I did not spend a week on my hands and knees filling in all the knots. We would just fix any rough edges as needed. We tried wood filler in a few places, but it didn't work out. So we have the pioneer look, knotholes and all.  

When I come upstairs, I feel like I'm in a 100 year old farmhouse. 

I still get excited looking at this-- well any room this clean is exciting. 

Now for the finish...




In a way the second story feels so different from the first story. More drywall, a bit brighter, lower ceiling. The flooring is narrower than my "general store" style downstairs. Our idea was that the upper rooms would be a bit more "refined" than the all-wood look of the first floor, but it still has a feel of an old, established house up there. 

We did a couple wee floors. The reading cubby 



(which still needs to be stained, along with the stairs... you would not be impressed if you knew how long I have been putting that off...)



And the "dollhouse." I think I may have blogged a while ago about our struggles with the builders over the necessity of a built-in dollhouse so I won't elaborate here. It has a nice, matching floor like the rest of the house. 



posted by Lillibeth No comments:
filed under Under Construction

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

"Just don't drink the [lead-free] water."


(A long rant today, skip it if you are not in the market for a faucet!)

When we decided to go as healthy as we could with building materials for this house, we were surprised at the lack of resources in this day and age of "awareness" about so many things.

Since we had gone to all the trouble to have reduced-chemical plumbing pipes (in the house at least, can’t control what was outside), we naturally wanted our "finished" plumbing fixtures to be as free from toxins as we could. That, my friends, was not an easy task.

Trying to keep excess toxins out of this house build is just as frustrating as when you go on a special diet and try to avoid certain things– only to find out that they are everywhere and in everything and you can’t eat anything but lettuce. 

And as long as I’m complaining here, I’ll tell you about the many days of labor that I have no pictures for. It was too boring for photographs. Days of combing through the web looking for lead-free faucets.

 If any of you have done the research, you will know that in the USA lead-free doens’t mean exactly that. I’m not even sure “zero lead” means that either. The rules allow for a little bit of lead to be present in all potable water faucets. It's no big deal, according to almost everybody, but since we had had a cancer scare, things like that are a bit more of a thought process for us. What other parts are we connecting to this? Do certain metals react and leach? What about the chemicals to glue things together? This part isn't regulated by that law yet, is there a substitute for that part? Etc Etc. We were looking for more than an ordinary person would look for.

Somewhere along the way, I found out that all the pretty, $30 Chinese faucets on Amazon aren’t in compliance with the low-lead law, and indeed are illegal to install in a new build. So as long as we had to look at faucets three or more times the cost of what we had hoped, we may as well buy the most  absolutely lead-free faucet we could find. When I did find one, it was rather ugly or hugely expensive (or both). 

Making your own faucet is not exactly a DIY project you want to take on when building a house, although that thought did cross our minds.

For the kitchen, thankfully there was an acceptible option at the big-box store (Delta Diamond seal). I was able to find ONE bathroom faucet for under $100 from an obscure company that claimed it had no lead. My next dilemma is to find a tub-filler that has little or no lead, because there is no regulations on tub fillers. Yeah yeah, I know, "just don’t drink the water…."

Looking for lead-free plumbing was exhausting, demoralizing and frustrating.  Although you can find completely lead-free kitchen faucets and restaurant faucets (not just saying “lead free” and meaning “minimum allowed by government” but all lead-free), there’s no such thing for the shower or tub faucets. And to top it all off, people think you are really a nut-job if you dare to even look for no-lead plumbing. 

We had gone to a lot of trouble to keep our water supply as low-chemical as possible, but could not control the one little plumbing connection (that is fully leaded because the gov’t hasn't regulated it yet) or this or that portion of the system that allows some lead. You just can’t escape it. At least we have minimized it to even beyond “government minimum” levels. (And wouldn't you know it, our area had a water emergency for a short time which necessitated us putting in a drinking water filter anyway. So we are pretty sure our water is safe to drink, if you want to come over for tea!)

Moving on from the faucets, we had other bathroom fixtures to find. How about a replacement for my claw-foot tub? 

We were initially sold on a few acrylic freestanding tubs. Acrylic is light weight, warm to the touch, etc. You just have to be careful cleaning it. If it gets scratched though...hmm...oh dear.

What is this stuff made out of? They mix things with the acrylic… what do they mix in? Chemicals? Does it leach if scratched? What do you use to repair it?  Sometimes you have a simple question about something, maybe you never thought about questioning before...We reached out to companies and people who watchdog toxic house materials, with no results. Apparently no one had thought these thoughts before.

The little bit we could find out about things made out of acrylic mixtures (mostly baby cup research) made us shy away from having plastic anything as a surface material. We were sick of the whole thing– tubs, showers, water bottles, baby cups, pacifiers. Bah!

I felt that we were wasting our life trying to figure it all out. When you look at the time spent in the course of your life researching things on the internet (because local building suppliers are no help on this subject)… it’s depressing.  We could used all that time to compose a symphony, write a novel, or run for President. I find it hard to believe, but either we were pioneers in non-toxic house building, or Google wasn't smart enough back then to give us the results we needed! 

posted by Lillibeth No comments:
filed under musings, Under Construction

Friday, March 3, 2023

The Clawfoot Tub Saga



I'm sure when we started this project, my family expected to have some heavy lifting to do. I'm not sure that they expected to carry a cast-iron claw-foot tub up and down hills and stairs as often as they did!

 We had created a place of honor for it under the arch in the Master bathroom, but it was too tight of a squeeze once the wallboard was on (measure twice, I know... ). And just as we had realized that new difficulty, my husband read something that said 75% of tubs made before 1970 contain lead. It is not a problem unless there are nicks, scratches, or any damage to the tub, and ours had quite a bit of those. One lead test later and this thing had to go! 

Yes, I know that the water would dilute the lead. Yes, I know that if we didn't drink the water it would be okay. Yes, I know we could have told that to the toddler twenty times per bath. 

