Good morning!  Happy Tuesday!

The temperature has been in the 90’s the last few days and our little basil plants are not doing well.  Our strawberry plants are droopy too.  I had been watering every 3-4 days but now I’ll have to increase that to every 2 days.  I think I’ll move the basil plants to a more shaded area until they get more strength to them.  Potatoes and tomatoes are doing well.

Yesterday I got happy mail from Massdrop…

Superior Thread
King Tut
4/19/2016

I’ve been into thread lately.  I like having a variety of colors and choices to have to play with.  I also like having different weights to use for decorative stitching.

A Rainbow Garden
Block 4 in progress
4/19/2016

Since I’m watching as many games as I could catch during the NBA Playoffs, I’ve had a lot of hand work time.  I knitted (YES!) and I got further along on my wool project.

And since it’s hot here again, the hubby shaved the boy’s hair… and it reminded me that he has two hair swirls on his head.  Weird right?

My son’s bald head
4/19/2016

And since today seems to be a bit scattered in the overall scheme of things, have you ever made Vanilla Extract?  It’s so easy.  Vanilla beans, mason jar (or any bottle) and vodka (or rum).

5/30/2015 – Absolut Vodka and 7 vanilla beans that came with the kit

Anyway, you throw the vanilla beans into the bottle and cover them with vodka (or rum) and then let it sit for 6 weeks or so.  You shake the jar a bit every day the first week or so and then periodically after that.  After a few weeks, you strain the mixture to remove the beans and it’s ready to use.  I made some last summer and I’m still using what I made.  I know it’s easy to buy vanilla extract but I recently came across Chaste Berry Tincture as a natural way to balance hormones and reduce fibroids.  (Obviously, this is not FDA approved or anything)  I originally bought the tincture already made but with shipping and taxes, 1 oz of the tincture cost me $17!  Way too much money to spend when I can buy dried Chaste Berries for $5 and then make my own tincture.  Basically it’s made the same way vanilla extract is made.  I fill a jar about a third full of the dried chaste berries, cover it with vodka and let it sit for 6 weeks.  Shake it every day the first week and then periodically after that.

Chaste Berry Tincture

This will be ready mid-May.

I hope you guys get to play with fabric!  I’ll continue to baste Raining Cats and Dogs.  I hope to get that off the frame ASAP.  The current plan is to machine quilt on my domestic along Stitch In The Ditch between each block and then hand quilt within the blocks.  But that may change when I actually get it off and start.

Raining Cats and Dogs
on the frame
to be basted
4/18/2016

Linking with   and  and 

~Melanie