Little Hunting Creek

Great Moments in Fabric Literature: The Burning Dress

2012-01-24T16:23:00.006-05:00

By the time I'm introduced, the audience is an absolute wreck. People have been weeping and collapsing and even calling for change. The sight of me in my white silk bridal gown practically causes a riot. No more me, no more star-crossed lovers living happily ever after, no more wedding. I can see even Ceasar's professionalism showing some cracks as he quiets them so I can speak, but my three minutes are ticking quickly away.
Finally there's a lull and he gets out, "So Katniss, obvioulsy this is a very emotional night for everyone. Is there anything you'd like to say?"
My voice trembles as I speak. "Only that I'm so sorry that you won't get to be at my wedding...but I'm glad you at least got to see me in my dress. Isn't it just...the most beautiful thing?" I don't have to look at Cinna for a signal. I know this is the right time. I begin to twirl slowly, raising the sleeves of my heavy gown above my head.
When I hear the screams of the crowd, I think it's because I look stunning. Then I notice that something is rising up all around me. Smoke. From Fire. Not the flickery stuff I wore last year in the chariot, but something more real that devours my dress. I begin to panic as the smoke thickens. Charred bits of black silk swirl in the air, and pearls clatter on the stage. Somehow I'm afraid to stop because my flesh doesn't seem to be burning and I know Cinna must be behind whatever is happening. So I keep spinning and spinning. For a split second I'm gasping, completely engulfed in strange flames. Then all at once, the fire is gone. I slowly come to a stop, wondering if I'm naked and why Cinna arranged to burn away my wedding dress.
But I'm not naked. I'm in a dress of the exact design of my wedding dress, only it's the color of coal and made of tiny feathers. Wonderingly, I lift my long flowing sleeves into the air, and that's when I see myself on the television screen. Clothed in black except for the white patches on my sleeves. Or should I say wings.
Because Cinna has turned me into a mockingjay.

Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire, book 2 of the Hunger Games Trilogy

Burning wedding dresses - so symbolic! Of loss, of threat (think of Jane Eyre, fire and ripped veils - a threat to the dress is a threat to the bride.)
From white to black, burning can signify death but also danger, a signal fire, a message. It is also purification, or a warning. Or in Katniss' case, all of the above.

New Year, New To-Do Lists

2012-01-03T12:49:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!
In honor of the New Year and New Beginnings, I declare all old to-do lists null and void. all previous resolutions will be considered completed; we all get a fresh start.

One of our resolutions last year was to go out more often. I am pleased to report that we tried a few new restaurants and saw some excellent movies. (My favorite movie this year was Midnight In Paris, in case you're wondering.)

I had resolved to entertain more often. We did try doing this and did entertain more often, but due to medical circumstances beyond my control, not as often as we would have liked. But no matter, it's a New Year! We'll try again!

Due to frequent, relentless nagging from my daughter, we did reduce clutter, get rid of extra stuff and reach new levels of neatness. She comes around frequently and throws stuff away when we're not looking. No possums have been sighted in our closets.She watches our progress with her steely gaze and threatens to throw out our old coffee carafes.(Those might come in handy someday - really!)

Mr. Hunting Creek went on a diet last year and lost over 60 pounds; he now weighs what he did when he played water polo at Cal. (There is nothing more annoying than a successful dieter, don't you agree?)

Now, on to the new:
I decided, while waiting in the Dr's office last week, that I needed to do new things this year. Take some classes, try new things, experiment.
So yesterday I signed up for the Block of the Month class on Craftsy, and took the class and made the blocks. I used colors that I don't normally combine. I tried to do something different from my usual. It will be fun. It's free, if your resolutions also include learning new stuff.
Next up, maybe a new museum visit, sewing something crazy (maybe a crazy quilt? I've never made one), painting and starting different seeds than my usual.
Thats enough to keep me busy.
What are your new resolutions?

A Throw, New Pillows and on the Cutting Table

2011-11-05T14:32:00.005-04:00

Finished: new covers in winter fabrics for all of the throw pillows. I chose a pretty red and white toile that has been ripening in the stash since 2003. I had forgotten exactly what I bought it for, but it makes pretty pillows for winter that don't look too Christmas-y. Pillows in Chez Hunting Creek lead a hard life, and I end up recovering them about twice a year anyway. They serve as floor pillows, lap desks, foot rests, as well as normal pillow duty. I don't use zippers because of customer complaints about zipper hardness. Instead I use one piece of fabric, two seams, (one on each side) and an envelope back. Smooth, no lumps and everyone is happy.

Some people have said mean things recently about minky, but the blanket-using population here has nothing but praise for the new faux sheepskin and minky blanket I made last weekend (when it SNOWED!). Making a faux fur throw is so easy a rookie can do it, but be aware that just like real fur, this stuff sheds like crazy when you cut it and sew it. When writers talk about the fur flying, I believe they were referring to sewing faux fur. I had to clean out the inside of my machine twice and wipe down the cutting board plus vacuum the sewing room afterwards. But the actual construction is a breeze. Please note that minky and my faux fur were knit backed, so I used a ball point needle and a small zigzag stitch. I left a opening on one side then reached in, turned it right side out and hand sewed the opening shut. The fancy fur thows at Pottery barn and Restoration Hardware sell for hundreds of dollars, and while I admire them, I won't cry when someone spills pizza, root beer or red wine on mine, because I can wash it. And it didn't cost several hundred dollars.
I asked Mr. Hunting Creek if so many finished projects meant new fabric purchases were in my future. He laughed and said, "Only when you have an empty shelf", so don't expect new fabric purchases in the next week or so.
Next up:

I admired Lindsey T's Cynthia Rowley Simplicity 2192 tops so much that I thought I'd make one of my own. The pattern back suggested brocade as an option, and it just so happened that I had some pretty dark teal and black brocade lurking in the stash from a long ago purchase. I don't recall what this fabric is made of, (I suspect man-made, but nice synthetic, if that's not an oxymoron) but I know it has some lycra because it has a slight stretch. Since I bought it forever ago, that means it's free, right? This pattern is very simple, and like all simple designs, nice fabric is all. If the "free" brocade version looks good, then I'll upgrade to silk brocade.(Which is aging nicely in the Great Wall 'O Fabric).
A note about this pattern. As Lindsay T mentioned, it runs big. That seems to be the style now, so if you prefer a smaller size, please plan accordingly.

I've finished six things in the last week and items 7 and eight are in progress. This is amazing productivity for me. And all items have been successes! I want to hang a sign on my sewing room door like they have on factory floors that says something like Eight Successful Projects Without An Injury.
What's on your cutting table?

Great Moments in Fabric Literature, Vol XX1: Fabric Words

2011-11-04T07:36:00.003-04:00

My BFF from high school, up in snowy Alaska, sent this fun fabric email:

This week's theme
Fabric words used metaphorically

This week's words
chintzy
pinstriped
dirty linen
flannelmouth

I've heard peaches described as cottony, as in, "Late peaches are all cottony inside." Maybe it's a Virginia thing?
Cheap people are chintzy, but generous people are never satiny or silky.
We all know about airing dirty linen in public, (witness the current Republican Primaries for a more direct example of dirty linen airing in real time) but no one ever advises showing off your clean linens either.