We looked into re-glazing it, but we had to consider what our priorities were with getting in this house, expenses, time, etc. and at the moment we were not up for that. You have to reglaze every ten years or so (and knowing us, we would have to find out what chemical soup was involved in the reglazing process). We decided to be done with it; maybe someone would like a DIY project. 

I listed the tub online as "free," stipulating that football players were needed to lift it. My husband figured it was worth giving it away if he never had to lift that tub again. 

I then spent time fielding the most objectionable takers! "Oh just don't drink the water." "Just don't lick the tub." There were also a lot of folks who thought they didn't need to bring help. I guess not too many folks know football players.

While I was answering texts and emails about the tub, giving out our address to people who didn't show up, reading mocking comments about our listing, and other things that make for a nerve-wracking week, the builders decided that they needed to finish that floor underneath the tub. Forget the football players, my fellows would be carrying that tub again. Downstairs, off the porch, down the hill, to the bottom.

We re-listed it for $100 after that. 

(I should have had it listed for $200, with $100 going to me for emotional distress!)

Eventually a man and his young son came to get it. He didn't care that it was all scratched up and contained lead. He wanted it for an outdoor bathing experience. So, the tub went full circle. And of course my boys had to help lift it for him.  



posted by Lillibeth No comments:
filed under Under Construction

Saturday, February 4, 2023

In-House Carpenter

 We were so blessed to have our own home-grown carpenter on site! 

He was on hand to tackle all kinds of custom projects! We seem to excel in making custom projects. That is one thing I learned about drawing house plans-- just because you can make it fit on paper doesn't mean it will work out in real life. I feel like we have truly meshed together the learning experience of architects and builders!

A hole in the wall by the front door became this spot...
...a key cubby, so very useful!
Our budding carpenter also built a custom wooden door for our half-bath sliding door frame. 
Here he is putting trim on the front door to cut down on the drafts. 
He was also called upon to make some custom bathroom vanities. We couldn't find vanities to buy for our bathrooms,  because as I said before, things can look right on paper, but....

We wanted a wall-mount sink in here, the old-school style, because there were several narrow ones that we thought would fit in this tiny room. Turned out that the studs were in all the wrong places, there was no way to connect the sink to anything! Whoops. I suppose we could have punched holes in the drywall and put in the structure for it (but I wonder if those four layers of paint might be impenetrable, hah hah). So custom carpenter: make us a corner vanity!


And the vanity has to have custom spaces for the plumbing, too. 

I got a bargain price on a vessel sink. I wanted to try one, even though the others objected to having them anywhere else. Well, they were right. That thing doesn't drain well, and I still haven't found a tool to clean around the bottom where it meets the vanity. Argh!  

I love all the hardware I have ordered from D. Lawless (this is the "country store" knob). Can't wait to get the kitchen done to show you the drawer pulls I have for that room! 

 The vessel sink proved to be a further pest by being too tall for the faucet, which had to have a block to elevate it to the right height for washing hands. 
(The faucet I will explain more in my epic story of how we found lead-free faucets that were actually more lead-free than the lead-free faucets you buy at the big box stores. Stay tuned.)
For now the sink stays, but I think it is on the replacement list. 


I later added a black appliance pull, also from D. Lawless, for the towel hanger.
 

Our carpenter was so useful to have on-site, and all I had to do was feed him for payment. But you only get these amazing young people for a short time, and then they get wise to your plans and go get a regular job. I will be posting more about the things he has built around here in future posts! 
posted by Lillibeth No comments:
filed under Under Construction

Saturday, January 28, 2023

Some Exterior Extras




Volunteer Sunflowers decorating the construction site

Who wants to talk about gutters? We had a few more things to add to the exterior and a handful of waning summer weekends saw porch roofing and gutters installed. 
We ordered our gutters from a man in Portland, who was so very kind to drive all the way across the mountains to deliver them himself. He stayed a while and gave us tutorial on how the parts went together and how to install them, and gave us many professional tips. He had even machine-rolled the sharp edges so that we wouldn't cut ourselves in our DIY installation! 
Most of it went well, but this is one of those things that we look back on and say we should have just paid the man to install them instead of trying to do everything ourselves. 

The front of the house had a handy walking surface for our installers. 
To get the gutters up on the back roof required some acrobatics on a ladder perched half on a slippery wet roof and half on a board attached to another random board, all done in the rain. I am not supposed to show up with a camera during those times, so I got an "after" picture. 

I don't think this carpenter's perch qualifies for the Most Dangerous Things You Can Do In Construction prize, for I have certainly seen worse. There are a multitude of details that have to be done on the exterior to make sure everything finishes out snug and waterproof. I believe this was flashing installation. 

I'm not sure if I mentioned our "close call" with roofing. After our main roof was put on, the porch roofing purchase needed to be postponed while other things were done first. By the time we were ready for the rest of the roofing, the supplier was closing shop and retiring! We were able to get our particular roofing made one more time to finish up. 

Fitting the roof to the back stoop!

And another huge progress was the DIY install of the front porch roofing a few weeks later. You can see that we had a good frosty overlay on our underlay one morning. You cannot escape that sense of urgency when winter threatens and you know that you have to get your building buttoned up! I think I know just a wee bit of what the animals must have inside them when smell that bit of frost in the air. If the good weather would just hold on long enough...

And it did.  One more section to roof remained, the sides, and they would prove one of the hardest things in this whole building to do. But at least the large front porch was finally waterproof!

There you have it, a month and a half of Saturdays (and Sundays) and we were just in time for the first (and rather early) snow.


posted by Lillibeth No comments:
filed under Under Construction

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Industrial Style?

Let's talk for a moment about "Style."

We did not go with one particular "style" (consistently) for this house. We were inspired by many. We like deep trim, recessed windows, high ceilings. I would say the overarching influence is "Craftsman," especially on the exterior;  but there was inspiration from Post-And-Beam, Farmhouse, Modern Farmhouse, and a hodge-podge of lovely house photos done by architects (found on Houzz.)

One style that I am not terribly fond of is the "Industrial." That is where things like metal pipes are left exposed. However, the Modern Farmhouse style had a bit of that. Done well, it wasn't bad (or maybe I had been looking at too much of it...). There are spots in our house that could possibly be filed under "industrial." 

