*all natural body soaps surfaces a bit..

My momma is now an official soap maker! While momma was here visiting we made soap. A few years back I had a soap business with an online storefront, but when we got the news that we would be moving a few years ago, I halted my soap making. I used up my stock, gave it as gifts and sold it at clearance prices, well because I needed to clear it all out to make the move that much easier.    After a number of years passing and our personal stock almost being depleted, I made soap last year when my BFF was here for a visit.  Unfortunately after not having made soap for a while, I ended up putting in too much oatmeal in one of the recipes and too much pulverized walnut shells in the scrub bar (AKA SCRATCH bar), so this time around I did not put in any abrasive additives! A little more digging so I can find my tried and true recipes is in order before I include additives in my soaps again.

Making soap is not difficult, but is something that has to be done with much caution! Especially if you have children or pets in your home.  Soap can be made in your kitchen or workshop with some basic oils from your grocery store, but a superior soap can be made by buying some out of the ordinary oils from a soap supply store.  There are many great websites, forums out there to help you get started soap making if this is something you want to tackle.  Finding a good recipe and making sure the values are what you need for a quality bar is so important.

An unrefined soap, made from quality oils and lye is so much  better for your skin than the products you find on the grocers shelves.   If you are not adventurous and do not care to try your hand at soap making, but wish to use a better soap that will leave your skin clean and moisturized, I will be glad to make that available to you. 

We made some of our top sellers when our store was open a few years ago: Lavender, Lemongrass, Tea Tree/Clary Sage and Rosemary/Bay Laurel.  The scents wafting through our home is intoxicating. Seriously though, it smells awesome!  I only use natural coloring agents in our soaps, such as turmeric powder (that is the coloring in the loaf of soap on the right above), pulverized lavender blossoms and pulverized mint leaves to give a green coloring to the bar. 

*beyond fabric - imagine, dream do!

While on my trip to Georgia, with the help of my dear motherinlove, I stumbled upon this treasure! Beyond Fabric!  This sweet little store is nestled in a little corner of Kingsland, Georgia (Lovetown USA).  The young lady who owns the store is as helpful and sweet as you would want one to be.  She carries interior design fabric, quilter cottons, craft items and more! 

 Oh, did I mention you will pay about half of what other stores charge you for interior decorator fabrics?! Yes, that is right!

 I found this lovely fabric in her shop, which I instantly fell in love with!  I at first did not pick it up because I could not think of a use for it.  It would be a great fabric for hand bags or totes, but I remembered that I have wanted to recover our bar stools and dining room chairs for a while now, so I purchased some yardage with that in mind.

When I found these bar stools I really liked the color of the wood stain, they matched our dining room chair nicely. I however, did not really dig the bronze studs around the base of each seat. It just is not me. So, I have been thinking of this for a while.  I love the contrast of the pomegranate color of the walls against the bright white and yellow of the seat covers.  I did finish the fabric with Scotch Guard and even with that I know these stools will be dirty in no time. That is the downfall of having a lighter color on the stools.  For now I will enjoy the crisp clean look of each of them. 

I had covered the dining room chairs some years ago with this toile, which I really love.  The covers are actually in great condition and do not need recovering at all other than I just want change. So... here we go. (and no, we still do not have our molding and quarter round down yet... sigh) I still have the other dining chairs to finish, the %$#@# stapler isn't working properly anymore so I have to wait for my hero to get home and fix it.

If you ever find yourself in Camden County, Georgia or nearby and you are looking for some great decorator fabrics at a rock bottom price, you have got to stop in and see the ladies at Beyond Fabric! You can also get more information about the store by visiting their website by clicking HERE.

*packaging ideas

 I stitched this little bag up using one of the many animal feed bags that we have been saving.  It has been hanging around for a while, but tonight as I packaged up a gift for a sweet family I was looking for something clever as packaging. I think I found it! 

 The box with the gifts inside fit perfectly in this bag, in fact if one didn't know it, they would think the bag was designed with this box in mind. I was thrilled when the box fit in so snugly.

So once the package arrives my friend can carefully remove the tape and then have a small recycle carry all bag.

Shared at:

*september national sewing month project #1

So with NSM in mind, I decided to go through some of my collected fabrics to find some fun colorful fabrics to brighten up our back porch area.   It was only after I was finished that I realized that these colors sort of make the area look like summer and spring is abounding!  But alas, it is not. I will likely use some of my fall colors to make a pillow cover for the little pillows and then undress them in the spring/summer season, revealing the vibrant cheery fabrics.
 

I made the pillows a couple of days ago from 4 Moda fat quarters.  I just love this fabric, it says HAPPY to me. I decided to use the scraps to make a couple of table toppers for the rustic tables on our back porch area.  For one of the decorative table toppers I sort of followed the idea of a Log Cabin pattern, but with varying sizes of fabric - nothing uniform at all. I do like the way it turned out.  To use up the rest of the scraps, I simply sewed the two larger pieces together then I used some of the strips and sewed them on top simply to embelish and add some interest.

Can you see the Log Cabin pattern? I only had one dark piece left at the end, so I had to use that red on the light outside side.. but I like how it finished up. I simply meandered this little one.  I always put my binding on with the machine now.  I used to sew it on by hand, but I can choose a decorative stitch and have it on in no time at all.

We had to cut down two large oaks that had damage on them and Eric decided to place a couple of the sections on our back porch area as a table. If you look closely (or click on the picture to enlarge) you can see where I "wrote" REST with the thread in this particular one. I think sometimes we need to be reminded to   r   e   s   t. 