What other fabric related words can you think of?

Scary Fabrics,Volume I: Sock Monkey Santa

2011-11-02T12:26:00.004-04:00

If Stephen King sewed, this would be the fabric he'd make into pajamas for his kids.
"No, Daddy, NO! Not Sock Monkey Santa!"
Of course, if you're a fan of the macabre little monkieys, find them here. All others be warned.

It's Snowing!

2011-10-29T14:40:00.003-04:00

In the ultimate Trick or Treat gesture, it's snowing in October.

Bedside Reading- Colette Sewing Handbook

2011-10-28T08:05:00.006-04:00

The Colette Sewing Handbook came in the mail yesterday. I read every single book that I sell on my website - what if someone asks me a question? This book would be a nice gift for someone who wanted to learn more about sewing, and if I were giving it as a gift, I'd put it in a gift bag with some silk pins, a pretty pin cushion, and a measuring tape. I like how it opens up and lies flat too. The book has lots of good advice about prepping fabric and pattern tissue - stuff that I learned from my mom ages ago, but if you don't have a mom or grandma who knows about sewing, it's nice to see this sisterly advice here. There's a chapter on fitting, advice about wardrobe planning and more. I need to read it very carefully again and maybe make that cute skirt. The instructions have lots of pictures for visual learners, and are very reassuring.
Even though I've been sewing since I was a child, there's always something new to learn. Plus, it comes with five patterns! The skirt with the scalloped hem would be perfect for my daughter. There's also a pretty bias blouse with fluttery sleeves, and a couple really pretty dresses. There just aren't enough pretty dress patterns - you can't have too many.
Mr. Hunting Creek thinks reading sewing books in bed is deviant behavior. Things could be worse, I tell him - with mobile devices I could be buying fabric in bed. This effectively shuts him up about the reading material.

Jasmine is my New Favorite

2011-10-27T12:59:00.006-04:00

Even though I have not purchased any fabric in over four years (and not suffered one bit, that's how much fabric there is around here), I never stopped collecting patterns. Patterns are the crack cocaine of sewing, incredibly addictive, and each new batch leaves you wanting more, more , MORE! Not that I have a problem with that. Patterns are small. I temporarily stopped my so far fruitless search for Simplicity 3536(but now I have two completely clean closets!)
to unwrap my new Colette Patterns, and immediately decided to make the Jasmine Blouse. So pretty! So feminine! No buttons or zippers- a big plus in my book. Although I've been making buttonholes since I was ten, I hate sewing on buttons and this is a perfect chance to avoid them.
As mentioned yesterday, when I cleaned out my office closet and previous fabric storage location, I found fabrics that some unknown person had snuck into my house. Luckily this unknown person has exactly my taste, so I could make the Jasmine Blouse out of blue charmeuse or cream silk jacquard. Or possibly both.
The new Peony Dress is a very ladylike kind of dress as my mother would say, and it would make a perfect LBD, and the Clover Pants are VERY Audrey. Audrey and I look nothing alike, but we can't let little things like that get in the way.(I'm more like Elizabeth Taylor, and very few people would say that she was a fashion icon...in a good way. She had her own style, though. She didn't give a damn about what you thought of her, and that's a style worth emulating.)
I know what I'm making next -what's on your cutting table for Fall?

How Much is Too Much?

2011-10-26T15:11:00.002-04:00

You know you have too much fabric when you clean out the office closet and find four yards of dark blue silk charmeuse that you have never seen before in your life.
You know you have too many patterns, if, when trying to organize them (a Sisyphean task)you find not two but three of the same one.
You have too many shoes if you find new shoes in the back of your closet but it's the wrong size. Did I think somehow my feet would shrink?

Overheard

2011-10-17T08:15:00.003-04:00

Overheard last week at Hancock's, where I had gone to buy patterns while they were on sale:
"How much do you want of this?" asked the cutting lady, about a pretty red silky print
"One and 7/8 yard" replied the customer.

I raised my eyebrows and whispered to Mr. Hunting Creek that I had never bought 7/8ths of anything my whole life! He agreed that that was silly - why not just round up and get 2 yards? "Who calls for 7/8s of a yard?" he asked.
The back of the pattern envelope, I told him. And those numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. You might need more or less.

They didn't have Simplicity 3536 (a vain hope!)- so of course I bought ten other patterns to make up for that. This is the same kind of thinking that leads to extra fabric buying...just in case.

Fabric Affineuse

2011-10-11T18:43:00.010-04:00

When people ask about my stash/fabric collection/Great Wall o' Fabric, I no longer say that I collect fabric. Instead, I say I am a Fabric Affineuse. Affinage is the practice of aging cheese so that your favorite brie is just meltingly ripe and the wonderful English Coastal Cheddar properly sharp - but not too sharp!. Fabric Affinage is the practice of lovingly collecting fabric from all over the world - curating it, in fact, and keeping it until just the right project makes itself known for that fabric. Sometimes this can be days, or weeks, other times it can be years or even lifetimes. There is fabric in my collection from my late mother's stash, from Mr. Hunting Creek's mother's stash, from his late aunt's stash...and so on. No fabric is sewn here unless properly aged!
Sometimes the match betwen fabric and pattern results in a beautiful relationship. Other times...well let's just say that there may have been harsh words or even tears. But most of the time fabric and pattern become one and we all live happily ever after...until the next project.
Do you practice Fabric Affinage? Or, are you one of those people who buy their fabric one piece at a time, for each specific project? (Really? Not even any extra? I wouldn't even know how to do that!) Become an Affineuse - you'll be glad you did.

New Favorite Pattern

2011-10-10T07:13:00.004-04:00

Normally, I'm not a sucker for cute, but this one was too cute. Reader, I bought it.
I imagined a teeny tiny clothesline along the wall of my sewing room with little bitty clothespins holding the eensy weensy aprons.
Simplicity should made super small versions of all of their patterns. It would make great art!

