Holiday gift ideas for the seamstress or tailor

I purchase two patterns of slipper/house shoes from this etsy seller and I love both. These have to be my favorite because they show off a great piece of fabric my mom found for me. In my haste to get them done they are starting to show wear on the seams (I trimmed too hastily) but aside from my botch job these patterns are great. Make them for someone or grab them the pattern and a couple of fat quarters in fun patterns.

Happy Holidays,
Head Bather

Holiday gift ideas

Hmm could be trouble but I could see this being even better than my box wines while camping. I mean it looks like a purse think how much better the holiday "blockbusters" would be with a little vino?

Found on Uncommongoods.com

Head Bather

Halloween costumes

I got started early. Found a pattern I liked, fabric, and finished before the middle of October. It was a huge accomplishment for me.

That can be a double edged sword though, will she change her mind, what if she has a growth spurt?

We lucked out.



I think the expression says it all.

Hope your Halloween was full of treats with very few tricks.

Happy harvest,
Head Bather

Colette sewing book on amazon

I have sewn her patterns and love them, well designed, well written, and the fit is amazing. Definitely adding to my wish list for the holidays. Many best wishes to Sarai and the team at Colette patterns!

Head Bather

DIY Costumes

DIY Costumes, a gallery by U.S. Yahoo! Editorial on Flickr.

Some great ideas and my little kid's from last year.
Happy Halloween!
Head Bather

Ahhhh

Head Bather

Do you plan a menu, would you?

Open publication - Free publishing - More food


Do you need recipes for this weeks menu, how about some vegetarian options?
Check out Chickpea magazine, I am one of the lovely bath and beauty lines featured in their product section.
Beautiful recipes, photos and stories.

Drooling,
Head Bather

Sewing tips

• Wind multiple bobbins to start a project. Or just use white or black bobbin thread.

• If you are designing something with small pieces (like quilts or fiber art) warm and natural batting tacked to your wall makes for a great design board. Cotton fabric just sticks to it.

• Thread snips are a great tool, even better if you can wear them around your neck to trim seam tails.

• Boxes of organized notions. I have one with zippers, another one with buttons and fasteners, and another with piping, elastic and seam binding tape. I have them on a shelf over my head when I am at my sewing machine.

Vintage sewing kit at MmeRubys on Etsy

• Boxes or shelves of fabric by kind. I have large opaque bins with labels on them like, Shirting, Quilting, Upholstery, Suiting, and Knits. Yes I have that much fabric.

• Patterns organized by top or bottom, dress, kids, mens or sportswear ensembles.

Things will get messy every now an then, that's when it's time to reset your room and see if some organizational tool isn't working for you (you find it difficult to accomplish, not just that you hate cleaning up, cause lets face it you have to clean up every now an again when you are creative). I thought having my bins on a book shelf next to my sewing machine would work but it didn't, I had to put up a wall shelf above my sewing table and now it's much more fluid and usable.

Enjoy,

Head Bather

Beauty Face Scrub

Once upon a time I had different labels and a product called Earth Face scrub. Earth line is designed to be closer to the earth, woody, and grounding. When I designed it every line had a scrub so Earth got one too, it was sugar and dead sea clay with some very earthy essential oils.

Then I discovered Beauty Face wash, and a facial line was born. It only made sense that it should have a scrub, and I needed a scrub for my skin. So I switched it.

Beauty Face Scrub is a version of what was Earth Face Scrub. I have lowered the oil and wax content because the previous formulation was just too moisturizing.

Now Beauty Face Scrub cleanse off dead skin, dirt and makeup with sugar, dead sea clay and the clarifying oils of cypress and rosemary. It feels like velvet sand, soft but grainy. I used it last night, it left my face feeling soft and lightly moisturized.

I'm so happy to have it back.
Head Bather

Be back soon

Big Sur, CA
Head Bather

Sewing and being green

I love to sew. Sometimes more than other things.
I also love to find vintage supplies to use. Buttons are the most collectible, but I tend to find everyday things.

