free heirloom seeds

So, not only do my local libraries supply me with all the books I can read (no small task), the Woodbury and Pitman branches here in Gloucester County, NJ also lend out seeds.

a selection of seeds at the Woodbury, NJ seed bank

They give me free heirloom seeds; I plant them, enjoy the bounty, and give them back some seeds at the end of the season. (And no fines if it doesn’t work out.) Sweet deal!

Below are just a few of the flower, vegetable and herb seeds I picked up. All it takes is a library card.

Watermelon radish, Traveler jalapeno pepper, Monarda bergamot, Callipe blend carrots, White sage

I’m hoping my backyard looks like this in a couple of months.

check me out

My latest article for Sew News is in the beautiful April/May issue – available now.

I teach how to make these cute herb cozies.

date pillow

My cousin recently got married. To keep with the green gifting theme, and because I knew she’d love it, I made her this pillow that’s appliqued with the date of her wedding.

washi-less tags

I have not yet succumbed to the washi tape craze, but I want to. My homemade Christmas tags were the perfect excuse, but I held to my green Christmas promise and tried to think of alternatives. How about patterns stamped on strips of paper, ribbon, and sheet music?

gift tags

green christmas

My goal this Christmas is to craft a little more and buy a little less. AND before I go out to purchase that perfect thing to finish my crafting, I want to think a little harder about using something that I already have.

grapevine wreath

I had an old grapevine wreath to which I attached fresh evergreen branches and some Christmas ornaments. Snow optional.

tomatoes

Every year around this time, I start to run out of ways to use up all the tomatoes. Here’s a list of my current favorites:

1) tomato & pesto sandwich
2) tomato pie
3) tomato salad with green beans & black olives
4) pizza topping
5) salsa (always)
6) halve cherry tomatoes, chop green pepper & onions & sprinkle with oregano. Keep in the fridge ready to add to: pasta, omelets, salad, soup, quiche, or pizza

Cherry tomatoes, chopped green pepper & onions with fresh oregano

How do you use tomatoes?

sewing

I’ve been experimenting with simple pillow designs lately. Here is my latest:It’s heavy canvas, which seems like summer to me: good for a boat or a porch or a hammock.