Occupy Retail

2011-10-08T08:12:00.005-04:00

When it comes to stickin' it to the man, of course I am all in favor. I am cheered by the Occupy Wall Street Protesters. Who doesn't dislike greedy plutocrats? I'm surprised that no one has shown up with flaming torches and pitchforks yet.
Last night while Mr. Hunting Creek was watching yet more football, I had an epiphany.
What women needed to do, I realized, was go on strike and occupy something. Why, people are still talking about those feminists who burned bras, although as I recall, no actual bras were burned. But it's a vivid image, and one that people remember having happened. Women on strike is not a new idea, of course. From Ancient Greece on down, poets and playwrights have fantasized about women on strike. But I wasn't thinking of going on strike like Lysistrata (although being anti-war is an excellent reason to go on strike). I was looking at fashion on my Steve Jobs memorial handheld device (thank you, Steve Jobs!) and wishing that the technological changes that have improved our lives might be applied to fashion.
If you were to ask any women, tall, short, thin, curvy, woman of any size, almost all of them would tell you that they have a horrible time finding clothes.
Of the women that sew, they will say that they sew because they can't find anything that fits, or that the workmanship is horrible on RTW, or that they like to customize what they wear to suit themselves. In the business-computer-land, where I work, we customize workstations to each individual user. But fashion has not embraced this possibility. There are hundreds - maybe thousands of designers, but it seems like they are almost all designing for some imaginary woman who is six feet tall and wears a size negative 2. In other words, not me. Not you either, probably. When I see fashion, I'm always mentally raising a neckline or lowering a hemline, always taking away excess fabric here, adding some extra there - customizing the look to fit my preferences. That's why I sew, of course. But in my fantasy, women everywhere occupied the malls and fashion districts and demanded clothes that FIT. Clothes that fit them and their lifestyles. Clothes that came with clearly labeled sizes inside, with dimensions and with different cup sizes. Yes! Standardized sizes! Tops and dresses with cup sizes! Pants that weren't always, eternally a foot too long (my complaint) or too short.
So good luck to my brothers and sisters occupying Wall Street! It's difficult to start a movement without backing from huge moneyed interests. Well done bringing attention to the plight of the millions of unemployed.(Some of whom could be making clothes that fit and beautiful fabric right here in the USA if those afore-mentioned moneyed interests hadn't shipped all of the jobs overseas to sweatshops and near-slave labor, but I digress). And if you can spare a few moments, can you make room for my sisters who want clothes that fit?

Jeans and a Turtleneck Can Change the World

2011-10-06T11:04:00.003-04:00

My kids and I used to joke that Steve Jobs' closet had a row of 30 identical black turtlenecks and a row of just-cleaned, worn-just-the-right amount jeans.
He showed us the power of knowing what his personal look is and sticking to it. When you know your personal look, you don't have to think about fashion and can focus on changing the world.

Into Thin Air

2011-10-04T15:41:00.005-04:00

The drawback of being a messy person who is married to a OCD cleaner person, is that items belonging to the messy - I mean, Creative Person, tend to vanish into thin air, never to be seen again. When guests are expected who aren't family members, Mr. Hunting Creek transforms in a manner not unlike Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde/Incredible Hulk and goes into his cleaning frenzy. Things that have disappeared, never to be seen again, include Simplicity 3536, which was last seen on top of my cutting board with dark green stretch velvet last December. The green velvet is visible on a shelf in the Great Wall of Fabric, the pattern is MIA. No matter, I thought, I'll buy another when they are on sale. But, Alas! The pattern is both out of print and out of stock. Heavy sigh. Also missing - my 9 inch round cake pan, and the 24 muffin mini muffin pan. Where on earth can he have put them?
When confronted with the fact that these items are missing, Mr. Hunting Creek denies all knowledge of their existence. "I know I had it," I tell him, "I even took a picture for my blog!" Confronted with proof, he looks somewhat shifty. He says I must have put it away somewhere different. Since I never put anything away, this is clearly a delaying tactic on his part. I can buy another cake pan and muffin tin, I tell him, but the pattern is out of print. I make a sad face. He claims that I just haven't looked hard enough.
If you see a copy of Simplicity 3536 around, let me know. The dining room, my office and the sewing room are all unnaturally clean. I suspect foul play.

Can it be too clean?

2011-10-01T13:04:00.005-04:00

When my sewing space is too clean, I don't want to "mess" it up. Does having a too clean space affect your creativity?
I have found that I like things out where I can see them. It helps me make connections, think of cool projects I could make, put fabric and patterns together to live happily ever after. One of the reasons I asked Mr. Hunting Creek to build my Great Wall of Fabric was so I could see what I had. I have some fabric still in those big plastic bins, and I don't like it at all because I can't see it there.
When I am working on a project I like to have everything out where I can see it. It's all over my desk, and if it is a large project, it might also be in stages on the dining room table, the kitchen table and maybe even the chair in my office. I work messy. Which is funny in a way, because in my professional life I am famous for being neat, orderly and a martinet about organization. Do you suppose that's because I am free to be messy creatively?

Last weekend I made tissue paper collages, to make Christmas garlands with. I haven't had that much fun since second grade. They were SO messy, involving glue, tissue paper, paper snowflake doilies, glitter and Angelina. I'm going to add foil and paints today. They are only meant for fun, and how often do any of us do something just to make a mess nowadays?
Some of my friends assure me that they can't get a thing done if so much as one thing is out of place. They have to work in a neat and orderly environment or they just can't stand it. Secretly I feel sorry for them.(I tell myself that messiness is a strength!) I grew up in a large family with many dogs, cats, fish, kids and working parents who ran their own business. Things were chaotic,messy, noisy and disorganized but the experience gave me a very high tolerance for working in chaotic conditions.
How about you? Messy or clean? Messy but won't admit it? Neat and proud of it? Neat but trying to be be messier?

Scary Patterns X: Stuffed Animal Abuse

2011-08-10T09:04:00.003-04:00

This picture reminds me of movies where the hero is chained to the wall in some dark, damp, dismal dungeon. In this case, cute little animals are stuffed with plastic bags, chained to the wall, forced to dispense the bags out of...how to say this politely?...their nether regions...stuffed animal lovers, please avert your eyes.
For persons who find this dispenser just the thing they've been looking for their whole lives, the pattern is here.
I keep my plastic bags in a plain bag on the back of my kitchen door. No stuffed animals are abused by my recycling efforts.

Scary Patterns IX: Raisin or Potato?

2011-08-05T08:41:00.003-04:00

What was Simplicity thinking? If you have always dreamed of dressing as a California Raisin or a Couch Potato, this is your pattern. But don't limit yourself to raisins or potatoes! Think outside the box of raisins, and imagine yourself and your loved ones as dancing cranberries, prunes or dried apricots! Or maybe sweet potatoes or turnips. The whole world of produce dressing is now available to you.

Playing with Paintstiks and Rubbing Plates

2011-07-29T15:00:00.005-04:00

Take the rubbing plate of your choice - here I've used one of the Triangles plates- and tape it down with blue painter's tape so it doesn't shift around. Some people then spray it with quilt basting spray, but it's too hot to spray outside and I don't want to spray that stuff inside. So I taped the fabric with the tape too. Then I peeled away the paintstik film on the side of the stick - to make a larger surface area for making a rubbing. These are from a mini set. I used mauve, celadon green, Wedgwood blue, iridescent light gold and iridescent orange.

I painted some silk crepe that someone had given me, saying that maybe I could use it to line a purse, but when I looked at it earlier this week, I realized that the silk pieces wanted to be painted scarves.
If I had a nickel for every time someone said to me, "You're so creative! I'm just not artistic." I'd be as rich as Bill Gates. Making rubbings is as easy as finger painting and requires no special skills. It is also very fun and my silk looks awesome. I'm letting it dry now. The drying takes about 24 hours. Then I'll iron it between sheets of silicone release paper, sew it and show it off to you. These scarves will make wonderful gifts...if I can bear to part with them.

Scary Patterns VIII: Cruisin' For Foxes

2011-07-28T11:02:00.006-04:00

A common refrain among sewists both male and female is that the pattern companies don't make any good men's patterns any more. Case in point: this groovylicious leisure suit from 1975, just begging to be made in that patchwork denim print polyester doubleknit for optimum fox-cruisin' capabilities.
To better impress the ladies, please add a Tom Selleck moustache and Mr. Brady perm.
If your Halloween plans involve dressing up as Magnum PI, find it here. Send us a picture for our wall of shame.