When those you know and love working so hard in front of your eyes you value whatever they do much more than anyone else would. Also being intimately acquainted with the construction of a structure like this is gives you very special feelings about it.

We have a lot of wood in our house, and though most interior designers and architects talk about the "warmth" of wood, there is something else about it I am not sure I can put into words.

 Perhaps because it was a living thing, or that it had been through many processes, hands, and travel to get to us, it feels like the wood has a story to tell and should be left exposed. Even these stamps from the mill add "character" to the place. 


This is surely one of the ugliest photos blogged here! Oddly, when it was time to clean this up, sand it down, saw it back and put a prettier face on it, it felt like a sad moment. Sawed-in-half nails in the faces of the boards looked so interesting, a pity to cover up. But there are plenty of bolts exposed on the decorative brackets, and other things left as part of the "style" we have going here that will show that this is a hand-built house.

As I previously blogged, I wanted some of the laundry room ceiling left exposed. This will mess us all up when the built-ins go in I know, but there is a beauty about the structure that I wanted to preserve. I can't tell you what style of house leaves a hole in the ceiling so you can see floor joists on purpose. I suppose could be called "industrial" but I would rather not use that label.. 

So between the posts and beams, wide trim painted white on windows and doors, and exposed portions of structure, I'm calling it "Humphrey Style."
posted by Lillibeth No comments:
filed under Under Construction

Saturday, January 14, 2023

The Porch Lights are Spray-painted.

 I thought I would just confess that now. 

I'm hoping to get back into regular blogging after this extended holiday break. I have thought how best to keep presenting this house-building saga that won't bore all of you. When I first started blogging about it here I did just a picture and a sentence, as presenting this subject to the general public was pretty overwhelming. Obviously I could not keep up the minimalist version! 

So far I have been trying to keep the house posts chronological, but I have been thinking more lately about making them topical. Longer, topical posts will not convey the time spent, which is a pity because one of the reasons I am writing about this is to help anyone who is thinking about DIY building a house: It takes a LONG time and I want to accurately represent that! But I think they might be more interesting as we get into places like the kitchen.

Now back to the porch lights!


We bought cheap outdoor light fixtures at the local store because:

 #1 at this point in the build, $5 light fixtures were looking pretty good! 

 #2 they were acceptable (had an old-fashioned look to them) 

#3 they were abundant (in stock) 

#4 they were cheap-- oh did I already mention that? 

These inexpensive, acceptable lights were clear, and once they were installed we realized that it wasn't so pleasant looking at the bare bulb through the glass. So I bought a can of spray paint to turn the clear  glass into faux "milk glass." Not to make them look cheaper, and not to annoy the builders by asking that all 7 lights be taken down and re-installed around the entire house, but just to tame that bare bulb look.

 I learned some lessons about spray paint. First of all, when they tell you to go over the object several times with light coats, be patient and do what they say! There will be spots where you will think you missed, because the coats are thinner in those places. Do not be tempted to just “spot paint” it to fix it!  I was a pro until the very end, when I succumbed to temptation. However, only I know where to look for those mistakes, and I would say they turned out pretty good overall. 

Had they been more expensive fixtures, I am not sure I would have had the courage to take spray-paint to them.

Having outdoor lights aglow surely makes a house look like a welcoming home!

posted by Lillibeth 3 comments:
filed under Under Construction
Newer Posts Older Posts Home
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

The Pleasant Times

An Eclectic Newsletter by Elizabeth Humphrey

My Papercrafting Blog

  • sagebrush stampers
    Exuberant Floral Card

Columns

  • 100 Years Ago (1)
  • advertisments and links (39)
  • Annabelle's Garden (3)
  • Articles (21)
  • Beautiful Girlhood (10)
  • Celebrations (57)
  • Cottage Dresses (8)
  • Crafts (80)
  • From the Editor (35)
  • homemaking (45)
  • Ideas Inventions and Designs (24)
  • Interesting History (15)
  • Ladies and Gentlemen (20)
  • laughter is good for your bones (13)
  • Mother (21)
  • music (9)
  • Nature Walk (9)
  • Nursery Corner (10)
  • Pleasant Words (36)
  • Poems (12)
  • Polls (4)
  • Printables (11)
  • Question of the Month (2)
  • Reviews (15)
  • School Days (31)
  • society page (6)
  • Stories (8)
  • the 19-teens (2)
  • The Arts (64)
  • The Olden Days (29)
  • The Sewing Room (81)
  • The Table (47)
  • Under Construction (216)
  • Youth's Pleasant Hours (38)

