Blessings of My life...

      So here at Quilt in The Woods things have been super busy. Mr. Wolf was finally able to get a certain phone company to run a line out to the studio, which is now called a production building, after almost 2 months of hassle. Although, we did find out that my router out there is bad and needs to be replaced. But Hey there is internet in the studio!
      I now also have a new web site, Quilt in the Woods ! Mr. Wolf is still constructing it. Actually, he is starting all over because I did not like the original site... I don't know if you have ever been to Dana's site, MADE, (here is a link check it out it is AWESOME!=) But that is my inspiration, I LOVE her! I hope to get her book that is all about fabric the next time I am in town. So, anyways,  I am hoping it will be up and running soon. 
      What I am super duper excited about is the fabric I just received! While driving home one day a couple of weeks ago, I saw a sign saying "quilt fabric" I ( very safely) pulled a uie (hmmm is that a word?) And called the number on the sign. Needless to say I discover an retired quilt shop owner. I bought all of her fabric! Like a thousand or so yards.
       My studio is a mess!

                       This is just one section..
    
        However, slowly I am getting it all put away and organized. 

        
     I found this app for my phone that uses bar codes to keep track of my inventory, so it is taking longer then normal. Yet, come tax time I know that this will pay off. 

        I came to the realization last night that I am blessed. I look around me and I see people's life going haywire. I started studying the Bible with the Jehovah Witnesses in the early summer of this year. While my life is not perfect, I have found that by studying and attending meeting that it has become more enjoyable. I tried to keep my spiritual life separate from my work life. But as most of you know that isn't always possible. Especially when it is because of God, that I have made it this far. 
        Over the course of the next few weeks I will post tutorials on the Tie I made my boys and setting up your own bar coding system. 

 Preview of tie.

        Until next time, Go an make an heirloom.

<3 Maggie

Pssst, I Haven't bought laundry soap in almost a year! I make my own =)

Yes, you read the heading correctly. I haven't bought laundry soap since about January of this year. I also haven't bought dishwasher detergent since about March. For two reason, One: I am trying to get away from as many unnecessary chemicals in my family's life. Do you know what is in laundry soap? Or better yet, can you even pronounce it? I know I can't.  I make many things from scratch and eat processed food as little as possible, so why wouldn't I do the same in other area's of my life?

Two: This is probably  the most important reason.  I rather spend the money on FABRIC! ( shhhh don't tell Mr. Wolf lol) Here is the numbers for all you penny savers:

I use to use A certain brand of sensitive skin laundry soap. 

$7.88 for 150 oz. Which is a 100 loads.  With a family of 5, that last about a month.  On Wal-Marts site it says it cost about 12 cents a load. 

Ok. First before I go further, This is NOT my idea. I have tweaked it from the original poster ( or where I found the recipe) Here is a link to that page, http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2011/02/make-it-homemade-liquid-laundry-soap-1/ 

I have to give credit where it is due =)

Now, where was I? Oh yea, So you will need 3 things to make your own laundry soap- 4 if you want it to smell a certain way.

Arm & Hammer Washing Soda was  $3.88 ish

Mule Team Borax was $3.88ish

and Zote was $0.94  

I rounded everything up which is where I get my $9.00 total from. 

I shaved the Zote up,  added 4 cups of water and boiled it until it was a smooth and all the Zote was melted. I stirred it often for about 10 min. 

While this was melting, ( this is where my recipe difference from www.icanteachmychild.com ) I added 2 cups of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 1 1/2 cups of Borax to the 5 gallon bucket with hot water. 

I mixed this then added the Zote straight from the stove. Don't worry if there is soap on the bottom of your pot, a little hot water and slight scrub will get it off.  I then filled the bucket with hot water.

And mixed. You will need something that goes all the way to the bottom of the bucket. I will be investing in a paint paddle for my drill, but today I used a pizza thingy. 

I stirred it well then put the cover on the bucket and let it sit all day. After dinner, I stirred it up again and was ready to make up my batches of soap. 

As you can see after sitting all day it is basically soap jello ( the pizza thingy is not being held by anyone lol) To break up the jello into something that pours, I used my hands and the pizza thingy. 

It is still a little clumpy but easy to force through a funnel into your chosen containers. 

The soap in the bucket is concentrated. So I filled my containers half with the concentrate and half with HOT water. If you are using a gallon jug it works out to be 8 cups of concentrate and 8 cups of water. I made all 3 here. The two laundry container are going downstairs to the laundry room, the gallon jug is what I use in my dishwasher. Total time was about 30 min ( split between making and mixing).

It cost $9.00 to make 10 gallons of soap or 1280 oz. Which means that every ounce of soap cost me...wait for it .007 cents. Not bad. And I am not even taking into account that if I buy more Zote, I still have enough of the washing soda and borax to make more.  

There you have it. How I haven't bought laundry soap in almost a year. And for those of you who are wondering. It is low suds so it can be used in HE washers. (I own Samsung HE washer and dryer so personally tested). Clothes come out clean. My DMIL is sensitive to everything, and hasn't had a problem since I switched. And my dishes are clean also. 

