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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Tansy , Pinterest and more...

Hello everyone....
Another rainy evening here.. I am wondering if this is all the summer we are going to have.. Hardly any hot weather here in St. Martins although it has been different inland away from the sea..
Perhaps we will experience some hot days after we go home in September..
Anyway.. I had mentioned that I wanted to do a wee posting on the herb Tansy...
It is one of the easiest flowers to dry around... Just pick it and either tie it in bundles and hang upside down or I stuck one big bunch in an old crock here at the cottage..

Or you can tie in bundles from a rack or place on a newspaper in a dry area...Just store in paper bags until you are ready to use it..

It is very fragrant and does not smell as nice as lavender.. smile..
Terry picked this big bunch for me and it was pretty strong smelling ...

Isn't he great?  Always helping me by doing the harvesting of this stuff... I may do the work after we get home but he gathers it as I have a foot problem.. Yes.... and a head problem.. grin..

Tansy makes a lovely homey fall wreath after it dries..
Just break off bits of flowers and glue them on a wreath with your glue gun.. Almost the same method as when I made

It is wonderful in some potpourris but make sure it has dried well so that it does not overpower your other scents..
I include it in my blueberry one and it is great..

The main thing that I like myself about tansy is that it is a
BUG repellent... I detest bugs... really detest them...
So tansy will be shoved into some handmade bags as soon as it dries.. Place them in your dog or cat beds to repel bugs and also if you have ants or flies... Just hang some or lay a nice bundle tied with raffia here and there..

It gives some info about how it repels bugs..

Now..
In Finland they use it to make dye... A bright green one..
Most sites tell you not to ingest very much although a lot of old cookbooks have recipes for it..
I personally do not plan on eating it.. grin..
Although, a recipe for tansy mayo had me wondering..
No... I guess not.. smile..The smell is enough for me..
It does have healing qualities though according to many people..
My friend makes a tea with it and sponges hurting joints and such and really believes it works..
Also, according to my herb book folks in Scotland use it for a cure for gout.. One never knows until you try it...

And last but not least my book also says it was well known in bygone days to counteract hysteria.... grin..
That persuaded me... I shall be carrying some in my purse... lol..

Anyway, my dears that is all for my tansy episode.. grin..
Don't hold me responsible for any ingesting on your part...
Just get rid of the bugs or make yourself  a nice fall wreath or bouquet..
OK?


We had some lovely company last evening for supper..
Friends from home came down..


So, I made a loaf of  NO KNEAD BREAD to go with our supper..
I left out the rosemary and sea salt as Terry prefers it this way..
And I made one big loaf instead of two..
They tried several of the flower jellys that I had made and decided that they like the Queen Anne's Lace one best..
Jelly and roast beef don't really go together... grin.. oh well..
Ethel brought down a couple of her sewing projects to show me..
She is a wizard with a needle.... quilts, bags, everything..
Here are some Christmas presents she is getting finished...


Quilted pillowcases...
Aren't they beautiful... And so excellently finished..
Also a little stitchery she has finished..


She only needs to frame it..
I loved this..
And here she is... grin..


My friend, Ethel..
Her daughter comes to Keepers when she can and our husbands have a great time together..
It was so nice to see them and have a few laughs..
Ethel is just learning to use the computer so heaven help me if she sees that I posted her pic.. grin..
That is all for tonight dear girls...
Oh... some of you were asking me about pinterest..
It is a sharing of ideas that is like a pin board ...
You see some idea you like and you pin it on your own boards..
When you want the idea then you just click on the pin and there is all the info...
I am just learning so it is kind of scrambled but all in due time..

Take care  and thanks again for your visits and comments..
God bless and keep you all ...


11 comments:

  1. Tansy, uumm. I can tell you, this is the Only thing my dear sweet husband has ever objected to me growing, except dust bunnies of course! He really dislikes the smell and the fact that it grew faster than he could move and was popping up everywhere. I think this is the first thing you have ever discussed that is off limits to me (of course don't tell him there's a tiny little bit growing behind my bore rock over there in the shade garden)!! Smiling, he already knows! I love your friend's beautiful work. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Wonderful info about Tansy,it is so pretty.I definitely need to find some as we have had an ant problem all summer. I have tried everything and nothing works.Love the things your friend is making.She is one talented lady. The bread looks so yummy.Have a wonderful evening.Hugs,Jen

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  3. Anything that keeps bugs away has to be good!! Your friend is very talented! I love the quilted pillowcases and the stitchery. I have heard a lot about pinterest, but I have not tried it out. I guess if I did my bookmarks wouldn't be a mile long :) We have turned a bed into a bench before, and I love it. We have two more to do. One for the girls room and one to go by our back door.

    I hope you are having a great week.

    Vicki

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  4. I love the look of dried Tansy too. One time, I bundled up little clumps and tied them to a homemade wreath frame I made out a metal hanger. I didn't even know what it was, because I found it along side the road. I just hung it up inside my shop (then it was an old outbuilding) for fun, a lady came in and loved it....now I try to dry some every year...well, sometimes I get busy...however, the Tansy by us this year is huge!

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  5. I've never heard of tansy, Faye~ unless it's called by a different name around here but I don't recognize it... say it's good for hysteria too? I need some of that in my car, since my hubby says I have "road rage". *grin*
    Thanks for the bread recipe~ it looks so good I may have to try it today.
    Ethels' pillowcases made me "ooooh and ahhh"~ they are gorgeous and I love her little angel too. She definitely needs to frame that.
    Hope you're having a good week, dear friend... the weather has finally turned cooler here- probably just temporarily but we'll take it.

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  6. The quilted pillowcase are beautiful. I never thought of doing something like that.

    Have a great day.

    ~Cheryl

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  7. Thanks for all the info about tansy. I don't think we have that growing here. It is very pretty. I love the embroidery piece your friend made. So pretty. Enjoy your day and God bless.

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  8. tansy...I tried that "rubbing on aches" business. I didn't see any improvement, probably because the awful smell got to me first so I didn't do it more than a few times. Next time you see me, ask me what I think it smells like...it wouldn't be very lady- like to spell it out...LOL. I do think that it is very pretty in your crock though.
    -L-

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  9. I came over from Donna's blog. You have a lovely little home here. I look forward to trying your recipes! And, I adore that crock! Such beauty!

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  10. hi i really like the jello things that you have in you shop
    lala

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  11. Thank you for the great information on Tansy, there is alot of it growing near me in Colorado, I've been looking for something to make and beautiful wreath and I googled Tansy for a wreath. Just amazing what you find on the internet! Bought a plant last year to keep ants away, it's really a pretty plant and hardy too! Love the look of it in the old crock. Thanks again, Belinda

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