Nesting Sticks

I feel like for the past month all I have been able to think about is my garden. Or "future garden" rather..
Raised beds vs. Containers
Organic Seeds vs. Generic Seeds
Square Foot Gardening vs. Linear Rows
Indoor vs. Outdoor (mainly for herbs)

You see, I've never been a very successful gardener. There's a running joke in my family about how I make my houseplants follow my rules - like only watering when I remember every 2 weeks and always being root bound because I keep it in the too-small pot because the look of the container is more important. Gee, I really make them suffer don't I? And our outdoor gardens (vegetable and flower) have failed each year.
At least I know why:
I don't water on a regular basis.
I hate weeding.
I won't go outside if there are slugs or excessive bugs.
I don't plant things where they belong (full sun or shade etc).
I am just down right lazy.

But they say admitting your problem is the first step to correcting it...

The placement of our garden that we've decided on this year is kind of ironic…
When we first purchased our house, I thought it was so weird that the previous owners had a garden in an area of the yard that would be best used for a patio, seating area or play area. Vegetable gardens are typically at the end of the yard, out of the way of walking or sitting, and usually against a fence. But this one, that had been left to grow over for at least a couple of years, was right in a busy part of the yard. So what did we do? Tilled it all up, leveled it down and planted a lot of grass seed. Now it's one of the plushest grassy areas in our yard (because of all the forced seed).
So where am I planning on growing our garden this year? You guessed it… right there. That spot that was a garden that I turned back into lawn, will become a garden once again. But at least not exactly how it was.

I've also decided that we should try raised beds. I was going back and forth between these two methods:

Raised Bed - doesn't have a solid bottom, approx 12-18" deep.

Raised Planter - Requires solid bottom, good for people with limited mobility.

But ultimately I considered what it would be like to use them. I would much rather sit on the grass between raised beds to pull weeds than stand for an extended period of time at a raised planter, possibly hunching over while I'm at it.
The benefits of raised beds can be read about here: Raised-bed gardening, Advantages over planting directly in the ground
I plan to build 2 boxes approximately 3 feet wide by 6 feet long and at least 18" deep, running lengthways west to east. I'm not sure if we'll be using a rot-resistant wood like Cedar or Redwood, or looking towards something less expensive like Pine and possibly treating it safely with Linseed oil*. I'm hesitant to spend the big bucks on something like Cedar if my garden is just going to fail miserably like it has every other year.
One bed will be dedicated to potatoes and garlic, and the other will contain the rest of my crop.

Here is my plant list for 2012:

Seeds purchased from Thompson & Morgan:

Blue Lake Bush Beans

Lincoln Peas

Vilma Tomatoes

Detroit Dark Red Beets

Poloneza Radish

Purple Haze Carrots

Ulyses Carrots

Speedy Mix Salad Greens

Bouquet Dill

Genovese Basil

True Greek Oregano

Yet to acquire:

Lemon Thyme

Potatoes (Russet + other)

Garlic

Leeks

I also plan to move our impossible-to-kill chives into the new bed, plus we have raspberry bushes in the yard and I'm really hoping the strawberries I tried to grow last year survived the winter. My mom assures me they will come back, but she underestimates how black my thumb is.

I chose to order my seeds through a reputable company rather than simply purchasing them at Walmart or a grocery store because of quality. The prices are the same (actually, in some cases cheaper to order through this seed company) and they guarantee their seeds to grow. If you have any issues they will send you new packets! I went in on an order with my mom, who got the seed catalog from someone in her Garden Club.

I decided against buying organic seeds. It's almost double the price and I felt guilty enough spending $50 as it was. Plus I figure that I am going to grow the seeds organically, so that's good enough, right? All of my plant varieties are fairly generic and quick to grow, if I succeed this year perhaps next year I will venture into some things that are harder to grow or more exotic.

So after weeks of researching Square Foot Gardening, Companion Planting (this is the most amazing chart EVAR!), Interplanting and Backyard Homesteading (courtesy of my pal Martha), I sat down with my all-time favourite (graph paper) and started drawing up my gardens.

This is what I came up with:

You can imagine how much cuter it actually is on paper with my illegible handwriting and squiggly or spiky lines representing each plant. And before you think I'm an idiot, don't worry about my dill getting too tall for the chives, basil and tomatoes that are north of it, I chose a dwarf dill that will only grow 9"-12" tall!
This layout actually took way more work than you would think. The easiest way to do something like this is to cut out squares with each plant on it, then move it around on the piece of paper with the bed drawn on it until everything is in a good spot according to that companion planting chart. You see.. basil loves tomato, and beans don't like strong things like chives or garlic. It's like planning an elaborate seating plan for a snooty wedding, *gasp!* The horror!

I told Lorne that if I could only plant one vegetable in the garden, it would most definitely be peas. I loooooove fresh peas. One time I got violently ill from sitting in a farmer's field with my cousin eating peas off the vine for an entire day... He said that he felt the same about carrots, and he's a good ol' meat&tater Canadian prairie boy, so that basically explains why we have so many of those plants!