Search This Blog

The Archives

  • ▼  2023 (8)
    • ▼  March 2023 (4)
      • Light the Way
      • Second Floor
      • "Just don't drink the [lead-free] water."
      • The Clawfoot Tub Saga
    • ►  February 2023 (1)
      • In-House Carpenter
    • ►  January 2023 (3)
      • Some Exterior Extras
      • Industrial Style?
      • The Porch Lights are Spray-painted.
  • ►  2022 (85)
    • ►  December 2022 (5)
    • ►  November 2022 (10)
    • ►  October 2022 (12)
    • ►  August 2022 (11)
    • ►  July 2022 (12)
    • ►  June 2022 (10)
    • ►  May 2022 (9)
    • ►  April 2022 (8)
    • ►  March 2022 (3)
    • ►  February 2022 (3)
    • ►  January 2022 (2)
  • ►  2021 (101)
    • ►  December 2021 (2)
    • ►  November 2021 (8)
    • ►  October 2021 (6)
    • ►  September 2021 (12)
    • ►  August 2021 (8)
    • ►  July 2021 (18)
    • ►  June 2021 (10)
    • ►  May 2021 (5)
    • ►  April 2021 (6)
    • ►  March 2021 (2)
    • ►  February 2021 (9)
    • ►  January 2021 (15)
  • ►  2020 (55)
    • ►  December 2020 (10)
    • ►  November 2020 (17)
    • ►  October 2020 (20)
    • ►  September 2020 (2)
    • ►  August 2020 (1)
    • ►  April 2020 (3)
    • ►  March 2020 (1)
    • ►  January 2020 (1)
  • ►  2019 (12)
    • ►  September 2019 (4)
    • ►  August 2019 (8)
  • ►  2018 (2)
    • ►  February 2018 (1)
    • ►  January 2018 (1)
  • ►  2017 (4)
    • ►  December 2017 (1)
    • ►  March 2017 (1)
    • ►  February 2017 (1)
    • ►  January 2017 (1)
  • ►  2016 (4)
    • ►  September 2016 (1)
    • ►  August 2016 (1)
    • ►  April 2016 (1)
    • ►  January 2016 (1)
  • ►  2015 (11)
    • ►  October 2015 (1)
    • ►  September 2015 (1)
    • ►  August 2015 (1)
    • ►  July 2015 (3)
    • ►  April 2015 (1)
    • ►  February 2015 (4)
  • ►  2014 (40)
    • ►  December 2014 (3)
    • ►  November 2014 (5)
    • ►  October 2014 (3)
    • ►  September 2014 (5)
    • ►  August 2014 (6)
    • ►  July 2014 (3)
    • ►  June 2014 (4)
    • ►  May 2014 (3)
    • ►  April 2014 (1)
    • ►  March 2014 (2)
    • ►  February 2014 (2)
    • ►  January 2014 (3)
  • ►  2013 (42)
    • ►  December 2013 (1)
    • ►  November 2013 (11)
    • ►  October 2013 (7)
    • ►  September 2013 (4)
    • ►  August 2013 (3)
    • ►  July 2013 (1)
    • ►  June 2013 (2)
    • ►  May 2013 (1)
    • ►  April 2013 (1)
    • ►  March 2013 (1)
    • ►  February 2013 (5)
    • ►  January 2013 (5)
  • ►  2012 (73)
    • ►  December 2012 (5)
    • ►  November 2012 (11)
    • ►  October 2012 (5)
    • ►  September 2012 (6)
    • ►  August 2012 (10)
    • ►  July 2012 (9)
    • ►  June 2012 (8)
    • ►  April 2012 (5)
    • ►  March 2012 (4)
    • ►  February 2012 (6)
    • ►  January 2012 (4)
  • ►  2011 (84)
    • ►  December 2011 (6)
    • ►  November 2011 (3)
    • ►  October 2011 (3)
    • ►  September 2011 (6)
    • ►  August 2011 (3)
    • ►  July 2011 (10)
    • ►  June 2011 (15)
    • ►  May 2011 (7)
    • ►  April 2011 (14)
    • ►  March 2011 (11)
    • ►  February 2011 (4)
    • ►  January 2011 (2)
  • ►  2010 (86)
    • ►  December 2010 (12)
    • ►  November 2010 (11)
    • ►  October 2010 (8)
    • ►  September 2010 (4)
    • ►  August 2010 (7)
    • ►  July 2010 (7)
    • ►  June 2010 (9)
    • ►  May 2010 (7)
    • ►  April 2010 (8)
    • ►  March 2010 (6)
    • ►  February 2010 (5)
    • ►  January 2010 (2)
  • ►  2009 (101)
    • ►  December 2009 (2)
    • ►  November 2009 (4)
    • ►  October 2009 (2)
    • ►  July 2009 (19)
    • ►  June 2009 (13)
    • ►  May 2009 (30)
    • ►  April 2009 (5)
    • ►  March 2009 (13)
    • ►  February 2009 (4)
    • ►  January 2009 (9)
  • ►  2008 (126)
    • ►  December 2008 (14)
    • ►  November 2008 (11)
    • ►  October 2008 (13)
    • ►  September 2008 (8)
    • ►  August 2008 (7)
    • ►  July 2008 (12)
    • ►  June 2008 (4)
    • ►  May 2008 (4)
    • ►  April 2008 (8)
    • ►  March 2008 (24)
    • ►  February 2008 (11)
    • ►  January 2008 (10)
  • ►  2007 (67)
    • ►  December 2007 (9)
    • ►  November 2007 (7)
    • ►  October 2007 (13)
    • ►  September 2007 (11)
    • ►  August 2007 (11)
    • ►  July 2007 (8)
    • ►  June 2007 (8)

Subscribe To The Pleasant Times

Posts
Atom
Posts

About Our Links

Blogging is so much fun! It is exciting to see the creativity flowing around the world, and the beautiful things people make and do.  While we at The Pleasant Times have tried to put together a collection of truly beautiful and inspirational blogs for our readers, we cannot always research and read everything on them. We try to provide quality links but from time to time there are things that come up that we did not catch. Our apologies if this occurs. 

Good News!

  • Free Bible Software
  • First Century Christian
  • My Favorite Newspaper
  • We Care Today
  • Think Magazine
  • Audio Sermons
  • In Search of the Lord's Way
  • House To House

