The News Bastards

Author: Iwona Tatarkiewicz

I went to a human resources conference last week, and one of the sessions I went to was a talk by Jeff Rubin on the increasing price of oil. One of his major points was that because the price of oil will increase, we will need to rely less on goods shipped from countries with cheap sources of labour like China and India. We will also have to rely less on food shipped from afar, like kiwi from New Zealand and pineapples from the Philippines. We will need to turn to local sources of food, and we can do this by either buying from farmers' markets or by growing our own food.  

Growing your own food is challenging but also very rewarding. There is something very humbling about planting a seed, adding some water and sunlight, and watching it grow. This year is my first attempt at gardening, and so far so good. And if you're thinking “well that's nice, but I don't have a backyard”, you have no excuses, because of a wonderful thing called an allotment garden. There are many of these scattered in Ottawa, and for a small price or a few volunteer hours, you can have your own piece of land on which to grow some delicious veggies.

Not sure where to start? Here are some great resources:

This site has a list of workshops and a great garden guide with tips for growing most vegetables in Ottawa:
http://www.justfood.ca/community-garden-network/

COG also offers gardening workshops:
http://www.cog.ca/index.php?page=ottawa#OrganicGardening

Gardening advice for pretty much everything you'd want to grow:
http://www.mgoi.ca/index.php?pr=Advice

Gardening clinics in Ottawa:
http://www.mgottawa.mgoi.ca/Clinics.php

These links are specific to the Ottawa area, but chances are you can find similar resources near your area. You just have to look! So, this summer, try something new and get your hoe dirty. You won't regret it.

Author: Iwona T.

Calming. Liberating. Frustrating. Creative. When I think of my recent infatuation with sewing, I think of these qualities. Setting up my machine, finding the right pattern, and choosing my favourite fabric all instill a sense of calm in me. I find it liberating to know that I have the freedom to make something exactly the way I want. I get frustrated when I'm not able to picture how the pattern pieces fit together due to a pitiful spatial manipulation ability. I feel creative when I see a finished product that I made from scratch.

Sewing is a great hobby whether you're looking to consume less, do something creative, or rely less on sweatshops. You can make your own clothes, quilts, home accessories such as cushion covers or placemats, and whatever else your imagination inspires you to do.

If you've thought about sewing but aren't sure if you'll like it, take a class (see below for a list). A class will give you an idea of whether sewing is for you, and there are places in Ottawa where you can take a class even if you don't have your own sewing machine.

Sewing classes in Ottawa:

If you don't have a sewing machine, make sure you ask whether you need one before you pay for a class!

Yarn Forward http://www.yarnforward.com/stores/lessonssewing.html
This is where I took my first sewing class. The instructor (Jutta Hof) explained everything from how thread is made to how to choose a pattern, and, of course, how to start sewing! The sewing machines are also provided.

Wabi Sabi http://wabi-sabi.ca/sewing.html

Sew for It http://www.sewforit.ca/ (click on education)

Fabricland http://www.fabricland.ca/classes.html

You need your own sewing machine for these.

Happy sewing!