Quote of the Day

2011-07-28T09:21:00.002-04:00

Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.
Mark Twain

Working With Paintstiks

2011-07-24T13:29:00.006-04:00

First, get your mise en place ready, as they say in chef school.
Clear off a workspace, and protect it with newspaper, a plastic tablecloth or silicone release paper. Wear old clothes or an apron, so you don't get paint on your clothes. (Just like kindergarten)
My basic toolkit:
Blue painters tape, to hold stencils, fabric and rubbing plates in place.
Invisigrip, to keep rubbing plates from sliding on the table
A paper plate or Palette Paper, to mix colors on
A dedicated vegetable peeler, to be used only with the paintstiks, to remove the protective film. (See the little paint peelings in the picture? Paintstiks have a protective film that keeps them from drying out. You remove this before painting with a rough paper towel, vegetable peeler or little paring knife. It's easy to remove and comes right off. Be careful not to get paint all over your hands. Maybe I am just really messy, but I always do, and end up with paint on my nose. It does wash right off...but still. Kids require supervision with this.)
Scrap fabric, to practice on. I do a lot of practice samples before I use the "good fabric". Kind of like making a muslin - same idea. The more you practice, the better you get.
Assorted paintstiks
stencil brushes
Purchased or home-made stencils
And most importantly - time to practice, play and try out new ideas.
That's what I'm doing today - trying out different colors and fabrics and just seeing what develops.

Another Kind of Skirt

2011-07-22T16:47:00.007-04:00

When the going gets HOT, it's time to think about cold weather sewing! I can't help it - when I get a fabulous idea, I have to try it out. The new Christmas Patterns are coming in for my website. I was unpacking them, and I read this line on the tree skirt pattern: "Two blocks are included, or use your favorite 12" quilt block." I thought, "hey, I could use anything there, as long as it was 12 inch square. This has possibilities." It's not that I have a favorite quilt block. A twelve inch block would be perfect for printing pictures on and also for embellishing with Paintstiks. Working on an art project might help cheer me up. (We really miss our dog. When we come home from an errand, there's no joyful welcome. I miss that.)
So this weekend, why not mess around with Christmas fabric, paintstiks, stencils and all sorts of messy fun? There's nothing like fooling around with art to help mend a broken heart.
It's better than moping around and more healthful than eating brownies.
What are your plans to beat the heat?

Goodbye, Petey

2011-07-17T15:05:00.003-04:00

We're sad this weekend to say goodbye to our Springer Spaniel, Petey - the Best Dog Ever. Farewell, Petey - may there be ample squirrels to chase in heaven.

Scary Patterns VII

2011-06-24T09:26:00.004-04:00

Sometimes the sheer creative inventiveness of America is astonishing:witness the quilted toilet seat cover, above. If this is totally your thing, find it here.
What will they think of next?
p.s. look closely at that quilted picture and take note of what it is! a little quilty joke! Mr. Hunting Creek shuddered. "You aren't thinking of making that!"
"Only Ironically, sweetie."

Must Make This List

2011-06-03T21:18:00.012-04:00

The Violet Blouse from Colette Patterns reminded me so much of blouses I wore in high school that I had to have it.

Now I just have to find a worthy fabric. I know I have to have a pattern when I see every new fabric and think, "you'd make a nice Violet Blouse."
Also on the agenda- a maxi dress (I wore those in high school too) and silk drawstring pants (I was never so lucky as to have silk drawstring pants in high school. We mostly wore shorts and jeans and t shirts.)
For my drawstring pants (which I haven't worn since college, but then, I am a recovering corporate dresser) I thought either McCalls 6291 (I have a muslin cut)

Or McCalls 5889, since I admired Lindsay T's version so much:

Or possibly, both versions. I don't have any red silk lying around, but you can't let a little difficulty like that get in the way. I do have celadon green silk, and Caribbean blue silk...let's just say there's no shortage of alternative colors.
The fabric for my maxi-dress has not yet revealed itself to me, but I'm sure while I am sewing the pants muslin this weekend I'll realize what it should be.
What's on your summer sewing list?

Insulated Tote for Groceries and Picnics

2011-06-02T16:06:00.009-04:00

All of a sudden, it is HOT here in Virgina. After my ice cream came home from the store in a soup-like condition, I decided to make an insulated tote. to keep my cold groceries cold. It will also work for picnics at the pool, and help keep picnic food cool - or hot (but not both at the same time.)
I wanted to do something fun with my tote, so I cut four six wide strips of embroidered denim (from stash) and two 6 inch wide strips of white quilting cotton.
I string pieced uneven strips of brightly colored fabric on the white fabric and then trimmed it. I saw this technique used in the previously mentioned Block Party book, and I wanted to try it. Small projects like totes are an excellent way to try new techniques.

After I had finished with my string piecing I sewed the colored piece in the center of the denim pieces so I ended up with two 17 1/2" by 22" pieces. I clipped a two inches square out of each bottom corner, and did the same with the lining pieces. I then backed my tote pieces with Insul-fleece, and basted it on.

I cut some bright yellow belting for the handles. I basted them on about six inches in from the sides.

Then I sewed the sides and the bottom, and boxed the corners as seen in this tutorial.I assembled the lining, leaving a large part on one side unsewn so I could reach in and turn the bag right side out, and then sewed the lining to the tote. After I turned it right side out I topstitched around the top so that the lining would stay inside.

Now it's ready for shopping and picnics by the pool. I made mine from scraps and stash fabric, but this could also be made out of recycled fabrics as well. It's fun to make utilitarian items look pretty,and it's a good way to try out new techniques.

Transportation Baby Quilt

2011-05-22T12:44:00.007-04:00

Finished: Transportation Baby Quilt
Finished size - about 48" square

Here's a close up of the baby announcement, added to the quilt by scanning and printing on Transfer Artist Paper

I've been working all week to finish this baby quilt in time to take to a party, and I finished at least four hours before the party- I'm getting rusty, because usually I finish things and the situation is: Mr. Hunting Creek has the car running already, we're running late, and everyone in poised for takeoff. I even had time to wrap it nicely, watch the Preakness with a glass of cold iced tea, and write a nice note in the card.