For now the area out back by the pool smiles at me when I walk by and I like it!

So, as for you- what have you sewn this past week? Or, what did you THINK about sewing this week? You know thinking about it is a step in the right direction!  I will open up a linky on September 15th, so you can share  your work too!

I borrowed this idea from my friend Gail over at Faithfulness Farm. Check out here projects as well and be encouraged.

Lynnie


Today I shared this at:

*patriotic banner

The celebration of our July 4th is just around the corner so I have pulled out the patriotic banner that I made for Memorial Day and dressed up our mantle with it again.   This was really very very simple to make and if I can do it, so can you!

All you need is some assorted fabrics that are color appropriate for any given holiday.  I used my 45 degree quilting ruler and a nice sharp rotary cutter to cut the triangles before I began the sewing.  Since I have a serger I used it, but you can use your regular sewing machine for this project. After I serged the edges of each triangle I simply chain sewed each one across the bottom/top until I ended up with this long banner.  Voila!

If you do not have these tools you can simply trace a triangle shape onto several layers of fabric and use some nice sharp scissors to cut them out.

Were all dressed up and ready for a freedom celebration!

*wee felt folk, Little Wendie

Today while visiting with Wendie (my "adopted" Mother), I got to spend some time in her sewing room.  It was sweet to be able to sit in her sewing room amidst numerous piles of assorted fabrics of either partially started projects or completed quilt tops waiting to get to the shop for quilting.  Soon I will not be across town and I shall miss her more than I realize right now in this moment.  She has been very instrumental in my life as I have known it here in North Carolina.

Many years ago she and her dear husband came to the area via the military; their children grew up here and later started attending colleges nearby.  Wanting to be near their children during their college years, Wendie and her hubby never moved.   It was never their intention to stay, but sometimes things that are our plans are not in the plans - if that makes sense.  I, among many other ladies, have been benefactors of having had moved to the area and some where along the way become "adopted" daughters to Wendie.  

"Miss Felt Folk Quilting Wendie"

Several years ago I designed this felt lady to resemble as many as Wendie's features as I could capture in a wee felt folk creation!

She is dressed well (as Wendie always is), she is adorned with some accessories (as Wendie always is) and her beautiful gray hair is nicely pulled up in a clip (as Wendie's always is).  Wendie has a bit of "junk in her trunk", JUST KEEPING IT REAL, so this little wee felt folk is carrying some junk in her trunk too! Last, but not least, she has selected a number of fabulous bolts of fabric to add to her stash!

Interested in making some "wee felt folk of your own? Check out Salley Mavor's book, Wee Felt Folk.  In her book you will find step by step instructions and many great illustrations to guide you along the way.  You can be as simple or as elaborate as you so desire in your little people.  You can also view some of her creations, she is quite an artist and each piece is a masterpiece.    One other link, I just stumbled up on this myself... it is Salley's blog: Salley Mavor.  Enjoy!

I also know of a young lady who makes these precious keepsakes.  She puts a whole different level of skill and time into each piece that she creates than I have thus far.  Standing in the Sun has some lovely creations you will want to see if you like these little felt folks. She (Caroline) also sells her felt folk on etsy.. make sure to check that out from her blog.

*come along, I'll show you..

 Yesterday I changed my sewing room around a bit. I really need to paint the room, the ceiling and get some flooring put in.. but instead I just changed it up a bit. Come along.. I will show you..

 

I bought this old sled a few years ago from someone who posted on craigslist here in the area. I think I paid under ten dollars for it.  It is unlikely that we will ever use it for the purpose in which it was intended for. It is a three tiered shelf in my sewing room, and it is happy there. 

  

 We have this great old solid oak entertainment center that we no longer needed in the living room. I once tried to give it away on a local home school list, but I had no takers.  Boy am I glad!  This has become the perfect organizational helper!  The rocker is also a craigslist find!  It is an antique goose neck rocker -- it is wrapped in a throw not because it is cold, but because the lovely felines we live with like to scratch it. ARGH!  One of these days it will have to go in for a make over, the chair that is.

  

Don't you just love those tables that you can easily find at Sams, the ones where the height adjust? They are great for a quilter, because you can adjust it in the highest setting which makes it a perfect cutting table.

  

 I love old. I just do. This old printer typeset tray makes me happy. 

  

On some days I can use all the comfort I can get...

  

The threads are all nested in an old (yep..I said it again) singer sewing machine drawer. I have purchased about 6 of them from different antique or junk stores over the years. I also have a couple of drawers from old tables or such that make great storage containers for my sewing notions.

  

Oh... Ah....

 

  

My baby sister gave this to me a few years ago.. it is sweet. 

 It could be hanging on various different things in my sewing room. When I see it I think of how sweet our relationship is, how blessed I am to have two sisters. Two of the most different sisters one could have, both with a heart of gold!

  

Living water.. who can live, I mean truly live without it? I have other favorites around and about too. 

  

simple beauty

 

These have been laid out for the next project - a spring runner for the front hall table!  I have several quilt tops calling for my attention, but I think I will get side tracked and start creating this sweet little spring beauty!  

*just a pinch of cute!

 

  

  

  

  

I first saw these on a how to site, bookmarked it, then saw it on a fellow bloggers site.  When I realized I had all the items needed to make these, except for the jewelry findings, I was delighted!  I have cheated and taken the easy way to this project!  Caroline, however has put a different level of craft into each of her pendants. Please check out Caroline's Etsy shop Stand In The Sun.  You can also view her blog at Standing in the Sunlight.