seymour

/ valentines for valentine's

2012-02-14T13:19:00.003-08:00

I was sure I didn't have any Valentine's-themed pictures for you today, but found this deep in the bowels of my external hard drive! Some of you will recognize your cards from a few years ago. :)

In case you didn't notice or weren't sure, yes.
Those are indeed Jonas Brothers references.

I will now go and watch the Downton Abbey Christmas Special, which I've heard has some pretty good Valentinesey stuff in it!

Love to you all!

/icebox chicken salad

2012-02-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

During college, my absolute favorite lunch spot was a tiny neighborhood grocery and cafe called the Icebox. First of all, the owner was the most genuinely friendly woman and fantastic cook you ever did come across in a neighborhood grocery & cafe. Second, she made the best chicken salad I had (and have) ever tasted. Roasted chicken, Gorgonzola, walnuts, balsamic vinegar, and without mayonnaise. Don't get me wrong- I probably enjoy mayo more than the average person, but this chicken salad was what they call, somethin'. It was just dreamy.
In fact, dreamy enough that I am still dreaming about it three years later and decided that I had better improvise.

Thought I'd hearken back to my earlier blog days and post this super simple recipe that, tastes (amazingly) quite like the chicken salad I remember!

balsamic gorgonzola chicken salad

mix together in a bowl:

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3-4 T. good balsamic vinegar
3-5 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 C finely crumbled Gorgonzola
1/3 C toasted, chopped walnuts
fresh cracked pepper to taste

Serve it on salad greens or in a sandwich.

please note: This is definitely best served in a croissant, so you won't have to worry about missing out on those extra mayo calories.

enjoy!

/squishy knot pillow

2012-01-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! Happy January! I've been absent lately, but was recently snowed in for a week so I've got a lot to share, starting with this squishy knot pillow.

Like everyone these days, I'm on Pinterest. Except I got an account mid-2010 when it wasn't all crock pot recipes and bunting (crock pot recipes & bunting have their fans, they just aren't me). I could rant much longer, but will refrain. Anyway, not too long ago I came upon this gem:

design-milk via pinterest

The link says it's from Design Milk, but I can't for the life of me get it to work! I can't get onto Design Milk in general! If I were more tech savvy, I might have looked into the problem more but thought I could give it a go just from this photo. (And also put together a short how-to.)

EDIT: I've removed the how-to photos out of respect for the artist Ragnheiður Ösp who created the amazing original pillow, and sells them here. She makes other super cool variations as well! If I was aware that she sold them, I would have certainly waited for another post to do my first tutorial. Undermining someone's creative pursuits has never been the intention of this little blog and I do not take it lightly!

I already had the fabric needed, scraps from a local clothing company called Texture that sells/gives away the extra fabric after cutting that most companies would just toss. They also sell their organic/sustainable clothing and yardage online. I LOVE these fabrics! I also love that they helped make this project quite cost effective and mostly recycled!

Before I tied the pillow together, I tried the pieces on around my neck and felt a little like this lady for a minute.

Here is the knot I followed, the Celtic Knot. There are all sorts of other knots to try with all sorts of mediums, so get creative!

/cabled hat no.2

2011-11-22T09:29:00.001-08:00

Oh, I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Mine was really fantastic. I'll admit I have a lot of catching up do do around these parts after spending the better part of December party planning and gift making/buying, but I'll begin with...

Another cabled hat! This time I bought a skein of Cascade Magnum, for the sole purpose of making a red hat. It looked like fluffy red cotton candy before I knit it up, which is a bonus.

I made the shorter version of this pattern. It was still longer than I wanted, so I just wear it with the ribbing flipped up. Crisis averted.

I've actually been done with this for weeks, but thought I'd get better photos before posting. I should have known that would never happen with everything Christmas going on. So, you get an awkward photo of me adjusting my hat wearing a crazy looking cowl.

Note: The cowl has since stretched out and is looking much more drapey, which convinced me to make three more of them as Christmas presents! The absolute best zone out in front of the TV project ever. I recommend.

It's been unseasonably warm here, so this hat hasn't been too useful yet. Soon I'll be going on the annual post-Christmas trip when I get to do my once a year cross country skiing adventure, and will certainly be wearing this guy. That is, if my mom doesn't steal it from me first. (I'll be watching my back, mom.)

/bernina fevah

2011-11-14T22:25:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again...

I bought a new machine! A Bernina 215.
(Only because this post was a year ago... not because I really get a new machine every year. Promise.)

They refer to this one as a "sewing computer" in the manual- an important differentiation for me because I've never owned a computerized machine. I've actually spent a lot energy avoiding them.

I gave in because this machine is super sturdy, well made and has everything I need, nothing I don't. It was the most basic Bernina the store carried, which automatically make it the most appealing to me. I was amused as the saleswoman tried to coerce me into the machine that "has the most amazing embroidery software you've ever seen!" (read: many K more than this humble model). I just let her know nicely that, "I would honestly never use that once." I think that was the first time she'd heard those words, and I sensed her confusion.

In a little over a week, I've hemmed three pairs of jeans, two pairs of trousers, one dress and altered another dress and a shirt. It stitches beautifully and I'm loving the feature I thought might annoy me, needle up/down. It's also just the right size for my sewing table.

Aww, aren't these two just so cute together?

I'm thinking about a coverstitch & chainstitch machine next, does anyone have experience with one?

One more thing! I can't forget to mention that last weekend my good friend took a bunch of us to a trapeze class for her birthday. A TRAPEZE CLASS. We did this move (below), and flips and catches like pros. It was so much fun! Try it it you ever get the chance.

Here I am, flying in my StyleMint Fillmore tee that I wear three days a week (slight, not gross exaggeration). I am also sporting a skin belt, which is not a style recommendation.

/stormy turban

2011-11-02T13:35:00.003-07:00

So, it was this past New Year's day that I sat in front of YouTube and learned how to knit (sort of), but haven't really done much about it. I believe it was in February that I decided on knitting a turban, consulted the yarn lady for needle size conversions, appropriate yarn and got knitting.

I finished a couple weeks ago.

I now understand why knitters always gripe about 'second sock syndrome', half-finished sweaters, etc. etc.
This turban is knit in two pieces; a cap and band.
Once I finished with the cap, I completely checked out from this project for the Spring & Summer.
Oops.

original leaflet, from the V&A site

I used this 1940's pattern released again by the V&A entitled Knit Yourself a Turban. Knitters can choose the stocking stitch (as I did) or the moss stitch. Here's my ravelry page for this project.

Until next time!

/french pumpkins (I did my nails again)

2011-10-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Base is Butter London in Jaffa, green glitter is super old from Bath & Body works and surely out of production. You'll find lots if you search "green sparkle nail polish" though!

Not the most attractive manicure of all time, but festive. Festive is what counts!

/(grey) cotton lace top

2011-10-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

I finally have a few photos of the finished lace top! I went with the grey, which I knew would turn out light but only had one box of dye. It's a actually a really nice shade and matches a tank I have almost perfectly, which I wore under it for a wedding.
(The wedding I was making a velvet Macaron for. Two words; not happening.)
I also wore my favorite yellow skirt and favorite shoes.
Nothing can go wrong with your outfit if you put all your favorites together- just my philosophy.
A philosophy with many holes, I know.

I took a little extra care while sewing this top, because it's lace- there are absolutely no raw edges, inside or out!
The side seams and under-sleeve seams are french. I joined the raglan sleeves to the bodice wrong sides together, trimmed and concealed the allowance with twill tape. The sleeves, neck and hem were finished with twill tape as well. I have a ready-to-wear top that I love finished with twill tape, so I figured it might be nice on this guy too!

This top is already becoming a staple, considering there are so many ways to wear it! A trans-seasonal sort of thing for sure.

/ALERT! COLOUR QUANDARY!

2011-10-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

So, I usually try to make a point of not talking about projects I have started but might never (ever) finish.
That's just embarrassing, right?

I must have extraordinary faith in my ability to finish this cotton lace top, because here it is; very unfinished and on the interwebs. This because I'm having a needy, insecure teenage-girl TELL ME I LOOK GOOD moment regarding its colour. The whole thing will be garment-dyed either pearl grey or tangerine, but I just can't decide which one! Cannot.

I'm leaning toward the grey because I really want to get red pants this season, but is that really going to happen? The tangerine would be kind of amazing, not to mention wearable with all the jeans that I already have.

Aspire to ownership of red pants, or be practical? As I said- quandary.

/last call tank

2011-10-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, well yes- it is way too late to wear this tank by itself in my neck of the woods. I did make it (and a matching one for one of my sisters! adorable!) more than a month ago, so it had a little time in the sunshine.
It is THE softest fabric ever, a slinky knit I found at a giant fabric warehouse in Minnesota. I suspect it to be a modal/cotton blend.
So cozy that if I wore it during the day, I just keep it on for bed with some pajama shorts.

So simple, but I think if I tried to add anything else it would look silly with the print. The stripes are already broken up a bit.

I promise to do a better job with layering now that the temperature is in the 50's.
That scarf is really not going cut it.

/a month of nails

2011-09-29T15:46:00.004-07:00

This month I've rekindled my love for fun nail colour.
Well, some would call it love- others, addiction.

You see, by the time I was in 5th grade I refused to cut my nails (but kept a file on me at all times) and had acquired so much nail polish I was pawning off the less desirable colours in the back of the morning school bus for $1 each. When I think about it, this is could be totally normal for today's 5th graders. Yikes.

Anyway, while cleaning my bathroom cupboards I found the gallon ziplock that still holds (and is filled to the brim with) all those treasures! Needless to say, I could do a different glitter polish on all ten of my nails and still have some to spare.