Zippers in fun retro colors, bias tape, hem lace or rickrack. All things can be used in their normal way or new fun ways.

An asymmetrical collar that opens with a zipper anyone? How about appliques with bias tape in fun shapes, maybe it wraps around a spot in something you can't get out.

So now we are using products that are old but still good and keeping items in our closet for longer.
Sounds very green.
Head Bather

I make the labels too!

I tell myself that making my own labels helps save money, feeds the need to graphic design and enables me to try out new products in small runs.

That may be true, but it can back fire too.

Like when your labels aren't water proof, and you make bath products.

Yeah that was not ideal.

But now I have waterproof vinyl label paper that works with my printer! I think I have almost everything switched over.

They go on so smooth and matte that there is almost no difference, other than the not peeling in your shower part. It's kind of a big deal. To me anyway.

Love to you all,
Head Bather

Camping

DSC00939
Originally uploaded by ritualbath

We have wanted to go see the coastal redwoods ever since we moved out west, and soon we will be sleeping among them.

I love camping. Yes it's not for everyone, but that dirt under my nails, fire smell in my hair and waking up with the sun, ahh, makes me feel good.

For me I need a fire, comfy inflatable bed, and tent large enough to stand up in. The rest is just bonus.

What do you need?
Getting ready for the woods,
Head Bather

MmeRuby's Owl

Another path

Originally uploaded by ritualbath

I have a love of treasure hunting, it's in my blood. I have always had some form of treasure window to house some of my most beloved memories in solid form. Often I go hunting and find great things but don't have a home for them. Now they are at MmeRubys on Etsy. Everything is one of a kind, never to be seen again, vintage or handmade or both. RitualBath is still my first love and continues to bring me joy, I just needed to add this as well. One step toward my apothecary/gift shop.
Happy hunting,
Head Bather

Last days of summer grilling

Are you hot yet? Has the last sweet, salty, sweat of summer descended your back?

Yup here too.

While I am glad my family is tied to the AC business, electricity to run the dang thing is expensive. Even with the thing running 24hr a day the house can't get to the lovely days of 75 degrees. Days like this I don't want to use the oven or stove at all. Keep the heat outside.

I'm grilling.

Once the sun goes down a bit.

If I have a frosty beverage.

Here is one of my favorite grilling recipes right now.

4 small White fish of some kind fillets (I use Hake but you could sub, cod, flounder, just pay attention to the thickness and cooking time. It's a variable thing dependent on your grill and thickness of fish)

Fresh herbs on the stem (tarragon, thyme, cilantro, lemon thyme, mint are all great)

A few lemons sliced medium thickness (this photo has about four lemons, but it's a lot of fish)

salt and pepper

I use a grill pan (the ones with the holes for using on the out door grill it's about 12"x12"), but I think a few layers of heavy duty tin foil might work too. The lemons burned to the pan last time and was a pain to get clean, now I put the lemons right on the grill, no fuss no muss. No matter what you use coat it in oil, things are gonna get hot and sticky. Lay down your lemon slices in a layer to lay the fish on, then lay the herbs (mix them up a bit but leave on the stem) on top of the lemons, and follow with the fish fillets. Lightly salt and pepper the top of the fish, they are now ready for the grill. Your grill should be on medium low. Somewhere in the 350 degree zone, I'm no grill master, again I just eyeball it. Lay your prepared grill pan with fish, lemon, and herbs in the middle of the grill and close the lid. Cook for about thirty minute but check on it after fifteen. Serve on plate without the herbs and lemon, they are usually charred a bit. If they are not feel free to squeeze a bit of the lemon juice (if there is any left) onto the fish.

Goes great with grilled asparagus, or tiny potatoes in a tinfoil bag with lemon, sweet paprika and herb butter!

Enjoy the last few days of summer!

Head Bather

Too hot in the kitchen?

It's summer time and growing up in FL (as I did) that meant lots of heat and humidity. We rarely used the oven after May. Many times they were picked up dinner from somewhere else or only used one or two burners on the electric stove, we weren't much into salads at that time.