The quilt is my own design, if a square in a square log cabin can even be said to be original. I was inspired by a quilt in Modern Log Cabin Quilting, but mine is made differently. Let's say it's my own interpretation. If you'd like to make something similar, here's a run down of what I did.
We went to the Variety Store nearby; they have a large selection of quilting fabric, and I had a specific theme in mind. I bought half yards of the green road fabric, the black and white airport, the yellow train print, one yard of the plain blue, and two yards for the back of a pretty yellow train themed stripe (I didn't need all two yards, but it is nice to have some extra in case the quilt grows.)
The blue road map and classic car print was from stash, as were the red and white dot fabrics and everything else. It's nice to have options. My rule was - no two blocks exactly alike, but everything will go together, and one block will have the baby announcement.
I chose 15 4 1/2 inches squares for the centers (and one saved for the baby picture. So there are 16 centers. I framed those squares with the blue, cut 1 1/2 inches wide. The second round was the same prints as the squares, cut 2 1/2 inches wide, with a few calming blender prints thrown in for a place for the eyes to rest. Then I used the red and white dots as sashing, cut one and one half inches wide - I wanted it the same width as the blue. I quilted it very simply to frame the blocks. There's a lot going on here. so no fancy stitching needed. I love how it turned out and when I was done, I imagined it all soft and faded and dragged around all over as little kids do, as a treasured wooby blankie.
If you've never worked with the Transfer Artist Paper, here's what I did to transfer the inage. First I scanned the baby announcement, and then in my HP Image Manager (the software that came with my All In One Printer) I reversed the image and crapped it as necessary. Then I printed a couple on paper to make sure I had made it the right size. Then I printed it on the Transfer Artist Paper, and transferred the image to plain white cotton using the instructions included in the package.I was glad that I had made two copies (one for practice) because I learned that the iron has to be HOT. My first one wasn't perfect, but my second one was. Save the trimmed parts of the TAP, you can also paint or draw on it and transfer those as well, so I save my scraps for a future project.
The new parents loved the quilt so everyone is happy. Now to clean up my sewing area and plan my next project.

The Modern Quilting Bee Block Party

2011-05-19T10:19:00.005-04:00

It's always a happy day when the new books arrive from the publisher for the website. They are all fresh from the printer, crisp and new and it is always exciting to sit down and read every one and see what new ideas I can steal...I mean, borrow from them. My hands down favorite was this unexpected jewel: The Modern Quilting Bee Block Party. There are twelve projects with illustrated directions, and short biographies of the twelve women who participated in a virtual quilting bee and created the quilts. This never happens: I loved all twelve projects and wanted to make my own version of all of them. As a quilter I am very improvisational. (As a garment sewer and cook as well. Maybe in life too.) Some people might say that is because I am incapable of following directions (and those people might be right) but I prefer to think of myself as a Free Spirit. An Artist. (Rules? we don't need no stinkin' rules! Did Monet follow directions when he painted? I don't think so.) The directions in this book appealed to my rebellious free-spirited way of working. I start with an idea of where I want to go and let the fabric give me direction. And that's just what they did! With lots of pictures to show how they ended up with a beautiful quilt. I don't keep every book that I sell (and a good thing too, or there would be no room in the sewing room) but I am keeping one of these for my very own. If you like the improvisational style of quilting, you might like it too.

The Accidental Diet

2011-05-18T09:08:00.008-04:00

No sooner had I come up with a brilliant idea for a cookbook that I immediately decided to write, Mr. Hunting Creek decides to go on a diet. He does this occasionally, and all of us shiver in awe at his dedication and annoying success. He is a fanatic! Dieting is like a religion to him, including the periods of self-denial, ritual fasting and feasting. He never cheats - never!(Once several years ago, when he went on Pritikin, we were so fat free I used to dream at night about butter and olive oil. I am not making this up.) Only when my sister and I threatened to excommunicate him from cooking did he let us bring olive oil back into the kitchen. My sister still remembers this period with a shudder. After that debacle, he was forbidden to even utter the words low-fat in our presence.
This time he decided to combine Atkins with power-walking. Our children and I told him that while we totally supported him, we were not going to go totally carb-free. When we went to Ray's Hell Burger for Mother's Day, he ate his without the bun. Even though I am not on a diet, I had to stop baking, which is my main form of entertainment. Our son and I can't eat a whole cake or batch of cookies and then I'd just have to throw it all out. So in a way we are all inadvertantly dieting because it is no fun for us to eat dark chocolate brownies alone. However, it has been a challenge to design entire menus that do not include excess simple carbohydrates. It's like having vegetarians come for Thanksgiving. You have to be creative. When we had an Easter Brunch I made all the dishes so that he and his fellow dieters at the table could easily avoid the carbs by just not eating the home-baked soft rolls (which were awesome, by the way), and not putting sugar on their strawberries. I discovered that ground almonds make a nice crust for a savory cheesecake and an admirable addition to crab cakes.
This made me think what if there were a cooking site that could convert recipes to conform to different diet regimens? For example, suppose you want a cheesecake - just plug your recipe into the recipe converter and it sends back a converted recipe with suggested changes. My rule would also stipulate that nothing fake could be used, since I don't approve of artificial sweeteners or fake anything. Usually when I imagine something this awesome, the Universe nicely invents it for me and I don't have to do the tedious work of making it happen. (I 'invented' non-electric ice cream makers this way). I'm working on inventing low-carb Ice Cream and cake that has nothing fake. Wish me luck!

Time Travel: Simplicity 2409

2011-05-07T10:36:00.007-04:00

Vintage Simplicity one piece dress and Redingote

The dress, seamed down the center front, is fitted with tucks at the front shoulder. The gored skirt joins the bodice at the natural waistline under a self or purchased belt. Extended shoulders and a V neckline finish the dress. The princess redingote, styled with long sleeves, features rounded lapels and is secured with a single button.

Do you read the suggested fabrics and imagine how you'd make this up? Suggested fabrics: silk or rayon crepe, spun rayon, canton crepe, rayon jersey, foulard, surah, pique, linen, chambray, cotton broadcloth, balloon cloth (???)
Redingote: Silk, wool or rayon crepe, rayon or wool gabardine, or flannel, satin faille, bengaline, shantung, spun rayon.

Where to wear it: Kentucky Derby (with a splendid hat), New York luncheon, shopping in Rome, matinee in London, followed by afternoon tea.

Sadly, this pattern is incomplete. It's missing the skirt pieces, and the back of the redingote, and the center front piece. Sigh. However, it does have the redigote facing, so the front could be reconstructed, using the remaining pieces as a guide.
If only the previous owner had been more considerate, and thought of us 70 years later!
How would you go about replacing the missing pieces? I think I know how to do it, (the dress skirt is easy), but suggestions welcome.
Who said Time Travel was easy?

Sewing Attention Deficit Disorder

2011-05-06T15:51:00.003-04:00

I know I'm not the only one. Venus de Hilo has it too. It's the lure of the new, bright beginnings, pretty colors, I want it now. She listed all of her works-in-progress, and I realized that in spite of my vow to complete each project after I started it (I promise!) when we finished my new sewing studio, I have been BAD. Currently I have the following in various stages of not-finished: blue linen capris that only need hand hemming, a Sidelines Quilt, an Apron (a gift), batik drawstring pants, and two Hawaiian shirts that need buttonholes and buttons. And I'm planning a baby quilt right now. Bad me.
Do you keep starting new things before you finish the old ones? What is it about new stuff?

Imitation is the Sincerest Form...

2011-05-06T09:00:00.005-04:00

Bridal manufacturers everywhere are frantically copying not just the Duchess of Cambridge's lovely dress, but her sister Pippa's as well. The Business Section of the NY Times had an interesting article about the entire process, from design to fabric to sample. Find it here.
I especially like the part where the reporter described how they laid out the pattern pieces on a the fabric like a large puzzle. Oh reporter - don't you sew? That's how all of us do it. Committed sewistas hate wasting fabric. Especially expensive fabric like silk chiffon and satin.
There are any number of current patterns that one could use as a starting point, considering that the cowl neck and the slim fitting skirt are popular silhouettes right now. McCalls 6282 might work as a starting point.
I'd enlarge the neckline drape and lengthen the skirt, add sleeves of choice (Maybe lace?). It would be fun to make my own version. What would your version look like?