This month I started with a glittery paint job, then got out my more current colours.
I'm sure there's more to come!


grey: L.A.Girl Flare (Urban Outfitters) sparkle: GAP circa 1999

light: RGB- Haze dark: OPI- Lincoln Park After Dark

OPI- My Chihuahua Bites! (seriously.)

fall pedi

/organza twisty tank

2011-08-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

One project I've actually taken photos of!
It's a tank, and the pattern is Cynthia Rowley 2593 from Simplicity.

The top was originally made because I always need something new to wear to weddings. I'm told I attend a disproportionate amount. I wore it with a mustard silk skirt, which seemed alright at the time, but looking back wasn't the greatest. (I'll spare you.)

I much prefer it with these denim cut-offs. And you know I don't buy my cut-offs already cut off. Just sayin'.
It might do well with my Seafarers, too.

The great thing about this nubby organza is that you don't have to iron it! In fact, every time I've worn it, I've have bunched and rolled and squeezed it to get it looking just right. As much as I love using my steam iron, that love really only extends to use while sewing.
The annoying thing about this nubby organza is that you have to wear something under it. Oh well.

I only had to fudge one thing on this top, which was sacrificing cutting the neckline strip on the bias. Very little yardage.Thankfully, the fabric has a pretty loose weave so it ended up twisting alright. The pattern fit well (how could it not? it's pretty tent-y & long) and turned out just like I'd imagined, so I have no complaints- just questions about what to wear it with to still look fancy!

/woodburning

2011-08-08T06:45:00.001-07:00

A few days ago I was going through the closet in my sewing room and found this old woodburning pen! I was a little scared to plug it in (I don't like it when things blow up), but after doing so was relieved to find it was in good working order.

Let me tell you, woodburning is tricky business. That humble looking pen gets really, really (like, really) hot. This means one must keep their hands up on the black band around the pen if they'd like their skin to stay intact, making control kind of difficult.

I remembered I'd bought a couple of wood plaques at a craft store a few years ago with the intention of painting something cute on them. An illustration might be super cute for the next one, but this time I thought something with a lot of straight lines might be best for a steep learning curve (no practice wood). After brainstorming a variety of succinct Avett Brothers lyrics, I went to it! I think it's obvious which letter I started with (hah, that d is awful!). There are obviously spots that could be cleaned up, but I like the overall look! There's a certain charm when something looks like it was done by a 4th grader, right?

fun facts (?): the art of woodburning is called pyrography. and yes, woodburning is one word.

In other news, I put together a muslin version of the Macaron. The sleeves are amazing, definitely my favorite part!

My official self-imposed deadline is October 6th, so it might be a bit of a wait.

If there were no weddings, I would honestly never get any sewing done for myself!

/the biggest fabric store that I had ever seen.

2011-08-04T07:25:00.005-07:00

During my 16 days in Minneapolis this summer, this was my only humble request; a little fabric shopping, duh! After thorough pre-trip internet research, and I knew I had found my place.

Here is just a taste of the aforementioned fabric wonderland called S.R. Harris.

I really have had dreams about it.

It's a short drive north of Minneapolis and is GIANT. This photo is just a weeee bit of what they've got! Talk about hyper stimulation of the senses; faux fur, denim, leather, sequins, lycra, silk- EVERYTHING! The only parts I didn't care to look through were the home dec and quilting sections, but you can bet I was quickly lured into both by my mom and sister requesting that I make them tablecloths and dinner napkins. I agreed.

We only had an hour to shop before closing, and had to cut and re-shelf our own fabric in the last five minutes (read: I had to cut all the fabric in the last five minutes)! I lived, because being so stressed out in a fabric store made me feel like I was on Bravo in its glory days. I had the fabric-wielding arms of a Project Runway contestant, and the sweaty brow of a Top Chef. Nothing wrong with that.

I showed major restraint, trying not to buy any fabrics I didn't have specific plans for. I usually fail at this in a big way, but was forced due to very limited suitcase space.

There wasn't too much labeling happening, but here's what I can guess about what I walked away with:

[top to bottom] Nanette Lepore brocade, synthetic blend for lining (purely for the minty colour), slinky knit- I'm guessing a cotton/modal blend? They'll all make their way back here in time!

Oh yes, and everything at this place is always 50% off. This explains the dreams.

note: the post title is solely because I've watched this video about twenty times today.

do yourself a favor.

2011-07-28T18:09:00.002-07:00

Summer is finally here!
Really. We've just started to get summer weather in the Pacific Northwest in the past week.
Thankfully, I had a chance to escape to warm Minneapolis for two and a half weeks this month! (Well, not so thankful by the end of the trip- way. too. hot.)

We shopped. We ate. We attended sporting events and did all sorts of other touristy things.
There was also an outing involving a rental car and a GIANT fabric warehouse (I have since had dreams about this place. More to come).

Before departure, I decided to procrastinate big time on the bridesmaids' dresses I should have been working on. After a week of mad sewing and a ton of silk crepe de chine, I'm done with 4 of 5 fully lined dresses! Hoooooooooooey.
If you sew, you'll probably be able to recognize the pattern I used right away. Kind of a popular one. (Simplicity 2360)
Hopefully I'll get a hold of some shots from the wedding so you can get the full effect!

worry not, I fixed that pesky shoulder seam!

Tonight is for grading the pattern for the fifth dress and refreshing my friendship bracelet making skillz for Grainline's friendship swap! This will be good. If you haven't already, you should join in on the fun too- but do it before tomorrow (July 29) at midnight!

/bleach dipped tank

2011-06-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

So, I made Grainline's Tiny Pocket Tank. Mostly because her version is the coolest ever. THAT FABRIC!

Mine was made with a light pink lightweight cotton twill (that I got in this shipment!) as a muslin - at first. Then, before trying it on I got way too excited about dipping it in bleach and subsequently wearing it every day into eternity. The reverse dye job turned out perrrrfectly! I love so many things about it, but unfortunately when I did try it on, I realized that it doesn't fit me.

I cut out a size 10, which according to measurements would have been (and almost was) a good fit. Just two things:
1) The problem with a lot of good patterns is that they fail to recognize the existence of gravity.
If you know what I mean. So next time I'll be moving those darts downward.
2) I'll also be making it a few inches longer to accommodate my torso.
emily : torso :: giraffe : neck

I think it would be beneficial to use a more fluid fabric too. I'm thinking crepe de chine, challis or a nice cotton/silk blend like the original.

Really though, it's been so long since I made this one that I might just scrap this style altogether and jump on the Colette Sorbetto bandwagon. Pretty sure I'm convinced after seeing this one from Jaimielee.

Wait a minute, did I mention my recent acquisition of my very first Colette patterns?! Welp, it's no lie:

I want to start a Macaron SO badly, but have once again committed myself to bridesmaids' dresses. This batch is super cute though, and so much so that I may want one too!
Uh oh.

until next time,

/on its way!

2011-06-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

Look! I was hanging out on Amazon and decided to check up on the BurdaStyle book, to discover that it not only has an official release date (November 1st), but a pretty cover! What the what? The cover proves that yes, the skirt I made will be included somewhere in its pages!

You see, I was a little (read:very) weary about my skirt, because it was made in a frenzy last summer during the same week of the bridesmaids' dress nightmare. On someone else's sewing machine. Yikes. I do love most things about it though.

Anyway, I feel like secret keeping and being sneaky, so I'm going to wait until I get a copy to say which one is mine...

image via Amazon

Feel free to take a guess! (That is, unless I already told you.)

Here's the official announcement about the book from last summer in case you missed it!

/birthday stuff.

2011-06-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

I had a birthday this week! As you can see, I had the absolute best pre-birthday cake ever, not really a cake but a GIANT MAPLE BAR! When we picked it up from the doughnut shop, we were told that we "definitely had the biggest doughnut in town right now." I'll take it.

On my actual birthday, I woke up to find that I had been featured on BurdaStyle! What a great birthday present! You can click through to read my interview & look at the silly pictures accompanying it.

Later, I was treated to an amazing dinner with my family at one of my favorite restaurants, (it's in the woods and by the lake, of course it's my favorite) and wore my cotton & silk pajama top that I made last summer.

This just in: a top that was meant to be pajamas is actually dressier than most things I wear.

Is it just me, or is my closet is trying to tell me something?

There's been a lot of sewing going on around here, so stay tuned in case I ever get photos of these things!

/I won stuff!

2011-05-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

The more giveaways you enter, the higher the odds you're going to win something, right?
Well folks, I enter a lot of giveaways. Some for things that I wouldn't even find useful (why is that?). Thankfully, the two I've won thus far are super fun, useful & much appreciated!

The first was from Trisha Brink, a local shop owner who's now got an Etsy shop full of pretty prints! I even got to choose my favorite (Yes to Yarn, below), which is perfect in my sewing room although I am really a novice knitter. I also love the 'Globulus Bloom' & 'Rosa' prints.

Giveaway #2 was from the fab interiors/style blog, coco+kelley. Waverly offered them bundles of decorator weight fabric from their Modern Essentials collection, which arrived at my doorstep this week. There's one yard each of five fabrics, and the prints are better than I imagined for a luck-of-the-draw giveaway! I'm thinking at least one mini backpack (probably in the chartreuse & cream zebra print, let's get real), and perhaps some throw pillow covers for my mom? There's really nothing better than a free project!

Thanks to Trisha & Cassandra for the rad giveaways!

/denim short II

2011-05-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

So glad to finally be done with these! I had pieced them together from two old pairs of jeans a few months ago (from the same pattern I drafted and made these out of), but never had the will to finish until now.

The lighter denim came from a pair of well-loved but too worn Gap jeans that I hadn't worn in years, and the dark denim from an alteration client's jeans she had me shorten. The pockets were once functional, but are now stitched shut. I should have realized that they'd gape massively, being at an angle on my hips and all... sometimes I do not think. Also, LOTS of flat-felled seams, because they are my favorite.

The sun has started showing itself (albeit sporadically), but it's definitely still not warm enough to wear shorts.
So I took a couple of awkward shots in the sewing room.

