The process of tie dyeing a shirt with grey fiber reactive dye. Color names and link to process video. Grey Tie Dye Shirt The process of dyeing a shirt with low immersion, for a crinkle dye pattern. Process This shirt was dyed with fiber reactive procion dye, from Dharma Trading Co. The shirt was pre-soaked in soda ash water, and then spun out before adding dye. This is a cotton shirt since tie-dye requires natural fiber, fabrics. You can also use this kind of dye on fibers like rayon, hemp, silk, and linen. Colors: seafoam & better black 1/2 teaspoon of dye powder per color Results I prefer the way the results look on the inside of the shirt. Next time, I don't turn the shirt inside out before dyeing it, and I would use more dye powder. Video See the full process in the YouTube video . Corky Lorenz January 29, 2026

Bamboo fleece is soft, floppy, and absorbent for cloth pads, but some prefer structured fabrics like cotton flannel or Zorb for easier sewing. Best core fabric for sewing cloth pads? The best absorbent fabric for sewing cloth pads depends on what your goal is. My favorite, for being thin and soft, is 400 gsm bamboo fleece. When I was regularly sewing and selling cloth pads, the most popular option people would choose was bamboo fleece. I would get it from Nature’s fabrics. They have variety of weights and fiber blends. You can get it in bulk, in a roll from them, as a lower price. People who prefer bamboo fleece, like how floppy the fabric is. The pad ends up feeling really soft and moldable. It can shape to your body and feels cozy. It’s also considered a very absorbent fabric, which many people love for cloth pads and cloth diapers. There are some people who don’t like using pads with bamboo fleece, and there are people who don’t like sewing with bamboo fleece. Some people like their pad to be more structured and less floppy. They will usually opt for something like multiple layers of cotton flannel or Zorb. When sewing pads, I do find it a little annoying that I have to wash and dry bamboo fleece on hot 3-5 times to make sure that it’s fully prepped before sewing. Corky Lorenz October 19, 2025

Bamboo fleece makes a soft and absorbent topper for cloth pads. Use either side of the fabric, enjoy vibrant dye results, and repurpose scraps for pad cores. Can you use bamboo fleece as a topper for cloth pads? Yes. Bamboo fleece is soft, absorbent, and works beautifully as a cloth pad topper, whether you use the fuzzy side or the smooth knit side facing up. Lots of people really love using bamboo fleece as a topper for sewing cloth pads , because it is very soft and very absorbent. Usually when they are using it as a topper, they’re using the 300 or 400 gsm fabric weight. Often, people are getting the fabric from Nature’s Fabrics , Kinderel or Wazoodle. There are lots of other places I’m sure you could get it, but those are some of the common sources I knew of when I was most frequently buying fabrics for cloth pads. A lot of people who like using bamboo fleece as a topper think that the fuzzy side is really cute, and they like to have that as the side that faces out and is visible. When you think of a sweatshirt, the fuzzy fleece side is usually on the inside, but in the context of cloth pads and diapers, the quality of the fleece is better, and the fuzzy side is actually nice and desirable to be seen and felt. Some people still like to have the smooth knit side towards the body because it’s their preference and they want the fabric for its absorbent capabilities, but it can be used either way. The really nice perk about bamboo fleece or bamboo terry is that it takes dye very well. The colors are quite vibrant, and it’s a nice instant gratification activity if you want to have some beautiful, colorful pads. If you end up having scraps that are dyed and not big enough to sew a whole pad, you can just use them to bulk up the core section of the pad. Even if it’s dyed, it doesn’t matter, you can use it on the inside of the pad. Corky Lorenz October 22, 2025

If your RV water heater isn’t working in cold weather, the water may be too cold to heat. Use heat tape on the inlet line to prewarm the water and restore normal function. Why is my RV water heater not working? If temperatures drop near freezing, and your RV water heater suddenly stops working, the heater probably isn’t broken, it just can’t heat water that’s nearly freezing as it enters the system. Applying heat tape to the incoming water line is necessary in cold climates. If your RV water heater stopped working in cold weather This usually happens when outdoor temperatures drop to around 35°F (1–2°C). At that point, the water supply line often isn’t frozen, so water still flows normally. That makes it feel like the heater suddenly failed. In most cases, it didn’t. What’s actually going on RV water heaters can only raise water temperature by a limited amount. When the incoming water is near freezing, the heater can’t bring it up to operating temperature fast enough. Many units will either: Shut down to protect themselves, or Run but never produce hot water This is a cold-inlet issue, not usually a broken heater. Check Before assuming the heater is defective: Stop trying to restart it repeatedly If the unit is in a protective shutdown, forcing restarts won’t help. Check your exact heater model Look up whether it has cold-weather limits or freeze protection. Many tankless RV heaters do. Confirm the recommended cold-weather setup Manufacturer or dealer support can tell you whether this model requires inlet water warming in low temperatures. Heat tape Some RV owners prevent this issue by keeping the cold-water inlet line warmer in cold weather. If you do this: Use heat tape rated for exterior plumbing Apply it only to the cold-water supply line Do not apply heat tape directly to the water heater or hot-water line Add insulation over the taped line for efficiency Plug into a grounded outlet If you’re unsure, skip this step and contact a professional. Some tankless RV water heaters are not designed to operate reliably in sustained freezing conditions without additional winterization or enclosure heating. In those cases, the solution is environmental, not mechanical. If your RV water heater stops working during cold weather, it’s often reacting to very cold incoming water, not failing outright. Corky Lorenz November 7, 2025