Wild Things

2011-05-04T12:14:00.006-04:00

We live in the woods not far from Mount Vernon. Even though we're only about twelve miles from the Capitol in Washington, you'd never know it from the view out of our windows. This week has been Nature Week at Little Hunting Creek. We have had two deer on our back porch, just walking around and looking for hostas to munch on, a wild turkey this morning and yesterday - a SNAKE in the downstairs hallway. Yes, you read that right. A black Snake, just outside J. Hunting Creek's bathroom, in the downstairs hallway, just chillin'. Mr. Hunting Creek almost ran into Mr. Black Snake and called me from downstairs, yelling, "hey, there's a snake in the hallway!" That's the kind of announcement that gets my immediate attention.
Two years ago in summer, I had spotted Mr. Black Snake in the living room. J. Hunting Creek had left the back door open a smidgen and that was just enough for Mr. Snake to come in and make himself at home. I thought he was a belt on the floor and almost walked over to pick him up until he moved and I realized that he was not a belt at all. It is a heart stopping realization that what you think is an inanimate object is in fact alive. I was alone in the house and had a brief panic attack, and then got hold of myself. I called Mr. Hunting Creek at work. No luck, he was on one of his eternal conference calls. I called my daughter. She is always full of practical advice. She said to call Animal Control. They sent over a very nice man who told me all about what I need to know about snakes while he searched for my snake, who had decided to make himself scarce while I was letting the officer in. My son joined in the search and the officer told us everything we ever needed to know about capturing black snakes. Basically, they are harmless, and we were so lucky that the snake would eat our crickets and mice. No problem that we couldn't find him! He would let himself out!
Well, now we know that he did NOT let himslf out, because there he was in the hallway yesterday. Mr. Hunting Creek felt some hesitation about just grabbing him with his bare hands and I don't blame him. I thought fast - why not put a box over him, slide my large rotary cutting board underneath, and have my own personal Team Six- Snake Removal Division, remove him to the front yard? The capture went flawlessly. The cutting board/box on top of snake prevented escapes, and it was easy for Team Six to take him outside and set him free. I held the door.
It's been a busy week and it's only Wednesday. (This is an excellent reason, if you needed a reason, to buy a large rotary cutting board. Useful for rotary cutting patterns and snake captures!)

The Right Stuff

2011-04-29T13:31:00.004-04:00

Wasn't that a lovely wedding? The bride was radiant, the groom was blushing, everyone looked happy (except for that one bridesmaid) and now we're all off to search for a pattern for Pippa's dress. Having got up at 4am this morning, I can't be trusted to do anything more complex than load patterns on my website. I may have loaded several thousand vintage patterns in the last few years, and I think that there might be two kinds of Pattern People: the Stuffers and the Folders.
The Stuffers take their used pattern pieces and without regard to envelope size or shape, wad them up into a vague rectangular blob and jam them into the poor envelope, shoving the instructions in along side the wad of pattern. Witness the photo above.
Whereas those of the Folding School of Pattern Care gently fold their ironed pattern pieces, softly and reverently slide them inside the instruction sheets and close the envelope. The Stuffers sometimes can't close their envelopes, so they frequently resort to staples! (Oh the horror!) Those of the Stuffing persuasion may be closely related to those sadly misguided souls who cut out their patterns with Pinking Shears. My Junior High School sewing teacher felt that this behavior was just one step on the road to perdition, and I can't help but feel that she may have been right. How can one line up the pieces accurately if they're cut with pinked edges? I do not approve.
Of course I feel that my way is the only correct way: when the garment is sewn and the pattern is no longer needed, gently fold the pieces, making sure that all of them are together with the instructions and place them back in the original envelope.
I am always shocked to hear of people who cut up their envelopes, tape them to manila folders, and shove the pieces into ziplock bags. Or they tell me that the have all of their patterns sorted by number. (This is OCD madness, and I hear that there is medication that can help.)
I have mine sorted by pattern company, and then by type of pattern, because when I want to make a skirt, I am not going to remember the number. I just keep all the skirts together.
But there are people with complex systems who scan the patterns and have whole galleries on Flickr. I suppose I could do that, but I like to look though them.
I never cut up the envelopes and I never mangle the patterns. (What would Mrs. Funk say?)
What say you - are you a Folder, or a Stuffer?

Search Me

2011-04-23T09:46:00.004-04:00

It is my morning amuse-bouche to read the daily search terms that people use to find my blog and website.
This morning the terms used were: hunting baby quilt, Hunting dress pattern, hunting paint. This left Mr. Hunting Creek and me scratching our heads. What on earth would a hunting baby quilt look like? Babies with camo and shotguns? Babies in duck blinds? Babies out with Springer Spaniel puppies, looking for ducks? (I hope they didn't mean that they were hunting for babies...what kind of creepy person would do that? And combined with quilting? It boggles the imagination.)
We're also uncertain as to what a hunting dress pattern might be, but I like to think it looks like an English Riding Habit from a romantic novel. Maybe Hunter Green and velveteen. With a hat that has a long black feather.
And as for the person who was looking for a pattern for a curling holder...I think that they are just making stuff up. Unless it's for a curling stone for curling the sport, which would also be weird. In that case, they are on their own.

Fire-Breathing Sewing

2011-04-20T13:12:00.005-04:00

We all have our weaknesses. There are certain descriptive words that draw me in and snag me: Italian silk, for example, or Japanese cotton, or Dragon Pattern. I have a weakness for small, realistic-looking (if you can use that word about a dragon) patterns for animals. Like all addictions, it starts when you're young. I remember making stuffed turtles, whales and dinosaurs for my baby brother (He is now in his 30's). I made them for my high school classmates. Even though my co-workers tease me about being pragmatic and practical, they don't know that my evil dark secret is that I like making teeny stuffed animals. I like to make them small and not too precious-looking (not that there's anything wrong with that). The quirkier the better.
I have two of these dragon patterns, if that's your weakness too. I know other people collect Issey Miyake patterns, or doll patterns, or YSL. I'd love to pretend to be to be so chic, but that would be a lie. It's little wild animals for me. What's your pattern weakness?

My Name is Diego Montoya...

2011-04-15T12:24:00.005-04:00

A perfect costume shirt for swashbuckling lords, repeat after me, "My name is Diego Montoya..."

How is this shirt different from the McCall's shirt?

What separates "costume" from "Fashion"? The worst insult the designers hear on Project Runway is that something is "costumey", but where is the line? Is it that famous line for pornography, that you know it when you see it? My Simplicity blouse is a whole lotta look, but no one has yet challenged me to a duel while I have worn it. The new fashion for long ruffled skirts has a Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves look to me, but I was around the first time girls wore floaty skirts. And circle skirts always have a fifties vibe, because my mother wore those as a teen.
How do you know if what you are making is too costumey? Where do you draw the line?

Easy is as Easy Does

2011-04-13T17:28:00.005-04:00

Most experienced sewistas would agree that this pattern is EASY. But are all easy patterns equally easy?