Shorts photos are much better if you can stage some sort of outdoor frolicking (picnic, walk in the park), but here I present to you the obligatory front and back photos.

Are back shots even obligatory?
If not, I definitely feel weird about this one...

Hopefully I'll be doing much more sewing for myself in the near future, because all I see are dresses! Sun & warmth, you are welcome to hold off another couple weeks until I make at least one more dress, but please come soon after that.
Much appreciated.

/I wore this.

2011-04-28T23:34:00.000-07:00

I've decided I'm very much into messing around with my pen & tablet. So much so, that I've resorted to a pandemic blogging cliche, 'What I wore today'. I really don't mean to (or want to) become a 'style blogger', but this was so super fun it just may become a habit.

Apologies.

(But not.)

cardigan & shirt, j.crew; skirt, proenza schouler for target; flats, anthropologie.

/meringue nests

2011-04-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a happy Easter!

This year I decided to accompany my annual coconut lamb cake with little nests. I had some chocolate & candy coated sunflower seeds, and had just made some delish lemon meringues, so this was the natural next step. I think they turned out pretty adorably, if I do say so myself! (They were tasty, too!)

As a bonus, these are great for gluten free people! I was elated to see my gluten-free cousin throwing these back like I do malted milk eggs. I had to make sure and type up the recipe so I could remember what I did for next year, and the year after.

Really though, I'll probably make these again before Spring is over. Cute food is the best.

chocolate meringue nests
adapted from Joy the Baker

two large egg whites
pinch of salt
2/3 cup fine baking sugar
one tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
chocolate sprinkles
chocolate candy coated sunflower seeds

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line one big baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside.

Use an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to whip the egg whites until foamy (bubble bath status). Add the pinch of salt, then start mixing on medium/high speed. Add the sugar slowly, and continue beating the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.

Fold the cocoa powder and two tablespoons chocolate sprinkles into the egg white mixture using a rubber scraper.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with your choice of tip (round or star). Pipe a dab of meringue, then the 'nest' around it, forming approximately two-inch circles. Decorate with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate candy coated sunflower seeds.

Place on the middle rack of your oven and bake for two whole hours.

Eat up.

/still chilly.

2011-04-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday morning, there was snow on the ground. In April. You know, the stuff that's supposed to come from the sky in Winter, not the day after I plant my leek and lettuce starters; poor babies!

Still bundled in my sweater and sweats, I thought it was a good time to browse the Pre-Fall & Fall collections again.

Although this look is Pre-Fall Phillip Lim, it seems so perfect for right now. The suit would make an excellent Easter ensemble, but she's still bundled up in leather, boots & socks...with bare legs in hope that there will be a Spring.

original image via style.com

It's sunny today, but I'm skeptical. Will Spring ever come? Pllllllease?

/songs about clothes: Rosie

2011-04-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

(I’ll include a disclaimer for outrageously amazing craftiness & adorable stop-motion animation.)

Pretty Dress – Rosie Thomas

I adore this song. It's about dressing for yourself,

not them.

/tea with coconut-infused milk

2011-04-12T21:46:00.001-07:00

This morning, I drank the most delicious beverage. It's likely been done before, but is SO. TASTY.

Truth be told, I had made lemon macaron shells and was planning some coconut frosting for the insides. I simmered (then strained) sweetened coconut shavings in milk to use in the frosting, then realized we were out of butter.

Meh, the macaron shells weren't my best anyway. All wonky and sticky.
So I put the milk in my tea. Plain old PG Tips.

You get it.

/frivolity, for frivolity's sake

2011-03-31T00:42:00.000-07:00

Oh hey, does anyone still come around here? It's been a while.

Anyway, I finally made some Colette Mini-Bloomers for myself! Mainly because they're fun to make, not because I'll ever wear them. Maybe in summer?

I found this print when I was searching for fabrics for my friends' bloomers, but I didn't think it was perfect for either of them. I only resisted buying this for myself at the time because it was Christmas. (You just don't buy things for yourself when you're Christmas shopping.) But when there was a sale at the fabric store, you know I went for it.

I just rifled through a bunch of scrap paper and found my notes about this fabric, for the fat chance someone is interested. It's from the Midwest Modern collection by Amy Butler for Rowan Fabrics. MEhhhhhh Amy Butler.

Lastly, my favorite part of projects that involve ribbons: pyro.

/emily knits?

2011-02-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

I've finished my first two knitting projects ever! As per Renee's suggestion, I picked up Twinkle's Town & Country Knits from the library (and finally got a library card!). I need to mention that the book is only $13 on Amazon because... srsly. That's a steal.

I knit up the New Haven Hat in Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, which was really not thick enough (although very quick, indeed). Yeah, I wasn't going to spend $20 on yarn for an experiment. I was supposed to use size 19 double-pointed needles, but couldn't find them anywhere in town which was a BIG bummer. I settled on size 19 circular needles knowing they'd be a giant pain, but resolved this by figuring that if my first knitting project turned out crazy, it could only get better from there.

And it did.
(Turn out crazy, that is.)

The stitches get super warped halfway up the hat, and the cables start at different heights (I still have no idea how that happened.) I doubt that any attempt to block/steam the stitches into being normal will succeed with this blend. If not, who am I kidding - I'll still wear it! I'll need to make up some fishy fashion lingo for this one to legitimize it... estate-grunge?

Now, I'm not so sure I can count this cowl as my official second knitting project. It was made of the absolute worst yarn possible I had lying around so I could practice with circular needles. Only halfway wearable because of questionable fiber content, but I like the open look of using size 19 needles with a sport weight yarn. I want to get some of those GIANT plastic needles I've seen in craft stores - I think they were size 25?! Something like this would be pretty awesome if it were bigger and made with hand-dyed yarn... oooooh idea!

/jenny's birthday cake

2011-02-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

My sister Jenny's birthday is nearing a month past now, but her birthday cake was just so good I couldn't forget to post it! As I mentioned before, I had her pick a cake from my new book Sky High. She went for the Southern Coconut Cake and it did not disappoint. I mean, there's coconut milk in the cake batter. And cream cheese buttercream frosting. Couldn't go wrong.

Since the coconut shavings sprinkled all over made it almost impossible to decorate, I made some lettered toothpicks. It's not a birthday cake if it doesn't say their name, amiright?

/put. a. bird. on. IT!

2011-02-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

Fred Armisen & Carrie Brownstein's new show, Portlandia, has just been all the buzz recently around the Northwest (I guess). Like most sketch shows it's not terribly consistent on the funny, but definitely hits the nail on the head when it comes to satirizing stereotypes - most of them apply to Seattle just as well as Portland. Brilliant!

I haven't found a place to watch full episodes on the web, but there are some clips up on IFC's site and their youtube channel.

This is one of my favorites so far, poking a little fun at the crafty community. How did crafting get so uncreative?

I think these two are going to need to hang. some. bunting. on. IT!

/wilma dress

2011-02-15T01:56:00.000-08:00

AHHH! I've been waiting (what seems like) ages to post this dress (and more), because of computer death. So thank you, dear FedEx man. I really should have baked you treats for bringing me a new computer today, but there's probably some law that would prevent you from taking them anyway.

On to the dress. Wilma Flintstone. She's the first and only thing that came to mind when I bought this cotton, so the resulting garment had to be equally as Bedrock. I loved Simplicity 2250 by Cynthia Rowley at first sight, and it's got a bit of the same retro flare as Mrs. Flintstone. The pattern does seem to run a bit big though. I bought the larger size set, tried a muslin according to my measurements, cut a size smaller in the fashion fabric (the smallest size), but still ended up having to take in quite a bit at the sides.

Now, the strap issue. I loved the idea of keeping it strapless but the top folds too easily from the gather in the center (see last photo), even though it's reinforced with two layers of interfacing. Eliminating that gather ruins the neckline, so I had a momentary predicament then decided to make it a tuck-in-able halter.
It does really need more structure, so I think I'll end up adding boning at the side seams. I can't get the sort I like around here though, so that'll have to wait.

The absolute best thing about this dress is that I already had everything to make it lying around in a drawer. And the pattern cost $1. I tend to measure my successes in thrifty-ness, so HOORAY, this dress succeeded in a major way!

/wooly trousers

2011-01-21T17:27:00.000-08:00

Just what I need; more navy pants! I completed the muslin for these back in October. Seriously. And for some reason I called that post 'to prove I'm not procrastinating'. Bahahah. Riiiiight.

Here's the pattern from Burda Style Magazine. A pretty good fit. I ended up not taking the waist in to give it a little bit of a paper bag-y look, because unlined skintight wool gabardine is so not an excellent idea. I would definitely go down a size if I were using a cotton twill, but I thought the gab draped nicely and slouch-ily in this size.

I tried out lots of pairs of shoes with these, and concluded that they can only be worn with heels. Meh.

I tucked a little orange lining fabric into the waistband and top pocket pieces. This photo looks crazy because I was shining a 100 watt light from like two feet away. The overcast basically never goes away in the PNW. I must compensate by washing everything out with bright lights!

The pearly (fake-out) back pocket buttons are from my a collection given to me by my grandma. Apparently, she bought them for 25 cents at a place named Henderson's and labeled them "for C's green sweater". C is my mom, and she doesn't have any recollection of a green sweater... I wonder if my grandma had the same unfinished project syndrome as I do?

Oh, hey Nigel. Please get your white fur away from my pants.
Scoot!

/lounge day

2011-01-20T00:39:00.000-08:00

first matter of lounging:

I made these granny square slippers a while ago from a Purl Bee tutorial, and get a ton of use out of them. As evidenced in the picture below, I was lounging around in them earlier today (as I was working on a new little blog header- more to come!).

They're a cheery and simple middle-of-the-winter project you can even hook out of leftovers if you'd like!