Instructions on using the DIY Laundry and dishwasher soap.

For clothes, I use the cap that comes with my old laundry bottles. 

For dishwasher, I fill the little compartments. ( I haven't replaced my dishwasher yet so it is old lol). 

I do not measure the reason is, my daughter does dish's as her chore so simple is good. And I am not always the one who does the laundry. Mamaw Wolf and Mr. Wolf does their fair share, and once again, simple is good. 

Sorry that this is such a long post. I hope you enjoy and it made sense. Feel free to leave a comment or ask me a question. <3

DIY Pressing/Cutting station. ~ Tutorial~

My First Tutorial!

You know what they say, necessity is the mother of all inventions.  Which was true this time also. I needed a bigger table for my cutting mat.  My previous cutting area was on top of a ironing board I had made a few years back. 

Old pressing cutting station.

As you can see, it was not very large ( it is the blue diamond fabric). So I decided to make a bigger one.

What it started out as. 

The 6 drawer dresser I re-purposed was my hubby's when he was a kid. I think then it went through his first marriage, then I turned it into a changing table when Chunk a Butt was born. As seen here. 






Well Chunk no longer needed it, then it went into his sister's room for a year or so. Then we decided that it was too big in Her room. Which meant it ended up in the studio.  I am tall so when I placed my Ironing board on top of the dresser it was not high enough.  I used Mr. Wolf's muscle and raised the dresser up on cinder blocks ( I know, I know, I am a redneck). Cinder Blocks by the way are the BOMB! They can be used for so many different things, but that is a different post.

I do not have a picture of a complete before. Sorry. Take my word that the pressing/cutting station was too high..and imagine me going grrrrr! 

Drawers where removed. 

So with out further delay, I present my tutorial on making your own pressing cutting station! ( please excuse the mess, studio is currently in the middle of a remodel lol)

First I removed all the drawers. 

Support added.

 Then I added supports blocks on the back using screws. I tried the nails and hammer, yea, I like power tools better. :-D

Added "extensions". 

Next, I added the extensions to make the dresser top bigger. There are more L brackets under the wood that you can not see. 

Sanding.


I then took some left over
paint and painted the
whole thing. 

Then the whole thing was brought outside and sanded.

Dry brush painted.

Drawers getting painted

 I sanded a little to give it a more aged look. 

 100% cotton batting is stapled to the top. 

 Then a layer of Insul-Bright. Shinny side up. This is what makes it a "pressing " station. 

 Final step is to cover all the layers with pretty fabric. You can not see it but there are tiny roses all over this. 

 Finished project. The color is suppose to be some shade of lavender ( or so Mr. Wolf says), I call it bubble gum pink. Any time I want to iron all I have to do is remove my cutting mat.  I may also make a skirt for this at some point in the future. Ya know to hide the cinder blocks.
I hope you enjoyed my very first tutorial.  Now it is off to bed for me!

One, Two, Three Gray hairs OH MY!

So, last night I once again noticed that I had gray hairs. Now I am not going to lie, I have know that I have gray hairs for a while now. I also know why I have gray hairs ( Thank you Anatomy and Physiology class). It is just that I am finally accepting the gray hairs and that I am getting older.
Getting older sneaked up on me. You see up until really recently, I did not even think that I was aging at all. I thought that I was a young hot mamma, who was hip and still cool. I mean 32 is not old. Well not anymore. When I was in my 20's, thirty was old, and I could not even think about getting gray hair.  Heck even if I did think about it, I just knew I would color it. Now, not so much.
A couple of days ago I heard some really bad news about an ex boyfriend of mine who is basically dying. While I have lost people who where close to me, not one of them was I intimately involved with. This is a man who watched me grow from an immature girl to a women who knew where and what I wanted out of my life. At one time I thought I would spend the rest of my life with this man. He was my best friend, my lover, my support. However he had one down side. Drinking. A lot. I could not sit by and watch him, in my eyes, kill himself with alcohol. So, I choose the easy way out and left. ( It was not on good terms, nor was it a nice way to leave the way I did). Fast forward a few years later and Him and I have buried the hatch, kinda of repaired our friendship. Both of us have also moved on romantically.  I am happy that he finally meet a women who was a big enough motivation for him to quit drinking, and he was starting to have his fairytale. Then out of the blue, I read the devastated news on Facebook.  I was speechless. I still pray for him everyday.  He reminded me how short life can really be.
I got to thinking, and over the course of the next few days, I came to the realization that I have a really big list of people to thank for how I have turned out. Every boyfriend that did not work out. Every friend who stabbed me in the back, all those who have stuck by me through it all.  Every single fail that the adults in my life as a child did, and every single fail I have done as an adult myself. Every job I lost through my own stupidity or others. Every confrontation that I have had.  Every single moment of my life has made me who I am today.
If it would have worked out with my ex boyfriend or heck any of the ex's of my life, I would not have meet Mr. Wolf. Who, even thought I want to beat him at times, is really the greatest person in my life. It is because of our relationship that I have my two of the three most wonderful kids. I have a mother in law that most women would die for, and a "in Law" family that has taken me in and accepted me with all my faults. While the ex boyfriend watched me grow into a women, Mr. Wolf is that catalyst that has allowed me to reach my full potential.
I know that the day is going to come when I am going to morn my ex's passing. I hope that he realizes just how big a part he played in my life. In all honestly, if it was not for that relationship I would have never been able to have the relationship with Mr. Wolf that I do. And for that I will be eternally grateful. My wish for him now is that he is happy, loved and comfortable. I also hope that he has finally found the peace that he has so desperately looked for most of his life ( maybe to the point where he doesn't want to press the little red button).I am going to miss him. And there will be an ache in my heart when he does pass. Hopefully, he will read this and smile to himself. I pray that Jehovah watches over him and grates him the strength to make it through the coming battles.
And to think, I thought all of this while noticing that there where more gray hairs then the last time. <3

