Building a Hanging Quilt rack

I really enjoy working with wood.

I have very few tools.  You really don't need that many as long as they are working.

I really like the look of old quilts on old ladders. I also know what would happen on a daily basis if I displayed an old ladder in my living room.  It would be stripped of its quilts and climbed continuously.  I decided to make a hanging rack and take the temptation of climbing away.

A few lovely quilts that were created by my great grandmothers are in different stages of cleaning and mending. I look forward to the day they can all be displayed. I started creating this months ago so we have an easily accessed storage place in our living room to use them.

Materials Used:

9ft. piece of Alder wood (I cut pieces off for another use and this piece was used as a toy car ramp for my boys for awhile)  I cut 2 pieces that are each 33" long. And one piece at 17 1/2".

2,  3/4" dowels that were 36" long ( I cut with my tree loppers) to 18" long for 4 pieces.

3/4" drill bit

6 screws at least 2" long.

Drill bit same size of screws to pre-drill on brace piece and in wall

wood glue

sandpaper

measuring tape or level

wood clamps

This is pretty easy to make but some Math needs to be done along the way. And as straight as cuts as possible.  You can see in the finished pictures that my middle brace of wood did not have a straight cut.  I wasn't bothered because when covered in quilts it will not show. 

1. Cut all your pieces to your desired length.  You could easily make this longer but it would need another brace to hold the weight of quilts.

2. Measure 3" down from top and make a pencil mark 1" in from front.  This will be your first drill hole. Then continue 8" down and 1" in until you have 4 drill marks.

3. This is the trickiest part:  You want to drill all of the holes the same depth (1/4") so when you put the piece together your dowels will be held in the holes and the side pieces will attach to the brace evenly.

If your side brace is 17 1/2" and your dowels are 18" wide you have 1/4" on each side for this.

The easiest way to measure is place a mark 1/4" up from the bottom of a dowel and put it in each hole to measure.  Be careful and stop to measure before you make it too deep.

4. Sand all of your pieces well.  Wipe with a damp cloth.  

5. Drill two holes in each side piece and in brace so the brace is about 5" down from the top.

Attach one side piece to the middle brace with screws.

6. Apply wood glue to holes on one side. Place dowels. Then add glue to end of dowels and place other side piece on top.  This is a bit tricky.  When all are in place put wood clamps on to hold firm.

7. Place screws into other side piece into the middle brace.

8. Now make two marks in your back brace for hanging.  Find the center and measure 8" to each side of that and make a mark.  This is where you will drill a hole to mount the piece on the wall.  They are measured 16" apart so that you can put each screw into a stud.  (all studs should be 16" apart, if not adjust to your home).

9. Finish with Stain or Paint. 

(At this point I hung it on the wall and waited.  I was planning to paint.  I was not sure if I wanted to stain or paint the wood.  Months later we decided on the wall color with white trim. Therefore I painted the rack white to match the trim.)

10. Hang quilts and enjoy how easily they can be used and put away.

Before painting

Taking a break after painting quilt rack and shelves.

With Blue walls and White rack

Beautiful Words

I have a friend who is a talented musician with a beautiful singing voice. I put her demo CD in our car a few weeks ago and we have listened to her songs on journeys here and there.  My boys starting asking what she looks like.
Does she have chubby cheeks?
Is her skin dark or light?
How old is she?
I relayed their questions to the musician and joked that maybe my boys have an image of Billy Holiday in their minds.  I think this was a compliment to the musical artist who is a young beautiful light skinned woman with a deep heart.
I'd like to surmise that the beauty and inquisition she has for life is reflected in her music and this is the energy we pick up on.  Children are so perceptive...

And then I started to think about words.
Positive words to write in a Valentine.  Beautiful words to inspire my space.
I wrote some down. I framed some.
It felt good.

Live, Laugh, Love

I need a lot of positive reminders. You can ask any of my family members. I can slide off the cliff pretty quickly to the realm of doom. Start me talking about modern day agriculture or education and you might think doomsday is near.  This is all the more reason I need to create reminders of beauty and love.

