weekly wrap up 11/11/16--Making a rag rug and Deutsch Days

Halloween has passed but I didn't get around to posting the kids costumes this year.  So here you go!

MarioFan wanted to go as a WWII soldier (since we are beginning to study WWII) A friend  let us borrow their great grandfather's WWII jacket.  We even found some old dog tags to add to the costume.  He looks so grown up 

We have told Firedrake this is her last year for Trick or treating and she choose a vampire type costume and while not pictured we even had some fake blood to add to face, she was quite pleased with herself.

Kids got to work on carving a pumpkin, usually this is my husband's job but with his bad shoulder my daughter  took over and she did an amazing job.  

our lighted pumpkin on display.

I was  going through the kids closets and sorting what fit and what didn't fit for this winter.  I sorted the clothes into sell, donation and trash pile based on the condition of the clothes.

I ended up with a pile of T-shirts that were in fairly good condition but not good enough to donate or sell.  I suddenly got to wondering what could I do with all these t-shirts.  

 After a quick google search I found a few interesting T-shirt crafts and making a rag rug stood out to me.  You can find many you tube videos on this process.

I dragged out the kids old hula hoop and got to work

It was a very easy process and sort of fun to do.

My finished rug.  Now I have to find a place to put it.  I even have enough material to make another rug should I feel inclined one day.  Or maybe I will try another T-shirt craft.

This past weekend MarioFan and I went to Deutsch days to learn about the German pioneers who lived in this area.  This was to go along with our Farmer boy book that we read a couple of weeks ago.   We spent over 5 hours there and still didn't see everything.  They only hold this event once a year but it is definitely worth going to if you are in the area.  So much to see!!

MarioFan and I met up with a friend for this field trip leaving Firedrake and my husband at home to catch up on some HS school work.  This community is based on the mid 1800 to early 1900's

Early washing machine

seeing how sausage is made

Watching a horse work the mill

Then the kids had a try.  They were crushing sorghum cane

watching the liquid being removed from the cane after crushing

sorghum was used in this area as sugar cane and maple syrup was hard to come by

Then we tasted it--tasted like molasses to me:)

Watched how an old saw mill worked which looked incredibly dangerous to me and LOUD

Scrimshaw craft, which the old sailors would have done on whale teeth, bones or Ivory.  First a designed was scratched into the bone

ink was added to the grooves  and quickly wiped away 

It was neat to see this completed

Watching the tine peddler at work.

Seeing his many tool that crimp the tin into shapes for making lids or ...

bottoms of the pans.

I didn't know goats were used to pull small carts around the farm or carry a small person to town or school.  Goats we were told are very strong and can carry about 2 to 2 and a half times there weight

Watching bobbin lace making another fascinating process

some of the ladies threw the bobbins around so fast I couldn't tell what they were doing.

Watching rope being made...over the years we have seen so many interesting ways people have made rope:)

soap being made

black smith

candle making

basketing weaving

seeing how early machines stripped corn from the cob.  So easy to lose a finger on one of these machines.

Sawing wood using a two handed saw!

Further up we went to see how the trappers and indians would have lived in this area

learned how to trap skunks :)  something I hope I never have to do.

Pine needle baskets made by the indians

longest snake skin (rattler) I have seen tack to the trappers house:)

a typical trapper house, although I think this one lived quite well compared to most:)

We learned so much and saw so much at this re enactment camp.  We were tired after 5 hours and we hadn't made it to the Indians site.  Definitely a reason to go back and visit again next year!!!