So for those who don't know me very well besides soap I also am addicted to quilting. I have been Quilting since I can't remember when, before it was cool that is for sure. I recently agreed  to test a pattern for a designer named Joanne,www.canuckquilter.com is her website, before she published it and it was awesome. I hope to find other designers to test for in the future,but lets talk about her quilt today.

 
      The quilt is called Autumn Moons. finished size is 44x60 so perfect for snuggling under during a movie marathon when the weather turns.Fabric requirements were super easy; 1/2yrd cut for inner border and 9 dark and 9 light  fat quarters, but who doesn't have that laying around in their stash?  I know that I sure do, but I also need an excuse to go visit my local quilt shop every now and again so that is what I did this time. Of course, you will also need a backing.
     I really liked the simplicity of the quilt. I know, I know, so many people are afraid of the drunkards path but is really is quite simple if you have ever set in a sleeve it is no different. The only one definite recommendation I have is if you ever do a drunkards path go get the acrylic template for cutting. I did not have access to my template this time around and I had to cut it old school. I did not enjoy it at all. I am so used to the accuracy that I get with the acrylic rulers and a rotary cutter.

       Another thing I liked about the quilt is you get to do a little bit of everything. you have your curve piecing, three paper pieced blocks that were really quite simple as far as paper piecing goes and then you had your flying geese. Joanne's directions were easy to follow and her fabric guide was spot on. you had enough fabric left over you could make a mistake or two and still get the quilt done but not so much fabric left that you are thinking "What am I going to do with all this leftover fabric?"
        Given the size of the quilt I do have ideas rolling around in my head of doing this quilt again only making it larger to fit my king size bed. The decisions to be made then are do I make more leaves and make the center bigger, or do I simply add a couple of rows or drunkard path and call it a day, probably I will make drunkards path and a few random leaves followed by another random flying geese border. I can't wait to get this loaded up onto the long-arm and quilt it. That was another aspect of the quilt that appealed to me. some great open spaces to quilt in. I will post pictures when that day comes. In the mean time head over to www.canuckquilter.com and take a look and some of Joanne's other works.

September Challenge Clyde Slide

So the September Challenge from Amy Warden is called Clyde Slide, And if the name isn't fun enough to say then let me tell you this might be a new obsession. I watched several of Clyde's videos and I can see I will be playing with this one for awhile.

This is how my finished product for the first try turned out. I scented it with Guava Fig from Crafter's Choice. and I used neon pink, matte red mixed with a touch of pink, green and a little too much titanium dioxide also from crafter's choice as my colorants. I did make a video of my pour but I can't remember how to edit and upload at this time.
   I went with pouring my colors into my bowl on one side with some of the base already in the bowl. I also moved the bowl down the length of the mold as I poured. I really like the swirl effect that I got even though I didn't get the amazing feathers. It has been a while since I have used my really long molds. I could have and should have made a larger batch of soap and mixed another color or two. I will try this again very soon. Thank you Amy you always broaden our knowledge.

yin and yang

I haven't done one of Amy Warden's challenge in forever. Here is hoping I get this one done in time. This months is Embracing  Opposites.My first thought is yin and yang. Now what scents do I have that would work with that idea. I have some Dragons blood scent. I also need to replenish my goat milk line of soap.

 First off I have to make the yin and yang which I did with my standard goat milk recipe; coconut, olive, lard and palm are the oils I used. Isaac chose green and red for the colors. I tried to mix two different shades of each for a in the pot swirl. Pour into my round mold and since its goat milk I decided to throw it in the freezer to see what the difference is between gel or not gel. I had plenty left over to pour into some silicon molds that I could gel so I would have a good test on that.

Here it is straight from the freezer. (One shot with flash one with out.) Ready to go into log mold with more soap. I mixed up some more soap but not quite enough and I really need to stop trying to do purple. I wanted purple on the side of the green and yellow on the red side. well somehow there was just a touch more yellow than purple and I am not sure how I feel about the finished product.

Below is some of the left over that I threw into a silicon mold and let it gel. the color is much softer.

And then today as I was washing up the soaping dishes I realized I didn't use the vanilla stabilizer so all the color mixing may have been for naught. time will tell.