I Must Have This.

Im totally in love with these DIY kits for making your own bitters. The problem with making your own bitters is that some of the spices are expensive and difficult to track down. (You cannot get gentian root in the spice section at Safeway.) So this company called Dash Bitters has put kits together with infusion jars, bottles, funnels, cheesecloth, and assorted spices.

You, of course, should feel free to experiment and add your own secret botanical ingredients.

Im particularly intrigued with the 1889 Aromoatic Bitters Kit, and the Orange Hop Bitters Kit.

and they sell refills, so you dont have to buy the bottles every time.

Good stuff! Oh, and by the way, Im off to the Fresno Home & Garden Show, so if youre going to be there, stop by and say hi. March 2 & 3. Noonish and 3-ish.

Oh yeah, one more thing: If youre super into bitters, the book to get is calledwell, Bitters. Brad Parson wrote it. Its a fine and beautifully illustrated book. Check it out.

The most essential ingredient in any batch of bitters is well the thing that gives it its bitterness. Traditionally that bitterness comes from some sort of tree bark or root. Its usually quinine, from the cinchona tree, or angostura, from the angostura tree, or gentian root (fromyes, you guessed it gentian plants. Gentiana lutea, to be exact.)

None of this is easy to grow in the garden, or even in a spice shop, which is why I like the bitters kits so much. But you can add some garden-grown ingredients to bitters. Just be sure to dry them thoroughly firstfresh herbs can add a nice flavor to infused vodkas, but they get slimy and nasty fast, and give off some weird flavors if theyre left to soak too long. Dry them first, which gets the moisture out and leaves behind some strong flavors that work well in bitters. Such as these, always in dried form:

Lavender buds

Coriander (cilantro seeds)

Lemon verbena

Rose hips or petals

Lemongrass

Hops

Dandelion root

Fennel Seed

Hibiscus

Juniper berries (Use Juniperus communis; some other species are toxic)

Wormwood, Artemisia absinthum

Citrus peel

Via: I Must Have This.

Four reasons to love your laminate countertops

Some home buyers turn up their noses at laminate kitchen counters but laminate has its advantages. For starters, the counters are easy to maintain and in Consumer Reports' tests of 14 materials, laminate resisted stains, heat, and impact almost as well as materials that cost much more. And they come in a wide variety of colors and designs.

When asked, 71 percent of prospective home buyers said that granite and natural stone countertops are desirable or essential, according to a new study from the National Association of Home Builders. On the flip side, 40 percent of those asked said they would be unlikely to buy a home with laminate countertops, although that number dropped to 25 percent for first-time buyers. The foodies on Chowhound have an ongoing debate over whether they should openly embrace their love of laminate. Here's why it might work for you.

The price is right. Laminate is inexpensive and usually costs a lot less than most other materials. It's about $10 to $40 a square foot installed. Look at the largest samples available and try them out in your kitchen. The Design Center on Formica's website invites you to design your own kitchen so you can see what the counters would look like. Keep in mind that unlike pricier materials, laminate can be replaced at a fraction of the cost.

They last. Countertops take a lot of wear and tear so you'll want some idea of how they'll age before choosing a material. In Consumer Reports' countertop tests we stained, sliced, scratched, scorched, and nicked 14 materials from leading brands and found enormous differences in materials but little variation among brands. That's why we rated materials, not brands. Stains and heat weren't a problem for laminate in our tests, but it was easily scratched by knives and isn't repairable so if you choose it, always use a cutting board.

It's not granite. For years some have predicted that granite was on its way out, saying it's been overused and will become as outdated as avocado green appliances. But the NAHB study showed that granite countertops are as desirable now as they were in 2007. On the up side, while granite became more popular, laminate got better looking. Formica's new Anniversary Collection features 12 graphic patterns with a mid-century modern flair, including Dotscreen's microdots and Halftone's printing screen vibe. They're $12 per square foot installed.

It's lost its edge. Cool colors and patterns have been added but until recently that ugly dark line along the laminate countertop edge remained. Formica loses the dark seam by adding a decorative edge. The bullnose is rounded at the top and bottom while the ogee edge has an S-shaped curve. Wilsonart also offers decorative edges for its laminate countertops and integrated sinks are also an option.

Before you start shopping, look at our countertop Ratings and think about the pros and cons of each material. Once you choose, have the fabricator take the final measurements—and responsibility for their accuracy. Your contract should list counter thickness and finish, as well as fees for sink and faucet cutouts, edges, back splash, and removal of the old counters.

If you're considering counters for a remodeling project, see Consumer Reports guides to updating your kitchen and remodeling your bathroom.