Pleasant Blogs and Websites

  • Flowers, Ribbons and Pearls
    Craft Stash VIP Offer
    1 hour ago
  • The English Kitchen
    Spaghetti & Meatballs (small batch)
    3 hours ago
  • Craft and You Design
    Wiosennie na Wielkanoc / A Spring card for Easter
    21 hours ago
  • Town & Country Living
    Spring and Easter Decorating Ideas for You: Style Showcase
    23 hours ago
  • On the Journey
    March Snail Mail
    23 hours ago
  • Adventures In Keeping House
    Alpha F** Beta Bux???
    1 day ago
  • The Magical Slow Cooker
    Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup {with chicken}
    1 day ago
  • Rural Revolution
    Care and feeding of septic systems
    1 day ago
  • The Colley House
    Keep Begging Him.
    1 day ago
  • Aiken House & Gardens
    Garden Dreams
    3 days ago
  • Home Living
    Morning Tea, Civil Speech, Together, and More
    4 days ago
  • Maid to Shine | House Cleaning Blog for Tips Tricks and Humor
    WIN A FREE CLEANING
    6 days ago
  • A Spoonful of Sugar
    Easter Makers Pattern Bundle
    1 week ago
  • A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
    The Book of Jeremiah Bible Study
    1 week ago
  • living from glory to glory
    Aspire To Lead A Quiet Life, But Don't Believe The Lies...
    1 week ago
  • Far Above Rubies
    Vintage Farmhouse Spring Tour
    1 week ago
  • Little Jenny Wren ... ♥♥♥ ... life and dolls
    2 weeks ago
  • The Cottage Home
    Happy 15th Birthday, Savannah Rose!
    2 weeks ago
  • I live, I love, I craft, I am me...
    Out and about
    2 weeks ago
  • iralamija
    True Love
    2 weeks ago
  • My little white Home
    Między dwoma domami
    3 weeks ago
  • HOPE AND THRIFT
    Thrifty Thursday
    3 weeks ago
  • The Ribbon in My Journal - Phyllis Hoffman DePiano | The Ribbon in My Journal - Phyllis Hoffman DePiano
    What Is My Worth?
    4 weeks ago
  • Proverbs 31 Woman
    Avoiding Homestead Burnout
    4 weeks ago
  • ~Ruffles And Stuff~
    What it's Really Like to be a Broke Single Mom
    1 month ago
  • Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth
    Preserving Orange Gem Jelly, Discards and Delighting in the Light
    2 months ago
  • Teacups in the Garden
    New Year, New Blog, Join Me!
    2 months ago
  • The Country Farm Home
    WELCOME TO THE COUNTRY FARM HOME
    3 months ago
  • The Lost Fort
    It is Nano Time Again – And some Personal Remarks
    4 months ago
  • Smockity Frocks
    Bonus dan Promosi Cashback Menarik di Judi Slots SERUSLOT88
    5 months ago
  • The Homemakers Coach
    Home Management: Five Ways to Prepare for a Recession
    5 months ago
  • Lilacs and Springtime
    Pictures from July
    7 months ago
  • Gracious Hospitality
    The Fine Print
    7 months ago
  • A Little Loveliness
    Carson & Mallory's Rehearsal Dinner
    7 months ago
  • Rose Chintz Cottage
    A Time to Say Good-bye!
    8 months ago
  • sagebrush stampers
    Exuberant Floral Card
    9 months ago
  • To scrap or not to scrap, that's the question.
    cherish
    10 months ago
  • Why I Love To Garden
    Using My Pressed Flowers
    10 months ago
  • Our Neck Of The Woods
    Chocolate Raspberry Scones with Chocolate Clotted Cream
    11 months ago
  • . . . Cabin & Cottage
    Fooled By April
    11 months ago
  • Early American Gardens
    Plants to Food - Washington's Mt Vernon - Rice Pancakes
    1 year ago
  • Raising Homemakers
    Love and Prayer and Purity
    1 year ago
  • Sugar Pie Farmhouse
    Merry Christmas Y’all!
    1 year ago
  • Sweete Felicity
    Midsummer Fun
    1 year ago
  • Karen's Cottage and Castle
    Tea by the New Shed
    1 year ago
  • Blog — little jenny wren
    Bobbles and berries
    1 year ago
  • Treasures from the Heart
    2 years ago
  • Shabby chic
    Рождественские кулёчки для сладостей
    2 years ago
  • Homegrown Mom
    5 Quick Ways to Bless Your Husband Tonight!
    2 years ago
  • THE FARMER'S WIFE QUILT
    MY NEW BLOG ADDRESS
    2 years ago
  • {capture the moment}
    This feed has moved and will be deleted soon. Please update your subscription now.
    2 years ago
  • FARMHOUSE 5540
    Happy New Year!
    3 years ago
  • The Little White House On The Seaside
    Happy New Year !
    3 years ago
  • Where Your Treasure Is
    Instant Pot Shredded Beef Enchiladas
    3 years ago
  • Homeschool on the Croft
    Friday Favourites
    3 years ago
  • Mary Ann's House
    Mama Sews: Pillowcase Dresses
    3 years ago
  • Moments With Mother Culture®
    Ideals
    3 years ago
  • Dreamy Whites
    New Website
    3 years ago
  • The Charm of Home
    The Holy One of Israel
    3 years ago
  • The Enchanting Rose
    What Greater Gift Than The Love Of A Cat
    3 years ago
  • Patricia's Place
    Looking up..
    4 years ago
  • Bernideen's Tea Time Blog
    HAPPY NEW YEAR
    4 years ago
  • The House with the Blue Door
    A New Season