There is a really good warmth/ventilation ratio going on with these, which is probably why I like them so much. I'll admit they look a little old and granola in real life (everything looks exponentially more attractive in Purl Bee photos), but they've got a certain charm, right?

the lower third of that photo brings me to the second matter of lounging:

Sweatpants. I understand that most of you will think I'm a schlep for doing so, but tonight I wore sweatpants out to dinner.
They're not just any sweatpants however, they're the best sweatpants ever.

-I just realized how gross the word 'sweatpants' probably sounds to British readers. Ew. Sorry, but I'll need to keep using it because 'lounge trousers' is the only possible solution I can come up with and that sounds weird too.-

I would be hesitant to claim any expert knowledge on the subject of sweatpants, since these are my second and third pairs I've ever owned. But seriously. This poly/cotton/rayon fleece is like a miracle soft pant fabric, so drapey but not clingy.

These were the first offenders; j.crew's ultra-knit pant. It seemed simple enough, loungey pants were in order and these looked nice.

I'm sorry I underestimated you ultra-knit. I wear you so often that I needed a pair for the times you were in the wash, and for the times I had to leave the house. You made me want to be a hermit forever, ultra-knits.

These are what resulted. The out-to-dinner pants, aka the j.crew ultra-knit un-sweatpants.
Again, so soft they make your two months unshaven legs feel as soft as a baby's forearm. (Don't worry about me, I have very fine hair.)

If anyone finds it unbelievable that one could be so dramatic about sweatpants without primetime sponsorship, you have obviously never experienced the ultra-knit. Or you've never heard me talk about pastries and/or loungewear.
: )

I'll leave with a fabulous song regarding the apparent antithesis of my current fashion obsession.

/at laaaaast, my tablet!

2011-01-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I've been wanting a tablet for AGES, and I finally found and won (errr, bought) one on eBay. It's a Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet, size medium. See that pen? IT'S MAGICAL. It draws, it paints,

Good for a lady like me who's got a limited knowledge of graphic design, but still likes to personalize things.

I think this style went out of production, but then again I got a deal.

The main reason for wanting this was to do illustrations. My first couple of freehand tries were okay, but for now I'm trying to train myself by doing tracings. Primitive, to say the least- but super fun! Don't mind me while I'm completely engrossed with this for the next, um, few weeks.

original: the row via knightcat

Also,

This Is The Lamest: Dave Matthews Is The New Face Of John Varvatos

via Refinery 29, via WWD

Blech.

/do-over & new reads

2011-01-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Chocolate glazed mini baked doughnuts. So good.

The first time I made these, they were just as delicious even though the glaze failed miserably (I dipped them in melted butter and cinnamon-sugar, so the problem instantly eliminated itself), and I didn't have plain yogurt. I still don't remember what I substituted for the yogurt the first time, but still didn't have it today so I ended up putting some cottage cheese in the blender. In retrospect, that's kind of gross... but it worked out!

This time around the glaze was lovely and shiny, just like a real doughnut shop!

Moving on to a little Christmas gift 'round-up', if you will.

I've kept an amazon.com wishlist for quite a few years now, and always remind the family of that when Christmas or my birthday come around. :) It's basically just music and books, with a few fancy items for fun.

This year (as with most years) was the year of the utilitarian book. Here are my favorites:

Sky High Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes - Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne

Sky High comes highly recommended from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, so it was obviously going to be good. (It is! It is!) I haven't made anything from this book yet, as no event in the last couple weeks has really warranted a 3 layer cake. I have promised my sister though, to make one birthday cake of her choice later this month.

Cool Couture Construction Secrets for Runway Style - Kenneth D. King

Looking at the cover of this one, I first assumed that it was published in 1995. It was published in 2008.
That aside, I always love reading Kenneth King's technique tutorials in Threads magazine, so this seemed like a good bet. There are some very practical techniques that won't necessarily be covered in a basic 'complete' sewing manual, like piped curves, piped curved pockets and double and triple piping (there's a lot of piping going on here). Although I can tell there are some techniques I'll never ever use (double and triple tassles, Chinese knots), it's quite fun to read through and try to translate how I'd use each concept in something I would design.

The Handmade Marketplace - Kari Chapin

This one's a little clue to something I've got brewing.
We'll see about that.
In the meantime, I've been having tons of fun and ah-ha! moments while scouring The Handmade Marketplace. It's definitely one to be scoured. It's got great up to date internet & blogging age tips, not to mention pretty thorough information on how not to get in trouble with the IRS while running a crafty business. That would be a downer.

On today's agenda; hem 9 pairs of trousers and jeans... I'm going to need lots and lots tea!

/if EVERYBODY jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?

2011-01-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

No. I might not jump that bridge, but I would make these adorable mini-bloomers from Colette patterns that nearly every person with a sewing blog has made.

You wouldn't even have to dare me.

Then I'd take horribly lit photos of them and post them to the internet.

Sweetwater for Moda #5425

These babies are just so painfully adorable, how could I resist? (They make excellent Christmas gifts!)

Chloe's Closet for Moda #15479

/2011

2011-01-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

I'm back, hoping you've had a great Christmas & New Year! These last couple weeks have been insanely busy. Come to think of it, between visiting friends, housesitting and vacation, in the last 2 1/2 weeks I've slept in my own bed twice. I have a feeling this is what lead to my multi-disaster Christmas...

casualty #1: skirt for sister.

This one was sad, but may still be fixable for her birthday so I can't elaborate too much. Just picture this skirt looking super cute in really great fabric, with a giant hole down the front. Cool.


casualty #2: Buche de Noel.

I was soooo excited about this yule log. It had NUTELLA in the filling! And toasted almonds!
And was forgotten in the fridge while packing up all the food to bring to Christmas at my Aunt's.
Eventually it found its way to my sister and brother-in-law's house and was eaten with good friends. It was allegedly "delicious" "tasty" "soooooo good!". Psh.

I promise I am not all about complaining. Lots of good things happened too! Among them...

Good thing #1: This was present from my friend Megan (whatup, Meg!). One of my favorite teas ever (Coconut Black) and a mug from my favorite bakery in Seattle. She knows me too well. I've been using it every day possible.

Good thing #2: I started to teach myself to knit last night! I have been wanting to for way too long without doing anything about it. First, this garter stitch. I've moved on to the stockinette stitch, rib, checkerboard and watched a video on doing cables, but will wait a few days before putting that into action. Anyone know of a good first project?

In other news:

The day after I finished two pairs of mittens for my mom and sister, BurdaStyle posted a contest called Handmade Holiday sponsored by ModCloth. They asked members to post accessories they'd made as presents and link to something you could wear with them from ModCloth. I thought I might as well post a pair of the mittens, right? Well, the ModCloth editors have picked their favorite 25 (out of 206! yeah, I went and looked.) accessories and I made it in somehow!

Here's the link to my mittens, and the other fantastic finalists. There are actually a few people out there who have voted for my project!

/christmas macarons

2010-12-15T00:52:00.001-08:00

Last weekend, I was invited to a little Christmas party and instructed to bring a sweet treat for sharing. You can't just bring chocolate chip cookies to this sort of thing and call it a day, so I had to do a little thinking.

If you scan as many sewing blogs as I do, then you'll already know that everyone loves Colette Patterns. Every one of their styles is named after something tasty (teas, spices, french pastries and now cocktails- a new men's pattern is for sale!), so that was naturally in the back of my mind. I also wanted a challenge in the baking department, and remembered that the cake pop lady Bakerella had posted something about macarons that looked thorough. Not to mention that they're also all over Pinterest, and they just look so pretty!

After much research, I was intimidated out of my mind and prepared for failure.

I found a recipe on Tartelette (I want to make everything there!) for peppermint and eggnog macarons, and went for it. Pretty sure I had nervous sweat on my forehead while folding the batter.

What are your favorite Christmas cookie recipes?

first, I blanched the almonds and took their skins off. some went flying into unknown kitchen territory.

FEET!

LOTS of frosting so the candy cane shards had something to stick to!


rollin' rollin' rollin' rollin'. (limp bizkit, not wal-mart; remember that song? ridiculous.)


yum. maybe not quite Pinterest status yet... I think I'll need a new camera for that, and some powdered food colouring!

/neverending mending

2010-12-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

For the last year six months or so I've started getting more and more mending/alterations/special request sewing jobs. A little more money is a great thing, but I must say it's a major buzzkill for any other sewing projects I have going.

Once again, my navy pleated pants have fallen victim to my unwillingness to marathon sew. Besides, I can't decide whether to use gold or silver buttons on them and who knows how long that will take! I've got a bajillion other projects (with deadlines! Christmas!) lined up, but after doing a bit of mending I just want to play with (/eat) food!

So, here's what I made & what I am currently sippin' on. All recommended for being tasty.

wild mushroom risotto, baby spinach with me-made blue cheese dressing

Evidence I've recently been to the Co-Op: my favorite soda on the planet.

/post holiday re-focus

2010-11-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

I'm back from a little Thanksgiving road trip with the family, and ready to get productive! (I did manage to do a big chunk of gift crocheting in the car though.)

our view for Thanksgiving dinner. WOAH.

Today, it's back to real life.

First order of productivity: Pick up dog from the kennel, and pick up doughnuts from my favorite doughnut shop. It's (sort of) near the kennel, so I obviously had to stop. Obviously.

Second order of productivity: Make baguettes. Come to accept that I'll never be able to make them quite uniform. Add to Christmas list- bowl scraper, kitchen scale.

par-baked, fully baked.

Third order of productivity: Cut navy pants (finally). Further organize sewing space. Begin sewing pants on my new machine!

Yes, I just realized that I forgot to mention the fact that I have a NEW SEWING MACHINE. Ridiculous. It was an early Christmas gift from my generous Mom, and is perfect.
I wanted the simplest, most straightforward machine I could get my hands on, that was new and of reputable quality. I really can't stand even having decorative stitches available to use. Grosses me out. This Pfaff hobby 1122 fit the bill and was on sale! I could even trade in my rickety, completely trashed 5 year old CHEAP Brother for an extra $40! WHAT? So far, I've used it to finish my camel coat and to do some mending. It works beautifully and is lightyears better than my old machine. It makes me happy to sew again!

