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Soap making has been a(nother) hobby of mine for a few years.  Nothing serious, just some fun and yummy smelling cleaning bars in my shower (because, seriously?  I have enough space-taking-money-hogging-hobbies – amiright?), buuuuuuuuuut these challenges! So much fun and ohmygosh the mica colors you can use for these soaps!  #allthehearteyes

This is my entry for the “Fluid Acrylic Pour with a Straw” challenge. I used a recipe similar to the one Amy recommended, substituting Lard for the tallow:

33% Lard
33% Olive Oil
30% Coconut Oil
4% Castor Oil

I made my lye solution with ice water in an attempt to soap (FASTER!!!) at a cooler temp. I couldn’t find my laser thermometer, so I’m not sure exactly what temp everything was at, but the soap stayed fluid until the bitter end, so #winning!

I used Peppermint Essential Oil (2nd distillation) from Brambleberry for scent, added at light trace. I split the soap into 5 containers and created my colors; white (titanium dioxide), black (activated charcoal), neon green (radioactive), neon purple (grape ape) #allthehearteyes and teal (Tahitian teal mica). I got the micas from http://www.madmicas.com.  Check out their neon colors kit – I may or may not have that in my cart …. see previous money hogging statement.

I tried to pour the colors keeping the green and teal separated by the other colors because I thought they were too close in shade and I didn’t want them lost in each other. I was wrong.  They were fine.

I poured each color into a handsome puddle before blowing (using a single, wide mouth straw). I was really pleased with the method, it was quite a lot of fun. I didn’t have the same issues with the straw that others seemed to have (no lye chapstick for me!) – I’m attributing that to the fact that I am ambidextrous and was able to keep the straw in my left hand while pouring liquid hot magma, er, soap with my right.

I must admit I made a huge mess on my countertop, blowing soap here and there, this way and that O_o

All in all, I loved how this soap turned out. The colors stayed true and crisp and are amazing, IMHO and resulted in the name “The Joker”.  The soap. Not me.

 

 

#iloveneon #soapchallengeclub #diysoap #coldprocesssoap #fluidacrylicpour #livehandmade #handmadesoap

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This is my 2nd year as a quilter in the Humility group and I Just. Love. It.  Next month is my month to choose the block layout for our do. Good Stitches charity group and its been rough.  I’ve had zero inspiration and have been searching and waffling, waffling and searching as I tried to decide what direction I was going.  Then I found this, the Delectable Mountain Quilt by Old Red Barn Co.  This is perfect!  Something simple and colorful and full of cheer.  Like me 😂

For each block: 

  1. Choose bright fabrics with good contrast. Press and starch the crap out of those babies. 
  2. Cut (2) 12.5″ squares from each fabric  
  3. Cut your squares in half, corner to corner then match each half with a contrasting fabric. 
  4. Sew the 2 triangles together, forming a ginormous HST. Trim to 12″
  5. Layer 2 HSTs, right sides together (RST), nesting seams: 
  6. Cut each block into (4) 3″ strips. Slicing the blocks RST allows for the mountains to form in opposite directions. Make sure not to skip this step! 
  7. Arrange the strips in mountain order and stitch together (using a 1/4″ seam)  

These blocks are addicting. I’ve already made 10?!? If everyone could make 4 blocks that would be awesome. They’re a quick sew. Please use the quilt from Red Barn Co as inspiration for the color theme and have fun! 

  

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Oh I seriously looooooove the 80’s.  Neon, hair bands, Aquanet!  What’s not to love?  When I saw the #80s90sCraftSwap, I knew I had to participate.  I signed up, filled out my form and waited for my partner.  Partner info arrived and guess what?  SHE LOVED THE 80S TOO!  And The Tetris Mini was born:

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I did a google search, found an image that spoke to me and built a pattern from that.  It’s an easy pattern, the tetris blocks themselves are built from as little as a charm square (5×5″) and 1/2 hard background fabric.  I fell in love.  I made two.

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I had to finish one, like now (um, it was due to be mailed July 31st … oops) so I bound it, added a label and just couldn’t help adding some hand quilting (sort of a fortuitous mistake, really – I’d added negative space “blocks” during the quilting but when it was done you couldn’t really see them aaand I couldn’t have that .. could I?) and shipped her off.  She is gone now, headed to her new home and partner I hope you luuuuurve her too!

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I know there are some of you out there that will love this like I do and want to make it.  Maybe you don’t want to figure out the math, could be you’re too busy (or lazy – hey, no judgement!  I’ve bought several patterns for the same reason!) or you’d just rather have it done for you?  Do not despair, I’ve done it!  Created my first (full) pattern!  And it was related to the 80’s … anyone surprised?  I doubt it.

Check it out here: JmzB – Tetris Mini

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4th of July weekend and headed to a camp trip and you know, I just NEEDED a new bag, so I purused the interwebs and found this one made by Ashley of Film in the Fridge: The Market Bag (by Anna Graham) and decided I had to have one.  Sad news for me – none of my local book stores had her book, Handmade Style in stock.  I wanted to make that bag NOW so I decided to eyeball it and attempt to figure it out.

This is what I came up with: 


Not a bad attempt, if I say so myself!  I used Pellon’s new flex foam for the “batting” (it quilted awesomely on the longarm, no issues at all!) and opted for nylon webbing handles (repurposed from my first Sewtopia SLC goodies bag) as I was fresh out of leather, but attached them the same way (on the outside with a box-X stitch).  I also opted not to line it, so there are raw edges on the inside, but I can live with that.

After looking at all the projects in her book, I had to order a copy.  It will be interesting to see where my (f)Market Bag differs from her pattern … now just to wait for it to arrive.