Drying Garden Herbs

The main purpose of growing some herbs is just because they are beautiful to look at and have a lovely scent. But other herbs are grown and harvested for medicinal, seasoning, or aromatic purposes. This means that they have to be preserved in the right way, usually dried. There are various ways of drying garden herbs using bag, trays, air drying, and even new techniques like microwave drying.
Here are some tips on how to dry fresh herbs:  

Bag

There are many herbs that have beautiful flowers, but they also have seeds which can be easily harvested. The easiest way to do this is to simply let the flowers dry on a piece of paper and then roll the paper up and shake the seeds out into a container. To save the leaves of the plant, there are a few other steps that need to be followed.

Once the flower and roots are removed from the stalk, rinse the stem and leaves in water and let them soak until any soil remaining on them will loosen and fall off without damaging the plant. When this is done, simply take them out of the water and let them air dry on a paper towel.

Place the plant inside the paper bag. Make sure that the flower end is at the bottom of the bag and the stalks stick a few inches out of the bag. Use a string or rubber band to tie around the top of the bag and put it down with the stalks sticking out of the top. Oil from the stems go through the capillaries and into the leaves, saturating them with their unique taste and smell.

The proper method for drying garden herbs is to place them in an atmosphere of moderately dry air for about two weeks. When the leaves become brittle and crumble easily, separate and place them in an air tight jar. They are then ready to use as potpourri or seasoning for foods.

Tray

Every herbalist should know how to dry fresh herbs in a tray. When undertaking tray drying, there is no need for the stalks - just the stems and leaves. Clean as above and arrange them without overlap on the tray, then place the tray into a cool dark place. Every day, take the tray and flip the herbs over so they will dry evenly. In just a few days, they will be appropriately dried.

Microwave

If time is short, using the microwave oven to dry herbs is an option. Place the herbs on a paper towel or paper plate (doing so will help absorb the moisture better than a microwave-safe plate will). Set the microwave to medium power for about two minutes (altering the time based on the type and amount of herb).

Rub a leaf between your fingers to check its dryness. It should be quite brittle and crumble with little pressure. If that is not the case, check again at 30 second intervals until the proper level of dryness is achieved.

Caution: After so much time in the microwave, the herb is no longer drying. Since microwaves stir up water molecules in the food, causing them to heat up and then evaporate, once the moisture is gone you may cause damage to your microwave by keeping it going. And if you have the power too high when drying garden herbs or you cook for too long, you may end up cooking the herb. Keep trying until you get it just right.

So there you have it, 3 different methods on how to dry fresh herbs!

Why Should You Learn DIY Restoration Sewing Device Tactics?

If you`rе asking yoursеlf why you should lеarn to rеstorе sеwing machinе gеar yoursеlf, thеn you`vе arrivеd at thе right articlе. I could lеt you know just this it is an еxtrеmеly smart thing to undеrstand do it yoursеlf rеpair tеchniquеs. Whеn you do that, you find yoursеlf kееping tons of monеy!

I makе my living out of sеwing. I possеss an altеrations businеss but additionally havе actually hеld it for thе past 14 yеars.

Thе only rеason my businеss has had bееn in a position to survivе thе prеsеnt еconomic rеcеssion is bеcausе I lеarnеd how еxactly to rеpair sеwing machinе еquipmеnt yеars ago.

As a of fact, I madе a dеcision to lеarn DIY rеpair stratеgiеs yеars ago whеn my machinе brokе down for initially. This was about 22 yеars ago… I rеalizеd just how much monеy I еndеd up having to pay to thе tеchnician just this shown up ovеr to takе a look at thе machinе!

Can you think thе rеason my sеwing machinе was not working was bеcausе I had not thrеadеd thе bobbin propеrly? Thеn again, can you bеliеvе that I STILL had to pay thе tеchnician to fix it?! That`s right. You rеad propеrly. Thе only problеm with thе machinе was just this I had not thrеadеd thе bobbin right and additionally I still had to pay for it!

Lеt mе inform you еxactly this mistakе cost mе an еxpеnsivе pricе… but it taught mе a largе lеsson! I instantly attеmptеd to discovеr ways to rеpair sеwing dеvicе еquipmеnt mysеlf. Nеvеr again havе I’d to covеr any rеpairman in thе futurе takе a look at and rеpair any of my machinеs. I now gеt it donе mysеlf!

And you can too!

Zipper pouches

Who doesn’t love a cute and practical zipper pouch?  I am positive that most households have a least one somewhere. Most of the ones I have seem too thin and it’s often hard to find what you want inside.

So that’s why when I found this awesome tutorial for ones that had a wide opening here on this BLOG Noodlehead, I couldn’t resist making one myself. I had never actually sewn a zipper before ( artist bears don’t have zippers…haha) but this tutorial, with it’s numerous step-by-step photos was the perfect way for me to learn.

Aren’t they cute? They are the perfect use for a fat quarter of fabric and they hold a lot of stuff! I used fairly stiff interfacing to prevent them flopping over and they were pretty easy to make.

Go ahead, check out the tutorial and make one!

Home Made Gifts

Have you guys seen those Ugly Dolls? They are so ugly they are cute, and they are hard not to fall in love with.

A while back I made my own ugly doll for a child’s birthday. My family was defiantly not happy that I gave him away!

The design wasn’t hard, I just sketched out what I wanted him to look like and since there aren’t any gussets or darts, construction was pretty simple. ( i used brother sewing machin, you can read brother cs6000i review here

I have another one in the works now but for some reason he just doesn’t want to be finished yet!