    4 years ago
  • Educators At Home
    Preserving our Relationships
    4 years ago
  • Home at Winshaw
    Our new baby boy – Part Two, Travis Walker
    4 years ago
  • Anna's Blog
    QVC July 25th-26th Product Preview 2 + Shopping List
    4 years ago
  • Pretty by Hand
    summer sale!
    4 years ago
  • A Lady's Code
    A Lady at the Table: Handling the Drinking Glass
    4 years ago
  • Pleasant View Schoolhouse
    So Many Quilts for Sale
    4 years ago
  • Honey Hill Farm
    Mother's Day.....a day of blessings and tears....
    4 years ago
  • Little-White-Cottage
    Wir schließen!
    5 years ago
  • Home-Made-Home
    A homeschool day in the life... with a 8,7,5,2, and one year old.
    5 years ago
  • A Christian Lady's Journal
    The emancipation of womanhood
    5 years ago
  • Kyrielle
    Tuscan sausage and bean stew with spinach and squash
    5 years ago
  • Minty House Blog
    Kuchenna rewolucja
    5 years ago
  • Jan's Ramblings
    Sunday Stills 3
    5 years ago
  • Cultivating Home
    5 years ago
  • Victoriana Magazine – Fabulous Vintage Style Guide
    Mint Julep Recipe- Try this 1860s favorite!
    5 years ago
  • Simply Suzanne's AT HOME
    raspberry crumble bars
    5 years ago
  • Shabby Homedreams
    Natürlich wohnen mit Rattan ....
    6 years ago
  • the Modern Prairie Girl
    A Fall Show for the Modern Prairie Girl
    6 years ago
  • My Country Cottage Garden
    Allium LoVe (part 2)
    6 years ago
  • Blessed Femina
    Fruitful Hospitality....
    6 years ago
  • There is no place like home
    Pink Roses
    6 years ago
  • PLEASANT HOME
    Pin Bowl Chronicles
    6 years ago
  • Old Southern Garden
    Antebellum Flowers
    6 years ago
  • annes papercreations
    How To Make a 6 x 4 Mini Album Booklets featuring Graphic 45 Cityscapes and Children's Hour
    6 years ago
  • The Shabby Tea Room
    There's still time ...
    7 years ago
  • tangled happy
    Crochet Party Hat DIY Headband {Free Crochet Pattern}
    7 years ago
  • Teaching Good Things
    If you want them to work with you…
    7 years ago
  • happyhomehabits
    Kids’ Clothes Clean-out!
    7 years ago
  • Mias Landliv
    Out with the old, in with the new
    7 years ago
  • eight acres of eden
    After the Wedding
    7 years ago
  • Lovely Whatevers
    Love Finds You in Charm, Ohio
    7 years ago
  • Stay-At-Home Daughter
    Nice Buffet Cabinet to Add the Beauty of Dining Room and Kitchen
    7 years ago
  • Simply Like Grandma
    Many Thanks
    7 years ago
  • Heart to Heart with Diane
    Mom, What Can You Do for America?
    8 years ago
  • Heart for Home-making
    Home-Making Basics: Easiest Pizza from Shopping list
    8 years ago
  • Miss Spenser's Blog
    Last of the Summer Rose: Rose Ice Cream Recipe
    8 years ago
  • Books on a Budget
    How to Homeschool When You Can't Get Off the Couch: Recommended Resources
    8 years ago
  • Homeschool Sanity
    A Call to Defend Honest Inquiry By David M. Hayes
    8 years ago
  • The Old Painted Cottage {The Blog}
    Closet Remodel: Behind the Scenes, Including our Wood Wall
    8 years ago
  • A Typical English Home
    40 Uses For White Vinegar
    8 years ago
  • Country Diary Of A Twenty First Century Lady
    Are You Living Wisely and Biblically?
    9 years ago
  • Daughters of Vision
    Embracing Purity
    9 years ago
  • A Girls Guide to Home Life
    The Great British Sewing Bee ❘❘ BBC TV Show
    9 years ago
  • Serendipity's Song
    My Morning
    9 years ago
  • A Living Sacrifice
    9 years ago
  • Sweet Necessi-Teas
    A Vintage Mother's Day Tea
    9 years ago
  • Hearthside
    Thank you! and, things are looking up
    10 years ago
  • Public Domain Images From Karen's Whimsy
    Ladies of Edwardian Fashion
    10 years ago
  • Victoriana Magazine
    Vintage Linen
    11 years ago
  • The Boyer Blog
    I Was Deprived Because I was Homeschooled
    11 years ago
  • thankful for every moment
    Baby Boy's Nursery
    11 years ago
  • Ribbons and Lace Cottage
    Sachet Tutorial
    11 years ago
  • Victoria Rose Cottage
    Free Victorian & Vintage Images On Our New Graphics Blog
    12 years ago
  • Like Merchant Ships
    Eye Candy
    12 years ago
  • Vintage Scrapbooking
    Free Vintage Rose Journaling Card Embellishment
    13 years ago
  • Wrendale Designs
  • Carol Wilson Fine Arts- Carol's Rose Garden
  • Take Back The Land
  • Victorian Station
  • All Glorious Within
  • Large Family Mothering
  • The Tea Ladies
  • Lady Lydia Speaks
  • Graceful Words
  • Faughn Family of Four
  • A Little Grace and Charm
  • Make Mine Pink
  • Shabby Lane Shops
  • Crafty Secrets : Vintage Designs, Stamping & Scrapbooking Ideas
  • Eras of Elegance
  • Handmaidens of the Shepherd
  • The Quiet Pleasures of Home
  • The Postcards of Raphael Tuck & Sons - TuckDB
  • Craftberry Bush
  • The Homeschool Corner
Show 10 Show All

