A Bernina Minimatic 707 Sewing Machine

Last year I found a Bernina Minimatic 707 sewing machine for $20 at one of the Goodwill stores in town. It didn't have a power cord or a foot pedal, but I thought finding one would be easy. Boy was I ever wrong!

The only place I was able to find a cord with pedal was on ebay and it's not even an original. The regular price was just under $50, but thankfully the seller had a "make an offer" option and I was able to buy one for $35 with free shipping.

My combined total for this machine was $55. I've tested the machine and it works very well and will be just fine as a backup.

My New Clothesline

For several years I used a clothesline that was strung between three trees; two that were dead, but still stood strong. This setup worked well until one of the dead tree trunks began to lean and I was afraid it might fall and hurt someone. I made the decision to push the dead trunks over and not use my clothesline anymore.

 Going without a clothesline was hard, so when I saw an umbrella clothesline at the thrift store, I bought it right away.

 Not wanting to sink the umbrella clothesline in the ground, I attached it to our tether pole pipe.

 

This set up worked fine, but I really missed having my laundry stretched out so the air could flow more freely.

 So in September, for my birthday, I requested a new clothesline; a traditional style.

  

Pat built one for me with four lines to hold lots of laundry.

I absolutely love  my new clothesline and especially love the fresh smell of my laundry. Standing outside hanging clothes is great fun!

My New Fabric Cabinet

Recently I decided to start looking for an armoire to hold my fabric stash. My search netting this beauty.

 I paid a whopping $36 and it was worth every penny.

 

The back has a large opening that was used for a T.V. and cables, but the old back will be replaced with a new back.

 At the bottom of the armoire there are four shelves for storage.

 I used Mrs. Meyer's Honeysuckle to dust and clean the armoire and it sure smells wonderful.

I love how much fabric the armoire is holding and I'm so pleased with my newest bargain!

Sugar Cookies

My favorite sugar cookie recipe comes from a vintage Crisco cookbook I bought years ago for maybe 25-cents?

 I prefer to substitute margarine for the Crisco as it adds a better flavor.

 

The icing is just margarine, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.

 

I love homemade cookies!

Peach Jelly

I love making jelly, so when a friend gave me some peaches, jelly was on my mind.

After letting the peaches sit on the counter for several day, they weren't ripe enough in the beginning, I started peeling and cutting the fruit into small pieces.

 

Sadly, the jelly didn't set up properly; even after I put it into the fridge.

 After reading on-line about how to save my jelly, I decided to give it a try. The directions I read about called for pectin powder that wasn't Sure-Jell.

For each quart (4 cups) of jam or jelly, mix  1/4 cup granulated sugar,  1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice and 4 teaspoons powdered pectin in a large kettle. Bring to a boil while stirring. Add jam or jelly and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, quickly skim foam and fill clean jars, leaving a  1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid; process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes.

After following the directions, I could tell right away that my jelly was going to set up and I'm very pleased with the results.

Spring Duo Trio Recital

Elizabeth and another girl played together during the Duo Trio Spring recital. They played the theme song to the popular show Downton Abbey and sounded so amazing.

Pi Day

Yummy!