Now that I am older, have some experience in the kitchen, and a wealth of recipes (thanks to my personal library and the public) I tend to lean toward the "salad" category once it gets hot.

I don't like the hot. I don't particularly like sweating either. Both almost unavoidable in FL and SoCal in the summertime. So I eat cold things, and do more chopping and marinading than I do baking and sauteing.

One of my creations came about recently in a heat wave of 90 degrees (yes I know not that hot as I sit here in triple digits). I wanted something greek like and I had just made a trip to my favorite spice store Penezys where I got their Greek Spice blend. 

Have you ever tried Persian cucumbers? I recently discovered them, as I was never much of a cucumber fan I wrote them off. Man was I wrong to do that.

So delicately crunchy, sweet, and cooling. Throw in some feta, klamata olives and a basic vinaigrette and it's cooling, sweet and salty.

Recipe:

Four Persian Cucumbers, Quartered then sliced

2oz of Feta cheese crumbled

1/4 cup of pitted klamata olives chopped.

3 Tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons of White wine vinegar or fruity vinegar

1 teaspoon of a greek seasoning blend (oregano,

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt and pepper

Mix vinaigrette first in a small bowl or shaker (like a small mason jar), pour over the chopped olive, feta and cucumbers. Try not to devour all at once, it's even better when allowed to chill in the fridge.

Enjoy,

Head Bather

 

Balance Face Mask in Action!

Heartsy Deal!

I have a Heartsy.me feature going live this morning for their VIP's and everyone else tomorrow.

So stop by heartsy and get your voucher then stop by my shop and enjoy your bath!

Thank you!
Head Bather

And then I went pouf!

I have wanted a pouf for so long, I finally made one.



It is the size of a small end table and I found the pattern from googling moroccan pouf.



It was fairly easy I mostly made this one as a prototype. The fabrics are bulk favorites from the late 90's so it was time to use them up.



I attempted to make it alternating colors but as per my usual backasswardness one of the panels didn't go in order.

No I could not have ripped it out because it was the last panel in, and the last project of the day. I was done, and so was the pouf dang it. Does that make me lazy, yeah probably does.

But now I have a cozy pouf filled with scrap fabric, old drapes, plastic grocery bags filled with fiber fill to go and put my feet up on. That makes me happy, and that's all that matters.

Head Bather

Nature

DSC01036
Originally uploaded by ritualbath

I need some nature now. Maybe I should just hike the little canyon "stream" out here. Off to commune.
Head Bather

Oh how lovely

A little zen

Vacation is almost over. Enjoy the koi at our hotel till then.


Head Bather

Be back in two days

We are on a little vacation.



Head Bather

What to do with vintage supplies

Originally uploaded by ritualbath

My mother and I often pick up craft and sewing supplies at thrift stores. Sometimes I come across some gems, like the engraved pearl buttons that would be lovely on some elegant silk something.

Other times I get just regular supplies like buttons and zippers. I love finding fabric but with all the bad double knit out there it doesn't happen much any more.

Now I have this great heavy brass separating zipper.

I was going to make a great overnight bag with it but then noticed it was separating, and now I am wondering if it shouldn't be some garment to use that separating feature.

Its about sixteen inches long.

What do you think?

Head Bather

My craft/sewing room redo

I rearranged things, still not like in the magazines but way more functional.


The work desk right next to the sewing machine so the kiddo can craft with me.



Shelves over my head while sewing have notions that I might need. While my patterns, books and magazines are all organized on the bookshelf.



My warm and natural up as a design wall, and all my rubbermaid bins have labels on them by fabric. There is one of each of quilting, upholstery, suiting, shirting, and knits.

I hope you get the chance to be creative this weekend,
Head Bather

I need a new hair cut

Calm detangler spray 4oz 11
Originally uploaded by ritualbath

I have been hesitant to find a new stylist, which means I don't have one. But for now I can use my detangler spray to help comb the long mass of hair on my head. Soon soon my split ends will be trimmed away for a long layered mane.