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Craft Project: Quilting By Strips

A quicker way to quilt! Use strips instead of blocks.

Approximate Time A few hours, depending on size

Supplies:

Fabric strips
Sewing machine
Thread
Iron
Batting
Binding material

Instructions:

If you're like me and love to quilt but don't have the time to spend building a quilt square by square, try using strips!

I learned this technique from a quilter's group. First, start with the middle or "main" strip. In the picture, you'll see this one is quite different from the rest and really stands out. It also sets the tone for the colors.

Next, find coordinating fabric in various colors. They don't have to match exactly, but compliment. Also, notice in the photo how the quilt has varying widths of strips. This creates some visual interest, and it works well if you have scraps in varying sizes.

Once you have all your fabric, lay out the strips until you like the look. Then start sewing! Once you are done and everything is ironed, add the usual batting and bottom piece. Then, an easy way to attach everything is to machine quilt in the seams already created. Or you can get creative and do some other types of machine or hand quilting.

The quilt pictured doesn't have the binding complete yet, but even with the time needed for that, this quilt only took a few hours to complete!

By CiCi from Yakima, WA

Quilting By Strips

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Scenery: Trafton Schoolhouse

This is a very old school house that is still in use in Trafton, WA. I had a lot of fun taking pictures of it. Old buildings fascinate me.

By Mythi from Silverdale, WA

Trafton, WA Schoolhouse

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Frog Themed Baby Shower

I made this diaper cake in a frog theme for my boyfriend's sister's baby shower. It was fun and filled with all kinds of goodies for the new baby.

I also made a flower centerpiece out of a frog planter and filled with flowers made from baby socks to look like little roses. I floral taped them on a stem and added "It's a boy" ribbon and a few silk flowers.

By Diana from Highland, Michigan

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Gardening: Vertical Planting Pouches

Have you seen the pouches at the gardening centers that have small opening in them and appear to be made from heavy plastic? You plant flowers in the openings and when it gets filled out you have a virtual waterfall of plants.

I made some of these that look exactly like them. They are made from tarps. I sewed them on my sewing machine. I used the grommet to attach my handle but you could sew it on as well. They are approximately 17 inches high and 7 inches across. You can square off the bottom if you wish (like it is on a brown paper bag). By making your own, you can make it the size you want and put in as many plants as you wish. These are shown with no cuts because I am trying to decide what plants to put in. But to make the openings, just take a utility knife and make an X for the openings.

By Elaine from Iowa

Vertical Planting Pouches

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Cleo The Mother's Day Cat

Cleo will be 1 year old on Mother's Day. The mother of Cleo (a stray) had a litter of kittens on Mother's Day last year and Cleo was the runt. We tried to find homes for them but when it came time to let Cleo go, I couldn't.

She is so much fun to watch chasing leaves and she is so serious about it. Butterflies and leaves are her favorite play things. She tries so hard to talk and when she tries to get your attention she will gently reach out and touch your hand with her paw. You can see by the photo how much she loves my garden.

By Cathy from Richburg SC

Cleo was born on Mother's Day

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Maddy (Tabby Cat)

Maddy is a 1 year old Tabby. We got her at the end of May 2007, A feral cat showed me where she was hiding, her mommy brought her to me and left. We had to feed her mama's milk and taught her everything her mommy would.

She likes to tease the other kitties. We celebrated Maddy's first birthday with a big party with all of our 8 cats. She is the best and we love her so very much.

By Diana from Highland, Michigan

Maddy (Tabby Cat)

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My Frugal Life
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Cleaning Gardening Pots Before Replanting

Always scrub out last year's pots with a slight bleach solution to kill any fungus, blight or other diseases that may have accumulated in your pots from last years use. After soaking in a slight bleach mixture, make sure you wash extremely well in HOT water to get rid of the bleach. Then when you plant your new plants they are at less of a risk of picking up disease. This is especially important in container gardening.

Source: My Mom gave me this tip.