Sewing Blogs and Pretty Dress Sites

  • Bee In My Bonnet
    Calico Garden Sew Along - Week Eight!!
    2 days ago
  • Diary of a Quilter - a quilt blog
    Double Crossed Crib Quilt Pattern
    3 days ago
  • Sarah Lizzies
    Song Sung Blue
    3 days ago
  • Fabric and Paper Designer Carina Gardner\'s Blog
    Engraving Necklace Tutorial
    4 days ago
  • She Sews! the Sew Can She blog - Sew Can She | Free Daily Sewing Tutorials
    Quilt Sizes: Expert Advice and Printable Chart for Making Quilts!
    1 week ago
  • The Cottage Mama
    Happy 15th Birthday, Savannah Rose!
    2 weeks ago
  • Tea Rose Home
    Dresden Plate Quilt from the Past
    3 weeks ago
  • Quilting Is My Therapy
    Join Us for a Handi Quilter Longarm Event with Classes and More!
    2 months ago
  • Modestly Sew
    Winter 2023--a good time to try layering for warmth!
    2 months ago
  • Teacups in the Garden
    New Year, New Blog, Join Me!
    2 months ago
  • The Historical Sewing Blog
    jennifer419historicalsewing salutations!
    3 months ago
  • A Joyful Handmaiden
    1940's Inspired Costume
    4 months ago
  • Thoughts and Thimbles
    Don't Blink
    4 months ago
  • Tildas World
    Putting Down Roots Pillows
    5 months ago
  • Faith, Grace, and Crafts
    5 months ago
  • A Frolic through Time
    Meet an Antique Edwardian Nysilk Skirt Braid Spool
    7 months ago
  • happy little cottage
    Hopscotch and Freckles Baby Quilt
    1 year ago
  • Pink Penguin
    Photowall wallpaper review
    1 year ago
  • Edelweiss Patterns Blog
    ✨ One Week of 1950s Dresses
    1 year ago
  • THE FARMER'S WIFE QUILT
    MY NEW BLOG ADDRESS
    2 years ago
  • The Dashwood Sisters
    Regency Chemise
    2 years ago
  • Green Fairy Quilts
    New Pattern! Patchwork Tillie!
    2 years ago
  • THE QUILT BARN
    Sewing and Quilting Retreat in Pocatello, Idaho!
    3 years ago
  • Why Not Sew?
    Sweet Sewing Shelves Quilt
    3 years ago
  • The Secret Dreamworld of a Jane Austen Fan - The Secret Dreamworld of a Jane Austen Fan
    Drawn-Thread Work Blouse
    3 years ago
  • Cluck Cluck Sew
    Shuffling
    3 years ago
  • Cascade Quilts
    ambleside quilt along 1
    3 years ago
  • Aesthetic Nest
    Maple Sugar Star Cookies with Brown Butter Frosting (Recipe)
    4 years ago
  • Lollyquiltz
    Fruit Loop Quilt
    4 years ago
  • Mode de Lis
    · Sisters, Sisters... ·
    4 years ago
  • A Quilting Life
    FQS Quilt Along Month Four
    4 years ago
  • Couture Historique
    1860s Baby Clothes
    5 years ago
  • Sew Serendipity
    Fall 2017 Collection: Meet Nora!
    5 years ago
  • Regency Tea Party
    Scotney Castle, Kent
    5 years ago
  • Quaint and Quirky
    I'm Whole30ing and I'm Scared
    5 years ago
  • JoJo and Eloise
    10 Super Smart Life Hacks That Every Super Mom Should Know About
    5 years ago
  • Sew Pretty Dresses
    MODKID Leilani Love!
    5 years ago
  • the Modern Prairie Girl
    A Fall Show for the Modern Prairie Girl
    6 years ago
  • PLEASANT HOME
    Pin Bowl Chronicles
    6 years ago
  • Saídos da Concha
    New Blog!
    6 years ago
  • Accordion To Kellie
    Our Second May
    6 years ago
  • A Lass Of Yesteryear
    What the beauty is...
    7 years ago
  • tangled happy
    Crochet Party Hat DIY Headband {Free Crochet Pattern}
    7 years ago
  • marie-madeline studio
    The marie-madeline blog is moving!
    7 years ago
  • Folklore Fashion - blogg
    The new book on sale in book stores
    7 years ago
  • FRILLS, FROCKS & FANCIES
    New Amelie Rose dolls
    7 years ago
  • Lilac Lane Patterns
    WIN BIG IN OUR LILAC LANE CONTEST!
    7 years ago
  • Molly and Mama Makes
    A Special Offer from One Thimble Sewing E-Zine
    7 years ago
  • The Story of a Seamstress
    The Beginning of a New Blog
    8 years ago
  • Dorothy's Room
    First post of 2015
    8 years ago
  • The Garret Corner
    Pinterest Christmas - part 2
    8 years ago
  • Stitched By His Love
    Tie One On Day!
    8 years ago
  • Diary of a Seamstress
    ~By Wisdom A House Is Built Embroidery
    8 years ago
  • El blog de Georgina
    Tiendas de patchwork en Miami - Parte 2 -
    8 years ago
  • Melly & me
    Moved home!
    9 years ago
  • Eager Hands
    |~ Hooded+Pocketed Mesh Shirt + Tutorial
    9 years ago
  • Rapunzel's Resource
    Wedding Pictures
    10 years ago
  • Sew Forth Now
    Episode 78 - Pattern Company History
    10 years ago
  • Pemberley Couture
    Maid Marian Gown
    10 years ago
  • Vintage Girl
    The finished Casey swap!
    10 years ago
  • Miss Ariana Sews
    Of mice and men...
    11 years ago
  • Thought and Thimble
    Possum Trot goes to Show & Tell
    12 years ago
  • Baker Lane Dressmaking & Design
    Emmeline Apron
    12 years ago
  • Revisiting The Romantic Era
    Embroidered Cotton Child's Frock
    12 years ago
  • | In Timely Fashion
  • Victorian and Edwardian Styled Clothing
  • The Sewing Academy @ Home
  • Truly Victorian
  • Sense & Sensibility Patterns
  • Iva Rose Vintage Reproductions - Home
  • ::: Fashion Plate Collection :::
  • Cattle Kate
  • April Cornell Online - Catalog
  • FOOTBALL
  • Belle Oaks Designs
  • VintageSewing
  • Standing in the Sunlight
  • The Ladies Treasury of Costume and Fashion
  • The Graceful Lady
  • Laura's Sewing Gallery
  • Maidens of Worth
  • Regency Reproductions - Historical Costuming and Living History
  • The Handmade Dress Home
  • Affordable dresses for girls! The Play Dress
  • Confessions of a Seamstress
  • Vintage Clothing
  • Premier Designs Historic Clothing - Victorian & Edwardian Clothing for Women & Men
  • Welcome to oliver + s
  • From An Igloo
  • Hint of History
  • Martha Pullen
  • Practically Pretty Design
Show 10 Show All

learn to sew series

Graphics Credits

Many of our Graphics are from
Karen's Whimsy
Graphics Fairy
Marie's Freebies
and public domain sources such as wikimedia commons

Homeschool books and more! Check out our affiliate:

Christianbook.com Home

Books

Beautiful Girlhood
By Karen Andreola

Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House

Experience a Childhood in Alaska!