Wouldn't you agree that collars, lapels and set in sleeves are slightly less easy than the peasant style blouse above?
Would a beginner find sewing this knit top easy? Or that skirt in the recommended charmeuse?
I very much doubt it. There needs to be a better way to indicate difficulty to the sewing public. My grandmother always told me that nothing was difficult; there were only different levels of attention required. Some patterns are labeled Advanced.
Ralph Rucci, for example, or Koos. But if you read their instructions, you'd see that nothing is that difficult; they just have extra steps to get precise results. Go slow, take your time, you'll be fine.
Instead I propose that they scrap all this EASY/INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED nonsense and give patterns ratings that mean something.For example:
Instead of easy, how about DISTRACTED you can assemble this with child interruptions, while on the phone.
Or PANIC Suitable for last minute sewing before formal occasions.
Instead of INTERMEDIATE, they would instead say: RELAXED Relax and take your time, because this ain't gonna be finished tonight anyway.
And as for the advanced patterns, when you try to add them to your cart, the website will ask - Are you sure? This has buttonholes, set in sleeves and gathering - don't say we didn't warn you! So maybe we'd call those FEELING LUCKY. ...no wait, we'd call them DIRTY HARRY's, in honor of Harry saying, "Do you feel lucky, punk?"

Sidelined

2011-04-10T17:30:00.003-04:00

Even though my new sewing studio is not yet completed - I need some new blinds for my window to block the afternoon sun, and a new desk and a pattern storage solution- I can't stand not sewing anymore, and decide to make a simple quilt. This suddenly presented almost insurmountable difficulties. Mr. Hunting Creek had "put away" my rotary cutter, and finding it required a good 45 minutes of searching. Had he put it with the scissors? No.(That would be too easy) I had to channel my testosterone brain, and finally found it in a drawer in my office that held my steam a seam and some traced Burda Patterns. I only found it there because I was looking for a pencil. Then I looked for my 24" x6" ruler - which I discovered had been broken by the movers (Mr. Hunting Creek)! Sigh. So I had to get a new one, but it didn't have the sticky stuff on that kept it from sliding on the fabric. Mr. Hunting Creek had peeled that off the broken ruler and KEPT THE BROKEN RULER instead of my vinyl strip. SIGH. I had no idea where he put the rest of the roll of the sticky vinyl stuff. Anyone who is married can imagine the exasperated conversation that happened next. The Little Hunting Creek Company will now be selling that stuff by the roll. Maybe by the truckload. And those little dots of sandpaper. (Why would you keep a broken ruler? Why would you store it but carefully peel of the intact backing and throw that away? I ask you.)
I decided to make the Sidelines Quilt by Maple Island Quilts.
My son and I liked the lattice pattern. He picked out the fabrics for me. They look very cool and summery. The quilt has partial seams, but don't let that intimidate you - it's really a modified log cabin design and isn't really very difficult at all.
When I make a quilt from a pattern (I usually make up my own patterns, but this one looked fun) I don't cut out all of the fabric at once. I cut out some of it and make a couple blocks and see how I like the fabrics combined. That way if I change my mind I haven't done all of that work and have homeless pieces. I have enough of those already.
I had to find a solution to the new ruler sliding on the fabric (until my new rolls of Invisigrip arrive) and I discovered after experimenting that half inch strips of steam a seam on the ruler provide enough stickiness to keep it stable while I cut the strips. I don't know how long it will stay sticky, but it only has to last a couple days. Which is fortunate for both the fabric cutting and Mr. Hunting Creek.

Scary Patterns VI: The Faceless Ones

2011-04-01T07:21:00.005-04:00

Whatever you do, don't make these faceless dolls and sneak them into my sewing room, because we all know what would happen next.

Scary Patterns V: Creepy Geese Version

2011-03-30T09:24:00.003-04:00

The First Rule in the Alien Expeditionary Force Handbook is: We don't talk about the Alien Invasion. Instead, it instructs, dress to blend in with the Earthlings. However, as with all advice translated into a second language, they missed a few finer details. For example, Non-Alien Invader Geese do not dress in hats, bow ties and raincoats. The one in the Yellow Raincoat thinks he is blending in with just plain folks, but we all KNOW he is one of THEM.

Pocket Love

2011-03-26T10:47:00.005-04:00

This designer must have decided that he/she was tired of skirts with no *&^$#&@* pockets! Here is some serious pocket love. If you are a pocket person, this is your skirt. I confess to never making a skirt or pants without pockets. I dislike carrying a purse everywhere and pockets, lots of pockets, are the answer. Vogue 1248 has lots to love for the pocket addict.

Of course, this is a whole lotta look, so keep the top and shoes and jewelry simple.
You could even make the pockets smaller, but I have to ask - why? To wear a skirt like this, you have to own the pockets.
Now for my whine. McVoguerick recently changed the way they show the pattern information on their website. They used to give the finished garment measurements, but now they blithely say, "FINISHED GARMENT MEASUREMENTS: Printed on Pattern Tissue." Nice going, McVoguerick! Like I am going to UNFOLD the entire pattern to see the measurements! This small change annoys me to no end. It annoys me enough to actually write a cranky letter to the Pattern industrial conspiracy. Put the damn measurements on the envelope! Sincerely yours, Mrs. Hunting Creek

Organizing Solutions for Every Quilter

2011-03-25T15:43:00.004-04:00

This new book looked just right for starting my new sewing studio on the right foot.
I'll freely admit to being a disorganized sewista. My patterns are in an order known only to me, my fabrics are sorted by my own Secret System and I have a whole basket full of UFOs. I'm hopeful that reading this book will enable me to change my wicked ways. If changing your own wicked ways appeals to you, find a copy here.
I'll be reading the fabric storage chapter very closely.

Scary Patterns IV Blue Jean Holiday

2011-03-24T09:13:00.007-04:00

Even though one would never see reindeer, penguins and turkeys together in the wild, here they are in blue jeans for your strangely twisted holiday decorating enjoyment. (it's Artistic License, my professor would say. Stop being so Literal!) What possible holiday it might be that allows for reindeer plus penguins plus turkeys in jeans on hay bales, I'm not sure.
But if that's totally your thing, it's here.
This is not as creepy as those vacuum cleaner covers, but it's close.

Look for the Union Label

2011-03-23T07:06:00.003-04:00

We watched the Triangle documentary on HBO on demand last night. (Thanks to Meg for pointing it out!)I knew about the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory from my days as both a history major at UC Berkeley and as a US History teacher. But watching the story and hearing from the families made me both sad and angry. I kept saying to Mr. Hunting Creek, "This is why we need collective bargaining and unions! This is why we need regulations!" I was angry because I feel that the current political climate is trying to demonize Unions and destroy them for the benefit of the powerful. Look how they try to make the the non -Union workers hate the Union ones! Turning the workers against each other to get rid of benefits for everyone! (It's not a coincidence that the companies moved U.S. textile jobs overseas where there are fewer worker protections.) Don't even get me started about what's happening in Wisconsin. After working as a teacher, I can testify that it's not an easy job and is not very well paid. When I was a kid my parents had an office next to a Hawaiian shirt factory, and those women worked all day long turning out beautiful shirts at high speed- not an easy job. Their conditions were palatial compared to those in New York for those poor women. Watch the documentary. Write to your elected representative. Make your voice heard!
I'd like to force certain governors to sit and watch. It should be a job requirement.