Via: Four reasons to love your laminate countertops

Impatiens FAILregrets or good riddance?

Fusion impatiens are also prone to the mildew.

For the last couple years, I have been reading ominous reports of downy mildew decimating impatiens plants. As most of you know, its more than just reports now. Its realto the extent that entire plantings of traditional impatiens (impatiens walleriana) have been completely wiped out throughout the United Kingdom, and parts of the U.S. The mildew, caused by the pathogen Plasmopara obducens, kills the plants; if caught in time, they can be treated, but once the spores have taken hold, theyre pretty much unstoppable. Theres a good description of the disease, its symptoms, and its treatments here.

One of the articles I saw mentioned the presence of this in impatiens beds as close as Niagara Falls, Ontario, only about 20 minutes or so away from me.

A Philadelphia Inquirer report said this about anyone who is thinking about using impatiens this year:

Gardeners who do buy them will be taking a risk that experts say isnt worth it. The plants will probably die, and the shade-loving alternatives being offered up may not cut it for many who depend on the easygoing, affordable impatiens to brighten their summer landscape.The feeling is, its really going to be pretty much everywhere, says James Harbage, research and production leader at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.

And here are some observations from Newsday:

The best and really only way to avoid a reoccurrence is to plant something else, said Cornell University plant pathologist Meg McGrath, who is based in Riverhead and has been tracking the diseases progression. The pathogen can be transmitted from infected seeds, on leaves or via airborne spores, and planting impatiens next year even in another location will just feed the hungry beast.

I can almost feel the vibrations from your collective shrugs, and can imagine the universal so whats. Who cares about impatiens anyway, right? And besides, the New Guinea varieties and the Sunpatiens arent affected by the disease, supposedly.

This is fine for landscapers, who want the ease of impatiens in a sunny spot, but it doesnt help shade gardeners who actually like impatiens, within reason. I am one of those gardeners. The old-fashioned impatiens really spread well, in my root-filled, shady front garden. I like them for my one floral accent amid all my shade-friendly foliage plants. The semi-doubles (as opposed to the unreliable full doubles) are lovely, and the new Fusion (a walleriana hybrid) achieves shrub-like stature. I hate New Guineas, and if I had sun, I wouldnt be planting impatiens.

In any case, you can be sure that youll be seeing plenty of impatiens this season. Even though many independent garden centers are backing off the plant, Home Depotand doubtless other boxeswill be selling it.

I have ordered some semi-doubles grown by my local botanical gardens for their annual plant sale. Thats where I got them last year and they did fine.

Does anyone besides me care about this plant?

Via: Impatiens FAILregrets or good riddance?

Peggys Sock Monkey Quilt

Remember Peggy Johnson, our super sock monkey fan in Illinois? Shes been at it again!

I thought you might like to see the sock monkeys I digitized to match this new sock monkey fabric. They came out really well, and BERNINA Embroidery Software 6s auto-applique feature made them easy to do. Quilting Treasures was really nice about the copyright;no problem if I included them in my kits to sell fabric.

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Via: Peggys Sock Monkey Quilt

Meet us at QuiltCon, February 21-24, 2013 in Austin, Texas!

Starting tomorrow and ending Sunday, Austin will be the focus of the Modern Quilting world. Why, you ask? QuiltCon! Hosted by the Modern Quilt Guild for the first time, QuiltCon features the best modern quilts, lectures, workshops, and demonstrations. Thousands plan to attend from around the world and I am one of them

BERNINA of America is one of the proud sponsors of this event. In partnership with the BERNINA store in Austin,Sew Much More, we will be presenting our wide range of BERNINA machines for you to test drive. So should you plan to attend, please stop by at our BERNINA booth (414)to meet us and the friendly store owners, Barbara and Ron Goldkorn.

I am especially excited about all the great quilts QuiltCon will exhibit. One of these will be our ownErika Mulvennas Sunrise Quilt. And her Sunrise Baby Quilt is the star of our first WeAllSew Sew-Along, kicking off next week. So check back with us to sew up your very own sunrise!

I will be reporting live from the event and sharing pictures on Facebook and Twitter. Stay connected to enjoy fun and inspiring projects from a crafty crowd.

With this I want to close by saying Stay tuned and dont forget: Keep Austin Weird!

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Via: Meet us at QuiltCon, February 21-24, 2013 in Austin, Texas!

