Welcome to the October 2024 SMF Soap Challenge: Flannel and Knit!
This month we will be creating soaps in the Buffalo plaid style OR that have a knit pattern. If members have other ideas for cozy fabrics represented in soap I would love to see them!
SMF Challenge General Rules
To enter, you must have been an active SMF member for at least one month and have a minimum of 50 posts at the time the Challenge is posted. “Fluff” posts written with the sole intention of boosting post numbers do not apply. The only exception to this rule, is that the time and post requirements are removed for (do not apply to) Supporting Members. All eligible members may sign up and submit an entry at any time after the entry thread opens and before it closes.
Your soap must be made after the monthly challenge has been announced. Your entry must consist of bars made from a single batch of soap poured into one mold. In other words, your entry cannot include bars from different batches.
The sign-up list will be posted in this thread. Please add your name to the sign-up list if you’d like to participate. You don’t have to enter a soap if you don’t feel happy with what you have made, and you will still be able to vote. Still, we hope you will post about your experiences here in the main Challenge thread, along with non-entry photos (be prepared to be encouraged to keep trying).
In the spirit of advancing our soap making skills, all members who sign-up for the SMF Challenge do so with the intent that they will make every attempt to submit an entry. We do understand that life happens, and that you may end up without an entry. However, signing up with no intent to participate and only to vote goes against the spirit of the challenge and is not allowed.
Throughout the month, we encourage you to use this general Challenge thread (not the Entry thread) to ask for advice, discuss techniques with other members, upload pictures of your non-entry challenge attempts, and provide helpful hints you learned along the way. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please keep your comments polite.
A separate Entry thread will be created towards the end of the month. Please do not post photos anywhere of your entry until the Entry thread is opened. Breaking this rule will disqualify that soap from this Challenge. The Entry thread is for challenge entries only; please don't post any comments there.
Your entry photos must include at least two bars of soap from a single batch. Detailed photo requirements are given below. We encourage (but do not require) you to include in your entry post a description and additional photos demonstrating how you made your soap: the process, the technique, the fragrance, any special meaning behind your selected colors or design, etc. This gives voters a better understanding of, and appreciation for, what went into creating your soap. Please post the photo you would like used for the voting survey first.
Entries must be posted to the Entry thread (not to this general Challenge thread) before the closing time on the closing date. Late entries will not be accepted. If you miss the Challenge deadline, please upload pictures of your soap to the general Challenge thread instead. While it won’t be included in the voting, we always love to see anything you have created!
There is no prize attached to this Challenge. However, this is still a competition.
If your entry is deemed non-compliant, you will be given the opportunity to amend your entry if there is time to do so before the Entry thread closes. Otherwise, your entry will be excluded from voting. The challenge mods have the final say as to whether any given soap, photo, or registrant is eligible for entry and voting.
All eligible registrants who have signed up before the Entry thread closes will be eligible to vote, even if they do not submit an entry. A password-protected voting link and password will be sent to eligible registrants only, by private message via SMF conversations. Please check your SMF messages/conversations when the voting begins.
Note: all times listed below are Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It is your responsibility to convert times to your own time zone. You can use World Time Buddy or a similar converter to assist you with that.
* The entry thread will open on October 20th by 11:59 PM GMT.
* The entry thread will close on October 25th at 11:59 PM GMT.
* Voting information will be emailed to all eligible participants shortly thereafter.
* The voting survey will remain open until October 28th at 11:59 PM GMT, or until all votes are in, whichever is sooner.
* The winner will be announced by October 30th by 11:59 PM GMT.
***************************************************************************
Specific Rules for this Challenge:
The goal is to make a plaid design or a knit design in soap. There are many examples of both types of designs. Here are the rules for each:
Knit designs:
1) Your soap must incorporate at least one side that has a knit pattern. There are silicone fondant mats available to purchase from craft stores and from Amazon, like these https://www.amazon.com/Impression-S...0&psc=1&mcid=7081c397f24b3896b5c5766e3d7729ad
You may have an idea for creating a knit pattern with soap dough - that would be totally fine too.
Here is an example of a soap I made using a fondant mat.
2) You can make your soap in a loaf mold or slab mold.
3) Embellishments such as buttons (made of soap) may be added.
4) You may use more than one color in your poured soap, but remember that the goal is to make the knitted pattern look realistic.
