Can you tell I’m just a little bit excited?
the countdown!
2
Monthly Archives: May 2012
52 weeks of pinterest-week 2
OK. So it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted a pinterest post. I never said I was going to do 52 consecutive weeks! I have pinned several homemade cleaning products and wanted to try them out. So I headed out to Wal-Mart this afternoon to get my supplies. (I HATE going to Wal-Mart) Not including my container costs, I spent $26.77. From these supplies, I made dish washing detergent, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and homemade dryer sheets. All of these products should last us for a long time, so I think that I saved a considerable amount of money already. Here is what I got:
The first thing I made was dish washing detergent. Mainly because our dishwasher and sink were both full of dirty dishes! Here is what I used to make it:
I got the recipe here. As suggested, I am using white vinegar as a rinsing agent. We ran the first load through the dishwasher, and I didn’t notice much of a difference than with store bought detergent. I am very happy with how it turned out. It made a huge container and with only using 1 TBS at a time, it’s going to last for a long time!
The next thing I made was the laundry detergent. I researched several different recipes before deciding on one. I knew that I did’t want to use a recipe that involved cooking the soap. I decided on using this recipe. I didn’t get a picture of all the ingredients before I used them! It was a very easy recipe and even easier when you get your husband to grate your soap for you!
It sort of looks like cheese.
But I don’t recommend eating it! 
We poured all the ingredients into a bucket lined with a trash bag. I layered all the ingredients as I poured them in to make it easier to mix together.
We ended up cutting a hole in the corner of the trash bag to make it easier to pour into containers.
My husband is going to try it out tonight on his laundry. I hope it works out well because he is very doubtful about all of this homemade stuff. I told him that I was going to make our laundry detergent and he said I was a hippie! Oh well! I guess I will use all the extra money that I save to go buy some tie-dyed shirts!
Next I made some fabric softener. It’s very easy and you can choose any scent that you like. I used this recipe.
You can use this fabric softener in your washing machine, but I used mine to make some reusable dryer sheets. I just soaked plain white washcloths that I got at Wal-Mart in my homemade fabric softener. I wrung out all the excess and put them out to dry.
Each one can be used about 10-12 times in the dryer. I have enough fabric softener left over to soak them again.
Including the trip to Wal-Mart, the whole process only took me about 3 hours. I’m very pleased with my results and will be very happy when I can by-pass the detergent aisle in the grocery store!
Alison
happy mother’s day!
I made these two pillows for my mom for Mother’s Day. They will go with her General’s Wives Quilt when it eventually gets done!
I used this tutorial by Jamie at SunFlower Seeds to make the cathedral window pillow. It was very easy to follow and was quick to do on my machine. I need a little practice on my middles. They were a little messy, so I put matching buttons in the middles. They were buttons that belonged to my great grandma.
With the left over charms, I made a quick flying geese pillow. It went together really quickly and looks great with the other pillow.
I also finished a couple of 241 tote bags by Noodlehead. I love all of her patterns and have made this one tons of times! I used some of the new Denyse Schmidt line from JoAnns to make one for myself.
The other one I made from some Denyse Schmidt that I have been holding on to for a while. I just love the prints and colors in this fabric. I decided to send this one to my sister-in-law. The mother of the two cutest boys around! I hope she likes it and will be able to use it!
I’ve almost reached my goal on my fundraising page! I have the best friends and family! It really means so much to me. There is still time to make a donation to win this quilt. Just follow the link above to make a donation for a chance to win. The drawing will be held on June 1st. Thank you so much to those who have already donated!
Alison
pouch winner!
Thank you all so much for your comments! Definitely some great tips! The winner of the pouch giveaway is spontaneous threads who wrote:
‘That is so very very clever. My hand embroidery skills are novice at best, but I do like making french knots in large groups, it makes such interesting texture. I also like to use the already twisted embroidery floss, I think it stays together better. Thanks for the giveaway, it’s worth leaving a comment and my fingers are crossed!’
Congratulations! I sent you an email requesting your address. Your new pouch is on it’s way soon!
Thanks again, everyone for reading my blog!
Alison
night of the living thread-give away!
I found this pattern at Urban Threads the other day and just had to make something from it. I just started stitching and it ended up being this cute little pouch.
Since I can no longer do hand embroidery (which makes me really sad because I LOVE embroidery) I have been practicing embroidery with my machine. I have also been practicing my applique. Obviously this is raw edge applique (far from perfect). My husband said the frayed edges adds to the ‘zombie-ness’ of the pouch. I was like, ‘yeah, that’s totally what I was going for’.
For the back, I just did some random stripes. For some reason it reminds me of Beetlejuice when I look at it.
I lined it with a coordinating lime green checkered print. I put the zipper on the long side so bigger items could be stored inside. I think it would be the perfect little pouch for an embroidery or hand project. I have a ton of pouches and really don’t need another, so I am offering this one to one of my readers. Just leave me a comment with your favorite applique or embroidery tip. I will draw a winner on Monday, May 7th. Can’t wait to read your tips!
Alison
PS-check out the next post to win a fabulous quilt!
quilt for a cause – ‘dream on’
I have been thinking about this quilt for about 6 months now. I had been thinking about the best way to raise money for a charity that is near and dear to my heart. I asked myself, ‘what could I do that would help?’ My answer was, ‘duh, make a quilt!’ So that is what I did. My intentions for making this quilt are to help spread awareness for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (you can learn more about it here) and to help raise money for much needed research. May is Ehlers-Danlos Awareness month, so I will be promoting this for the entire month of May.
I was diagnosed with Vascular Ehlers-Danlos in April of 2009. It was very devastating and is still a struggle to deal with everyday. I have suffered from multiple ruptured aneurysms and currently have one in each arm that I have monitored very frequently. If these rupture, I run the risk of losing all blood flow to both of my hands. Right now, I am grateful that I still have the ability to sew and am trying to make as much as possible while I can! So I am very happy that I could make this quilt to help raise money for the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation.
This quilt measures 58″ x 68″-the perfect size for cuddling up on the sofa. It’s made with a fabric line called ‘Dream On’ by Urban Chicks for Moda. I thought that it was an appropriate selection for this quilt!
All materials used in this quilt are 100% cotton. I machine pieced and quilted it myself.
It really is a beautiful quilt. I am offering everyone who makes a donation to the EDNF a chance to win this quilt. For every five dollar donation, your name will go into the drawing that will be held on Friday, June 1st. You can make a donation through my fundraising page.
Thank you all for reading my story and for all your donations. You have no idea how much it means to me!
Alison
