Recent notes on projects & local events

The Sims Education Center at Fernwood Botanical Garden is a library and event space. It focuses on nature education, with books about plants, wildlife, and conservation. It also includes bird watching stations, hands-on learning areas for children, and rooms available for community events and private gatherings.

Even after the flowers fade, Fernwood Botanical Gardens stays alive with color. The trails are lined with bright leaves, textured bark, and a few late blooms that prove how well the gardens are cared for.

There are two different train displays at Fernwood. One is inside, in the building where you buy your tickets. The other is a short walk from the entrance, on the trail.

It might try to eat it. A little vinegar on a q-tip can help the snake let go without harm.

Yes. Acid dyes bond beautifully to wool, producing vibrant, saturated colors, especially the fluorescent shades from Dharma Trading Company, which seem to glow under natural light.

Sewing patterns designed for getting a custom fit to suit your needs. Mix and match the ends to get the cloth pad length and shape you need.

Rhonda Whitledge creates hand-sculpted fantasy figures that feel alive, each with expressive faces and detailed clothing. Her booth at Rebel Art Fest drew steady attention from visitors.

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.

There was so much variety to see among vendor booths! I was also impressed by the number of vendors I recognized from the previous two visits to this NARBC expo location.

This is the third time I have seen this vendor, and I was happy to see their collection again! Bugs and large frogs were a crowd favorite.

If we met in person and I took your photo, it will be uploaded in 2-3 days.

The most important elements of bright tie dye color are: using natural fiber shirts, presoaking in soda ash, using enough dye, and letting it fully set.

It’s a style of tie dye that ends up resembling a sliced agate or geode. Artificial sinew is wrapped around fabric and pulled tight to resist dye and create lines.

There are 2 main ways that people get the AC lifted up to the roof. When it’s available, they use a forklift. Most people use a ladder and help to slide the box up.

For the first time, The Mishawaka Farmers Market was held at night. Vendors and guests enjoyed the overhead string lights along the riverwalk.

After visiting last night, for the "Under the Lights" event and seeing about 30 dogs, I would say yes. The Mishawaka Market and riverwalk seem very dog friendly.

Sometimes a hognose snake will finish shedding its body but still have old skin left on the head or eyes. This is normal and usually clears up on its own once the snake has access to a little extra humidity.

They have fruit pies and hot food pies! Inside the visitor center is the Fernwood cafe, where you can find treats and food made to order.

Follow the trail to the Sims Education Center. It's the grey building with plants on some parts of the roof. Inside, you'll find bird watching stations.

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.

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.

Several vendors sell rare houseplants alongside reptiles, including terrarium starters, carnivorous species, and collector-grade foliage plants like Thai Constellations and variegated philodendrons.

Bamboo fleece and bamboo terry fabric need to be pre-shrunk before sewing to prevent the final pad from becoming warped after washing. Wash and dry the fabric on hot three to five times, measuring shrinkage between cycles to know when it’s ready to sew.

Sundown Reptiles stood out at the Tinley Park Reptile Expo with their orchids and beautifully designed reptile enclosures. Their professional display and active online presence show a clear dedication to both reptiles and presentation.

This vendor brought an impressive variety of boas. The patterns and colors were striking. I was happy to be able to walk up and observe this boa up close.

A hot soak is a shortcut for ice dyers who want to see their results faster. Instead of waiting 24 hours at room temp, you soak the item in hot water to set the dye faster.

For tie dye, mix 1 cup of powdered soda ash (sodium carbonate) with 1 gallon of water. It dissolves faster with warm or hot water. Enjoy a soda ash poem below.

Getting crisp lines without blotchiness requires making the ties really tight and properly spaced.

It makes the fabric ready to grab color. The soda ash raises the pH so the dye will chemically bond to cotton instead of just washing out later.

This is a technique meant to produce a smooth watercolor look on thin fabrics. It’s done by placing polyester fleece behind the thin fabric before bunching.

There was one remaining Hot n' Now location in Sturgis, MI, but recently a second location has been opened, in Wayland, MI.

Most of my dye is from Dharma Trading Co, but I also like Jacquard Products. There are several more small shops to get powered dye from.