This is not just a blog about sewing. I am also a great fan of using household items to make my own cleaning products. I am posting a recipe for a homemade herbal carpet deodorising mix.


Start with some baking soda in a bowl. Add herbs from your garden. I prefer to use dried ones and you can do this very easily by putting the herbs on a plate in the hot water cupboard.

For a lovely lavender scented one I would use about 2 cups of lavender - flowers and leaves can be used - with the same amount of baking soda. Crumble or process the lavender coarsely and mix with the baking soda. You can use it straight away or leave it in a screw top jar overnight for the scent to permeate the soda. You can make some in advance and store in a glass jar with a screw top lid.

To use, sprinkle over your carpet and leave it for an hour or two, or even overnight. Then vacuum up.

One of my favourite herbs for this was Tansy as it works as a flea repellent. I also used to crush the tansy in my hands and then stroke my cats, starting at the top of their head then let them go. Always do this outside so the fleas can jump off. I let the crushed tansy dry out and put into sachets which I tucked in between the squabs on settees and chairs.

One of the reasons I started this blog was because I joined a group making crazy patches. We each make a block a month and post it on our blogs for other members to view. I have decided to make mine using cat materials and am calling it Crazy Cats. I got the idea from a magazine (and altered it, like I do)

I am also refusing to buy material unless i absolutely "HAVE" to. I need to reduce the stash. I found some material I seem to have far to much of. Personally it is not to my taste at all so I am assuming I was given it. I have cut twelve 12.5" squares out so i have enough for the year and will be sewing my cat materials onto them

I will be sewing all the finished squares together and backing them with polar fleece and either tying the blocks to the backing or using buttons. It is to be a Christmas gift for my granddaughter this year.

I have kind of colour co-ordinated each block and any gaps will be filled in with embelishments as I go. fairies and cats go together so there will be a few of them sprinkled in on various squares.

That's the first two done to get me started. Now off to do blocks for the other swaps I am in.

happy sewing evferyone.