A young hognose snake mistakes a paper towel for food. Here’s how vinegar helped it release the bite safely. What happens if a baby hognose snake bites a paper towel? It might try to eat it. A little vinegar on a q-tip can help the snake let go without harm. When I was visiting my friend and asking about his hognose snakes, which are about five months old now, he got one of them out to show me how voracious these baby snakes are. Now that they're fully in the routine of eating well, he was opening the container and showing me how they're basically ready to eat every time he gets them out. They're posturing as though they're going to strike, and anything in their way they're interpreting as a meal. He was holding a paper towel above the container, and this baby snake struck the paper towel and tried to eat it as though it were a mouse. He wanted to get the paper towel out of the snake's mouth without just pulling on it, because he didn't want the snake to rip off pieces and end up swallowing it. To do that, he used a q-tip soaked in vinegar and pushed it near the corners of the snake's mouth. His goal was that a really smelly or repulsive scent or taste would make the snake want to give up on the item and not try to eat it. That's how he got his snake to let go in the past when it bit his hand. He just slowly kept dipping the q-tip into the vinegar and then back onto the paper towel, and eventually the snake let go and didn’t consume it. It took several minutes, but he was patient, not trying to pull it out of the snake’s mouth, just using the disgusting taste of vinegar to get the snake to abandon the perceived meal. It was interesting to watch the way the snake was trying to envenomate the paper towel. I could see it moving its jaw side to side as if it was trying to make its jaw bigger to accommodate the whole paper towel. It was trying to eat that entire thing, ratcheting it in farther, and it just makes it seem like snakes will take on something way bigger than they can handle. It’s amazing what they can actually swallow because their anatomy will expand to accommodate a meal that’s bigger than their head. So if your snake tries to eat something that it shouldn’t, don’t panic. See if you can find something that’s safe but repulsive to help them let go of the item. Corky Lorenz October 31, 2025

Fabric paint needs to dry fully and then be heat set to bond to the fibers. Let the paint dry, then cure it with a dryer, iron, or heat press following the temperature guidelines for the paint. How to set fabric paint Fabric paint is usually set by letting it dry completely and then applying heat, which bonds the pigments to the fibers. You can heat set it with a clothes dryer, an iron, or a heat press depending on the fabric and the paint instructions. Let the fabric paint dry fully I mixed Lumiere metallic fabric paint with another Jacquard color to get the grey dots on the yellow sweatshirt. After applying the paint, I let it air dry until the surface was fully dry and no areas felt cool. Most fabric paints need complete drying before heat setting so the binder can attach to the fibers. Use heat to set the paint After the paint dried, I set it in the home dryer. Medium to high heat for 20 to 30 minutes is enough to cure most textile paints on cotton and other natural fabrics. The dryer works well for metallic or layered paints because there is no direct contact with the surface. Other ways to heat set fabric paint You can also use an iron by placing a pressing cloth between the iron and the fabric and keeping the iron moving. A heat press works too if you follow the temperature guidelines listed on the paint label. Aftercare Once the paint is heat set, it becomes flexible and washable. Most brands recommend waiting at least 72 hours before the first wash. Corky Lorenz November 29, 2025

Crested geckos reach an average length of about 8 inches from head to tail, with some adults growing up to 9 or 10 inches. Their body alone, without the tail, measures around 4 to 5 inches, about palm size. Juveniles start much smaller and grow steadily through their first year, reaching full adult size between 12 and 18 months. How big do crested geckos get? Adult crested geckos usually grow to about 8 inches long from head to tail, though some reach up to 9 or 10 inches. Their body without the tail is roughly 4 to 5 inches, about the size of an adult’s hand. Over the past two years, I’ve gone to several reptile expos, including the Tinley Park Reptile Expo three times, and the Goshen Reptile Expo . Crested geckos are a very common reptile to see at these events, and vendors who bring them will often get one out to show people or have them sitting on a perch just hanging out. They’re so chill that they don’t try to take off or escape. In all of these instances, the geckos I’ve seen are usually palm-sized. When they still have their tail, it can extend past an average man’s hand, but their head and body fit comfortably within an adult’s palm. The gecko in the first image was a young one, probably a juvenile, seen at the Tinley Park Reptile Expo. Corky Lorenz November 10, 2025

