Laundry soap

 

For those that make his or her laundry soap, what do you use do store it in?

I have used a plastic jug-like container.  It was OK, but soap got stuck in the handle since it was hollow.  I have used mostly quart jars with wide mouths.  I was gone for two weeks and I came back to numerous jars mostly empty still on top of the dryer making music every time the dryer went on.  I really can't figure out why the complete amount of soap can't be used and the jars rinced out and put away.  I was able to pick up 3 big gallon pickle jars at an estate sale about a week ago.  I think these will be my new storage containers.  The jars are heavier but they contain much more laundry soap.  

What do you think?

I found another picture of my Mom holding a fresh baked cherry pie in her vintage kitchen!  

Would you like to have Mom's great pie crust recipe?  

Have a great day!

Dawnie

It has been a long time.

It has been so long since I made a blog post.  Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, then years.  I think the birth of my second grandchild limited most of my blogging.   I continued to create, but I didn't display my creations often and my "how-to" blog posts ended.  My home life has changed somewhat. My house is still full of family and friends.  Unfortunately, it isn't quiet most of the time.  The old dogs have passed away and a new rescue chiwennie has taken their place.  He is adorable, but he takes his job as a guard dog very seriously. Cage-free chickens still roam the backyard.  I am retired now and I no longer need to answer the telephone after the first ring.  I may not answer it at all.  LOL 

Knitting, spinning, crocheting, sewing, quilting, cooking, and soap-making still happen, but a little less of my time is devoted to them.  

Recently I've had the loss of my mother.  She was such a wonderful lady.  A trip to visit her still meant that she would cook your favorite meals and, of course, it would include homemade pie.  It is now my turn to make the pies.  I will be making them in her vintage kitchen and sharing the recipes with you soon.  

Today I completed a baby quilt top.  I photographed it outside on the fence.  It is not ironed yet, but it looks good enough to view.  I purchased pre-cut 30's reproduction prints from a store on Etsy.  I asked if they used Accuquilt because I have an Accuquilt die to cut out fabric in the same Tumbler style.  They use an Accuquilt professional cutting die.  I planned to make a larger quilt where every other piece would be one of the delicate pink pieces I cut.  However, I hadn't considered the size difference.  I have 200 delicate pink tumbler pieces ready for me to use, but no print fabric pieces since the purchased pre-cut printed tumblers were about an inch smaller.  I will be cutting prints from my stash and making another quilt.

  

BBQ MEATBALLS  

Grandma Elizabeth's Recipe

This is a lot of work, but worth it!

Thanks for viewing!  Dawnie

Loops or Rings

I hang 2 or 3 potholders by my stove because I have limited drawer space in my kitchen.  My mother places all but one of hers in a drawer by her stove.  My brother hates the loops.  He thinks the plastic ones melt and the other loops get in his way.  What is your preference? 

I like to place loops in the corners of the hot pads/potholders I make. If I knit or crochet them, I usually make a loop with yarn.  If I use fabric to make them, I sew a small plastic hoop on a corner of the fabric.  I have used a leather strip for hanging in the past along with crocheting around the plastic rings.  I find that the rings are what wear will out the fastest on potholders. I found plastic loose-leaf paper rings.  The box I ordered has 5 colors of rings which can be easily installed and removed from a potholder if desired. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DQTZLKS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

What do you think?  

My grandmother and us 4 kids in the early 60's.

They provided this mobile home for my dad as part of his salary.  I am on the left looking goofy.

My younger brother in the 80's?.  The sweater I knitted for him.

Thanks for viewing!

Dawnie

January 2022

I hope your Christmas and New Year holidays were wonderful!  I wish I had the excitement I once did.  I know the grandgirls loved Christmas!

New changes have happened since my last post.  I have retired.  With more time on my hands, I get little done.  I am sorting through all my material possessions.  I have given some items away and I sold some.  I have also added a couple of new possessions.  Here is one:  

 

My new sewing desk.  I have wanted to make this purchase for years.  I love the gingerbread trim. 

I have been knitting away on a new hat pattern.  The first hat 

came out perfect.  The second one grew when I washed it.  The third one I made into a ponytail hat and it came out great!  I did go down 2 knitting needle sizes.  

