Absinthia Returns, Part 8

19th-century cabin in Indiana

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Things to Make at Home: Bedroom, Living Room

Here's what Absinthia makes for her own living room and bedroom areas and the book she loves for self-sufficient living.

Hello :-)

I really recommend The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour. He wrote a wonderful book with hands-on instructions on how to build your own stove and how to heat water with a home made solar panel system--in short, all you need to live what he calls “the good life.” You can find it in most libraries! :-D

(Note from Amanda: if you are a vegetarian, be forewarned that there are sections on meat preparation.  When I can get my own copy of the book, I'm considering taking those pages out, or re-binding the whole thing in a loose leaf notebook, with those pages left out or tucked in an envelope.  Don't want to even think about those topics.)

Here are my make-it-yourself money-saving ways in two more rooms of the house:

Bedroom

- handkerchiefs: sewn

- blankets: crochet and knit

- rugs: woven and crochet

- curtains: sewn and crochet

- laundry baskets: crochet with tarn

- baskets: crochet

- bags: crochet

- slippers: crochet and knit

- doilies: crochet

- pictures: embroidery, painted

Living Room

- rugs: woven and crochet

- blankets: knit and crochet

- pillows: mostly crochet, but some sewn

- seat covers for sofa and chairs: crochet

- doilys and runners: crochet

- curtains: sewn

- flower pots: made from buckets for which I crochet fitted holders--nice for hanging baskets, too. :-)

- Absinthia

The conversation is continued here:

Absinthia Returns, Part 9

19th-century cabin in Tennessee, photo by Thomas R. Machnitzki