In this age of email and texts, receiving a handwritten note is a treat. It’s especially charming to get one on a handmade card. All three of the following patterns use the slow stitching needlework style, with each version a bit more challenging than … Read More

A whole world of sewing opens up when you master drawing with thread. We like to use a sharp pencil, chalk, or vanishing ink pen to sketch some guidelines on the surface before stitching. Come up with your own motifs, use templates, or just improvise … Read More

Dogs are born pleasers. They live for our approval. They are motivated to learn when the training is fun and when the trainer — you — is being friendly and patient. Animal behaviorists have proven that dogs learn best with positive reinforcement. That … Read More

Welcoming a kitten or cat into your home is a big deal and a major responsibility. Cats are not toys that can be turned on whenever you want to play or ignored when you don’t feel like taking care of them. Your cat depends on … Read More

Social distancing got you down? Are your kids stir-crazy from being cooped up at home? Does the supermarket feel like a scene from a sci-fi movie? Life in lockdown and parenting during a pandemic isn’t what most of us signed up for. But coronavirus is … Read More

 A seedling rack provides a space-saving vertical garden to give your plants an indoor head start. This rack, made primarily from inexpensive PVC pipe and fittings, can accommodate grow lights to give your … Read More

Hi everyone, There are so many moments when we find ourselves waiting. In those moments, I try to be always observing. Drawing has led me to explore the world in a deeper way. It might do the same for you. Since some of you have … Read More

Science, for those of you now playing the role of teacher to stir-crazy kids, is much more than just a subject taught in school. It’s a process we humans invented to help us sort facts from fantasy, and truth from superstition. To show your kids … Read More

Are your parents kind of . . . freaking out? We thought so. You can help! Seriously. You can really, really, actually help. While you’re home from school — when you’re not doing your schoolwork, obviously — you can learn new skills to make your … Read More

Calendula is one of those herbs whose flowers seem to contain their own source of light. If you’ve ever grown it in your garden, you’ve likely experienced yourself the deep, warm glow emanating from calendula’s fiery yellow-orange blooms. So it comes as no real surprise … Read More