By Mythi from Silverdale WA

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Check Your Free Credit Report Every Year

Get a free credit report yearly and check it carefully. The 3-4 credit bureaus allow you one free credit report a year. We were surprised to find a problem on ours that we did not know about. Home owners insurance premiums can be affected by your credit rating even if they are paid through your mortgage.

By Kim from Franklin Park, IL

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How to Save a Scratched CD/DVD

Spray the entire surface down with Pledge. Wait about 10 - 15 seconds. Wipe of Pledge until the product is completely dry. Something in Pledge smooths over the imperfections making the DVD/CD playable again. It is amazing! With 2 girls under 10, we were always having "accidents" that ruined their favorite movies or music. This tip has saved us a lot of disappointment and money.

Source: I learned this about a year ago from some morning show, though I cannot remember which one.

By Kristin from Leroy Township, Ohio

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Toothbrushes for a Cleaning Tool

I use a toothbrush as a pot scrubber/scraper. It works like a charm, and I've never had it scratch surfaces. I use the brush part for scrubbing and the hard, plastic back for scraping. An added bonus is that I don't have to get my hands wet, nor am I tempted to use my fingernails as scrapers. Most foods come right off, but if a little more scrubbing power is needed, I add a little baking soda.

When the toothbrush is in need of cleaning, I just put it in the dishwasher in the silverware rack. One toothbrush lasts a long time when used in this way, and the cost is minimal. Of course, if you washed out an old toothbrush, you would have a free pot scrubber.

Source: Myself

By Janalyn from Snohomish WA

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Link: Duct Tape Uses

Here's a site that shows thousands of uses for duct tape.

http://www.ducttapeguys.com/index.html

GraNita from Montclair, NJ

Editor's Note: Looking for more duct tape ideas? Here are some on ThriftyFun:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/search.ldml?q=duct+tape&act.x=0&act.y=0&act=Search

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Changing Backgrounds on Your Cell Phone

If you like changing backgrounds on your camera cell phone, but don't want to pay for multiple downloads - here is a great idea my son came up with; use your camera phone to snap pictures of things you like (my son takes pictures of children's book covers that he likes) and make those your background images. If you are a quilter, you could snap pics out of quilt books, dog lovers, a specific artist, etc. Saves a lot on downloads and is really personal.

By Carol from Landisville, PA

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Cleaning and Polishing Leather with Banana Peels

Stop buying leather/shoe polish. To clean, buff or moisturize leather/pleather/vinyl or any shiny outerwear use a banana peel. Simply rub the inside of a banana peel over the item to be cleaned and buff with a soft cloth. I have done this to my husband's motorcycle gear and it takes off dust, dead bugs, and buffs out small scuffs and scratches. I have also used it on kids shoes, purses, suitcases etc. It does work and no messy polish it deal with. I have heard that it works with potato peels too but have not tried that yet.

By Princesshammerhead from Saskatchewan, Canada

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Create an Inventory List for Household Products

To cut down on buying items you already have, create an inventory list for each bathroom, the kitchen and pantry. Create column 1 for the items, column 2 for Have, and column 3 for Need. Laminate the sheet(s) of paper and use a dry erase marker to mark the appropriate column. Hang the paper(s) in an easily accessible spot that you can remember, like the inside of the medicine cabinet or next to a mirror.

By Lynn from Oregon

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Invest In a Foodsaver

When buying food, buy bulk if possible. I splurged a little this weekend and bought a Foodsaver. It sucks the air out and seals my food so it will last longer. Then I went out and bought a lot of meat and divided it up into meals and sealed it. According to the package the meat should keep for the next 3-4 years and it is much cheaper buying meat or any food in bulk. I also buy my other stuff, toilet paper, paper towels, kleenex, etc., in bulk. The savings buying is bulk is good plus I don't spend the gas going back and forth to get the stuff. I go shopping once a month.