Learn how to care for a Thai Constellation Monstera indoors, including light needs, watering habits, and potting tips. I share how I keep mine healthy in northern Indiana without overwatering or burning the variegated leaves. Monstera Thai Constellation Care The Monstera Thai Constellation grows best in bright, indirect light with moderate watering and chunky soil. Avoid harsh southern windows or over-potting since variegated leaves can burn easily and excess moisture causes root rot. Let it get a little root-bound before repotting and it’ll do fine in normal house conditions. Finding a Thai Constellation I went to the Tinley Park Reptile Expo and got this Thai Constellation Monstera for $25, which is wild considering how it used to go for around $600 online. I remember seeing that on Steve’s Leaves. They’re a plant seller in Texas and an awesome place if you want to check them out. Why Prices Dropped Now Thai Constellation Monsteras are everywhere. You can find them in Lowe’s, Walmart, other big box stores. They’ve just gotten easier to reproduce because of new propagation methods, so the price dropped a lot. Light and Burn Risk I’ve had two of them. The one I have now has a leaf big enough to start fenestrating. The other one is smaller with no fenestrations yet. I don’t have a long history with variegated Monsteras, but I’ve had regular green ones and those were super easy to care for. I assume this will be similar. From what I know about variegation, you just have to be careful about light. Too much light on the white parts burns them. If you put this plant in a southern window for hours of direct sun, you’ll probably get brown patches on the pale areas, especially on a new leaf that’s still hardening off. When to Repot I’m planning to keep this one in its 4 inch pot until it’s really ready to move up. I like to see it a little root bound first. I personally kill things when I pot them up too early. In my environment in northern Indiana, with big north windows and normal house conditions, I wait longer than most people to repot. The cooler temps and lower light here make tropical plants more sensitive to overwatering. If the pot is too big, there’s too much soil staying wet too long. That’s when roots suffocate or rot. Soil, LECA, and Root Health I’ve grown Monsteras in chunky mixes with bark, perlite, and peat moss, and I’ve also done it in straight LECA, those expanded clay balls that wick up moisture from the bottom. I liked LECA. You don’t have to worry about the soil compacting and the roots get good airflow. Don’t Overthink It Overall, Monsteras tolerate a lot. Honestly, don’t fuss. Most people kill plants because they love them too much. Same with Hoyas. They mess with them constantly, and in my experience as someone who kind of neglects plants, you’ll kill them faster by hovering. Corky Lorenz November 11, 2025

Thomas Greenhouse and Gardens brought a stunning selection of Hoyas, variegated tropicals, and carnivorous plants to the October 2025 Tinley Park Reptile Expo, offering rare varieties like Thai Constellation Monstera at unbeatable prices. Thomas Greenhouse and Gardens at the Tinley Park Reptile Expo Thomas Greenhouse and Gardens is a returning favorite at the Tinley Park Reptile Expo, known for rare tropicals and affordable Hoyas. Their displays always stand out, colorful, vertical, and packed with hard to find plants. One of the main things I look forward to when I go to a reptile expo is hunting down the plants, particularly the Hoyas. At the Tinley Park Reptile Expo in October 2025, I found the vendor Thomas Greenhouse and Gardens. This was the third time seeing them, if I remember correctly, and they have had an impressive display every time. This year, they had a large variety of variegated plants that were previously considered rare and hard to get, at prices that were mind blowing. There were Thai Constellations in 4 inch pots with leaves already developing fenestrations for 25 dollars. On the second day, you can usually get good sales on plants because vendors prefer not to take them all home. If I remember right, there was a buy two, get the third free deal. They also had carnivorous plants and small species meant for terrariums, plants that grow in humid, closed environments. But most of the collection seemed aimed at people who collect houseplants and tropicals as a separate hobby from providing enrichment in reptile enclosures. This vendor sets up their displays in a way that is actually fun to browse, with stands that make use of vertical space instead of just tables. It is visually commanding, you can spot them across the room. I would say they are a staple vendor at the Tinley NARBC Reptile Expo, and I look forward to seeing them again in the future. Corky Lorenz October 23, 2025

Polka dot plants (Hypoestes phyllostachya) are non-toxic to cats. Learn why they’re considered safe, what to expect if your cat nibbles on one, and where to check reliable plant toxicity lists for pets. Are polka dot plants toxic to cats? Polka dot plants (Hypoestes phyllostachya) are non-toxic to cats, according to verified pet-safety plant lists. A curious cat might nibble on the leaves, but the plant won’t poison them, it’s considered safe. The polka dot plant is Hypoestes phyllostachya, a small tropical houseplant known for its spotted leaves and its world-class ability to act offended if you miss a watering. I didn’t buy this particular one today at Lowe’s, but I’ve had them in the past alongside my two cats, and there were never any toxicity issues. The ASPCA lists this species as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, so if your cat decides to chew on a leaf, the worst consequence is usually just the plant looking even more pathetic than usual. If you want a reliable source for checking pet-safe and pet-toxic plants in general, the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List is the gold standard for cat owners. It’s what most vets, plant hobbyists, and pet forums reference, and it’s the quickest way to confirm whether a houseplant is a threat or just dramatic. And since we’re being honest: even if this plant were toxic, the odds of it lasting long enough to harm anything are slim. Polka dot plants wilt theatrically if you look at them wrong, and if you forget to water it for one day too long, it will go crispier than a fall leaf. Great for color lovers, terrible for commitment minimalists. Corky Lorenz December 7, 2025