Soap Make & Take

Yesterday, at our weekly Arts & Sciences SCA meeting, we did our second make and take project. This time, we made soap. It was a much easier process than I thought it might be, although anything you have to be so precise with - and you do need to be precise with the water/lye/fat ratio - is probably not something I am going to tackle solo very often. (also the reason for some of the cooking I don't do...)

I don't have in-process photos this time. I was busy making! I do have some pics of what I got to bring home though.

Lightly coconut scented. Can you smell it from there?

We used egg cartons and poure on top of plastic wrap to make small sized pieces to experiment with. I added a couple drops of coconut scent to the base. We used coconut oil for our fat component. Yes, I will have to trim these up a little to make them more presentable. but I'm pretty happy with them, especially for a first try.

I also used a small carton for a mold, and just made plain, unscented soap.

carton of soap

This will have to cure for several weeks. I never knew that soap needed to cure. I hope I can cut bars reletively neatly as I would like to donate some of this for largesse. I'm also looking forward to trying some out!

Our next make and take project will be pewter coins/medalions. Sounds like fun, right!

Bags Bags Bags

I completed my 13 bags, and was happy with my results. Did I take pics of all of them? NO! I was too busy trying to get them, the girl, and the stuff in the car and down to the event. And, evidently, my brain fell out or something. I really thought I took a picture or two after this one, when more bags were done.

and the stack got bigger...

I was very happy with the variety I got from a limited amount of fabrics, and trims, buttons etc that I found in my stash. No two bags were exactly alike. I had 10 envelope bags with shoulder straps, some were flat and others had boxed bottoms. I also made 3 drawstring bags. I tried to make some that were gender neutral (at least) so that they would be easier to gift as prizes or thanks. All the bags were lined.

The bags were part of an Arts and Sciences competition, which I didn't win, and honestly, that wasn't the point of making them. They were also part of a silent auction, and whomever put in the highest bid got to pick their favorite of the bunch. Someone bid and got to choose, and I wish I knew which bag they picked, but it is OK that I don't know, too. That wasn't the point either.

There were quite a few other bags given as prizes, so I think I need to branch out some, and figure out something else to make for next time!

13 of a Kind

There is going to be an SCA event next Saturday in El Paso. In the SCA we call it The Citadel of the Southern Pass, or just The Citadel. There will be fighting, and Arts and Sciences all afternoon, and I'm looking forward to attending. It is called Hastilude. Don't know what that is from or what it means, but that won't stop me from going!

Since I've been "bagging it" lately - making bags that is - I decided to participate in 13 of a kind. You make 13 items on a theme, to donate for largesse (gifts for the royalty to present as awards and thank-you's). One of the items will be used as part of a silent auction to raise funds for the barony. There will also be some kind of voting going on, but I'm not sure what people are voting on, exactly.

At any rate, the making has begun. Yesterday and today, I got cutting.

pile of bags-to-be

I'll be making a variety of bags, mostly envelope shoulder bags, but also a few drawstring bags as well. Each will be lined, and as you can tell there will be a variety of embellishments as well.

The first two bags to be sewn up were dark blue twill with a wide blue and green trim for the straps. No two of the bags will be identical, although I don't think it would matter - for this - if they were.

two of thirteen

I should be sewing up 3 or 4 each day for the next few days.

Dipped Candles - A&S

Last Thursday, our SCA Arts and Sciences group had our first make and take. We were going to make dipped candles. In theory, easy enough. Melt the wax, add the coloring, cut some lengths of wick, take turns dipping them in the wax. Take home a candle. Maybe even add a couple to the largesse/ prize stores. Yeah.

Wax melting in double boiler contraption. It worked well.

In theory. In practice, the wax we used - soy wax - was not suitable for dipped candles. Evidently it liquifies too quickly or easily and we were not able to get much build-up on our wicks. We tried. We had a line going around the kitchen island dutifully dipping and dipping, but they looked more like those long thin birthday candles.

Dip the wick into the wax, then into the water to cool the wax.

Finally, we found some paper coffee cups, and poured the wax into them to make simple molded candles. It was an interesting experiment, and although we did not get the candles we were trying for, we did end up with candles. And the determination to try it again, with different wax.

So, do I think the make and take was a failure? No! I do not. Quite a few people participated and some even got to take home a candle. We decided we would have to find appropriate candleholders for them before actually burning them or there will be a puddle of burning wax on a surface that should not have a puddle of burning wax on it. We learned, we bonded, we made stuff. Yay!