Many days my mind is filled with a list of things to accomplish.  Sometimes I notice my boys have been playing together for most of it only hearing my words when I need to be mediator. 

I must remind myself to take time for these two little people in my life.  To speak or sing to them with love, positivity, and to help transform our energy.

Positivity is so important and sometimes so hard to maintain.
Everyone wants to be in a positive space. Everyone wants to be loved unconditionally.

I am reminded of the work of Masaru Emoto.  He published the pictures of his work with water crystals.  He has frozen and observed water crystals from all over the world under a range of conditions.  He has taken "ugly water", said a prayer, and transformed it.

He recorded the effects of single words like: Love, Peace, Beautiful, Evil and the effects are seen in the frozen water crystal.  To see more check out the website.

http://www.masaru-emoto.net/english/water-crystal.html

Considering that our bodies are made up of mostly water we could surmise that we create beauty within, when we speak, write, and sing, kind words to each other.

It is amazing to me to see the effects of just one word.  Some of my favorite words are displayed around my house to remind me to say them to myself and to others.  It is so easy to do, but so underdone.

Feel free to use these ideas.  Copy the words, if you wish.  Display, say, and give them to your loved ones and friends. Share them, because we, the people and children of the world, continually need positive energy around and within us... 

I wrote this as a reminder to share with my little family.

Making bath bursts

A great Gift:

Recipe:

1/2 cup Citric Acid (I have found the best price at Mustard Seed in bulk)

1/2 cup Baking Soda

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup oil (almond, Castor, or olive)

6-12 drops essential oil. (my favorites are lavender and sweet orange)

1. Add dry ingredients. Mix.

2. Add oil and essential oil. Mix until you have a dough. Add food coloring if you wish.

3. Press into silicone molds. Dry over night.

4. Take out of molds carefully and store in an open container until ready to use.

Then fill bath and equally distribute to little ones.

Warning: 

Store out of bathroom.  Your children will love them so much that they will want to use all of them in one luxurious bath.

Valentine Immunity Lollipops

My first born did not have much sugar until he was three years old. And then I desperately needed to potty train and introduced M&M's.  Our pediatrician gave the boys their first lollipop, a dum dum at age 4 and 2. I have been trying to create a healthy replacement without artificial colors and flavors for 2 years. I am finally happy with the results.

Lessons I've learned from many batches:

*Use a wooden spoon

*Let the temperature rise gradually.  I tried making candy and lollipops without a candy thermometer and I burnt the batches each time. You can buy a candy thermometer for $2.00-$5.00 at most grocery stores.

* Take off of the heat right before candy thermomoter reaches 302 degrees. If it goes past 302 you will have a slightly burnt taste and they will easily crack.

* Molding is made easy with powdered sugar molds.  Use any flat shape and press it into the powdered sugar.  You will have a dusting of powdered sugar on your lollipops, but I think it is pretty.

* Sugar or Honey are essential to lollipops. I've tried to cook down Elderberry syrup, but too much makes a burnt fruit taste.

*I like to think that I am adding vitamin C and some of the benefits of Elderberry in the lollipops, but really there is only a minute amount of immunity without the essential oil.

*Pomegranite juice made a light orange lollipop, adding Elderberry to the pomegranite made pretty red hearts. Cherry juice alone makes a dark Cabernet.

Valentine Immunity Drops
Recipe:

3/4 cup white sugar
1 tbs. local honey
2 tbs. pomegranite juice, elderberry syrup, or cherry juice ( any combination for desired color)
3 drops Onguard essential oil (Doterra's immunity builder), optional

Combine all ingredients, except essential oil, in a heavy bottomed pot.

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon while watching thermometer.

Turn off heat at 300F. Add Onguard essential oil(optional). Stir. With wide spoon, fill molds. Work quickly.

One recipe makes about 15 lollipops.  I often make 8 lollipops and fill my ravioli maker (sprayed with coconut oil) with the rest for little lozenges.

Let cool at room temperature, if you have little people tripping over you to get one, place in freezer for 10 minutes.

Soak pan and utensils in hot soapy water. Wait until thermometer has cooled a bit before adding to soapy water or you may cause undue stress to the glass.

Enjoy lollipops made by you.