Table Runners

Finally done with the 2 Christmas runners. I actually finished them the other day, but you know how life tends to get in the way.

Here they both are. We can't decide if we like the one with the red binding or green binding better.

More Fabric

For my birthday I got a gift card for Joann's. So I went out and bought some fabric to go with the fabric I used in my kitchen/diningroom. I have been planning on making a quilt for the quilt rack hanging in my dining room for 3 years now.

I didn't take my fabric with me to match it, so went from memory. Here's the fabric I bought mixed with the stuff I had.

 

I think I can make them work together. I tried to vary size of pattern and color to get some contrast but yet allow resting spots for the old eyes. We'll see how it goes. I still have to finish my Christmas runners and stockings. But in the mean time, I'm planning this quilt in my head.

Homemade Laundry Soap

Have you ever gotten discouraged at the price of laundry soap and how much you have to use? I do. Plus I have very sensitive skin and have to make sure that the soap is rinsed out very well. I've been using white vinegar in the rinse cycle for years. It help get the extra soap out and keeps things soft. If you are worried about the smell of vinegar, don't. Vinegar is a natural deodoraizer and when it dries, the smell goes away. I love using vinegar in the washing machine. You can use cider vinegar which is cheaper and softens more, but I put mine in the automatic fabric softener dispenser in my machine and when I used cider vinegar, after a time it got the dispenser all yucky looking. Didn't hurt my machine any, I just didn't like the way it looked. I'm a tad OCD, by the way!

The other day I was browsing Pinterest.(Yes, I'm addicted to that site!!) Someone posted a link to making your own laundry soap. It was a liquid. Sounded good, but I wanted a powder, so I looked and searched for it until I found one that sounded good and got great reviews.

http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2008/07/homemade-laundry-and-cleaning-products.html Has a nice powdered laundry soap recipe that I used.

I used Fels Naptha as my shaved soap. My house smelled wonderful after I shredded this!!
I made:
2 bars of Fels Naptha, shredded
2 cups of super washing soda (arm & hammer)
2 cups of borax

And mixed all together. I didn't grind my soap any further than that, and it doesn't seem to matter.
I use about 2 TBSP per load, 3 if super dirty shop clothes of my hubbies. I put it in when I first start the washer and dilute it in hot water. About 2 gallons of water. Then I turn water to cold and start adding my clothes. My clothes come out clean and smell so good! Since I don't watch my clothes wash to see the suds, the no sudsing thing doesn't bother me. And actually, I prefer it anyway. We don't need the suds. Wen anyone? (That's my favorite no poo of choice, though it is rather expensive!)

I stored my soap in an old ice cream bucket. (I use those for everything....soap, cookies, freezing large quantities of premade foods, etc) My girls even like using it to wash their clothes! They love the smell too:)

Just an FYI...I found all the supplies I needed to make this at Walmart. The other stores here didn't carry anything but the Borax.

UPDATE: I really like the powdered detergent! However I did make the liquid, it was so thick that I made it into 3 gallons. I LOVE the liquid detergent as well! 

I highly recommend trying them!

Wood Ornaments

Every year I am in an ornament swap with my imaginary friends. That would be my friends who I have met on the Internet. Some of them I have actually met in person and talked on the phone with. But there are some I have never met. Regardless, I've known these ladies for years. We've gone through births, deaths, divorces, graduations and a bunch of other things together. You'd have to know them to know how wonderful they are!!

At any rate, if you visit my post from November or December of last year, you will see the ornaments I made for last years swap. The ornaments I am making this year are from wood.

I took wooden tags found at Michael's and covered them front and back with scrap booking paper. I attached it with Mod Podge. Then I sanded the edges and inked it with cat eyes ink.
I cut out the letter of their first name with my Sizzix die cut and glued them on. One on each side as it is reversible. Then I Mod Podged over the entire thing. Both front and back. I Inked a cream colored Prima flower and glued it on. Added some Stickles in the center of the flower. I attached some wire and buttons for hanging. I'm still debating on if I want to tie twine around the wire at the top or not. Decisions, decisions.

Here is what they look like. Each ornament had one side in the green gingham and one side in the sheet music. The ornament with the tree is an extra that I made (3) in case anyone joined the swap later or I needed a last minute small gift.

 

Twine or no twine....that is the question!

Winter Wonderland

I have been really lax about updating my blog. My Bad!! I think it was last December since my last post. Life has gotten in the way and I haven't really been doing any crafting lately. But in the last month I've gotten quite a bit accomplished.

My latest projects have been table runners. I got the idea off of pinterest from this blog. http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2010/08/table-runner-tutorial.html
She has really easy to use tutorials for making many fun projects.

So here is a table runner that I made using fabrics in blues, whites and aquas.

Here it is after it was quilted and before I added the binding. There are 3 aqua fabrics but they are hard to see here.

With a dark blue binding. The same blog I got this project off of also has a wonderful tutorial for doing bindings. AWESOME!!!

This is the reverse side. I love that they are reversible for different moods/looks. I made another one left out one of the aquas that I didn't like on this one. I also made a small 17 X 17 one for my mother-in-law. She has a 42" round table and I wanted something just to go in the center.

I'll post picture of those once I get the bindings finished. (as soon as I post I am going to go sew those!)

I am also working on a runner in Christmas fabrics. Here is a picture of it in progress.....

I love that it quilts it as you go!! So easy and looks so pretty!

Close up picture of some of the fabrics we used. Some of these I bought specifically for this project, others I had been given by my Mother-in-law that were left over from a project she worked on a long time ago.

I need to add that the red/white polka dot material was a request from my daughter, Jordan. She said it reminded her of Minnie Mouse and we had to use it. Her band is going to Orlando in March to march at Disney and Universal so it kind of reminds us of that!

I'll keep updating these as they are finished. I am doing 2 of these. One with a green binding and one with a red binding. The reverse side is the poinsettia fabric. It matches my Christmas China.

****Update 11/13****

So I finished the other two blue table runners on Sunday Night. I had a couple OOPS moments that got me a little discouraged but I took a break and then went back and fixed my mistakes. I finally got them done around midnight. WAY past my bedtime!

The second runner in blues/white/aquas. Since I cut all the strips of fabric, back, batting and binding at the same time, it didn't take long for this one to come together.

You can see a little bit of difference between the two. The first is on left. For the second one I took out the aqua fabric with the flowers. It wasn't too awful, but I just didn't care for it. The second runner will either be gifted or donated.

I made this smaller square one for my Mother-in-laws table. It measures finished at 17" X17". I wanted to make it 20"x20" but I used left over strips from the other two and they weren't long enough to do that with. I also took out all the aqua strips and the snow flake strip. This way she can use it all year long. The snow flake fabric is still on the back, truly making it reversible.

Here all 3 of them are together. I might make a couple pot holders to go with them. If I have enough time. And can keep from digging into my other projects.

As you can see, I have the Christmas runner put together and quilted. I'm just working on putting on the binding. Then I'll put together the one with the red binding. I'm very pleased with  the way this one is turning out too! I'll update again as I get this one finished.

I also saw a tutorial for doing a Christmas stocking by this same lady and using this same quilt as you go technique. I'm sure I have enough extra fabric to make some!! http://artgalleryfabrics.typepad.com/weblog/2012/11/fat-quarter-gang-scrappy-christmas-stockings-by-diary-of-a-quilter.html