Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[iamfivewire]

welcome clucksn

 

[RaZ]

Greetings and salutations to the new people here.
We are glad you found us. We are a pretty friendly and chatty group.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I have a pampered chef one i don't use that could come your way!

...

Phew. Just finished the LAST of my apples. I know what I am asking my mom to get me for XMAS. An apple peeler!

 

[EverMystique1]

With 12 hour days M-T, 10 on F and 8 on Sat., Sunday is the day I spend... sleeping. Nearly all day. I even forgot to take any of my meds, for which I am now paying. At least not severely, since I slept all day.

DH, however, got the kitchen primed and painted, so he can mount the cabinets securely in place now, and finish the plumbing. And he did a beautiful job.

Next, hopefully, the stairs to the attic/DS's room. Using a ladder stinks. But, he stays in the next town with Mima during the week for school at the alternative high school, so not a huge problem right now.

 

[snowflake]

. My Uncle got out at a rest stop while my Aunt was sleeping in the very early a.m. He decided not to wake her as there was a rest stop in another 50 miles (middle of nowhere ND) Unbeknown to him, she also went in to use the rest room and he left her there. While sitting there waiting my aunt had a gentleman call the cops on her, but before they arrived he met my Uncle at the next rest stop and told him he had forgotten his wife. He hadn't believed her until he saw the motor home and my Uncle waiting for my Aunt to wake up and come out. Needless to say my Uncle will now hear that story told wherever he goes.

i have also made the bags, needles get dull fast but I don't change them. I have not lined them but like the idea of fab. glue the lining in place before sewing . I do put a piece of cardboard in the bottom to strengthen the bottom. use mine mostly for groceries

 

[MIchickens]

So I added up the “necessities” for my 8’X12’ chicken coop that is going to take up half my already built shed. The grand total is $609.59. Am I going overboard? This is just the lumber, insulation, electrical, and misc items. That total doesn’t even have the outside run cost figured in….lol.
I’m not getting my chicks until spring so I can get things a little at a time…but GEESH. I guess that why you have to love chickens to invest that kind of money in a hobby. I know it’s well worth it for the hours of enjoyment I will get from the chickens!
I left the other half of the shed open just in case my wife finds out how much I will be spending/spent on the coop…lol. That way I have somewhere to stay while she kicks me out of the house.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

MIChickens- I don't think you will regret putting the investment in now, as opposed to later. Always better to go bigger and stronger at first so that you don't have to go back later.

Thanks Snowflake & RaZ. I think my machine my just be a little picky, perhaps yesterday's needle had a burr or something. Worked fine after I changed it out. Problem was by then I was out of time and ambition! Project is waiting for me now.

EverM. Good job on the kitchen. That is a job for sure!

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Hello, All!

Just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself - I am new here. I live in Michigan and just started keeping chickens this last April - and I love it!

Hello and welcome. Glad you have joined us.

Of course, we reended up with Mocha! We drove all the way to our friends to find out her car broke down. We couldn't leave him for her pen was all locked up. He was only going there so he can be noisy there, not for a home. Urg, the only time this rooster doesn't crow is when I am there. Neighbors arnt happy. Anyone want him? He's an EE bantam.

Something is really wrong with my chickens. The only treats they eat is watermelon, mealworms and cracked corn. They HATE scratch. We had gotten a little sample bag and they turned their beaks up to it lol.

 

[snowflake]

when I think about how much we have in our coop,run, and tractors Don't dare say it out loud, I do love my chickens though

Nice job on the kitchen, so nice of your DH to do so much around the house,..... Saves a bundle

 

[gladahmae]

. Wanted to ask, how many times were y'all changing needles during each bag? I don't think my machine likes that "fabric." Also. Who lined their bags and did you do it with binding tape or with turning? Thanks in advance for your help. You know that I appreciate You!

I made them out of bags such as purina (dog, cat, and chicken feeds), and bird seed bags. Just yesterday I scored 2 record rack deer corn bags off my brother. My husband rolls his eyes, but whatever. I used my bags a LOT this summer. Here are my thoughts on lining them: it looks nice, more "finished", but for the extra time it takes it's a complete PITA for how I do construction. Why leave them unlined? They're quicker to sew, you won't say bad things at your fabric or machine, your lining won't get all weird and not lay perfectly [because it won't be there!] and they are sooooo easy to clean out. I used mine for picking tomatoes and they got quite yucky inside. Because they were un-lined, I could rinse them out with the hose or scrub them a bit with a brush. Unless they are meant to be gifts, I won't make lined ones again.


I use guttermann poly thread and a denim needle. i lined them via "turning" them.


I will warn you that I'm not a measurer for making bags, so if you like to work in set dimensions this may make you crazy.

1)To line them, first cut your bag. Decide before hand if you want it to have a flat bottom like a reusable grocery bag or a non-squared like a library bag because that's a few inches at the bottom to factor in.

2) DO NOT CUT YOUR LINING FABRIC YET. Using your selvege edge of the fabric, sew it around the top of the feed bag (which is right side out), starting at the center of the fold on the side. I liked to leave about an inch or so allowance where I'm sewing it, depending on if I'm going to roll the top in or not. When you are done with this, you will have a feedbag tube with a "cape" of lining fabric. Make sure you have your lining fabric with the wrong side facing you if it's printed.

3) get your rotary cutter and mat, line your lining fabric up (wrapped around the bag) so that it's nice and flat and cut it about 1/4-1/2in WIDER than the bag. Then fold the bag over a bit and sew the side seam. Pin generously. Oh wait. I have to do that because my tension knob is broken and my machine dislikes thin fabrics. Pin as much as you think you need to.

4) flip the lining fabric up over the top and down into the bag and get it all straightened out and *hopefully* lying flat. Get your seam at the top of the bag nice and flat/snug Use your rotary cutter again to trim the lining so it's the same length as the feedbag.

5) PIN the lining fabric and the bag (still right side out) together at the bottom so they don't slide around and sew a straight line across the bottom.

6) flip the bag insideout, sew a french seam at the bottom of the bag, make boxed corners if you want, and add the straps.

I found doing the bags this way to be the quickest for me, and it eliminated a LOT of headaches with trying to get the liner the exact same size as the bag.