/whatta doll

2010-11-24T21:03:00.000-08:00

Preface: If you're one of those who find any and all dolls creepy, read no further.

A few days ago, I was reading up on teen sensaaation Tavi Gevinson's blog (I'm not even sure this qualifies as a guilty pleasure, although I'd like to say so). The current post was all about her attendance at Fashion's Night Out at Barney's and artist Andrew Yang's way cool dolls, inspired by various actual runway looks.

Simon Doonan (creative director for Barney's) gives us a little peek here:

(more & better on style rookie)

Though Yang's dolls are beautiful, (eyes! hair! so good!) they just really made me want to look at two of my favorite designer-sewn doll collections with absolutely meticulous and amazing miniature clothes:

1. Théâtre de la Mode. This one just might be my favorite concept ever. All sorts of French artists came together in a time France's fashion industry desperately needed to rebuild - in 1945, just before the end of WWII. French couturiers, artists, choreographers & set designers worked on this together to redirect the rest of the world's attention on French fashion.

Full-sized clothes are great (and actually functional), but these 1/3 size clothes show incredible handwork and were genius advertising to boot. Plus, the war had caused supplies of fabric, thread & needles to dwindle dramatically, so mini fashion was the perfect solution!

Parts of the collection have since been traveling the world, and it is now owned by the Maryhill Museum. Oddly enough, it's just a few hours from where I live, though I have never been there. I was however, lucky enough to see some of the dolls in The Golden Age of Couture exhibit at V&A in 2007. If you have the chance to see an exhibit of Théâtre de la Mode, do NOT hesitate!

A sampling of the contributing designers of Théâtre de la Mode - (there were over 55)

Balenciaga

Madame Grès

Hermès

Jean Patou

Jeanne Lanvin

Nina Ricci

Pierre Balmain

Elsa Schiaparelli

Charles Worth

2. I am a HUGE Viktor & Rolf fan, so when this book was released and came in at my university's library I couldn't wait to get my hands on it (I watched and waited as the librarian applied the barcodes & stamps). It was in this book I found that Viktor & Rolf had made a mini version of one look from each of their collections since 1993, when they started the brand. There are gorgeous photos of the dolls & their life-size counterparts, which made me super giddy after learning about Théâtre de la Mode.

A Dutch dollmaker made the dolls to V & R's specifications, which I think adds to their fantastic campy flavor. The miniature clothes are so incredibly meticulous it's almost scary.

Lots more photos & a great article here.

t magazine

So... is it weird to be so fascinated with dolls? They're pretty cool right?

/prepare to be terrified.

2010-11-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

LIKE, SERIOUSLY?

I first saw Cecilia Cassini on the Today show a while ago and while she was mildly irritating, seemed harmless enough. I thought it was sort of cute that she was making dresses for other girls her age. I started sewing at a young age too, so we're kind of kindred spirits, right?

Wrong.

Her schtick is that she's the youngest fashion designer...ever. This video is all the evidence one needs to prove she took it too far. I guess she's just a symptom of the 'everybody wins a trophy' generation. An inflamed, phlegmy, mucusy symptom.

Don't say I didn't warn you:

I wouldn't be offended (as much) if she were asking reasonable prices. Her pieces seem to range from $80-$143. LOOK AT THIS HEM!

(screencap from ceciliacassini.com)

Sure, a ten year old made this dress, but it looks more like a five year old did. Sorry, but I could go dig up a neater hem from when I was eight. Like, seriously.

/camel coat

2010-11-15T15:39:00.001-08:00

I'm finally done with my coat! This was the design I'd originally downloaded from BurdaStyle, but I wanted to shorten the sleeves and lengthen it. There were already markings for those alterations on the pattern, so I took a second look and it's essentially the three quarter sleeve coat. There's nothing too fancy about it, but I very much like the lining and the buttons! The dark green covered buttons came out of an old fruit cake tin full of buttons my grandma used to keep.

As you can see, it can be worn all the way buttoned up, or with the lapel down. The most amazing thing about this pattern is the integrated sleeves; no sleeve-setting!!

Yesterday, my mom said that pretty much "everyone and their cousin" had a coat just like this in the 60's, which is exactly what I was going for! Point Emily.

/fa-fa-fa-fabric

2010-11-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I'll read my favorite college textbook, Fabric Science in bed before I go to sleep.

I suppose it's actually a binder.

Sometimes I'll go to sleep reading a binder of laborious information on fabric. And it soothes me.

That said, onto today's good event:

As unassuming as these boxes may seem, their contents (lots & lots of different fabrics!!!!), return address (L. Marshall!) and the prefacing information about me (complete textile nerd) tell a different story! I was absolutely GIDDY to find them on my front porch tonight!

THREE boxes filled with fabric and a sweet note. Wools, cottons and silks in felts, loose weaves, organzas etc.- (LOTS!- I'll need to take a longer look tomorrow) all chosen & used by a really talented and inspiring designer! Holy cow. I love all the colours in the boxes and would have chosen them myself! Perfect.

another shoddy photo. maybe someday I'll have beautiful photos of finished garments?

Needless to say, I can't WAIT to get past tons of alterations/mending jobs and half-finished projects and use up all these pretty pieces.

Maybe feel and stare at them for a while too. And run a few tests. Yeah, I'm weird about fabric.

2010-11-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

I've been procrastinating once again on sewing stuff (but busy with Christmas presents!). I have a ton of projects lined up that I pretty much have all the materials for, but am not moving forward with- for one excuse, my terrible iron! Bad bad BAD. Spitting, no- spewing water, drenching everything in sight! I seriously avoided sewing projects altogether because of that thing. The thought did cross my mind to turn off the steam, and not refill it. One problem: I'm obsessed with steam.

Today, that horrific thing was demoted to no-steam craft projects only and this came into my life:

A Rowenta DG5030 Pressure Iron!!!!!!!

It's the best thing ever, because I am obsessed with steam. Must have steam. See that big thing the iron is resting on? That's where the steam lives. This thing can steam vertically, horizontally, and upside down without spitting! It's truly a steamy miracle.

On a completely unrelated note, if you have access to pumpkin butter, you MUST

whisk it with maple syrup and toasted walnuts, warm it in a saucepan, then put it on a waffle.

I found a recipe for pumpkin butter, but got mine at a fruit stand in Eastern Washington. It looks like they also sell it at Trader Joe's which is super exciting because I've eaten most of our stash. It is SO good.

Going to sew now, WITH STEAM!

/to prove I'm not procrastinating (that much)

2010-11-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

A little update beginning with a couple obligatory costume shots! I threw together a Columbia from Rocky Horror in a few hours, thanks to my sequin dress from 8th grade. I bought that thing at a second hand store in Florida for $10, with an original (almost $300) price tag still on! I have worn it sooooo many times!

Nigel as Dogzilla. The costume was a little small and he looked hilariously uncomfortable in it, but I had a puppy-dinosaur hybrid on my hands for a few hours- what could be better?

Also, an attempt to prove I'm still sewing:

I need new pants! Here's the muslin- I need to take 3" off the hem, and take in the waist a bit. Fake-out back pockets (I remove all back pocket bags on pants I buy anyway, so I feel no guilt) and PLEATS! Anyone who knows me will be very surprised that I'm digging the pleats on these. Really. The wool gabardine will be much more drapey, so I'm counting on very anti-Docker pleats... I'm SO excited to make these! Excuse my chaotic chambre : /

A little coat preview.

/crafty christmas club!

2010-10-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to get a handmade present to everyone on my Christmas list this year, I've already started making presents. Although I'm keeping busy, sharing these treasures here (on this blog) would be mighty risky. I'm a big fan of preserving surprises! Anyway, Tilly over at Tilly and the Buttons had an amazing idea. Bloggers talking about crafting Christmas presents sharing ideas in a beautiful, special wonderland known as the:

So, if you're out of ideas (or haven't started thinking about Christmas yet, is is only October) take a peek at the CCC. If you've got a few ideas, then you should probably join in on the fun! (The button is in my sidebar)

Lastly, if you think you may get a Christmas present from me, don't click on the button! You like surprises too!

/pumpkin how-to

2010-10-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

mmmm I LOVE to carve pumpkins! The thing is, if you're actually making a lantern-like cut-into-the-pumpkin sort of jack-o-lantern, the logistics of having bits and pieces stay attached to one another and not cave in can get to be a little much. I tried doing some surface carving with my lino-cut set a few years ago and it worked like a charm! This method is really pretty easy, and you can choose pretty much any image you'd like. Two years ago I did Pete Doherty, and last year it was Edward Scissorhands (I forgot to take a photo of that one. How is that even possible?). This year, I decided on Count von Count from Sesame Street!

Here's how do do it, if anyone should like to know:

Find your image. Paste it into a program where it can be blown up, and make it an appropriate size for your squash. You can either print it out, or as I did, trace it straight onto a piece of paper off of the computer screen, mimicking a lightbox. Shade in the areas that will stay pumpkin-coloured, or whichever way makes sense in your brain. Remember it's a negative-positive situation- only two tones, orange & light orange.

Open and scrape out your pumpkin! You could really skip this part because the inside of the pumpkin won't be exposed, but I love the squishy-ness and roasting the seeds! I separate the seeds directly into a strainer and rinse right away so the guts don't dry onto them.

Cut around your design, leaving a margin and tape it onto your pumpkin on the flattest side. Make little folds so it shapes around the pumpkin nicely. Transfer the design using a tracing wheel (sewing supplies always seem to come in handy in other areas of my life), along with any pointy object you find around the house for the intricate areas.

Now, take the largest scooping blade in your linocut set, and scoop away! Reference your tracing or drawing on the positive/negative space.