OH! And in case you don't already know, in a past life I lived in the interior of British Columbia on an organic produce farm and I used to bring back all sorts of fresh veggies for my mom. Well she planted some garlic that I brought her and has re-planted a bit of it each year. So I am SO EXCITED to be able to plant some in my own garden this year!!!

Also on my plan is to build a DIY Spinning Composter.

But I've got to go now, apparently I have a Schefflera Arboricola to attend to.

*It is very important to NOT use pressure treated wood for growing your garden. It's possible for arsenic to leech into your soil!

Anyone who knits or crochets knows what a mess your tools can get into. Circular needles can get tangled up, double pointed needles get lost, crochet hooks sprinkle onto the floor every time you open your knitting bag. ACK! It makes me feel frazzled just thinking about it! Whether you'd like to organize your collection at home or you prefer to have all the tools on hand when you leave the house, this will definitely help you out!
This would even make an amazing gift for someone else who knits or crochets.

Materials/Tools:
- Fabric, this is tricky because you can make it out of a single meter of fabric, or you can use up to 5 different colours. For this one I used a bunch of pre-cut "fat quarters" which measure 18"x21", so you could use scraps as long as they're big enough or pieced together.
Purple - 2 fat quarters (18"x21")
Teal - 1 piece cut to 10"x18"
Light Green - 1 piece cut to 7.5"x18"
Green - 1 piece cut to 5"x18"

- Ribbon, either 2 lengths of 24" or 4 lengths of 12", (ends melted to prevent fraying)
- Thread, coordinating or contrasting (your choice!)
- Disappearing Ink Pen (optional, but VERY handy) Alternatively = chalk or a pencil.
- Rotary Cutter, Mat & Ruler

- Sewing Machine
- Iron & Ironing Board

Step 1:
Choose your fabric, you can use anything really, I prefer 100% cotton. Prewash if desired (I never do) and iron everything nice and flat. Figure out what order you'd like the colours to be in. If you're using a single meter of fabric, cut 2 pieces to measure 18"x21" and set aside (these represent my purple fabric).

Step 2:
Cut your first piece of fabric (that will be in the front on the bottom, the shortest pocket) down to 5" x 18" (approximately 1/4 of a pre-cut fat quarter). Fold 1/4" over on one side of the long edge, iron it down. Fold it over again & iron. This is to "finish" the top edge to prevent fraying and to make it sturdy. It should now measure 4.5" tall.

Sew a straight line down the long folded edge, to hold your folds down. Use a nice medium-width stitch, on my machine it's about a 10. Alternatively, you could sew on a length of bias tape, to give it even more strength.

Step 3:
Repeat the previous step for the second piece of fabric, but it should measure 7.5" x 18". Fold & iron the long edge twice over. Sew edge. Finished size should be 7" x 18" with one of 18" sides folded over & sewn.

Step 4:
Repeat again, this time your third piece of fabric should be cut to 10" x 18" and measure 9.5" tall once folded and sewn.

Step 5:
Lay out one of your "whole" pieces that measure 18"x21", right side up. Layer on your folded-&-sewn-edge pieces by height, the tallest in the back. Line up all the bottom edges together.

I accidentally cut my tallest pocket too short by 1/2", but this is ok because it won't be seen and the bottom edge is actually the manufacturer's edge so it won't fray either.

This is what your project should now look like:

Step 6:
Carefully pin your layers together, making sure not to shift anything or pin it down to your ironing board...
Mark out your columns, but make sure you leave 1/4" on each side for your perimeter seam allowance. I like to make a mark near the top and another near the bottom, then use a straight ruler and a disappearing ink pen to join the 2 marks. A disappearing ink pen is very handy, you just use a sponge or cloth to dab cold water onto the pen mark and it disappears, even after sewing on the marks!

Say "Hello!" to my little friend, he loves to colour.

Make your columns as wide as you want, depending on the size of your tools. For this roll-up I made most of them 1" wide, which holds anything from one crochet hook to a set of four double pointed needles. I also included a few 1.5" wide columns for sets of bigger needles. Here are the increments I used for this one (from right to left):
1.5", 1.5", 1,5", 1 for the rest of the way across.

BUT for the last 6" to the far left side, I did a little something different! I'll explain it in the next 3 steps...

Step 7:
We're about to make it so that the bottom set of pockets are 2" wide on the left side, instead of more 1". These special 2" wide pockets in the bottom row are perfect for circular needles (with a folded connecting cord), scissors, those cute gauge thingers to tell you what size your unmarked needles are... If you don't plan on ever using this for crochet hooks, it could be a good idea to make these 2"wide columns all the way across the bottom.

Anyway, unpin the front (shortest) piece of fabric on the left side, and lift the last 6"-7" up like a flap. Continue to draw your lines down the second piece of fabric.

Step 8:
At the sewing machine, start on the left bottom corner of your project. Your first piece of fabric should be folded back like a 6" flap, so that you see those long lines you drew on your second piece of fabric. Adjust your stitch length to be a little tighter, on my machine it's a 12. Sew through the 3 layers (on mine they are purple, teal and light green, NOT the dark green) at the first 1" mark. When you sew your columns, "back stitch" at each edge that you folded, ironed & sewed earlier (in steps 2, 3 & 4), your machine should have a lever or button that makes it sew backwards when you hold it. This will reinforce the tops of each column in the different heights. Continue sewing the lines from what is actually the bottom left corner of your project but on your machine it will look like the top right corner: skip the second 1" mark, sew the 3rd, skip the 4th, sew the 5th.

