My New Bag

Sometimes when you can't find (or can't afford) what you really want, you just have to make it yourself. Well, I have to, anyway. Last year, I made a tote bag that was to function as a purse/camera bag. It was pretty much a prototype, because I knew that I would have to use it for awhile to decide what I really wanted. A few months ago, I purchased some fabric for the upcoming bag. Last week, the boys went to work with hubby for the day, which freed me up for a day of sewing. And sew I did.

I made a bag that was crazy huge, along the lines of luggage. That really wouldn't do. By then I was pretty obsessed with having the bag of my dreams, so I was back at it the next day. I'm pleased to say that by the time Saturday afternoon arrived, I was done! Well, mostly. I have a couple more additions coming, but had to get back to real life, after taking so much sewing time off. I'm very happy with the newer, smaller version. It's the perfect size for my camera and a few purse items or just to be used as a purse.


Fortunately, I had plenty of tapestry and liner fabric left.



As a purse.



As a camera bag/purse.



It even has little pockets for memory cards.



I always make a coordinating little bag.


What's missing, you ask? I still plan to make an adjustable cross-body strap for those times I'm shooting pictures and don't want to worry about it slipping off my shoulder. I'm also making movable, padded dividers so the camera has its own space.

DIY - Laundry Soap

Yesterday's Wordless Wednesday picture definitely resembled a block of cheese. It's actually soap (which a number of you guessed - though I thought the fungi guess was quite interesting!).

A number of years ago, I read about making your own laundry soap from Mary Hunt. She offered recipes for both liquid and powdered soap. Seeing how the liquid took a little more work, I opted for the powdered version.

Powdered Laundry Detergent:
1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap
1/2 cup washing soda (I use Arm & Hammer)
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team borax

Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light loads use 1 tablespoon. For normal loads, use 2 tablespoons. For heavy loads, use 3 tablespoons. Cost per "normal" load .15.

You can purchase these products in the laundry section of your grocery store or Target and probably others (assuming they carry them). If not, try Soaps Gone Buy. In fact, you can get the Fels Naptha Soap on sale for 99 cents a bar right now. And please note that it's WASHING soda, not making baking soda. Also be aware that Arm & Hammer makes a powdered laundry detergent that looks quite similar to their washing soda. If you buy the wrong one, you'll essentially be using their detergent that you've supplemented with Fels Naptha and Borax. Not that I've ever done that personally or anything. Um, yeah, right.

The first batch was REALLY hard to make because we (I had to have help) grated the soap by hand. UGH! I would not really recommend this method. If you have a food processor, a rotary cheese grater, or something, then go for it.

Fels Naptha is a very versatile, useful bar of soap. Here's an extensive list of all the great things you can do with it. In addition to cleaning, you can use it to treat poison ivy and deal with plant pests.

You will not see a lot of suds with this, but it is awesome! Clothes are clean, they smell FRESH, not like detergent, and it's much better in terms of what it's NOT putting into the waste water. It also seemed to cut down on the need for fabric softener and/or dryer sheets most of the time. Mine is stored in an empty Boy Scout popcorn pail. I have a 2 tablespoon scoop from a container of flax seed that works wonderfully.

Give it a try!



ps - you can find other follow-up stories to Wordless Wednesday posts at Tell Me Thursday.