Caught Red Handed

Old Tshirts Upcycled Using Recycled Materials

Today, the kiddos and I upcycled some old tshirts using Shibori, a japanese method of dyeing fabric. We did use tye dye however, to make the process more kid-friendly and faster.  *wonder how long this dye on my hands will last?*
 

CAUGHT RED HANDED!

We recycled old strips of wood, chopsticks, rocks for the circle design, and old rags to tie the shirts off. We re-used bottles that we had from previous dye jobs and just filled them up with the dye powder. 

The kids and I tied off our designs just like you would in tie dye.


The Queen Preparing Her Dye

We used pieces of wood tied in and against the shirt to create lines where there is no dye. One one shirt, we tied rocks into parts of the shirt, creating a circle effect. Then we applied the dye as normal. You can also use the one color dye method and dip the shirt for a single color design.
 

Wild Man Carefully Applies Red Dye

 Using his noggin, Cman wore a previously tie dyed shirt. His theory - "If I spill, you'll never see it." Who could argue? For full instructions, visit http://honestlywtf.com/diy/shibori-diy/.

Now, to check in on some garden projects....

My green thumbette's upcycled veggie garden is growing! She is very proud of how well it is doing:) Her lettuce and onions are doing much better than mine... But mine is still doing pretty well for April, so I have a feeling all the chicken poo and mulch to amend the soil (clay) really worked. 



Upcycled Sand Toy> Veggie Garden

My little man's cabbage patch is doing pretty well too... I thought something was nipping on it this week, and I was right. It was a big critter. A big, blonde, rotten to the core critter! He's been chomping raw cabbage right out of the box. Hopefully he will leave enough so that it will continue to grow.


Old Amunition Box from WWII > Patch Upcycle

We had friends over for dinner tonight and ate a salad mixture straight out of the garden - buttercrunch and red lettuce, onions, and spinach. YUM! I broiled some salmon and it hit the spot.

Buttercrunch Lettuce in Mom's Garden

 

Red Lettuce with Spinach 

The warm weather and lonely garden really have me wanting to plan a round of tomatoes and pepper early! We'll see how long I can hold off, LOL. I give me til Monday.


Potatoes in Old Baskets Recycled from an Auction

 The (non GMO/organic) red potatoes that we started first and really sprouting. The white ones we started later aren't sprouting yet at all. Hope they make it! The garlic, elephant garlic, and onions are seen in front.

Herbs in a Bucket Salvaged from an old Corn Crib

I love keeping herbs close to the kitchen where I wil use them. It really livens up the flavor of any dish to use fresh herbs. Here are some of my favorites.

Let's check on the feather babes. My two Rhode Island Reds are showing signs of a hen pulling feathers (or perhaps they are pulling their own). That is Big Red shown in her nesting box. My RIRs are my best layers, and really my favorite girls. Even after I held her upside down and painted her booty purple, she jumped right into her box and laid me a yummy brown egg. Is there any wonder why I love her?

Big Red Laying Her Human Momma a Big Brown Egg

Why do hens pull feathers? One reason is lack of protein, which could be caused by too many treats. We don't eat a lot of bread and processed food, so in turn, the girls don't get processed scratched. However, I decided to offer a protein mush to see if it helped. No one snubbed their beaks at it!

Tweet and an Ameracauna Enjoy their Protein

Another possible reason for bald spots are parasites, mites, and fungus. I inspected the coop and the hens very closely and could find no sign of infestation. So, we'll follow the protein hunch. I'll pick up some meal worms for them Monday.


No Mites Here!

As always, I had lots of help. This time, from our middle tom cat- Jake. He's a great farm cat and enjoys watching the chickens, but doesn't get too close or the Silky Roo will flog him!



Jake the Wondercat

 It's always and adventure on Maple Valley Farm. A crazy, happy, blessed adventure:) Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I hope that I will have normal colored hands when you see me next... but if they're red like Kool Aid, at least you'll know why.