Use smaller blades for intricate areas, and the flat blade to smooth out the ridges created by the scooping attachments. Keep on tweaking until you love it!

I think the Count is a little more friendly looking than 'ol Pete.

/ad candy

2010-10-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

This came in the mail and made me laugh. It's a flier for some Bernina dealer in a neighboring city. Apparently, selling $12,000 embroidery machines is a rough business nowadays; they had to bring in the big guns. (ha.)
I mean really, I doubt this guy knows the first thing about ironing. Look how he's crumpling the fabric! I'd rather iron my own shirt, thank you.

/autumnal shrug

2010-10-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've actually finished the project I surmised I would! It is warm and soft and amazingly drapey. Since I'm wearing it in Autumn and will take every chance I get to employ the word "Autumnal", it is henceforth the Autumnal Shrug.

I started using the Acorn Shrug pattern on the Lion Brand site, but switched it around a bit. I didn't want it to be super big (it was definitely swallowing the model whole), but to still keep the drape factor. I also wanted to put in some stripes.

Can't really call it 'altering', because the pattern in itself wasn't really complicated at all. Just a giant rectangle folded in half and sides stitched together, leaving armholes. I simply did the lazy crocheter's version. First, I decided that I'd have to switch around the way it was folded because of the way I wanted the stripes to lay. Then I changed pretty much all of its dimensions. The official Acorn Shrug folded measured 38"x21". Mine was 32"x13" (32"x26" before folding & seaming), and was much less engulfing.

I used Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Bamboo Ewe yarn in mercury and geranium (stripes). 55% viscose from bamboo/45% wool. Unfortunately, this blend isn't more eco-friendly than other inexpensive craft store yarns, but the bamboo does allow it to have much a nicer hand than most other synthetic/wool blends. Don't be fooled by the sustainability of "bamboo" because it's a quickly renewing resource, it's still a chemically processed viscose fiber! (read this article for more) In the end, me being poor and the $3.99/skein sale still made for a good match despite the questionable fiber content.

My face shows just how much I like this front-pinned-together look. Not very. I was actually facing the sun, but the expression manages to tell all. I just wish those seams would disappear, but like the way the stripes are circular and match up.

On a totally different note, I caught Nigel either mid-bark or mid-pant. Haha, he's so furry! I am off right now to take him to get a haircut; his hair is starting to grow over his eyes! oops.

/diversions from failure

2010-10-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

So, the dress I'd planned to have done a few days ago (from the last post) is a no go. In fact, it has annoyed me so much that I've decided to put it away in my buried plastic box and when it is meant to be found again, I'll take a deep breath and finish it. I know it's fixable (a pretty easy fix), but it will be shunned. Too many distractions.

distraction #1: My new shoes came! Very Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face, a little moonwalking MJ (next: sparkly white ankle socks, obviously). I love love LOVE them, even though they're a little different than I expected. More crinkled, and a bit lighter than pictured. Good thing I'm a huge fan of gray and the slouchy/polished look. I've never bought Matt Bernson shoes before, but they seem to be really well-made & comfy! I've already started to buy awesome socks to wear with these, but I think a Happy Socks spree will be in order in the near future.

distraction #2: Making a shrug. This one is quite distracting, because I'm almost done! Need to FINISH! It's definitely the largest crochet project I've ever made (by mass), but I do like following more involved patterns that are more instantly gratifying, eg. hats, amigurumi & slippers. Those are cheaper too. This pattern does let me totally space out and focus my brain on something else though, which is nice. My preference is
my favorite podcast, Stuff You Should Know. Chuck and Josh are kind of awesome. They'll teach you a thing or two about Voodoo, roller derby, crime scene clean-up and much more. With their help, I'm actually getting this thing done in a timely manner!

distraction #3: I should be getting a bunch of fabric in the mail soon! Printing patterns, altering patterns, making muslins and all that gobbledygook is so time consuming! All planned garments will be good for fall & winter only so I know I better scoot.

/dress by thursday

2010-10-07T12:51:00.001-07:00

This month, I gave in and decided to participate in Grograin's Dress by Friday. (See button below for the true name, it's just weird for me to use the f-word in reference to a modern daytime dress. Although it technically works, I suppose I've simply taken too much costume history.) Anyway, I've always found sew-alongs where everyone goes off of the same pattern a little weird. I mean, it's fun seeing tons of sliiiiiight variations on the same pattern! Right?

Yeah, not really. Not as fun as you'd think.

BUT, I feel like Burdastyle's Gail has the potential to be different.

It seems that there's a lot more room for variation & beauty in this one than some other dresses. The yoke is suggested as a lace or sheer, but really a host of dressy fabrics would do. I'm using a cotton/silk sateen for the yoke. BurdaStyle originally used guipure lace, which is always really beautiful. The more formal & flowy fabric suggestions also give me a slight confidence that there won't be any dowdy mid-weight cottons camouflaged in cutsey prints.

I was thinking of adding a waistband, but realized that it would make me look weird and saggy, much like what happened with my prairie dress. If you've got a decent sized chest, this relaxed top/cinched-in at your natural waist look is terrifying in a dress. Much better on little wispy girls. I'm altering the neckline and adding ties, so I'll be counting on them as the focal point. Probably a little more dramatic than in my drawing.

Left: purple poly lining. Center: black cotton/silk sateen. Right: blue & purple silk/cotton lawn.

Black and blue. TOGETHER. What insanity!

I'm hoping to be done by the end of today. Suppose it will still have been done 'by Friday', eh? Totally counts.

/absolutely mad

2010-10-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

So, I just finished the most recent episode of Mad Men, and no- I'm not here to post 36 screencaps of great (but over-blogged) costumes. I just found these awesome Mad Med inspired Barbies! They might not be garden-fresh news, but are still marked "new" on FAO Schwarz's website, so I can't be all that late to the party. I love their faces! Just like my mom's old Barbies I used to play with.

Betty. The bubble skirt looks odd to me, even though it was popular in the 50's & 60's. Her hair is kind of amazing though.

Joan is perfect, right down to her signature pen necklace (which I've been meaning to order for at least a year now...oops). Maybe could have used some brighter pumps & a bag with more character, but I'm no doll designer.

One question: Where's Peggy?! She's way more deserving of a Barbie than Betty (Betty.....meh), but at $80 each I probably won't be getting one anyway. Unless it's Joan for Christmas. That sounds reasonable.

On another note, my sweatshirt dress design was chosen as one of the top 50 in the Project Runway/Rowenta Remake Challenge! If you feel so compelled and are a BurdaStyle member, I would love your vote - mine is #44. Any way it goes, I hope they do more contests in the future. It really compelled me to get something done fast and be creative!

/eggplant baguettes

2010-09-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I made decided to make mini-baguettes. From them came a sandwich. It was kind of out of control, so I made it again today (I par-baked the extra breads and froze them so they could be hot, toasty & fresh later). It was just as good, if not better- although I’m out of spinach today. Boo.

I trust that most everyone knows how to make a mean sandwich, but in case you're fresh out of ideas and would like some eggplant in your life (and I think you would), here’s how I did it:

noooo! it's missing spinach today :(

eggplant baguettes: (four)

2 mini baguettes, cut in half

spinach

English cheddar (or any pungent/sharp cheese you like) I LOVE CHEESE.

1 eggplant

garlic-herb mayo:

about ¼ C mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, sliced & pan toasted w/ olive oil (I did this before frying the eggplant & spinach in the same pan so the garlicky taste goes into everything!)

2 big pinches dried greek oregano

2 big pinches dried rosemary

fresh ground pepper

1-2 squirts lemon juice

Slice the eggplant lengthwise into four 1” slices, then half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, then pan fry in olive oil. Brown on each side and remove from pan. Turn down the heat and add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan. Add a few big handfuls of spinach. Cover with a lid four a couple minutes until it’s wilted.

Put everything in the bread! I like to put the mayo on both sides.

so. good.

/knit dress

2010-09-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

I finished my first entirely knit dress! And BONUS: in time to enter in the contest it was intended for! From two dearly loved sweatshirts and one unidentified garment (last post), I now have a very comfy dress.

The pattern is adapted from one I made Junior year of college, but in that case the 'shrug' pieces were hand painted twill (not a knit). There also wasn't a giant waistband, and I remember a crazy serger mishap that sent the hemline into dangerous territory. Needless to say, I never wore that version.

sketch. I thought I'd have to use scraps once I got to the bodice (hence the stripes), but ended up being able to use the hood for the main bodice piece. I like the simpler look.

final product. After basting the original pleats, I switched them up to be a little more dramatic.

I decided to partially keep the pockets for detail on the back. I applied twill tape to the shoulder seams & back of neck, front neckline and sleeve edges.

I usually can't handle a v-shape in this area, but I acquiesced to the limitations on fabric. Goober.

...BUT I like the side seams! They echo the v-shape toward the front and help it not to look like a mistake. The back skirt panels used to be very worn-in sweatshirt sleeves. As you can see, the elbow area ended up hitting right underneath my butt. Cute.

This new and improved version is destined to be well-loved. I'm really starting to enjoy refashioning!

/fun fun contest & life lessons from the laundromat

2010-09-20T00:40:00.001-07:00

Hooray for contests! I've recently decided to enter BurdaStyle's Project Runway Remake Challenge. The point of the whole thing is to carry out this season's first challenge on Project Runway, but instead of four hours (yeah right), entrants have two whole weeks to put together their garments! If you haven't been watching this season, the challenge was to re-create an existing garment into something completely new. I chose these two zippies from my sweatshirt graveyard and some crazy piece of knit that came (free? as a mistake?) with an American Apparel order a very long time ago. I think it was supposed to be a top?

the poor, old & defunct sweatshirts

then, a song about laundry! not literally.

urban outfitters, 2006. doomed by a jammed zipper.

gap, 2001. ribbed cuffs last seen circa 2005.