Cha Cha Changes!

Ok, So I have blogged anything in quiet awhile. I have been extremely busy. So much has changed. First I have started studying and am currently working on becoming a Jehovah Witness. While it may not be for everyone, since starting reading and studying the Bible with the Witnesses, life has well become easier. I don't know if this is because Mr. Wolf (DH) and I are not completely focused on our family and each other or if it is because we have decided to live our lives according what the Bible teaches. What I do know is that because of us following our hearts and listening to our Heavenly Father Our lives are finally truly peaceful.  But more on that later.
Another big change is that Mr.Wolf and I have finally gotten married!

 Yep, It is official and legal. I am now Mrs. Wolf!

After 5 years together, exactly, we were married on our property surrounded by the people who we love and cherish the most in this world.  It was stressful, yet once I let go and reminded myself that it did not matter who showed up. What was done or not done. What mattered the most is that my family was become a true family in Jehovah's eyes and in ours, I was marrying the love of my life, and Mamma's name now matches the rest of the family!
There have been some other changes that has occurred at the Ward house. I have changed my major from Physician Assistant to Psychology. I am still going to help children, specifically children who have been neglected and abused, but I am not going to have to deal with needles. We have also decided to home-school our kids. This is for a number of reasons. But the main is simply because we want the best for our children and feel this is the way to go.
Quilting wise I have not done anything. I did but insulation in the ceiling of my studio. But with making everything for the wedding and school work, among other things, quilting has kinda gotten pushed to the back burner. However now that everything has started to calm down. I will be able to get out there more.
So much has changed in the last few months, it is hard to believe that it is my life. My goal has slightly changed. My priorities has been refine and sharpen to what truly matters. Life is great and I have been blessed more then I deserved.
Until next time <3
MW

Undergoing remolding my life..

I haven't blogged in a few weeks.  It is not that I didn't have time, I did. I was just not motivated to sit down and write anything meaningful. My algebra class successfully turned my brain into mush. I am more then thankful that it is over. I am even more grateful that I do not have to take another math course for the rest of the year! ( Brian -my academic adviser- you are the bomb =D) I am rambling. I really hated my math class...but any hoot.
So what have I been doing in the weeks I haven't written anything? Well actually, a lot. First I planted a Square foot garden. I am in love with this little plants. I so can not wait for them to be ready to eat.

This is my first box. I now have a total of 4, with more to come.
Here is the website that tells all about SFG
http://www.squarefootgardening.com/ 







This adventure has helped me in a couple ways. The first and biggest way this little garden has helped is by giving me something to do outside. With. Out. Smoking. Yep, by gardening and a ton of Kingdom of Amular, ( xbox 360 for other gamer chicks and dudes), I have kicked a habit I have had since I have been 13 years old. I have to say. I don't miss it one bit. I quit cold turkey. How, you ask? I found something I liked more then the cigarettes. My chunk a butt also know as, my baby boy. When he looked at me one morning and asked where his cigarette was, I knew I was done. That was the last day I smoked. Of course this will help me once I am a Physicians Assistant because I will be able to relate to my paitents. So my advice if your trying to quit...find something you love more, and don't give up!

The other way the garden has helped improve my life...I have decided to go to a Paleo diet. But that is a post for another day.
) <3 (
M.S.

Breaking the rules!

 Ok, I know I have only been quilting now since 2010. I have read many how to books about quilting, joined www.quiltingboard.com ( which I LOVE!). However I never knew that I could go completely against everything that I have read and put together blocks that did not include the " everyday" pieces. Squares, half squares, drunkards path, triangles. I don't have to limit my creatives with these shapes. It has been a complete Ahhhhaa moment for me. I have spent the better part of the day looking a picture of some really amazing quilts.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to get out to the studio much this past week. My algebra homework has been kicking my behind,  I had a slight family emergency ( everything is fine now) and on top of it all, my back and body pain has come back with a vengeance. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to spend some quality time out in my sanctuary and see if I can work on fixing the vibration problem I am having with Rose.
<3