I also made some bean bags and covered a coffee tin with some fabric to create a bean bag toss type game. I heard from the boys mom that he loved the bean bag toy and it gets a lot of use. I don’t blame him, soft and squishy fleece bean bags even appeal to adults and are great to play with as stress relievers. Again, these were not difficult at all and totally worth it.

You will see that I had to make two sets of bean bags, one as the gift and one for my own children who insisted on having their own.
If you are beginners you should read more infomation about best sewing machine for beginners in this site

Supplies, oh the supplies!

I think one thing every artist, crafty person or sewist will tell you, is that building the stash is half the fun! I try to be good about it, but having a great selection of supplies in my studio is one thing that keeps me creative. It allows me to get inspired then immediately head into my studio. Because chances are, I have what you need to make it.

My recent purchase was strictly for the stash, because you can’t have too many colors of zippers to choose from and nicely colored fabric is always welcome in my studio.

Is building your stash half the fun for you as well? How big is yours?

Friendship Bracelet Making Kit

Do you remember the friendship bracelets that were all the rage back in the 1980s? Made of yarn or embroidery floss, they were created with care and traded among friends as a symbol of esteem. Their popularity waned after a while, but they never completely went away.
Friendship bracelets are making a comeback of sorts. This provides parents with a great opportunity to get their children interested in crafts. The Imagine Nation Friendship Bracelet Kit comes with everything they need to get started and then some.

A great value at only $10, the kit includes 25 skeins of embroidery floss in a rainbow of colors and over 1,000 beads. It also includes the materials needed to make a headband, barrettes, and bobby pins, and detailed instructions for creating the accessories. There’s enough for your child to create pieces for all of her friends, with plenty left over to make some things for herself.
Making friendship bracelets takes a substantial amount of time, yet seeing the piece come together has a way of keeping a child’s interest for hours on end. This kit is great for keeping the kids constructively busy while you’re working around the house. It’s also great for travel, as it can make long trips go by much faster for active young minds. And if you’re looking for a birthday party craft, simple bracelets or barettes are a great choice.
Friendship bracelets are also a great craft for parents and children to work on together. It’s simple enough for kids to comprehend sufficiently, yet not so simple that an adult will become bored with it. It can literally be fun for the whole family!
The Imagine Nation Friendship Bracelet Kit is a great way to introduce your child to crafting. With it, she can be making beautiful gifts for her friends in no time.

The Singer 7258 Sewing Machine is this course excellent for your home sewing needs!

"The Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine is best sewing machines for beginners" this course excellent for your home sewing needs, especially if you create a lot of products that have varying designs and decorations. It is currently available over at Amazon where you can buy it for $205.30, a saving of 32% off the manufacturer’s original retail price.

Read more of the Review Summary about singer 7258  Stylist Model Sewing Machine:

You should consider investing on this machine over others belonging to the same price range because it simply can’t be beat. It comes from a manufacturer that is known for quality sewing machines, it has a myriad of features you can take advantage of, and it will not break your budget. Keep on reading to learn more about the Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine and how you can benefit from owning it.

Features of the Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine:

o          Powerful machine with adjustable sewing speed

o          Clean user interface with Push- Button Stitch Selection

o          Automatic Needle Threader

o          Multi- Stitch and Stitch Functions

o          User Manual and DVD

o          Has all basic and utility stitches built in. You can use the Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine for almost all types of sewing projects, ranging from the basic to the advanced. It has got you covered where the basics are concerned: nine core stitches for construction and mending, plus eight stretch stitches for fabric movement.

o          Gives you a lot of decor and embroidery options. Aside from the basic and stretch stitches built-in, this sewing machine also has a very wide range of decorative stitch options for you to choose from. Indulge your creativity with up to 76 design stitches, all of which look good and are sure to give your sewing projects that needed detail that will set it apart from the rest.

o          Built- in features that help make your workflow smoother. The Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine touts an excellent automatic needle threader that is a breeze to use and spares you the frustration of manually threading a needle. A top drop- in bobbin with transparent view cover speeds up the threading process even more. An automatic stitch width and length selector will help you create stitches that are consistent every time. You can switch needle positions easily via two programmable up and down buttons, thus making quilting and applique easier than ever.

o          Provides you with a lot of accessories to use. Among these are ten presser feet, thread spool caps that range from small to large, a couple of spool pin felt discs, a package of needles, a lint brush, and many others. This means you can start your project right after unpacking and installation- all you have to do is assemble the necessary materials.

Reviews of the Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine:

This outstanding machine has an impressive 4.3- star rating from 55 customers on Amazon. Below are excerpts of their reviews, read on to know what they think of it.

“Now that I’ve realized how much fun a better-than-basic machine can be, I’m starting to covet the machines that will do even fancier stitches and do letters…

“I cannot say enough about this machine, it is one of the best ones I have ever used, I have a $1000 Necchi and this one blows that one to bits…

“This machine is just wonderful. I’m glad I read all the reviews out there on all machines. This one definitely had the most positive feedback…

Pros of the Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine

o          Runs efficiently and smoothly

o          Helpful user manual and DVD

o          Stitches look good

o          Lots of accessories

o          Not too heavy

Cons of the Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine

The foot-controllers included are made of plastic, making them lightweight and a lot more portable. A downside to this is that they are more fragile- you have to be extra careful when using them so as not to cause breakage.

Our Verdict On The Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine

All things considered, this sewing machine is an excellent option and is definitely worth investing on.

This review of the Singer 7258 Stylist Model Sewing Machine was brought to you by The Best Sewing Machine Reviews.

------------------- Do you choose this sewing machine? or you can read review brother cs6000i sewing macine here