Substance of Living

I have begun challenging myself to make things that I see on the internet.  This project is a crochet baby blanket video by Jayda in Stitches .  I'm a beginner at crochet and have been following Jayda for awhile.  Her videos are so clear and easy to follow that I thought I'd give this a try. My "baby blanket" is more of a table cover - think a great big placemat.  The reason for this is because my yarn and needle was different from hers. Unfortunately, I threw away the yarn label.  I do remember that it was baby weight and it had a picture of a baby in a sweater.  The color is an off-white, maybe ecru. Completed project Up close My borderwork Jayda shows step-by-step how to make this in her video.  If you know how to read patterns (I'm not there yet), you can find her written pattern here . I'm so happy with this that I actually have it out and we use it daily! Have a Great Day!!! Marie Tweet this Post P....

Are your eyes ever bigger than your stomach when it comes to food?  Mine are all the time and now my brain thought I was up for a challenge - beyond something I've ever done!  I've pledged (unofficially) to not purchase home decor or ready-made clothing this year.  When I talk about home decor, if it is something that can be sewn then it will not be purchased but made.  Purchasing fabric is permissible. This isn't a new idea and you've probably seen recycling , upcycling, refashioning , and other descriptions of such around the internet and in the book stores for some time now.  Since DH and I moved, we've been downsizing and a lot of the items were donated but now we're to the point that we are into the soft items.  Items that are still in really good shape but no longer wearable for whatever reason.  We don't want to pass along a top if there is a hole in the knit or a stain - so I'm reusing the material to make other things. A challenge, that...

I belong to a sewing group that is comprised of amazing women.  I joined the group last year but the ladies have been together for about five or six years. The sewing group is called "Sew Much Fun" .  We get together twice a month for about two hours at a time and create projects for charity.  All the fabric and notions have been donated by local businesses and people in the area cleaning out their fabric stashes. Everything we make goes to charity in one form or another.  We make items to sell at a craft fair each year and are able to give money to charities through the sales.  We also make items specifically for charities such as book bags for the library and senior center, duffel bags for children having to leave their homes, and pillow cases for the children's home. Another lady takes all our scrap fabric and makes dog beds for the local animal shelters.  Nothing goes to waste. This month we are making pillowcases, book bags, and finishing up pr...

The WINNER of the post Semi-Homemade Tres Leche Cake Recipe and A Giveaway! is:  Noreen Noreen, I've sent you an email. Now onto today's originally scheduled post: Homemade Nut Butter Do you like all natural nut butter - such as peanut butter, almond butter, pistachio butter?  Bet you don't care for the price, though. You can buy any nut you prefer or use up all your leftover nuts from the holidays or your last party. Averie from Averie Cooks shows us how easy it is for us to make our own nut butter at a fraction of the cost. Since Averie shares the actual recipe, It would really be best if you visited her site.  She also provides a printable version of the recipe. I did make a couple changes to Averie's recipe that you'll see in the Findings section of this post.  Mixed Nuts Getting started. If you like crunchy nut butter, you might want to take some out at this point to add back in later. Perfect for a pie crust or ba...

 Substance of Living Laundry Detergent Label Ingredients for Substance of Living Homemade Laundry Detergent Substance of Living Homemade Laundry Detergent 4 Pounds Baking Soda 4 Pounds Borax 3.7 Pounds Washing Soda 1 Bar Fels-Naptha 1 Bar Pink Zote Using a cheese grater, (I have one specifically for my laundry detergent) grate the two bars of soap (Fels-Naptha and Pink Zote).  If you don't have either of these bars handy, you can use three bars of your favorite soap.  Sometimes I use Ivory or Irish Spring.  Some people eliminate the bars of soap all together. Substance of Living Laundry Detergent using Irish Spring Bar Soap Grate the full bar of Pink Zote. Grated Pink Zote Grate the full bar of Fels-Naptha. Grated Fels-Naptha Mix 4 pounds of baking soda, or about 8 cups with the full box of Borax and Washing Soda along with the grated bars of soap. All the Ingredients for Substance of Living Homemade Laundry Detergent before M...