By Debradj from Illinois

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Organizing Your Pantry With Recycled Containers

I save my mayonnaise jars, coffee cans (Folgers), and my catsup bottles for re-use again. I keep uncooked rice, dried beans, macaroni and graham crackers in the clear mayonnaise jars. I use the large coffee cans for dried beans, peas and other items like spaghetti and noodles. The catsup bottles are used to put catsup back into. I buy at Smart and Final and the large cans fills up 5 of the catsup bottles for me. I place the rice into my freezer before putting it on the shelf because the rice sometimes has bugs and by freezing, it assures that the bugs will not hatch, if any are there.

By Louise from Cibola, AZ

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Dear Webby's Joke of the Day

Two friends, one an optimist and the other a pessimist, could never quite agree on any topic of discussion. One day the optimist decided he had found a good way to pull his friend out of his continual pessimistic thinking.

The optimist owned a hunting dog that could walk on water. His plan? Take the pessimist and the dog out duck hunting in a boat. They got out into the middle of the lake, and the optimist brought down a duck. The dog immediately walked out across the water, retrieved the duck, and walked back to the boat.

The optimist looked at his pessimistic friend and said, "What do you think about that?"

The pessimist replied, "That dog can't swim, can he?"

Luckily the pessimist was wearing a life jacket when he got tossed into the water.

Read More Jokes Here: http://webby.com/humor

Getting A Dog's Coat Shiny

The dog had a nice shiny healthy coat this past winter (and he would eat 1 fish oil pill daily). But now he won't go near the fish oil and his coat is somewhat dry feeling. Help! His dog foods always say, "complete" nutrition and he gets about 4 times a week, plus 2 scrambled eggs.

Holly from Richardson, TX

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Where Can I Find Macrame Cord?

Where can I find macrame cord in Australia or someplace online that will ship to Australia?

Pam from Brisbane, Australia

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Painting Unfinished Pine

I have a shelf/coat hanger made out of unfinished pine. I would like to paint it distressed black. Does anyone have a good, easy way of doing this?

Jesse from Monroe, WA

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Removing Teflon Liner from Oven Bottom

I accidentally placed a Teflon non stick oven liner (to catch drips) on the bottom of my oven instead of on the lowest rack. It has discolored the bottom of my two year old (pretty expensive) oven. I'm sick for having messed it up. I've tried to clean it up, but it stays white. Is there a way to get rid of this discoloration or am I stuck with it? Thanks for any information.

Tina from Atlanta, GA

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What Can You Plant by Zucchini?

What can you plant next to zucchini?

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Jannah from Riverton, UT

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Gnats In My Home!

Does anyone know how to keep gnats out of the house? They get in through the screens. I would like to know about natural ingredients to do this. Thank You.

Ann from MA

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Recipe For Weed Killer Using Orange Oil

I am looking for a recipe for weed control using orange oil, molasses and vinegar.

Carolet from San Antonio, TX

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Removing Fused Interfacing

Need sewing advise. I added Pellon fusible non-woven interfacing to the front and back of an evening bolero jacket (per the pattern instructions) and I do not like the stiffness. Does anyone know how to remove the fused interfacing?

Rose from Malvern, PA

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Getting Puppy To Wear A Harness

I am having a big problem with my new boxer puppy Zeus. I have tried everything to get him to wear a collar or a harness. He freaks out throws himself into windows and trees won't eat or go potty. He refuses to do anything except lay or wallow trying to get the collar off. Now we have a harness and he is doing the same thing. I have raised a lot of dogs and never had this happen before.

Kenda from New Port Richey, Florida

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Getting Rid Of Pledge Smell From Dresser

I used Pledge Allergen Trapper polish on my wood dresser, and it turns out I'm allergic to it. I've been airing them out for weeks, trying to get the smell out, but it won't go away. Does anyone know how to get the smell out?

Katie from California

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Using TV As A Computer Monitor

Can I link my TV to my computer so I can watch movies I view via my high speed computer internet connection? It's a desktop computer, not a laptop, and I have a great TV and could watch movies all comfy if I could just use my TV as a monitor. Is this possible?

I have a subscription to a movie site to instantly watch movies on my computer, and my broadband internet carrier is also my cable tv carrier, if that matters. Am I making something up? Whenever I think I have an idea, it turns out someone's already been doing it for years.