DIY: How-To Hem (no sew) and Add Stripes to Curtains Using Paint

I hope you had a great weekend! I know its Tuesday, but since my husband and kids had off yesterday for Presidents Day, it feels like the first day of the week for me. In spite of having a no-plan weekend, the 3 days flew by and we were majorly busy (new projects, photographing others, food shopping, car buying, etc.). How does 36 hours fly by that fast? Anyway, since showing you my newly created home office / family room last week, Ive got a slew of DIY projects to share. First up

A how-to on how I hemmed and created the thin-striped curtain panels (I know a few of you have excitedly been awaiting this tutorial). I was surprised how easy they were to create and they look like they cost alot of $$$ (but they totally didnt).

When the royal blue walls were complete last Summer, I knew white curtains would be a great, striking complement. Thankfully, I had an extra pair of panels from my sons room that were purchased from Ikea 5+ years ago.

I wanted to jazz up the white panels a bit though, and at first thought of a leading edge similar to what I created for my daughters room. As more ideas developed, I had seen this living room and pinned it a while back. The thin-striped lines stuck in my head and I knew they would be just the touch to add interest to the stark white panels, yet not overwhelm the room. Ive seen many striped fabrics in window panels lately, but I wanted something softer and thought thick horizontal lines would be too heavy for the space since the dark blue walls are dramatic enough.

The area for where the new curtain panels were to go, started out like this

To begin, I hung the white panels on the dark wood rods that were already in place.

Nope they didnt work.

The dark rod blended in too much with the wall, and the panels looked so low and squat. It totally went against my rule of thumb on how best to hang a curtain.

Onto the idea 2.

Because of the window height, I couldnt put a decorative rod above (there wasnt enough room), so instead I bought a $3 basic metal pocket curtain rod.

I created the pocket at the top of the curtain (fold over top edge, sew or use fusible tape to create a pocket of about 2 for the rod to slip through). Then the panels had to be hemmed at the bottom because they were too long.

Heres my quick tutorial on How-To Hem a Curtain

1. With your curtain hung on the rod, loosely pull the bottom of the panel and add 2-3 pins at the spot where the panel hits the floor plane.

Hint: Dont pull the panel tawt because if you pin and sew at that point, your panels will result too short. You want to leave the panel(s) loose, so it just grazes the floor (this is how I feel a curtain panel looks professional. Its not a must, but its my opinion).

2. With the 2-3 pins indicating the line for which to hem the panel, I used a measuring tape to keep the same length and added more pins all the way across the width of the panel.

O, and did I tell you the good part about this project I didnt use a sewing machine. I was totally feeling lazy that day! You can of course, but its not a must. Thats a major plus for my non-sewing friends!

3. Using fusible tape, I folded the bottom edge underneath and hemmed at the line of the pins.

Heres the result

Yes, much better!

A perfectly tailored window curtain panel that just grazes the floor. Super easy!

Ok, so now on to the 2nd part of this tutorial

How-To Add Stripes Using Paint

FYI you could totally skip step one if you have already have the perfect length curtain and you can skip this step if you have no interest in adding stripes. Just thought Id share that tid-bit ;)

For this part of the project, I used the following materials:

1. To start off, I determined how many stripes I wanted and the width of the stripes.

4 stripes and 1 wide.

I layed my curtain panel on the floor and using a little math (big UGH), I determined my stripe placement. Using painters tape (because its easy to remove), I marked the 4 stripe locations.

2. Then I added the painters tape and my measuring tape to create the 1 wide stripe.

3. * Important part!

Once the tape is in position, its important to press hard on it like youre burnishing it into the fabric. You want to make sure the tape is sealed so the paint doesnt seep underneath. I burnished the edge with my nail.

4. Then using the wall paint that I used in the room (Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue), I painted on the stripes using a craft brush. I did not add anything to the paint to make the medium different. Its straight paint on fabric!

Once all four stripes were done, I took off the tape. Some of the areas werent completely dry, and thats okay.

5. When setting up the stripes for the second panel, I layed both curtains side by side so they were perfectly aligned. Then, by eye, I created the stripes on panel 2.

Once they were completely dry, they were ready to hang, and admire! happygal

O, and if you like it, would you pin it or share it? Thanks a bunch!

Have questions? Dont be afraid to ask Id be happy to help!

Want to see more drapery projects?

Then you might want to check out this post on Adding Decorative Leading Edge Trim to Curtains

Or this project on How-To Make Curtains from Scratch and Line them with Drop Cloth

Of course youll want to know How-To Best Hang Window Drapery Panels, right?

Thanks for checking out my 2-in-1 tutorial! What a great Tuesday!

Via: DIY: How-To Hem (no sew) and Add Stripes to Curtains Using Paint