Mary Beth Voelker is a writer, a mother,
a cook, a gardener, and a crafter. Though
originally from Pittsburgh, she and her
family kept coming back to North Carolina
until God let them stay. She likes to say that
while she has often been bored at work she
has never been bored at home.
HOME SWEET SOUTHERN HOME continued
HOME SWEET SOUTHERN HOME continued
Two Old-Fashioned Fixes
for Laundry Problems
by Mary Beth Voelker
First problem, the clothes just don’t get
clean. This has been an issue for me recently
with the wet weather we’ve had so much of and,
consequently, the mud on my husband’s work
clothes. Water-saving appliances are all well and
good, but if clothes are really filthy you have to
have enough water to shift the dirt.
So, for caked clay or other heavy soil, first beat
the dried dirt out of them as much as possible
then load your machine only ½ or ¾ full but
use the manual setting to turn the water level to
high. Use a pre-rinse, a soak cycle, and an extra
rinse if your machine has those features.
Second problem, the clothes don’t smell
good. When it comes to mustiness or pet odors,
white vinegar rules. An overnight soak with a cup
of white vinegar in the water will conquer nearly
any unpleasant odor you’re likely to encounter
without leaving a chemical or perfume-y scent
behind.
Or, if the problem is a heavy perfume that’s
making you sneeze, try hanging it outside to be
rained on and cleaned by sun and wind for a few
days to a week. Just beware sun-fade on fabrics
that aren’t color-fast.
Squared Circle Dishcloth
If you’re into knitting dishcloths you’ve
probably tried the classic Hexagonal Swirl or
Sawtooth patterns. This uses the same shortrow
technique to create a square shape with
the rows running in a chevron pattern from the
points-particularly attractive in multi-colored
yarn.
A knitter learning short-rows will appreciated
that there is no edge pattern to keep track of.
Yarn: Any cotton dishcloth yarn
Needles: Size 3 (or whatever gives you a
gauge of 4 stitches per inch in garter stitch)
Cast on 12 stitches.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit 11, wrap the final stitch then
turn the work leaving the wrapped stitch on the
needle.
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Knit 10, wrap and turn
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: Knit 9, wrap and turn.
Continue until only one stitch remains on
the needle. Knit that stitch then reverse the
pattern, knitting one more stitch each time until
you are back to the first wrapped stitch. Knit it
and begin again on the next unit.
When you have completed the fourth unit
bind off. Sew the edges together.
The completed cloth will be approximately
6” square and will stretch larger after its first use.
Optional: Edge it with your favorite
crocheted border. ☐
Best Baked Vidalias
Summer is Vidalia season. I combined several
recipes to bring the best elements together.
Cook them on the grill along with your ribs or
slow-roasted chicken to keep from heating up
the kitchen.
4 Vidalia onions all the same size
1 tsp beef base (I have used Tones soup base
and Better Than Bullion successfully)
2 tsp butter
4 tbs Parmesan cheese
Peel onions. Cut an X in the top about 1/3 of
the way down through the onion.
Set each onion on a large square of aluminum
foil.
Top each onion with 1/4 tsp beef soup base,
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1/2 tsp butter, and 1 tbs Parmesan (or more if
the onions are especially large).
Wrap in the foil and cook over indirect heat
in a medium grill with the lid down (goes well
with ribs), OR in a 350F oven for 45-60 minutes
or until fully cooked and soft. Cooking time will
vary according to the size of the onions and/or
variations in your grill.
Serve in the foil. Best to provide some crusty
bread to sop up the delicious juice. ☐
Stupid-Simple, No
Pattern, Drawstring Skirt
The low-carb diet I mentioned last quarter
has been successful-I’ve lost over 20lbs between
mid-February and when I write this in May. I’m
too frugal to keep buying all new clothes, so I’m
making several of these skirts.
You could just measure a favorite skirt for
the length, cut two widths of the fabric, sew
the sides, then turn a hem at the bottom and
a casing at the top-with a buttonhole to let the
ends of the drawstring out.
However, the skirt will look more graceful if,
instead, you use your hip measurement at the
top-plus a few inches of ease/seam allowanceand
flare the sides out in an A-line. You can add
just a few inches of width to give a more tailored
appearance or make it flare widely for plenty of
swirl in a light, drapy fabric. Just make sure that
the side seams are the same length as the center
length and cut a smooth curve along the bottom
to keep the hemline even.
Commercial Sewer’s Tip: Instead of trying to
force the drawstring through the casing after it’s
sewn, lay the drawstring inside the casing with
the ends sticking through the buttonhole as
you fold it before sewing. You can feel the string
inside and keep it out of the way of the needle as
you work. ☐
No. 135 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.11
/www.foreproperties.com