Another addition to the hobby list

edit to add link to soap recipe -  Down To Earth - Cold Processed Soap V2


If I wait much longer to do a catch-up post you'll likely never hear from me again LOL.

So, as I get pics of my fabric and makes from this year I'll post and mention them.  Other than that, I'd just better keep going...

A couple of years ago, I found a few simple living blogs/forums and they piqued my interest. Since then, I've made some changes to my household products, starting with the laundry stuff. Making bar soap ended up on my radar, but working with lye kinda freaked me out made me think twice and I put it off for a bit.

Over the summer, I started collecting ingredients and supplies. Last Monday was the day. The dogs were locked out of the kitchen, I collected everything and gave it a go.
Seems to have worked out ok...they have to cure for about 6 weeks though, so I won't really know til then.   Here are the results...

Just started to unmold them. The silicone molds worked great. The plastic lining in the plastic Rubbermaid container worked, but it isn't a smooth-edged loaf by any means.

Deciding how many pieces to cut the loaf...big pieces, or small?

There's a shadow in the loaf, apparently ok and will/should go away as they cure.

I cut the loaf into 18 relatively small pieces. Ended up with 29 pieces in total, ranging from 1.6 to 3.3 oz. the larger muffin cups were all over 3oz., the smaller ones were about 2oz. The loaf?  Well, let's hope my cutting gets a bit more accurate as I go on LOL

Still Here

I guess dropping off the radar after the last post wasn't the best thing.

Thanks to everyone who checked up on me. It was really appreciated.

Truth to tell, I was mostly ok just seemed to lose the blogging mojo. Actually I lost a bunch of mojo - you know when you just seem overwhelmed in your head and don't get started at all. That's where I was. So many things I wanted to do but thinking too much and never really got started...or got started and stopped.

Been thinking about a blog post for a while, but after putting it off and putting it off, where do you begin ? Start fresh or catch up ?......or do nothing.

I've been sewing, knitting, even reading my blog list although not commenting much because I've just been so far behind ... all the usual stuff to some degree. I just haven't been overly visible on-line.

OK, lets just do a couple of posts to get back into it.

When I got back from New Brunswick after Christmas, I found a new toy from hubby under the tree...

Brother 3034D - Sooo different from my old Singer, sooo easy to set up and use, I needed a project - quick !

The serger came with a lesson - a trip to Club Tissus to sign up for it produced the Jalie hoodie pattern 2911 and a red/grey stripe jersey.

No idea why it took hold so quickly but I wanted that hoodie NOW! LOL But I didn't want to ruin it so I had to make a muslin. Heavy-ish brown jersey muslin and striped version both made within 3 weeks

Love 'em both, and I was off and running.

When PR Weekend Austin was announced I decided I was going. My last PR Weekend in 2010 I wore only RTW - not this time. I planned a whole wardrobe - LOL deluded much ? I did get 2 new items finished...

Vogue 1247 - I really wanted to make the skirt too but it's still not done yet.

Vogue 1250 - Gaylen of gMarie Sews sent me the pattern for this. Thanks g !!! Today there are 292 reviews on PR. My review, once I get to it probably won't add much.

PR Weekend was amazing, I tacked on a day at either end and spent some quality time with Connie who did the same. It was a great time and I met some really wonderful ladies !  Next year LA...I'm planning already.

Daniel Esquivel (from Project Runway) gave a talk Friday morning.

Lots of Twitter & Facebook posts LOL

Pattern Swap

Puppy fix - This little girl was just too adorable and lovey not to cuddle !

Still need to take pics of the purchases and the travel project so I'll stop here for now.