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Across the Fence:  Soap Making  |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 03 2012 : 2:52:58 PM
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OK. I know it doesn't take much to totally excite me, but I made Castille soap today with goats milk for the first time in my life and I loved it. How fun!!! And the mold that my hubby made for me worked so awesome that it took half the work out of it. The bars are already formed into 2 x 2 x 3 inch bars - 18 of them!! All I have to do is pop them out of the mold tomorrow when they are ready. I did peppermint/rosemary/sage and even used some of my rubbed sage from plants I dried from the garden. I am just so stoked, I'm ready to make another batch with different essential oils. I feel like my great grandmother!! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Simple@heart
Farmgirl in Training
44 Posts
Andrea
Florida
USA
44 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2012 : 3:43:17 PM
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Hi Mary Beth! That sounds so nice! It is so fun to create and craft things with your own hands :)
~Andrea
Bloom where you are planted |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2012 : 4:05:32 PM
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It is, isn't it, Andrea?! Mixing the lye water was a little intimidating and the temps here make doing that outside pretty miserable, but that was the only hard part. I am going to give these for Christmas presents! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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shanda
True Blue Farmgirl
522 Posts
Shanda
Broken Bow
OK
USA
522 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2012 : 8:13:58 PM
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SO cool! And I can feel how excited you are about your soap. It so neat how learning a new "old-timey" skill connects us with our past! You Go Girl!
Shanda
Farmgirl #4233 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2012 : 9:04:17 PM
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That is awesome Mary Beth! Have you ever made lye soap before? Just be warned- castille soap can be tricky- it might not be ready to unmold afer just a day. But awesome! Congrats! I love making soap!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2012 : 06:16:50 AM
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Alee, I have never made soap before. I watched a lady make a vegetable based soap at a class about two months ago and that gave me the courage to try it myself because I finally saw the actual process. However, hers was pretty soft and I wanted the firmer Castille type. My soap is actually ready to unmold now and I have taken it out of the wooden mold part, but have not removed the dividers yet. Will do that in about an hour after I let it rest a little further. The only thing I will be doing different is that I am going to get my husband to make the dividers thicker (we used thinner plexiglas because it was cheaper and the cost is definitely worth it to go with 1/8" or 1/4" thick) and I will work faster and trust my instincts better. I was so afraid that I wasn't going to get it tracing right that I waited a little too long even though I instinctively knew that it had started tracing correctly. Made it kind of thick going into the mold. But anyway, just love it!! The mold that my husband made is wooden and has the long sides stationery and the two ends are attached by wing nuts and bolts so that they come off. Then, on the inside, the whole mold has panels of plexi that line the bottom and sides with interlocking dividers for 18 bars of soap that are 2" x 2" x 3". The mold itself is about 3 1/2" deep. He made a really nice lid that fits over the top with a lip that goes inside to hold it in place and a wooden knob on the top to lift it. He's so cool! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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CurlysQuilts
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Sarah
Northeast Kingdom
VT
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2012 : 5:03:15 PM
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That sounds so nice. I need to see the process too before I can do it. I have all the soap making stuff, but not the confidence to go at it. Could you do a blog post on it Mary Beth? That would be almost as good, with all your pictures. :)
Curly's Quilts
www.curlysquilts.etsy.com
I am a recyclin, cloth-diapering, home grown, hand sewn kinda farmgirl! |
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cheeselady
Farmgirl in Training
33 Posts
michele
waxhaw
NC
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2012 : 5:14:35 PM
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Mary Beth,
That is so awesome. You should be proud of yourself. Making milk based soap is hard. The first time I made goat milk soap it turned in to cottage cheese. Sounds like you have the soap making Mo-Jo. Keep up the good work. I love to add Calendula flower petals from the garden. |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2012 : 5:21:37 PM
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Sarah, I will be doing a post with pictures either the end of this week or the first of next week. I have to photoshop all of the pictures to sign them first and that takes time.
Michele, Calendula petals sounds wonderful! Thank you for the tip. I am raising lavender too and will be using those dried flowers as well. I was also thinking marigolds?
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2012 : 6:01:46 PM
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Mary Beth- sounds like you did everything just right! Tracing can be hard because there is often a "false trace" that you have to avoid or the soap can start to seperate and then if you go to long you suddenly have soap pudding! :) It's addictive! Once I graduate this December I want to get back into soap making. I have done some research and found some natural additives that I want to try out and see if they live up to the hype I have read. :)
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wff7Xpc/]
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 04 2012 : 7:08:49 PM
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Thanks for the encouragement, Alee. You are so right about it being addictive. Oh my. It is so fun! And it is just neat to see all those rows of soap bars!! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Sep 05 2012 : 05:57:55 AM
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Absolutely! :) I think the only thing better than making it is seeing people enjoy using your soap. I love the sound of the soap box your husband made you! I might have to email you in December when I graduate and see if he would be willing to make one to sell! ;)
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wff7Xpc/]
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2012 : 05:38:54 AM
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I would like to see a picture of the mold, Mary Beth. I use whatever I have around for molds. But have wanted a "real" mold. I just found a hard plastic 3 section drawer organizer the other day at K mart real cheap. It holds almost 3 pounds in each part. 2 pounds is best though. I just remilled 3 batches of soap yesterday. I hope it turns out because right now it's still kind of soft. Good luck with yours. And it is addictive. I am always finding new combinations to try.
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2012 : 06:15:31 AM
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Kristin, here is a picture of what he made. There is a wooden top with a lip to fit down into the mold and a knob on top to lift it, that I haven't showed here. That keeps the soap cooling slowly. The only thing that I told him I want to change is the thickness of the dividers. I think I want them at least 1/8" thick. Also, I am going to get him to make me another one because I think my recipe will do two molds. The bars in one are too tall. They were like bath soap. I cut them in half horizontally.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2012 : 06:49:41 AM
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That is a nice mold. He did a great job.If he decides to make some to sell, let me know. I'd like one. Do you know how many pounds it holds?
Kris
Happiness is simple.
www.kris-outbackfarm.blogspot.com |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2012 : 11:19:15 AM
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I just put a post up at the blog as the first part of two on soapmaking with pictures on how to render fat into tallow for tallow based soap, if anyone is interested.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2012 : 10:42:07 AM
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Kristin, I just happened to see your question. Sorry that I missed it. The mold holds 8 - 9 lbs of soap easily and even more if you want to cut the bars in half horizontally so they aren't so deep.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2012 : 10:46:08 AM
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Well, I got a post up at the blog about the soap I've been making. If any of you experts have any suggestions, I would be a sponge. :-) I tried to make the post a simple tutorial for people like me who need pictures of each step so I'm not intimidated. I have found making soap to be therapeutic, fun and rewarding!!!
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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CurlysQuilts
True Blue Farmgirl
569 Posts
Sarah
Northeast Kingdom
VT
USA
569 Posts |
Posted - Sep 17 2012 : 11:06:21 AM
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Thank you thank you thank you Mary Beth! Your post is phenomenal for visual people like me that really needed to see the steps. Now I feel armed and ready to try it myself! You are so generous with your knowledge!
Curly's Quilts
www.curlysquilts.etsy.com
I am a recyclin, cloth-diapering, home grown, hand sewn kinda farmgirl! |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2012 : 3:23:11 PM
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Your soaps turned out super nice. They are truly beautiful. I wished I had checked it out sooner but have been so busy with Dr. appointments I have not been getting on here that often. You are hooked for life.......your a soaper now....lol.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2012 : 07:51:33 AM
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mary beth, will you share your recipe with us? thanks sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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Across the Fence: Soap Making |
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Soap Making
