Vinegar - the King of the green cleaning

 It's the Day of the Earth today which reminds me on the cleaning and all those chemical we are using instead of the natural, inexpensive (and biodegradable) distilled vinegar and soda (sodium bicarbonate). It is amazing how those product could help us  - and I don't have issues with eyes, nose and breathing any more when cleaning the bathroom.
So, for our beautiful planet, think about suggestions below.

Windows

Make a mix of half water, half vinegar and few drops of biodegradable dishwasher detergent, put it in sprayer (optional). Spray the window, wash it with cotton rug and dry with old newspapers. Believe me, and I tried everything, this works.

Tap scale

Put a small amount of vinegar in a plastic bag and   fasten it with rubber band on the tap - the base of the tap should be completely covered with vinegar. Leave few hours (or less if there are not so much tap) -  vinegar will dissolve the scale that will fall to the bottom of the bag.

Drain cleaning

 Once a month put the soda in the drain, pour vinegar and leave few hours then rinse thoroughly with water. Repeat if necessary.

Oven cleaning

This is my favorite tip. For years I used intensive chemicals and struggled to wash them well and get rid off nasty smell always feraing that the food will be poisoned. Nowdays, I am using soda nad vinegar. Mix soda with water to make a pasta and coat the oven with it. Leave this for a few hours, then spray it with vinegar and leave it for a while. Afterwards clean and wash with warm watter and kitchen sponge.

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Furoshiki - multipurpose cloth

Saturday mornings I am  usually spending in the city center visiting  shops  and going to the green market. This is time just for myself.

Bookstores are at my focus, I love reviewing new books, particularly crafts and art related. So, one Saturday I came across the book about furoshiki. First second: What's this? Next (and all others) second: I looooove it! And I still do. It is so simple yet so multipurpose, not to mention that I love scarfs.

What is Furoshiki?

Furoshiki (originated from japan) is wrapping cloth used for carry things or wrap gifts. It is easy to wrap anything of all shapes and sizes, make purse or use it as a  scarf. And if you don't need it at the moment, just fold it and put it  in pocket. As we are approaching the Earth day (April, 22nd) it is good to notice that furoshiki is enviromental and excellent way to avoid plastic bags.

So see some photos and visit original site where you can find a lot of tutorials how to wrap the cloth.

Photo comes from this site

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From jeans skirt to the bag tutorial

Finally I found some time to finish the tutorial for this bag. I really love it, which is not always the case with my projects. 

Jeans skirt I came across during wardrobe clean-up was perfect for this  project. First, I made some decisions about basic bag design and size - decided to use the overall upper part of the skirt as it is - with pockets and zip,  determined the lenght of the bag, taking into account the bottom width and chose not to sew the lining. This was the easy part. 

Afterwards was the time to think about patches patterns and decorations. My cats helped - they are always around, together with the dog (when I am doing something) 'assisting' - steeling cloth or lying on the fabric. 

Two cats -   and the main theme was chosen. Found cat figure on the internet, print it, cut it and draw it on the fabric. 

Fantom (vanishing) pen I found very usefull in a number of my projects - on the photo above the smaller one. I used it on this project as well. The beauty of this pen is that you can use it as any other pen, but the ink vanishes after few hours or if you apply acrylic paint or water.

Sometime ago, spotted this colorfull fabric in the shop and bought it - it gives me various opportunities in my projects as  different parts/colors could be used. For this bag chose mostly green color, it is spring, isn't it.

To fix pattern on the bag I use two-sided fusible web  (meaning adhesive is on the both sides). First, copy the pattern on the paper side of the fusible web and cut it off.  As I ironed it first on the fabric chosen for the pattern, had to take care how to (in what direction) draw it on the fusible web.

Finally, ironed the pattern on the skirt to fix it to be easier to sew it with the zig-zag stich.

For the filled cat head, draw a pattern on the fabric - cca 1 cm bigger  than on the main pattern and cut two pieces  off as well as the eyes.

Fot the eyes used the same process - ironed it on the two-sided fusible web and then on the fabric.

Sewed the eyes with the zig-zag stich and whiskers using regular stich.

Sewed two parts leaving a small hole at the bottom - this helped me to turn over the fabric on the right side and to fill the head with the sinthetic filling. Drew the eyeballs with the pen for the fabric. Sewed the opening at the bottom and fixed the head on the skirt. 

Made as well another head. 

Similary made a filled paw.

Used metallic pen for fabric for the additional decorations - whiskers and dots.

Now it was time to sew the bottom fo the bag and to achieve the bag width, made this triangles.

For the bag handles I cut off strip 10 cm wide, used one-sided fusible web and sew it.

Add the belt found in the market for cca 5 $ and the bag was ready.

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Love your home plants organically

Although it looks like  spring will never come here (weather is awful this year), at least days are longer and it is time to check my plants, see what need to be done – soil change, transplante, fertilize, cleaning leaves. I admit, during the winter, just water them and leave them to rest, trying to keep them alive. But now, whether you have just one plant or house full of green friends, you need to take care of them. Tipically we are used to buy fertilizer or other products but there are organic means we already have in our homes that can be used to cultivate plants (with no need to make compost which could be difficult if you live in an appartment). This is particularly important for  my  own small  'herb and spice' garden  I want to grow organically.

So here is what I found useful.

Tips and tricks how to cultivate home plants organically

Apples are excellent for plants, particularly flowers – put apple pieces in the  soil of the plant. It is fertilizer that will improve flowering. 

Banana skin is also very good fertilizer – chop it and put it on the soil.

 Coffee, flat beer,  black tea, milk  dilute and add to the water while watering plants – they all  contain major nutrient plants need: nitrogen, phosphorus and pottasium.
For coffee eg. I usually make mixure of 1/4 coffee and 3/4 water - it looks like more as a tea, than coffee (as on the photo on the left).

Don't waste egg shells – they are excellent for plants- crush the shell and put int he soil.

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