Green Frog Suds & Stitches

I hate throwing things out. I'm always looking to repurpose it somehow.

Normally, I use old flannel for rags. They're awesome! Napkins, dish cloths, tea towels, cleaning rags. They have many functions.

Recently, going through piles of clothing dragged out of storage, I realized I have A LOT of stuff I will never wear again! Torn, worn out, holes....yeah, I keep it all, lol. I sew, what can I say? It might come in handy. Eventually.

I decided to make rags from a pair of spandex pants. I did not think they'd work too well for dish cloths. But hankies, dusting, cleaning my glasses, etc. would be fine. (they're all 2 ply)

I don't aim to make them pretty or perfect. I just want functional.

If you have old clothes, old bed sheets, old fabric, you can drop it off to me and I'll turn it into useable cloths for you 😁😉

The thread on my machine is the thread you get. I won't get a ruler out to make them square or rectangular. I make them small, medium and large. Whatever strikes my fancy at the moment.

One goal is the least waste. See that pile in the corner? That's all that's left of that pair of pants. Much less going into the garbage can!

** the threads/tails will be tied off properly. I don't leave them like that, lol.

Although I still make soap and sew, my main focus since Leroy was diagnosed with kidney disease last year has been home cooking for him and Charlotte. They both definitely eat better than I do! But it's so worth it.

It's 368 days since Leroy's original vets told me euthanasia was the best option. Barring that, they said he'd need IV fluid therapy every day for the rest of his life or 24/7 hospitalization for the rest of his life.

I ultimately kept him home against medical advice.

I've more than proven how amazing a clean, whole food diet can be for our dogs!

This is my version of kibble, the green and purple haven't been broken up yet, obviously. Although the majority of Leroy's meals are wet/high moisture content (the kidneys are all about water), I thought both dogs would enjoy something crunchy on occasion. It's been a great success!

The same as my soap, Leroy's food is as natural and as organic as possible. Nothing synthetic. Nothing harmful. And I know exactly what's in it! I've been doing a lot of research into various pet foods. Not everything is on the up-and-up.

Ever since I discovered how fantastic flannel is for reusable cloths, I've become rather obsessed with them. I especially love salvaging old flannel to give it a new life. The pink teddy bear flannel in this picture is actually from pj's I had as a teenager! It's definitely vintage because I haven't been a teenager for a while now! 😂

I don't worry about making these perfectly square or rectangular anymore. I was wasting fabric and I HATE waste.

Large, small and every size in between. They can be used as napkins, hankies, dish cloths, dish towels, dusting rags, whatever you want.

I call them Perfectly Irregular 😉 Seriously, just seeing this photo gives me the urge to go and make more! You wouldn't believe the pile I have and use all the time!

It's been 10 months since Leroy was diagnosed with kidney disease (he almost died less than 4 weeks later) and I've learned a lot! I've been researching non-stop in order to feed him the best home cooked/raw diet possible. And he's still with me despite being told (280 days ago!) euthanasia was the course of action I should take. I'm so glad I ignored that advice!

I haven't been making soap or designing quilts but I'm getting back into that very soon. I'm also going to offer dehydrated dog treats. Even though that has nothing to do with quilting or soap making, it ties in with my preference for an organic and natural lifestyle. I now apply so much more of that towards Leroy and Charlotte.

One of my upcoming tasks is to design and make a winter quilt featuring this adorable flannel fabric. From the 2020 Northerly collection by Cloud9, it's 100% GOTS certified organic.

I haven't been sewing or making soap lately but last night I had to force myself to stand still to whip up a batch of Healing Beeswax Balm. Once the weather begins getting cold, my hands turn into a mess! Cooking for Leroy, my 11 year old dog, and constantly doing dishes hasn't been kind to them either. I have peppermint lotion but don't like using it when I'm touching his food all the time. He gets 6-8 small meals daily. I don't have that worry with this beeswax balm, nothing toxic in it.