The Blues are Still Blue - Belle & Sebastian

this is alex (she knows a thing or two about laundering her blues).

/sleepin' outfit

2010-09-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

So, this post comes a little late considering I finished this set over a month and a half ago, but AH I was so busy then! The day before my sister's bachelorette "spajama party" (yeah, it was as good as it sounds), I decided to throw together the Jane pajama set from BurdaStyle with an awesome 60% silk/40% cotton blend. I figured if I'm going to go through the trouble, they'd better be at least slightly silky & luxurious. I sure was not going to wear a gross old tee and shorts (my normal nighttime attire) for massages, champagne, manicure & slumber at the gorgeous Chrysalis hotel, no way no how!

good for loungin', too.

I was really glad about the top's versatility! I wore it with cropped black yoga pants during the spa treatments, threw on a high-waisted black pencil skirt & belt to go out for dinner, and into the matching shorts for sleepy time! I'll probably end up mostly wearing the top out and about, because my wardrobe is at a definite loss for dressy tanks.

The only pattern note I have about Jane is that I had to sew elastic into the upper back- it was poofing out like craaaazy. Uncool. I also utilized the rolled hem function on my serger for the first time on both pieces, and that was nothing short of glorious.

/lighten up, it's just fashion week

2010-09-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

First, this video.

Thought I'd check in at the mid-point of fashion week. It's been four fantastic fashion-filled days, and I'm already wiped from clicking through each show on style.com & searching through the ones that fell through its (many) cracks.

The two most important questions I've asked thus far: Since when did Richie Rich go solo? (bad idea) And WHY is Ellen DeGeneres on a runway? I am so confused.

Here's a little rundown of what's been interesting to me so far, trend-wise. I don't get too specific here.

PRINTS!

peter som

doo.ri


diane von furstenberg


derek lam

LONG FLOWY DRESSES (ALSO IN PRINT)!

derek lam (again, couldn't choose between the two.)

adam

charlotte ronson

REALLY GOOD PANTS!

adam (best pants thus far)

derek lam

cynthia rowley (more red pants! and the necklace reminds me of harmonicas!)

band of outsiders


jason wu

ALSO, THIS.


adam lippes has done it again. i'm kind of in love.

Lastly, you must also check out Ashleigh Verrier's Great Gatsby inspired presentation. She's always amazing. I found the best photos here.

More to come once fashion week has finished, because I know there will be sheer amazingness and fun coming from Rodarte, Leifsdottir, Milly and Betsey, who will have her show streamed live from her website tomorrow! I'm IN.

/40's top & a song about knits

2010-09-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

In Seattle, Labor Day weekend means one thing for people who like music: Bumbershoot. Unfortunately I'm not usually in Seattle then, but this year I was able to make to the festival it for one day! We had a nice leisurely schedule and were able to fit in Horse Feathers, Hey Marseilles, David Bazan, Hole and Weezer. And the last bit of Rise Against's set, but that left me frightened. Altogether, it was a fine musical adventure/spectacle (and I think we all know which band was the spectacle). Courtney Love (or Clo, as whoever runs this amazing site calls her) was everything we could have asked for. As for Weezer, I can't admit to liking much of their newer stuff, but they bring back some good memories from about 4th through 10th grades. It was about TIME I saw them, and sooooooo super wonderful! In that nostalgic spirit, I present to you Weezer's song about clothes, Undone (The Sweater Song).

While you're listening and have got nothing else to do, here's my new top! It's my first try at a vintage pattern or reissue (in this case, a 1940's reissue). Simplicity 3688, to be exact. While I like retro inspired looks, that's about it. I'd rather not look like I came straight out of the past, so I made this one with a gauzy printed cotton lawn instead of something silky and shiny. I love the weight of the fabric, and the vibrant colours of the flowers on the camel backround.

I cut and finished the pattern pieces for heading (little ruffles sewn into the shoulder seams that act as subtle shoulder pads), but I decided against them in the end.

The back has got a cute little keyhole & pink button. Other than that there were no closures to deal with, so it was super fun and easy to put this together!

Cutting mistake. I should really know better :(

The pants are definitely next on my list from this pattern. A woolen tweed or herringbone will be SO GOOD for fall!

/prairie dress

2010-08-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

Pretty much everything I sew takes an strange amount of time; it's usually years, about a month, or a day (or two). I've found that there's a definite correlation in how long a project takes me to finish, and how much I like the final product. The longer I put it off, the more I despise it. Even if I loved the idea all that time ago. This dress was different for some reason. I cut the pieces to make a shirt (what is now the top portion of the dress), made a few seams and put it away, not too psyched about finishing it. Last week I decided that it was time to face the sad little quarter finished top. It was ill-fitting and just sort of gross. Then it hit me; A DRESS! Make it into a DRESS!

i love the cotton gauze/lawn used for the yoke. it's been in my stash for at least a year, and this was its time.

sporadic pintucking detail on the outer skirt.

There are still TONS of conscious-but too-lazy-to-fix mistakes, but I'm at least lukewarm toward it despite them and the time I let the project sit around. It'll be fun to wear with boots through the fall. Now I just need to make a giant snuggly sweater/cardigan number to accompany!

/five ingredients to golden-baked goodness!

2010-08-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I love to browse food blogs. No big surprise there, it's widely known that I have extra warm fuzzies for food, especially of the baked variety. The problem is, that pretty much everything that looks jaw-droppingly tasty (not hard with those faaancy cameras every blogger on Earth seems to have) requires a trip to the store for some super special & delicious ingredient, which just sours my mood. My cooking and/or baking mood. Not cool.

Today I came upon a recipe unlike most; just the idea of it made my mouth water, let alone Joy the Baker's impeccable photo-accompanied instructions and amazing video. And I didn't have to make a trip to the store. FIVE ingredients! The recipe... soft pretzels from Gourmet magazine (RIP).

Soft pretzels and Gap tie for my most fond memory of the mall in middle school, so how could I resist? I couldn't, I just couldn't. The end result was soooooo GOOD. Go forth and make pretzels!

post-boiled, pre-baked. lots of steps for these guys, but well worth it! these were topped with sea salt, sesame seeds & parmesan. parmesan was my favorite mall pretzel ever.

golden deliciousness. make sure to use parchment paper though! I really didn't want to go to the store.

eaten pretzel #2. it went well.

/katie + jason: wedding snapshots!

2010-08-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

prototype poufs, made by me. inspired by martha, of course.

me, cousin sarah at the rehearsal dinner

waterproof mascara time, after i put on her veil i made of russian netting and vintage lace. it turned out beautifully! i love, love, LOVE her dress & the back is my favorite part.

tea favors! goji berry or sunflower black, if you like.

poufs realized! there were four different clusters around the tent.

tables up-close. not the best photo ever. table runners finished courtesy of my new serger & its rolled hemming capabilities! (oh, and my free time.) old milk bottles courtesy of my aunt peggy &and her late husband's penchant for collecting random stuff and stowing it away in a barn. sweet & sentimental.

bride & bridesmaids.

favor table. thrifted tea plates & jars of tea. sign by me.

the ceremony

sweetness from let them eat cake. coconut cake layered with chocolate & bailey's cream. YUM.

dirty milk bottles at aunt peggy's, stored ever so snugly in a barn for half a century at least.

we spent a lot of time cleaning these- she has hundreds, and is donating them to the local museum!

/songs about clothes: Dolly

2010-08-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

Today I was listening to a little Dolly, when the song “Coat of Many Colors” came on. AH! This is a truly beautiful song, one of those that makes me shed a single tear pretty much every listen. Yeah, I’m a sap like that. That voice, with her solid storytelling lyricism and heel-tappin’ rhythm… it’ll get you! It definitely brings to mind some of the reasons I went into fashion in the first place; it’s so beautiful, personal, sentimental and expressive, rooted in who you are and where you came from. Well, everyone knows Dolly gets fashion. I mean, pretty much everything in her wardrobe has to be custom made (that chest:waist is not industry standard, people) so it’s obvious she’s got the personal and expressive elements down, at least. ;)

Anyway, “Coat of Many Colors” got me thinking. I knew there had to be more songs with the same sentimentality in my library that I was forgetting, and went on a mission to find every one! In the end, there were plenty of songs that had a connection to clothes, however vague those connections were. I'll get around to posting each of them eventually! I'm trying to get into sewing mode to finish a ton of half done & fully dreamt up projects, so now I have the perfect new soundtrack. Go!

/scan session

2010-08-09T01:30:00.000-07:00

Hooray, my sister got married on Thursday! Everything was incredibly beautiful, especially the weather which decided to behave exclusively for the wedding day.

Among my numerous duties for this day (making table runners, washing vintage milk bottles, hemming dresses, making the bridal veil...etc.) was scanning a few photos for their slideshow. Naturally, I got a bit distracted and scanned a good amount of the sketchbook I kept senior year of college.

Photos of the wedding are certainly to come, but in the meantime here are some quick sketches of a few Viktor & Rolf looks from various seasons. Last year I checked out this book from the school library and don't know why it's still not a part of my permanent library! Viktor & Rolf are my absolute perennial favorites.

In no way do these sketches give justice to the real looks, but I think they're sort of fun.

/natural wonders

2010-07-31T00:07:00.000-07:00


a full and beautiful rainbow, from my backyard.

two starfish, clayton beach.

/sea of green

2010-07-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ah! I can finally breathe a sigh of relief- the dresses are finished (well, sort of)! Last Monday, I was handed about 25 yards of polyester, a pattern, some measurements and thread, and asked to have four bridesmaids dresses ready by yesterday. As it turned out, I dropped off the unhemmed dresses this morning at the wedding coordinator's house, and was definitely thankful for the extra time.

They turned out alright, considering all design elements were beyond my control, and I was making the same dress in sizes 4, 10, 14 and 20... with a pattern that only went through 12. Yay self-acquired drafting skills!

