On a trip last year, I realized I hadn’t packed my shampoo. No big deal … except it was a major holiday and all the stores were closed in that particular rural community. Rather than make an expensive drive to a bigger city, I thought I would just make do. The problem is, I didn’t know how. That got me thinking. What if I woke up and my local drugstore was closed forever? If a worst-case scenario came true, and there wasn’t any more store-bought shampoo? Wallowing in my own filth isn’t really my style.
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They say that college is a pivotal point in your life—you make lifelong friends, discover new things about yourself, get started with your career, and maybe even meet your future spouse. I can definitely agree with this, as all of those things took place in my life between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two. I
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Although the actual process of making your first basic quilt is not all that complicated in practice, on paper it can look pretty daunting. I don’t want to overwhelm you, but at the same time, I’m not quite ready to let you go it alone just yet. The focus, as ever, is in having fun and learning a new skill that will benefit both you and your family. From these articles, I want to give you the building blocks you need to start your own quilting tradition.

Throughout the 90s, grunge rock was the music of choice for teenagers all across America. Having grown up in the 60s, I was never much of a fan; however, I do remember those stretched and misshapen sweaters, which all the kids were wearing – both the rockers themselves and their devoted fans. These days you can buy sweaters just like that, but the original grunge style came about by accident – or rather, through negligence.

Recently I wrote an article introducing readers to quilting. As we move from consumerism to producing, and from convenience to making and caring for things by hand, skills like this are going to be more important than ever. Now that you have some idea how to quilt (as with anything, practice and making a few mistakes will be the norm) understanding how to care for your quilt properly will be paramount. For two reasons, throwing your quilt in the washer and then the dryer isn’t going to work. As we continue to embrace the off-the-grid
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I can remember constantly sorting through my grandmothers sewing box when I was a child. Every nook and cranny of her large box held so much mystery for me and such importance to her; everything had a name, and she could use every single item in that box with a skill that left a small child in awe. Actually, I was in awe of her until very recently, when I learned to use some of them myself. While sewing looks like it can be difficult, learning the basics can be extremely easy, and once you
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I am not sure about you, but while I love the convenience of being able to hop in my car and drive to the mall to purchase whatever clothes I need, I find that after just a few wearings, there’s something terribly wrong. I think it’s actually a few things, but quality certainly tops the
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It wasn’t all that long ago when people took great pride in making, rather than buying what was needed for the family. Before the days of convenience-in-a-bag available for the masses, among mom’s many jobs was to stitch by hand everything her family wore on their backs. And when it came time to make a
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In the first part of this series, I talked about the importance of getting and staying in shape during your offseason. With weather being as unpredictable as it is, uneven terrain, and altitude adjustments to contend with, being in the best physical shape possible is one of the greatest advantages you can have in your
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With all of the fun stuff that takes place in the summer – camping, fishing, and BBQ’s  just to name a few – it is easy to put that upcoming hunting season in the back of your mind and not give it much thought. Then, before you know it, the hunting season is just a
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