If you want a bigger challenge, you can try making a plaid soap. The most popular type for soap is a “Buffalo plaid” which is usually black and red, but can be other colors. This plaid is fairly simple, with equal areas of two colors and the combination of those two colors in the intersecting squares. Like this:
This type of pattern can be achieved in several different ways. To make it in a loaf mold, you can create long rectangular soap embeds, either by using an embed mold, or extruding soap dough using an extruder disc with a square hole, or cutting up a poured loaf. Plan the size of the embeds based on the internal dimensions of your mold. The easiest way to figure out how many embeds you will need is to draw your soap from an end view on a piece of graph paper. In the above example, I would need 6 black embeds (3 cut in half lengthwise) and four red embeds. I would need enough of the mixed color batter to fill halfway to the height of the finished soap.
The execution of making the plaid pattern is as follows.
a) Place the first color embeds in the bottom of the mold. In this case, the end pieces are half the width of the piece in the middle, but you can make all of them square if you like.
b) Pour your first layer of “mixed” color. In this case, it is gray.
c) carefully place your next layer of rectangles on top of the poured layer. Hint: if you place small “props” on the ends to hold up the second layer of inserts, it is much easier to keep layers straight. It’s hard to show in this diagram, but it would be a piece of one of the embeds, about .5 inches thick, at the end of the first poured gray layer.
d) Pour another layer of the “mix” color.
e) Now you’re back to the first color. (Black)
f) carry on until you reach your desired height.
There are several examples on YouTube of Buffalo plaid soaps - here’s one
I have also discovered a wonderful website that lets you play with creating plaids. Instructions are on the website. https://www.plaidmaker.com
For purposes of this challenge I recommend creating a “simple” (hardee har har) Buffalo plaid, which will require two colors of embeds and a third poured color of a mixed color. If you are feeling adventurous you may try more than two colors for the embeds, but be aware it will change the number of colors you need to pour. You don’t have to create all square shaped (from the end view) embeds, but it will be easier to do so.
You are welcome to experiment with making a plaid pattern in a slab mold, and cut the soap horizontally or make the soap one bar thick.
You must make a realistic plaid - a random check pattern won’t qualify for this challenge. The poured color should be a representation of a mix of the two other colors, but you can achieve that however you like. It doesn’t have to be (and probably shouldn’t be) exactly half of each color.
Okay! Have fun.
This month we will be creating soaps in the Buffalo plaid style OR that have a knit pattern. If members have other ideas for cozy fabrics represented in soap I would love to see them!
SMF Challenge General Rules
To enter, you must have been an active SMF member for at least one month and have a minimum of 50 posts at the time the Challenge is posted. “Fluff” posts written with the sole intention of boosting post numbers do not apply. The only exception to this rule, is that the time and post requirements are removed for (do not apply to) Supporting Members. All eligible members may sign up and submit an entry at any time after the entry thread opens and before it closes.
Your soap must be made after the monthly challenge has been announced. Your entry must consist of bars made from a single batch of soap poured into one mold. In other words, your entry cannot include bars from different batches.
The sign-up list will be posted in this thread. Please add your name to the sign-up list if you’d like to participate. You don’t have to enter a soap if you don’t feel happy with what you have made, and you will still be able to vote. Still, we hope you will post about your experiences here in the main Challenge thread, along with non-entry photos (be prepared to be encouraged to keep trying).
In the spirit of advancing our soap making skills, all members who sign-up for the SMF Challenge do so with the intent that they will make every attempt to submit an entry. We do understand that life happens, and that you may end up without an entry. However, signing up with no intent to participate and only to vote goes against the spirit of the challenge and is not allowed.
Throughout the month, we encourage you to use this general Challenge thread (not the Entry thread) to ask for advice, discuss techniques with other members, upload pictures of your non-entry challenge attempts, and provide helpful hints you learned along the way. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but please keep your comments polite.
A separate Entry thread will be created towards the end of the month. Please do not post photos anywhere of your entry until the Entry thread is opened. Breaking this rule will disqualify that soap from this Challenge. The Entry thread is for challenge entries only; please don't post any comments there.
Your entry photos must include at least two bars of soap from a single batch. Detailed photo requirements are given below. We encourage (but do not require) you to include in your entry post a description and additional photos demonstrating how you made your soap: the process, the technique, the fragrance, any special meaning behind your selected colors or design, etc. This gives voters a better understanding of, and appreciation for, what went into creating your soap. Please post the photo you would like used for the voting survey first.
Entries must be posted to the Entry thread (not to this general Challenge thread) before the closing time on the closing date. Late entries will not be accepted. If you miss the Challenge deadline, please upload pictures of your soap to the general Challenge thread instead. While it won’t be included in the voting, we always love to see anything you have created!
