Handmade Soap and Hand-spun Fibers
Nestled in the middle of the Iowa country side resides a tiny cottage industry.
Heart of Iowa Soapworks is the result of my search for handmade soaps that are free of unnecessary dyes and additives. I have Eczema & Rosacea and am unable to use commercial soap. My soapmaking journey started way back in April of 1999. I was reading a "back to nature" type of book and came across a couple pages that outlined how to make homemade soap...I'm thinking...I can cook pretty well, can follow directions closely, so I should be able to make soap??!
Long story short. I rendered the fat, made the soap according to directions and (not) so patiently waited the four weeks for it to dry & cure. That homemade soap lathered up beautifully, smelled wonderful (Sandalwood) and best of all.....my skin did not itch or burn after using it! I was hooked. So, for the next full year, I started making new batches of soap any chance that I got. Experimented with different oils, fragrances, clay, herbs....whatever I could dream up to try. Having seven siblings came in handy at this point. SOMEBODY had to try out my newest experiments! So, after sending several dozen bars to my sister Linda she asked me why I wasn't selling my soap? It never dawned on me that people would actually want to BUY some! So, after many more batches under my belt, in May of 2000 I started selling at our local Farmer's Market, branching out to craft shows, website and wholesale customers.
I love all things handmade. If I can make them myself, even better. New this year, I'm offering my hand-spun yarn and fiber creations.
Please check out my Fiber page and let me know what you think!
Thank you for your patronage over the years. If you have suggestions or comments, feel free to contact me at karla@iasoaps.com.
Heart of Iowa Soapworks is the result of my search for handmade soaps that are free of unnecessary dyes and additives. I have Eczema & Rosacea and am unable to use commercial soap. My soapmaking journey started way back in April of 1999. I was reading a "back to nature" type of book and came across a couple pages that outlined how to make homemade soap...I'm thinking...I can cook pretty well, can follow directions closely, so I should be able to make soap??!
Long story short. I rendered the fat, made the soap according to directions and (not) so patiently waited the four weeks for it to dry & cure. That homemade soap lathered up beautifully, smelled wonderful (Sandalwood) and best of all.....my skin did not itch or burn after using it! I was hooked. So, for the next full year, I started making new batches of soap any chance that I got. Experimented with different oils, fragrances, clay, herbs....whatever I could dream up to try. Having seven siblings came in handy at this point. SOMEBODY had to try out my newest experiments! So, after sending several dozen bars to my sister Linda she asked me why I wasn't selling my soap? It never dawned on me that people would actually want to BUY some! So, after many more batches under my belt, in May of 2000 I started selling at our local Farmer's Market, branching out to craft shows, website and wholesale customers.
I love all things handmade. If I can make them myself, even better. New this year, I'm offering my hand-spun yarn and fiber creations.
Please check out my Fiber page and let me know what you think!
Thank you for your patronage over the years. If you have suggestions or comments, feel free to contact me at karla@iasoaps.com.