Mideaval Envelope Bags

I've been working on putting a class together for my SCA Arts & Sciences group. Several people wanted a beginning sewing class, and I'm glad to help them. I think having something to take away from the class that they make will be an awesome incintive for them to try some more sewing, as well.

I found a pattern for an envelope bag in my browsing through pinterest, and I thought it would do well for men and women, depending on the fabrics used. It is a simple shape, and simple construction, with straight lines to sew. It is fully lined, and quite functional. With very little modification - again mostly fabric - it can also look quite modern and up-to-date.

I decided to make a couple of sample bags, for people to look at and get an idea of modifications that are possible. One version is pretty simple, with a boxed bottom, and twill tape for a shoulder strap.

Simple shoulder bag

The other example is a little more colorful, and I covered some stiff innerfacing for a shoulder strap. I also included side panels and a bottom panel to give this bag more depth.

fancy lace trim

I'm working on a basic 9 by 11 pattern that will easily come out of a fat quarter or two. Twill tape for a handle makes that an easy matter of sewing in the strap with the lining.

The only thing I have left to do on either of these bags is to give them closures. The envelope shape on the flap rather needs one.

These are a good size to wander around merchant's row at an event, hold a small craft project, or even hold a kindle or a nook, and with a little added size, an I-pad or similar tablet.

In the Planning Stages

I miss visiting with my cousin and sewing. Life has circumstances, and those circumstances change, and it just isn't possible right now. But, I miss it.

A couple weeks ago, an SCA friend posted a link to a pinterest board full of largess (donated gift) ideas. Oh my goodness. It was a dangerous thing for me to look at, and I loved every moment. There were so many things I wanted to make, or try or HAVE! It got me thinking, and then, acting. We have an Arts & Sciences meeting every week, and work on crafts while we visit and chat. I passed around a paper and pencil and asked everyone to make a list of things they wanted to make or try or have, and they did. Many of them had ideas similar to mine, and seemed enthusiastic to participate. Like so many things, all it will take (I think) is someone to organize it. OK, I'll take that on.

In hopes of not overwhelming everyone, I'm hoping we can figure out a make-and-take activity each month, and some kind of class each month as well. Our first ones, planning for June, are make and take candles, and a beginning sewing class to make an envelope tote. Now I just need to figure out what everyone needs to bring/donate so that who ever wants to participate can do so.

Of course, the other part of my plan is to post the activity and results here. Excited!

summer time dressing

It means shorts! Our weather lately has definitely put us in mind of summer. Until this weekend that is, when there were wind advisories of 50+ MPH. And dust. Did I mention the dust? What, you thought that brown sky was clouds? HA HA HA.

Raine has grown so much that when we went through her play clothes drawers, she was left with about 3 paris of pants and 2 pairs of shorts. YIKES! That will not do! I'm not the kind of mom that thinks she much have endless choices. I've already made too many things for Raine that she never got around to wearing.Still, I do think the staples should be in the wardrobe, and that she should be able to have a week's worth of shorts in the summer, and a week's worth of pants in the winter. I'm not a do-laundry-every-night sort of person.

Recently, JoAnn's had a sale, and I took Raine, and she picked out fabric for shorts. I was surprised by some of her choices (not the camoflage though) and thought she made some good ones! I got them all cut out last weekend. It was the 3-day variety, and I took advantage. This weekend I let her pick the pair she wanted me to sew up first. Not surprisingly, it was the camo pair.

She is a lot happier with the shorts than this photo would lead you to believe.

She likes a basic board short with side seam pockets, and a pocket on the side, a comfortable elastic waist, and long enough to fall below her knee. I cut them out as a size 14 with added length. Like 4-6 inches added length. She doesn't look too thrilled in the photo above, but she finally got into the spririt of things, posing for pictures of all sides of the shorts.

how about this side?

I forgot to sew that outside pocket on before I closed up the crotch seam, so placement was problematic, and it looks like I didn't quite get it level. Still, camo hides a myriad of flaws, right? I doubt she will even notice. I know she likes them because after she tried them on for me, she wouldn't take them off.

Hopefully she will be able to wear them for a couple of years... but she's going to have to grow into those hands, isn't she. More shorts on the horizon, preparing for summer swelter.