The first hat made:

The second hat made:

The third hat made:

I will be making one more hat to perfect the pattern.  What do you think of this hat pattern? 

My nephew and mom.  Mom turned 90 on 9\11.  Don't they look alike?  Yes, there is a size difference.

When I travel from my home to my mother's, I see many interesting homes.  Wouldn't you love to live on Honey Lane?  All I can think of is the song Penney Lane by the Beatles.  That song is in my head! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7syIxQCquo

This is the beautiful home on Honey Lane.  I tried to show all of the lovely fall foliage.

I also see abandoned homes.  I always think of all the dashed dreams and aspirations the people had.  What happened?  Where did they go?  Have you ever watched Youtube videos where people look at abandoned homes?  Some of the occupants left with a meal on the table.  I understand how people become ill, pass away, or maybe run from his or her past. What would make someone leave mansions behind? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qiwQjsdbDc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wLpX8mw9j8

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsMJZWLaa7E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27YB4LttlHs

Thank you for viewing!  Dawnie

lane.  

I'll Pour: Grandma's Memories

I'll Pour: Grandma's Memories:  As I was sewing a binding on a small wall quilt, memories of my Grandma Mary Johnson appeared.  Years ago she made a quilt for me.  I gGrao...

Grandma's Memories

 As I was sewing a binding on a small wall quilt, memories of my Grandma Mary Johnson appeared.  Years ago she made a quilt for me.  Off and on, I got poked by a pin, but it took me some time to locate that pin and remove it.  In this case, the pin had a glass head.  I was able to use a pair of pliers and break the glass head and the pin slipped out easily.  A couple of months ago, my brother gave me a small quilt that my grandmother made for him.  He has had the quilt for many years.  (30+ years)  The quilt fits a twin-size bed, but not a full-sized bed.  I have a smaller bed, so I decided to use the quilt. Every once and a while, I felt a little pin-poke.  Yes, this quilt also had a pin left in it when grandma quilted the quilt.  Ha! Ha!  It was more difficult to remove this pin because it had a flat metalhead.  I had to maneuver the pin to a seam and guide it through 2 stitches.  This story is not to make fun of Grandma, but to share funny memories. I love these old memories of Grandma!  

Yesterday my granddaughter asked me why the dog's ears were sticking up like they were?  My comment back was that he had his listening ears on.  

Dawnie

Update on Whipped Laundry Butter

From time to time humans decide to take shortcuts.  Sometimes the shortcuts can work and at times the result is a complete disaster.  I made lots of soap last year.  It was just collecting dust and waiting for me to make laundry soap from it.  I made the soap  from coconut oil, lye (sodium hydroxide), water, and essential oil.  This soap was made without extra fats or colors (zero fat).  I used lavender essential oil for fragrance when making the soap.  I usually grate the soap up and follow the laundry butter recipe.  In our house, we ran out of all laundry butter and had to use store-bought laundry soap.  Due to the extra cost and extra chemicals in store-bought soap, I was in a hurry to make more laundry butter so I wouldn't have to buy more at the grocery store.  I couldn't find my salad shooter so instead of shredding or grating the soap up nicely, I chunked up the soap.  I made a double batch, where I would need 12 ounces of chunks.  I poured 12 cups of boiling water onto the chunks into a large plastic container with a lid.  I placed the lid on the soap and water and left this mixture alone for hours.  When I got a chance to work on the soap again, the water was cold and the soap chunks had melted into the water.  I added 2 cups of washing powder (made from baking soda) and 2 cups of 20 Mule Team Borax to this mixture. 

I blended a few minutes (2-8 min.) with my stick blender and it whipped up and thickened.  I wasn't sure if the whip would go down or not so I was hesitant to pace the soap into containers.  I did it anyway and it stayed nicely whipped.  I have since made 3 more batches and this still works fine.  The amount it makes depends on the amount of air whipped into the mixture.  This last batch made 7.5 quarts.  I am very happy to find that this shortcut worked!  If you try this and it works for you, let me know.  Thanks for viewing this post!  Dawnie