We are now five months into our history project living like 1943. We are quite comfortable when you consider 1943 verses 2015 almost 2016. We may continue to live like 1943 when the experiment is over, more on that later....
Winter is near and much cooler weather has set in. The sun is staying further away from my clothesline and the daylight hours are much shorter. I have this feeling that things will be getting quite interesting at the clothesline.
I have been washing the table runners and doilies and unpacking the Christmas items. More on that later too....
I have been doing an experiment with a organic and non organic sweet potato. I am guessing here you can tell the organic is on the right.
Here are the roots each placed in jars at the same time.
I finally did away with the non organic and named the organic sweet potato "Ollavenia". One of my Great, gt, gt, Aunts name was Ollavenia and she had 11 Children. I am hoping for 11 sweet potato slips from this sweet potato.
I decided to put Ollivenia in a pot so I don't have to change out the water.
I put her out on the back steps when weather is permitting. The problem is that it is months too soon to be producing slips. I had this sweet potato that sprouted and I wanted to know how long it takes to root the slips. The slips are the green sprouts coming out of the sweet potato. I have always bought the slips from the store to grow sweet potatoes. I want to grow organic sweet potatoes next year.
Trying to figure out what I need to do with Ollivina has led me to redoing my kitchen window. Here I have removed the shelves that were above our kitchen sink.
I went to the thrift store and I found a roll of wallpaper for $1.00
I had some fabric that I had found at thrift months ago and look! Perfect match!
So I got busy and started sewing a valance for the window.
This is a 12 inch (up and down) valance. I cut two pieces, both 16 inches.
I pressed down 1/2 inch on the top and bottom of each piece.
Then for the top I folded down two inches and pinned it down.
The bottom is a one inch hem. Remember there is a 1/2 inch press down first then turn up another one inch, press and sew.
After pressing and pinning I laid one piece on top of the other to make sure they were the same length before sewing.
Now sew it down on both tops and bottoms.
Look how pretty all of it matches. I have a lace piece on a curtain rod over the window and the new valance on a spring rod on the inside of the front wood, I will show you.
So this valance hides the light fixture and glare from the bulb.
Now I have a place to put Ollivenia until I can figure out what to do with her. I know I will have to remove the slips and put them in water to root at some point but for now I will take her out on nice days and leave her on the shelf on cold days.
Back in the 1940s people would have most likely sewn their dresses, aprons and curtains but most goods were rationed due to WWII. Sewing projects were probably very limited.
Just a simple post to let you know what I have been up to. Grandma Donna