There is no prize attached to this Challenge. However, this is still a competition.
If your entry is deemed non-compliant, you will be given the opportunity to amend your entry if there is time to do so before the Entry thread closes. Otherwise, your entry will be excluded from voting. The challenge mods have the final say as to whether any given soap, photo, or registrant is eligible for entry and voting.
All eligible registrants who have signed up before the Entry thread closes will be eligible to vote, even if they do not submit an entry. A password-protected voting link and password will be sent to eligible registrants only, by private message via SMF conversations. Please check your SMF messages/conversations when the voting begins.
Note: all times listed below are Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). It is your responsibility to convert times to your own time zone. You can use World Time Buddy or a similar converter to assist you with that.
* The entry thread will open on October 20th by 11:59 PM GMT.
* The entry thread will close on October 25th at 11:59 PM GMT.
* Voting information will be emailed to all eligible participants shortly thereafter.
* The voting survey will remain open until October 28th at 11:59 PM GMT, or until all votes are in, whichever is sooner.
* The winner will be announced by October 30th by 11:59 PM GMT.
***************************************************************************
Specific Rules for this Challenge:
The goal is to make a plaid design or a knit design in soap. There are many examples of both types of designs. Here are the rules for each:
Knit designs:
1) Your soap must incorporate at least one side that has a knit pattern. There are silicone fondant mats available to purchase from craft stores and from Amazon, like these https://www.amazon.com/Impression-S...0&psc=1&mcid=7081c397f24b3896b5c5766e3d7729ad
You may have an idea for creating a knit pattern with soap dough - that would be totally fine too.
Here is an example of a soap I made using a fondant mat.
2) You can make your soap in a loaf mold or slab mold.
3) Embellishments such as buttons (made of soap) may be added.
4) You may use more than one color in your poured soap, but remember that the goal is to make the knitted pattern look realistic.
If you want a bigger challenge, you can try making a plaid soap. The most popular type for soap is a “Buffalo plaid” which is usually black and red, but can be other colors. This plaid is fairly simple, with equal areas of two colors and the combination of those two colors in the intersecting squares. Like this:
This type of pattern can be achieved in several different ways. To make it in a loaf mold, you can create long rectangular soap embeds, either by using an embed mold, or extruding soap dough using an extruder disc with a square hole, or cutting up a poured loaf. Plan the size of the embeds based on the internal dimensions of your mold. The easiest way to figure out how many embeds you will need is to draw your soap from an end view on a piece of graph paper. In the above example, I would need 6 black embeds (3 cut in half lengthwise) and four red embeds. I would need enough of the mixed color batter to fill halfway to the height of the finished soap.
The execution of making the plaid pattern is as follows.
a) Place the first color embeds in the bottom of the mold. In this case, the end pieces are half the width of the piece in the middle, but you can make all of them square if you like.
b) Pour your first layer of “mixed” color. In this case, it is gray.
c) carefully place your next layer of rectangles on top of the poured layer. Hint: if you place small “props” on the ends to hold up the second layer of inserts, it is much easier to keep layers straight. It’s hard to show in this diagram, but it would be a piece of one of the embeds, about .5 inches thick, at the end of the first poured gray layer.
d) Pour another layer of the “mix” color.
e) Now you’re back to the first color. (Black)
f) carry on until you reach your desired height.
There are several examples on YouTube of Buffalo plaid soaps - here’s one
I have also discovered a wonderful website that lets you play with creating plaids. Instructions are on the website. https://www.plaidmaker.com
For purposes of this challenge I recommend creating a “simple” (hardee har har) Buffalo plaid, which will require two colors of embeds and a third poured color of a mixed color. If you are feeling adventurous you may try more than two colors for the embeds, but be aware it will change the number of colors you need to pour. You don’t have to create all square shaped (from the end view) embeds, but it will be easier to do so.
You are welcome to experiment with making a plaid pattern in a slab mold, and cut the soap horizontally or make the soap one bar thick.
You must make a realistic plaid - a random check pattern won’t qualify for this challenge. The poured color should be a representation of a mix of the two other colors, but you can achieve that however you like. It doesn’t have to be (and probably shouldn’t be) exactly half of each color.
Okay! Have fun.
I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb, but if I didn't sign up right away, I might not have ever done it. It's already been a fun learning experience, but it'll be even more fun when more people register for the challenge.
I hope you get to do both!