Step 9:
Erase your pen marks on the lines you've sewn, follow the direction on the pen package. Fold your flap back down so your project looks normal again, pin in place.

Step 10:
Now sew the rest of your columns, but be careful not to re-sew the ones from step 8 (skip the first, 3rd and 5th 1" marks). Remember to back stitch at each folded edge (you'll be doing this 3 times per line). Try to follow the lines, but don't stress yourself out about it too much.

This is what the front should look like once you're done all of your columns:

Sorry about the contrast, I seize the sunlight every time I sees it (ha, get it?) Here's another photo with flash:

And here is the back of this project so far:

Congratulations! The main part of the project is done! Erase all your lines and iron it out nice and flat.

For this particular roll, I've decided to make an extra pocket on the outside. The person this roll-up is for can both knit and crochet, so I wanted to provide the most room for the crochet hooks (which only fit in the bottom row). Here is a picture of a previous roll-up I've done with a pocket on the inside:

This pocket holds stitch markers, cable needles, stitch holders, bits of yarn, or anything else that is too small for the columns. If you want this pocket on the inside, simply adjust one of the 2" columns width to create a pocket as wide as you'd like, the one pictured above is 3" wide. Then create a little flap (that I will explain in steps 12-15) and attach it to your second piece of fabric before you make any columns.

Here are the steps to create this pocket on the outside of the roll:

Step 11:
Cut your pocket out of scraps, here mine is 5"x5". Fold over the top edge twice and sew like you did in step 2. Fold over the left side edge twice and iron, then line up the pocket in the bottom right corner of your BACK PANEL. This is the fat quarter (or piece that is 18"x21") that you have not sewn anything to yet.
Pin & sew down your folded left edge of the pocket.

Step 12:
Now create your pocket flap. Cut a piece of scrap so it is as wide as your pocket, plus 1/4" seam allowance and about 3-4" long. Fold it in half right-sides together, then sew each 1.5"-2" side closed.

Turn it right-side out and iron nice and flat, poking out the corners (I use a chop stick to get in there).

Step 13:
Trim your pocket flap to be as long as you want it, plus 1/4" to attach it. Serge or zigzag over the edge so it doesn't fray. Pin your flap down to the large back panel, sew it down. I like to sew mine down twice, once at the 1/4" mark, and once near the very edge.

Step 14:
Create the button hole, make sure the opening is as long as your button's diameter.

Most machines have a setting that looks like this:

Step 15:
Fold down your flap as if your pocket is closed, iron flat, then mark the center through your button slot where the button should be attached on the pocket.

Attach your button either by hand or by machine, going over it many times to make sure it's secure.
Button your flap closed, and pin the right edge and bottom of your pocket down to the back panel.

Please note that the pocket flap doesn't measure all the way to the right side of the fabric. Make sure you leave room here for the seam allowance around the perimeter!

Step 16:
Now we're going to "cover up the ugly". Place the first half of your project down, right-side UP with all the columns facing towards you as if it's complete. Then place your back panel on, right-side DOWN, if you added the outer pocket it should be on the left bottom corner. Pin all layers together about every 2"-3" around the outside edges.

Step 17:
Adjust your stitch length again, even smaller now, to about a 12. Sew the right edge and top edge, leaving at least 1/4" seam allowance, but only 1/2" at most. Trim the edge as neccesary to make it all straight and clean. Serge or zigzag the two edges.

Step 18:
Fold your 24" ribbon in half (or lay the two 12" pieces together) and insert them into your project. I like to put them at about 5.5" and 10.5" (from the bottom), this will seem uneven, but remember that the top of your roll folds down quite a bit.

The folded end should stick out of the edge little bit (so you can see it when you're sewing) and pin in place. You might want to pin the ends down flat inside so it doesn't curl up into your sewing path.

Sew the left edge just as you did in step 17, but make sure to back stitch over the ribbons to make them extra secure. Trim & serge/zigzag.

Step 20: ALMOST DONE!
Remove all your pins and turn your whole project out, it should now be like a pillow case. Poke out the top corners, push everything flat and iron it all down nicely.
This last seam is the trickiest. Fold your raw edges in, try to make it an even 1/4", but you can take up to 1" if you need to. Iron & pin it down. When your satisifed with the edges lining up, take your project to the machine.

Adjust your stitch length to how it was in step 8, a nice medium stitch that is both decorative and strong. Stitch as straight as you can along the bottom edge of your project, as close to the edge as you can. You could stitch it a second time at 1/4" inwards, or you could zigzag this. Whatever esthetically pleases you!

Step 21:
Cut all loose threads, iron nice and smooth, fill with needles & hooks, fold the top flap down (this is to prevent them from siding out the top!), roll it up from right to left, seperate the two strands of each set of ribbons and tie closed!