It doesn't happen very often, but every now and then I win something in a raffle or a giveaway. I'll fill out a slip of paper and drop it in a bucket, or I'll leave a comment on a blog, or add my name to a mailing list and promptly forget about it. So it's always an unexpected treat to find out that mine was the winning entry. 

I enjoy reading the blogs of other soapmakers, seeing photos of their beautiful soapy creations, and learning about new recipes or techniques they've tried. Soapmakers have so much to offer each other and I appreciate those who are willing to share and encourage others in their craft. The market for handmade soap is large enough for all of us. Handmade soap is good and every bar is a unique reflection of its maker.

One of blogs I follow is written by Amanda Gail of Lovin' Soap Studio. She and her soap making husband Benjamin Aaron, "love helping soapmakers learn the craft and start their soapmaking business." They have written several Ebooks and founded the Lovin' Soap Project, which can empower women in developing countries by helping them learn how to make and sell handmade soap. I enjoy reading about their experiences as they travel and teach.

Recently Amanda had a giveaway on her blog. She had received four new fragrance oils from Bramble Berry, their 2016 Spring Fever Fragrance Collection of Clover and Aloe, Sunflower, Blooms and Berries, and Blueberry Jam. Since she uses essential oils exclusively in her own soaps, she decided to give away these wonderful fragrances to someone who left a comment on her blog. And that someone was me! Thank you, Amanda!

Receiving these new fragrance oils gave me another opportunity to make soap and to share my soap making experience using them. In this blog post I will highlight the Clover and Aloe fragrance and the Sunflower fragrance. 

I make soap in my kitchen, so first I prepped the counter by covering it with kitchen towels, gathering the oils, colorants, and various tools needed to make soap. I used the same recipe for both, although I added more sugar to the lye solution of one. I'm curious if that soap's lather will bubble a little better than the other. I'll have to compare to find out, especially since I forgot which one had the extra sugar!

Clover and Aloe may be my new favorite fragrance. Bramble Berry describes it this way:
Top Notes: bergamot, lemon and mint
Middle Notes: green tea, rose and cyclamen
Base Notes: lily, amber, moss and light violet​


​

As noted, this fragrance behaved beautifully. In keeping with the aloe scent, I used aloe vera juice for the lye solution. A portion of the soap batter was mixed with chromium green oxide while the majority was left uncolored. After pouring the soap, I used a gear tie to swirl the mixture and a knife to create the textured top. 
​

The next batch was scented with Sunflower, which is described by Bramble Berry as having:
Top Notes: grapefruit, bergamot and sweet grass
Middle Notes: heart of lily, jasmine, quince and sage
Base Notes: sandalwood, ylang ylang, plum, cinnamon, cedarwood

For color, I used chromium green oxide and umber oxide for the swirls and dusted the top with gold mica. I used the gear tie again to swirl and a knife to texture the top before spraying with 99% isopropyl alcohol to help reduce soda ash. Both batches were put in a preheated 170 degree oven for a little while to ensure gel.

As noted, the uncolored portion of the soap discolored to a light tan, but the brown and green swirls still contrast nicely. Here is the first cut. I love how the swirls dance across each bar.

Of the Spring Fever fragrances I received, there are two more to use. I'm looking forward to making soap again soon. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment below to make my day.

​~Debbie

Before I began making handmade soap, I made quilts. My home is decorated with many wall hangings and lap quilts that I made over the years. I confess that I have quite a few unfinished quilt tops stashed away. Recently I was motivated to continue hand quilting a queen size bed quilt that I started over 16 years ago. Yes, 16 years ago. It was a project for the new millennium. After hand quilting 80% of the top, I set it aside when I took up knitting again and started making soap. Although I haven't been quilting much in recent years, I still enjoy going to quilt shows and seeing the creativity of quilters.
​
Anyways, while waiting in a doctor's office, I was struck by a quilt hanging on the wall. It looked vaguely familiar to me, but when I questioned the receptionist about the quilt, she had little information other than that the doctor had purchased it in Columbia and that the quilt depicted the birth of Jesus. So I snapped a picture with my phone and when I got home Googled the image. This is what I found.

This is the original Bible quilt, which is now part of
the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

The first row panels depict:
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden 
Adam and Eve with a son
Satan surrounded by seven stars 

The second row depicts: 
Cain killing his brother Abel
Cain and his wife in the land of Nod
Jacob's dream of a ladder reaching to heaven
The baptism of Christ

The third row panels depict:
The crucifixion of Jesus 
Judas Iscariot and the thirty pieces of silver
The Last Supper
The birth of Jesus

In 1992 the Smithsonian caused quite a controversy in the quilting world when it licensed reproductions of four quilts in its collection, including the Harriet Powers Bible quilt. The reproductions were made in China, which sparked protests from American quilters. Over 23,000 reproductions of the four quilts were sold in 1993 with a numbered Certificate of Registration card. One of these reproduction quilts hangs in the Great Lake Quilt Center at the Michigan State University Museum. Another is hanging in a doctor's office waiting room in Jacksonville, Florida.

Have you seen a reproduction Harriet Powers quilt? The original is not currently on display, so for me even a reproduction was a treat to see. 

~Debbie