  • Just Breathing The Air, available in full color paperback or computer download

www.antiqueclipart.com

Bible Story Clip Art

  • Old-Fashioned Bible Story Illustrations

For Curious and Inquiring Minds (or, Some Neat Things Found on the Internet)

  • Antique Needlwork Patterns and Catalogs
  • How to make a Toothbrush Rug
  • photo detective
  • Sewing Magazines from the Old Days
  • Vintage House Plans
  • Keepers of the Faith
  • Love To Learn Homeschool supplies
  • The Great Outdoors for Boys
  • Geography Games
  • 19th Century High Fashion Game
  • 19th Century High Fashion Game for the Experts
  • Mix & Match Fashion History Game
  • Make a Victorian Village and more
  • Free Crochet Patterns
  • The Care and Feeding of Trolls
  • Musopen
  • 19th Century Textbooks
  • Educational Resources for free
  • Librivox- free audio books
  • Printable Handwriting sheets for children
  • One Room Schoolhouse Teacher's View
  • One Room Schoolhouses
  • Teaching in a One Room Schoolhouse
  • One Room Schoolhouse Resources
  • A Day in a One Room Schoolhouse
  • McGuffey's Readers
  • Trivium Pursuit
  • Book Sizes (what was foolscap, anyway?)
  • The History of Newspapers
  • This day in the 1770's-- old newspapers from colonial Williamsburg
  • For longer working life- Fix Your Own Appliances!
  • Dave's Repair... fix your dryer!
  • Make Your Own Sundial
  • National Trust Names
  • Quilling
  • Illustrations of E.L. Henry

For Fellow Editors (and lovers of Victoriana!)

  • Lynn's Victorian Treausures
  • Graphics Fairy
  • Victorian Graphics
  • Tammy Tutterow Graphics
  • Hex Colors
  • Free Fonts- Old Newspaper style

C

  • -------- ~ My Place 4 Tea ~---------
  • A Basket Of Flowers
  • A Bit of Heaven
  • A Christian Lady's Journal
  • A Daughter's Heart
  • A Fair Prospect
  • A Lass Of Yesteryear
  • A Lemon Squeezy Home
  • A Little Bit Biased
  • A Quiet, Gracious Life
  • Aesthetic Nest
  • Amybarickman.com » Mary Brooks Pickens
  • Apple and Apricot
  • Artful Affirmations
  • Artful Homemaking
  • Aspiring Homemaker
  • better off
  • Between Naps on the Porch
  • Blessed Homemaking
  • Bramblewood Dress Diary
  • Butlers Birds and Things
  • ButtonWillowCottage
  • Cabin & Cottage
  • Cascade Quilts
  • Celestina Marie Designs
  • Chocolate Covered Katie
  • Colbycottage Happenings
  • Come Fill Your Cup
  • Cottage Dreams
  • Country Hearts at Home
  • Couture Historique
  • David's Hymn Blog
  • Decor To Adore
  • Deep Roots at Home
  • Delightful Hands
  • Domestic Felicity
  • EntreFamily Travels
  • Everyday Beauty
  • Far Above Rubies
  • feed/http://sensibility.com/englandblog/feed/rdf/
  • Feminine Farmgirl
  • Five J's
  • Fumbling toward home
  • God Bless Our Home
  • Grace & Poise
  • Heartwarming Vintage Inspiration with Crafty Secrets!
  • Helene's Legacy
  • Hint of History: Vintage-Inspired Patterns
  • History in my Wardrobe
  • Homegrown Mom
  • Hope In Every Season
  • Hymn Studies
  • J.Rae's Shabby Cottage Designs
  • Journey with Joy
  • ~~Joy Homeliving~~
  • Joyful Homemaking
  • Joyfully Homeschooling
  • Keeper of the Home
  • KittieKraft
  • Large Family Mothering
  • Life In a Shoe
  • Lisbeth sin lille verden
  • Little Birdie Blessings
  • Made By Rae
  • Madeleine & Co.
  • Marie's Simple life
  • May Farm Cottage
  • Moda Bake Shop
  • My Fascinating Womanhood Life
  • Not Quite Donna Reed
  • Oregon Midwifery Council
  • Our Home of Maidens
  • Paperie Sweetness
  • Passionate Homemaking
  • Practically Pretty by Design
  • Proverbs 31 Sisters
  • Quietude
  • Raising Olives
  • Ravenhill Cottage
  • Remembrance Press
  • Rightthinker
  • Rose Tea Cottage
  • Rose Vine Cottage Two
  • Rosy Inspiration
  • Scottish Music Lyrics
  • ScrapScene
  • Seasons of a Heart
  • Sense & Sensibility Patterns
  • Simplicity & Grace
  • Simplicity and Grace
  • Simplify
  • Simply Vintagegirl Blog
  • Sister's Quilts
  • SpunkyHomeSchool
  • SquigglyTwigs Designs
  • Stay-At-Home Daughter
  • Stayton (Oregon) Daily Photo
  • Striving to Serve at Home
  • Sugar Chef
  • Teaching Mommy
  • Teacups Among the Fabric
  • The "Barn"
  • The Art of Clothes
  • THE BLESSED HEARTH
  • the cuttlebug spot
  • The Graphics Fairy - DIY
  • the homespun heart
  • The Legacy of Home
  • The Neo-Victorianist
  • The Quintessential Clothes Pen
  • The Retro Farm Wife
  • The Return Home
  • The Rustic Victorian
  • The Sewing Room
  • The Shabby Tea Room
  • The Thinking Housewife
  • the wild raspberry
  • The Writer's Reverie
  • This art that makes me happy
  • Threads of Loveliness
  • THREE HONEYBEES
  • Ticking and Toile
  • Tilly and the Buttons
  • tinkered treasures
  • Tomato Soup Cake
  • Treasures from the Heart Store
  • Victoria Rose Graphics
  • Victorian Times
  • Victorian Wanna Be
  • Vintage Homestead Emporium
  • Vintage Inspirations
  • Vintage Rose Collection
  • Vintage123
  • Wild@heart
  • Young Homemakers
  • ~♥~ Frences' scrappen en beppen
  • ♥ My Simple Christian Home ♥
  • ♥ The Quiet Home
Show 5 Show All
Powered by Blogger.

Copyright 2007-2022 Elizabeth Humphrey

Copyright 2007-2022 Elizabeth Humphrey
The Pleasant Times and all its content are hereby copyrighted. Do not take anything without permission. When possible, we always strive to get permissions and give proper credit for non-original content.