Not too techno-savvy, not up with the times and my teenage son will probably laugh that I'm posting this dumb question, but I AM capable of buying interface cables and following instructions, plugging in cables, installing software, etc.. My son will reap the benefits too, if this idea is possible. Any thoughts or advice out there? Thanks.

Laura from Northern California

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Pimple Marks on My Face

Looking for ways to remove holes in the face caused by pimples.

Sita

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Plastic Cover On Leather Sofa

What happens if plastic is used for a cover on a leather sofa?

Dora from Providence, RI

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Toilet Tissue Holder

I am looking for a knitted pattern for a toilet tissue holder. Just the other day, I saw a handmade toilet tissue holder at a flea market but it was already sold. I tried to take a picture so that I could attempt to make one when I got home, but thought that would be tacky.

It was really nice, hung on wall, was knitted I believe, held 4 rolls, with lace around edges. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I don't know how to crochet so it would have to be knitted or sewn. Thanks you guys.

Linda

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Advice For Reviving A Clematis

Should I pardon this clematis? I have a clematis which has been on this trellis since we moved into our home over ten years ago. Every spring I am surprised that it has even survived because it never looks all that healthy to me. You can see that the top of the plant looks healthy and has many buds on which will soon bloom, but the middle areas are woody and unhealthy looking.

There is, however, new growth at the base which you can't really see in this picture, and this new growth was a surprise to me. If it weren't for noticing that new growth this morning, my intention was to rip the plant out so that I could plant some climbing vegetables up that trellis. I've never tended to this clematis before and feel that if I am going to stay the execution of the clematis, I should start taking care of it properly.

I need some advice on whether or not this plant can be revived and how I should go about doing it. Should I be trimming it back each year down to the ground? Could someone let me know what it is that I should be doing for this poor plant that I'm not doing? I would so appreciate that. Thanks.

Hardiness Zone: 7b

Tina from Ashland, OR

Advice For Reviving A Clematis

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Getting Rid Of Gasoline Smell On Freezer

I have a small freezer that had a gasoline can sitting on it in the garage. I just moved it inside and the gasoline smell is overwhelming. I've washed it with bleach and vinegar and it hasn't made a difference. Anyone have an answer for this?

Karen from Madison, WI

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Can Orchids Be Started From Cuttings?

Is it possible to start orchids from cuttings?

Hardiness Zone: 4a

Cheryl from Irvine, KY

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Advice For Growing Latana

I have a problem getting Lantana to grow. I have the yellow gold that will spread. Do you have any tips on planting and watering etc? Seems after about a month or two they just die.

Hardiness Zone: 10a

Allene from Phoenix, AZ

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Crafting for Fun and Money!

If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish.

More Information:
Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

Locating Someone for Free

How can I find a person for free? Tips as suggested by the ThriftyFun community. Post your own advice below.

Locating Someone for Free

Home Business Tax Deduction Checklist
By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh

If you're running a personal business, whether you're selling products for another company in home parties, you sell homemade products on-line, or you're a freelance writer or photographer like me, you need to keep close fiscal records for each year's income tax. Keep track of both your earnings and your deductions, and save a receipt for everything.

Home Business Tax Deduction Checklist

The Seasonal "Locavore": Guidelines for Healthy Eating When You Can't Eat Local
By Ellen Brown

Few of us would argue the health and environmental benefits of locally produced food. It is usually the freshest, best tasting and most nutritious food we can give our bodies, and growing, harvesting, and transporting it locally leaves the smallest carbon footprint and does the least amount of damage to the environment. Unfortunately, not all natural resources are allocated equally. In other words, bananas don't grow in the snow. Here is how to make healthy food choices for you and the environment when shopping locally just isn't an option.

Becoming a Seasonal "Locavore"

Transplanting "Lucky Bamboo" Outside

Question:

I have bamboo curly stalks growing in a vase of water with glass stones. Can it be transplanted outdoors in the Ohio area? Thank you.

Transplanting "Lucky Bamboo" Outside

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Daily Thrifty Tips - May 12, 2008

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