On September 12th, I found out Leroy had early stage kidney disease. This was 2 days after being told he had idiopathic vestibular disease (that the vet later changed to possible brain tumor!). He almost died on me on October 6th! The vets actually recommended euthanasia without giving him even a heartbeat of a chance to recover when I literally dragged him on his dog bed into my driveway, up a sheet of plywood into the box of my truck and to the vet clinic. He was so sick. It was now near kidney failure but the vet couldn't explain how that happened in less than a month.

I refused to let him go without a fight and it was the best decision of my life. He'd developed pancreatitis! Common among dogs with kidney disease and deadly if untreated. I was feeding him all the wrong food. The vets weren't even going to test him for it. I TOLD THEM TO. They'd simply written him off.

He's now thriving after keeping him home against medical advice, feeding him 100% home cooked (dry food is evil!) and doting on him. He can walk again. Eat again. Drink water again. His eyesight is almost back to normal. His tail wags again. I even took him for a little run TWICE earlier!

And I can rescue my hands now too. You can see, they DESPERATELY need it! These three fingers are only the worst, both hands are in bad shape. I know from experience how amazing this beeswax balm is. Tomorrow, they'll be SO MUCH BETTER!

Needless to say, I won't ever go to this vet clinic again! Not only did they say "wait' to treat his kidney disease (I've learned you don't wait for something like that and it was a factor in him getting so sick, he also became dehydrated), they failed to diagnose what was making him so sick, choosing euthanasia instead!

Get your dog (or cat) tested regularly for diseases that show up in blood work before they become evident. If you can, don't feed them dry food.......

Charlotte's new quilt is done. But mom said it would be a good one for her.......lol. So now I decide who gets it! :)

I've made many denim, reusable bags over the years, all one-of-a-kind. This might be my favorite! Until my next favorite, lol. It's a challenge falling in love with the things I make......I end up wanting to keep them.....

This bag has short handles because it's taller/higher than usual (the lettering is to blame) and is lined with heavy, woven cotton and OLD denim that actually has a stain or two! But I knew I was keeping it and that doesn't bother me. I'm happy to give it new life!

No pocket this time. Raw edge applique means I avoid iron-on adhesive = more eco-friendly! 😉

Most of my denim creations begin with choosing a focal point. And then rummaging through my stash of old, cut up jeans. Finding the right shades, big enough pieces, contemplating the design. It's a process I enjoy. Sometimes it's quick, sometimes it takes a while, lol.

Having recently completed a ladybug bag, another one is on the horizon.

Colored denim is hard to come by! I'd love to trade "old" soap for old jeans! 😉

It doesn't have to be colored (although that would be AWESOME), it just has to be usable.

I know ladybugs aren't purple or green, those are simply an experiment. I may or may not like them once done! But I won't know until I try!

I think I've FINALLY decided upon a bag design! I've tried several over the years since creating my first one (Tweety, I'll show in comments).

This will fold up nicely for shipping or storage. I'm old fashioned and write my grocery list on paper but tend to forget it at home. The pocket will hopefully help with that!

It was only my second try and I can't say I nailed it but I'm pretty happy with my fabric version of a daisy :) I'll probably still fiddle with it though.....I shouldn't have stitched the center the way I did!

Earlier this year, I hand-harvested over 850 dandelions. It was painstaking but also a labor of love. Anytime I can use 100% carbon footprint free ingredients, I'm thrilled!

I've been wanting to try dandelion infused oil as a natural yellow colorant for soap. After researching the healing properties of dandelions, I decided to also try dandelion salve!

Triple infused sunflower oil is my goal. It will take 3 months!

This is the oil after the first infusion. I strained off the dandelion petals & will add fresh ones today. Then it sits (cold infusion) for another 4 weeks before the final round.

Dandelion salve is reportedly good for aches & pains. Since I rarely, if ever, have those (knock on wood), I'll give some to my mom to test. I want to know if it really works!