I also made 6 of these silk sashes for all of the girls in the wedding party (one of their moms was making the other two dresses). The sashes ended up pulling everything together pretty well, even though the print was this crazy unsavory watercolor-paisley. Definitely not my pick, but it was truly satisfying to see them looking somewhat finished! The wedding coordinator will be fitting them on the girls and hemming them, bless her heart.

Bridesmaid monstrosities aside, this only leaves me today to whip myself into shape to finish and send my project for the BurdaStyle Book! Yes, I'm finishing up a skirt for this project, which is super exciting and means my work will be photographed and published in a real book! For this, I'll admit to having given myself a little pat on the back. Back to sewing!

/gold men chilly deciduous forests

2010-06-28T11:54:00.001-07:00

It's quite odd that these two covers are so similar, no? I feel like there's some theme or traditional folk tale I don't know about, but should.

/practical

2010-06-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

found in an elementary school's library, looked useful.

/granny snood

2010-05-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

While making myself a pair of granny square slippers last winter, I discovered the many charms of the granny square; quick, colourful & all around adorable. I've been hooked ever since (pun definitely intended).

So, I have FINALLY finished a project that's been going for a couple of months... behold, the granny snood! After seeing this on the Paul Smith Women's Fall 2010 runway I could not resist creating my own version.

I certainly can't flatter myself and call mine a copy of Paul Smith's, but rather greatly inspired by it. Since granny squares have so many holes that don't lend to warmth anyway, I used 100% cotton yarn & a mix of super vibrant and darker colours to make mine more suited to spring & summer.

I am completely obsessed with a snood I've had for a few years, but it's wool and way too warm for the hotter months. Now I can wear snoods alllllll year long! (Having just a few more couldn't hurt, though...)

/the tribal trend (what I want)

2010-05-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

open circuit necklace by maslodesign - needsupply.com

handpainted tee greatness from Burdastyle user Zyanya


a tattoo of Shaun White's. a Native American symbol meaning triumph over difficult circumstances (something to that affect, at least).

Gryphon Mayan Tank - shopbop.com


Mary Meyer Native Tank - pixemarket.com

/berries & weekends

2010-05-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've got to spill the beans about this cake, which is the most fabulously easy and adorable dessert I've made in a while. I mean, it's a cake baked and served in a pie pan, and it definitely counts strawberry shortcake as a close relative (must be enjoyed with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!) - what's not to love?

The batter is super easy, and is topped with gorgeous strawberries & sparkly sugar!

Out of the oven, the strawberries peek out the top & seep into the cake... so good.
It certainly gets my award for the most adorable cake involving the least amount of work.

I've also recently had some super fun weekends! Scottish twee hotshots Camera Obscura decided to skip Seattle and play in my little city for 1/2 the cover, which had been filling me with glee for months! They were altogether lovely, super, wonderous, etc. (As were their openers, Princeton).

This weekend, I enjoyed an awesome time in Seattle, including a great ball game with great friends (and will again this week! lucky me!). Although it was a loss for the M's, it was at least action-packed and we sat by some really entertaining chaps. I suppose it would take some pretty extreme circumstances for me not to enjoy attending a Mariner's game, because I can always count on two things to get me through even the most terrible of losses: hot dogs and beer.

...and of course the pretty grass!

(

brunch with lovely friends always ends a weekend right.

/deservedly favorite cookies

2010-04-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Today I'm making my favorite cookie recipe of all time, and thought it deserved a little more publicity. I'm not even sure I can name all the reasons I love this recipe so much, but I'll try;

1) I pretty much always have the ingredients around. Every add-in I've tried in these has been great! Use whatever's available: walnuts, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut, dried cranberries, almonds or even the original recipe's Snickers chunks. Also, this recipe uses shortening (GASP!) instead of butter. Once you have a bucket of shortening around, it stays around. I can't say the same for butter.

2) It's super versatile. Like I said, use any add-ins you prefer. You can also increase the baking time for a crispier, more caramelized cookie.

3) They are so soft! (That is, if you don't increase the baking time.) Yum. My favorite cookie characteristic.

4) You can't mess it up- everyone likes this cookie no matter what! Very highly recommended.

Championship Cookies
(barely adapted from Taste of Home Ultimate Cookie Collection, from Patricia Miller, North Fork California)

2/3 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. AP flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup oats
1/2 c. to 1 c. add-ins of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Cream shortening and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl. Add egg and vanilla.
2. Blend dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl, and gradually add to sugar mixture.
3. Add oats and other goodies!
4. Bake for 11 (soft) to 15 (crispy) minutes, depending on preference.

I use a 1.5" scoop for uniform cookies.

barely golden tops out of the oven!

enjoy!

/new shorts!

2010-04-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Last Spring, I had a "give me the rest of the bolt" moment regarding some lightweight stretch denim at JoAnn in Ballard. This time it was a good move, although especially risky at JoAnn (ugh).

Many good things have come from this denim; two dresses, a mini-backpack, a vest, a crochet hook roll and now... a fancy new pair of high-waisted SHORTS!

Starting with a low-waist, zip-fly pant pattern, I re-drafted the entire shape according to my design, using my measurements. Lastly, I drafted the waistband and patch pockets, cut them out, sewed them up, et voi-la!

oh, how I love to topstitch!

the front pockets are lined with fabric from the prettiest old pillowcases (an abstract purple & blue floral)

The first time these were officially finished, I put them on, pulled up the zip... and with it came the slider. BOO. A very disheartening moment, I'll have you know. Another trip to the store for a replacement zip obviously enticed me to buy much miscellany for future projects, of course- so it all worked out for the better!

/perfect pancakes!

2010-02-04T13:36:00.000-08:00

I am a giant pancake fan, and have long maintained that ones made with Snoqualmie Falls Pancake and Waffle Mix trump any homemade version (I've attempted). This ended a few weeks ago, when I discovered kris's Fluffy Pancakes. As the name implies, these are super-fluffy and outrageously delicious. With some slight changes, these just may be the best pancakes I've ever eaten. Adding giant yummy blueberries is key. Recipe (with couple of changes) as follows:

3/4 c. milk
2 T. white vinegar
1 c. AP flour
1 T. white sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
1 1/2 t. vanilla
2 T. butter or margarine
fresh blueberries

combine milk and vinegar in small bowl. let sit & sour while combining dry ingredients.
in medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
melt butter or margarine in small bowl, then mix into soured milk.
beat the egg in same small bowl & add to milk mixture.
combine wet & dry ingredients until evenly moistened, leaving lots of lumps!

let batter sit for 10-15 minutes before doing anything! (make coffee & fry up some bacon!)
use 1/4 c. batter for each pancake, plopping on 8-10 large blueberries just after going onto the griddle. flip when bubbles have formed and golden-brown.

enjoy with maple syrup, or even better - heat syrup in a saucepan, add blueberries and cook until they burst for pretty purple syrup!

do yourself a favor and top it all with sliced almonds.

/lost art.

2010-01-27T17:28:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of Lost's final season premiere, I give you The LOST Underground Art Show, a fantastic collection of (you guessed it) Lost-inspired art. Curators of the L.A. Gallery 1988 rounded up a bevy fantastic artists to bring their best likenesses of Jack, Hurley and most popularly Locke. There is, naturally, a recurring octagonal theme. My favorites were a set of ink drawings by Ken Garduno (seen at top) and the two super-cute paintings below by Lauren Gregg. Hurley noshing on a jar of Dharma ranch. Charlie (RIP) serenading an adorable fuzzy polar bear. It simply doesn't any better than that.

Although the show ended December 24th, I was never in L.A. anyhow and the internet is just as good a vessel for these pieces. There are dozens more at The LOST Underground Art Show blog!

Lauren Gregg "Hurley" acrylic on wood 10.75 x 13.75 inches

Lauren Gregg "Charlie" acrylic on wood 24 x 18 inches

/relentless periwinkle yarn

2010-01-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

What seems like ages ago (2001?), I purchased multiple skeins of Caron Wintuk yarn in 'deep periwinkle'. 100% acyrlic, 100% terrifying. While the exact number of skeins purchased remains a mystery, I am sure that it was at least three too many.

I began work on a self-designed sweater (not a fantastic idea for a 2nd crochet project), which remains far from complete about 8 years later.

Last month I decided to pick up the hook for the first time since, this time teaching myself a wider variety of stitches. I used one skein of the Deep Periwinkle Wonder practicing different stitches, getting back into the swing of the craft.

While grateful I didn't need to buy practice project yarn, Deep Periwinkle Wonder refuses to disappear, and now strains my eyes much like a strobe-neon yellow.

Here's how I've used it so far (with plenty still in the yarn basket):

-patterns are linked below each photo-

project one: fun earflap hat

ez crochet helmet pattern

project two: flowered headband
crochet headband

project three: adorable elephant friend who keeps watch over my bookshelf
elephant

/thanks for cuddly animals

2009-11-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

Nigel, one of the many people/animals/things I am thankful for today.

/commitment & commercials

2009-11-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

I should begin by saying that I created this blog months ago, only to leave it empty and sad, likely sulking in its pathetic unused state. Initially, I came here with the intention to post things I find inspiring, things I've created; the standard blog schtick. For some reason, I've been ruling out recent finds not meeting my non-existent standard, resulting in a non-existent blog.

I now vow to post. In general.

Now that you must know, this commercial is what sparked my general urge to post:

Walt Whitman & Levi's; almost brings me to tears.

This now rivals gap's 'everybody in cords' from 1999 (starring Alex Greenwald, Rashida Jones, & a substitute teacher I once had for a week in 8th grade... I will admit I was a little star struck) for my #1 favorite commercial ever.

Consumerism/materialism/greedy intentions aside, I will admit that I'm a sucker for a good old fashioned commercial; carefully crafted to pull at your heartstrings & fondle your creative arts-loving bone (ew?).