Scary Patterns III Dolls Gone Wild

2011-03-19T13:08:00.003-04:00

It's a running joke with my family that I don't like scary movies, scary pictures, scary anything. I especially don't like movies with dolls that come to life and kill people, or dolls that have evil intentions. Some people love dolls and country-style decorating. We had a next door neighbor who was a very sweet person, but her house was full of ducks with kerchiefs and ruffled aprons and dolls and cute bunnies. It was enough to give me nightmares.
My brother and sister are well aware of what gives me the creeps, and that's why they were especially happy when they found this pattern in North Carolina. (I have nothing against North Carolina. Great Barbecue, lovely people.)
What a sinister mind that thought up doll vacuum cleaner covers! I make no claims to be a perfect housekeeper, but never in a thousand years would I have dreamed of covering my vacuum cleaner with a doll-shaped cover that has a bonnet and a ruffled apron. I don't consider my vacuum cleaner in need of a cover. It's fine by itself, and when not in use, it hangs out in the closet of my workroom.
However, I know that different people have different tastes, and to those people I say: enjoy. (But don't those eyes remind you of Coraline?)

Even Beethoven did it

2011-03-03T06:53:00.004-05:00

From the Writer's Almanac this morning: On this day in 1802, Ludwig van Beethoven published the "Moonlight" Sonata. Its official title is Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, Opus 27, No. 2. He was never happy about the sonata's popularity. He said, "Surely I've written better things."

How many times has someone complimented you, and you replied, not with a thank you, but with a , "But, I messed this up here..."
To quote my new favorite philosopher Charlie Sheen, "Everything after but is dial tone."
I almost did it the other day. A friend of my son's was visiting, and I mentioned that I was in the middle of organizing my new sewing studio. She asked if she could see something I had made. There was a little throw quilt on the back of a chair, and while she admired the colors of the batiks and the intricacies of the piecing, I just barely kept myself from pointing out all of the flaws. After she left,I was talking to Mr. Hunting Creek, (my second favorite philosopher) and he pointed out that when someone admires something we've done and we point out the flaws, what we are doing is criticizing their lack of discernment. Just think of what Beethoven was really saying...he had written better things, what rubes we are to not appreciate those things, and what fools we are to like the Moonlight Sonata instead. That's not very nice, is it? My mom always said that when someone compliments you, just say thank you and shut up. (Along with never complain and never explain. Charlie might keep that in mind).

The Big Sort

2011-03-02T11:56:00.006-05:00

With every step between my bins of fabric up from storage and the new Giant Wall O' Fabric installed in my new Sewing Studio, I have to step over the above Springer Spaniel. Petey is 11 and "retired" so she sees no reason to move just because she is In My Way. If I move, she moves. It keeps me alert. When my sewing cave was packed up by Mr. Hunting Creek, in his frenzy of organization last November, he just tossed everything into boxes and bins. No rhyme or reason. Now I am unpacking and wondering why I kept certain things. Teeny tiny scraps from a baby quilt or a shirt I made 10 years ago? why yes, I have that.

I had a liberating thought this morning. I didn't have to keep tiny scraps. So I have been throwing them away. My daughter should be here; she loves to throw stuff out. Big pieces will be donated to a worthy quilty cause - there are lots to choose from.

What I am keeping is being neatly folded and added to my Wall. It looks pretty. I'll have to have my daughter the Dominatrix Organizer whip it into colorful artistic shape, but for now, it's moving from the boxes to the shelves. I'm trying to decide how to separate the quilting fabric from the fashion fabric. Or should I just do everything by color? (This is what we call a high class problem.)
I've been jittery and crabby without sewing; I've been like an addict without my fix. Sewing calms me and makes me happy. I've missed it these last few months while my room took shape.
While I sort and fold, I'm trying to decide what my first project will be. I dropped a piece of flannel, and turned around to get something out of the closet before I picked it up. But never fear, Petey laid right down on it to keep it secure on the floor. It's so nice to have helpers!

Mexican Chocolate Streusel Brownies

2011-02-14T14:22:00.003-05:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day: Mexican Chocolate Streusel Brownies
I got the idea for these from the new Sunset cookbook, but I didn't make their recipe exactly. (Their recipe looks wonderful, but I wanted to adapt it. This is the charm of sewing or cooking your own things - you can change things to suit yourself.)

First I made the streusel topping. This involved sending Mr. Hunting Creek to his favorite ethnic grocery to get the Ibarra Mexican chocolate. (He also bought some shrimp ceviche and tomatoes and tortilla chips, but those aren't required for the brownies.)
Take one circle of the chocolate, and break it and then chop it into smaller pieces. I used a large knife to help this along, taking care to NOT chop my fingers. The chocolate is hard, so warming it slightly helped in the chopping - only slightly - don't melt it. Add that to the Cuisinart or mixing bowl. Chop until small - like chopped nuts.
In the food processor or bowl,add to the chopped chocolate, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar(it makes no difference whether it is light or dark) and 5 tablespoons butter.
Mix some more, until it looks crumbly. About 30 seconds or several pulses. Set aside - this goes on top of your brownies.

Then I made my brownies.

I adapted this recipe to my interpretation:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x 13" pan.
In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the sugar and make sure it is all dissolved and melted. Turn off the heat. In a bowl mix the eggs, cocoa, salt, cinnamon baking powder, almond extract and vanilla. Blend that with the melted butter and sugar. Blend in the flour. I mix all of this right in the saucepan. Scrape into the prepared 9x13" pan. Sprinkle the Streusel evenly on top. I baked mine for 30 minutes. Your oven may be hotter or cooler - check after 28 minutes. They will be cooked and not goopy. Every one likes their brownies a certain way.
These received high marks from Mr. Hunting Creek, our 20 year old son and a visiting friend. They were great served with ice cream. They were also good with my coffee this morning, renamed into Mexican Chocolate Streusel Brownie Coffee Cake. Hey, it's Valentine's Day.

Fantasyland

2011-02-02T17:05:00.003-05:00

When Mr. Hunting Creek brings in the mail, there is a giant pile of catalogs. Every day, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, J. Crew and others try to tempt me to buy their stuff. Mr. Hunting Creek says, "Hey, here's the perfect desk for your sewing room!" I look. It says: Inspired by streamlined World War II fighter planes, our desk is a shining swoop of metal, its shape mimicking the bent wing of a plane. Poised as if for take-off, it features a polished aluminum patchwork exterior accented with steel screws, built around a solid hardwood frame. Three canvas-lined shelves offer ample storage.
"It's not a real airplane wing", I tell Mr, Hunting Creek. "It's just inspired by one." Intrigued against my will, I read the rest of the catalog. As a furniture catalog it's not that exciting, but as a work of fiction it is pretty compelling. It's like a romance novel, but for furniture! Everything is inspired by French Church clock towers, or aviator jackets from WWII, or sun swept beaches at Normandy...any minute I expected Diane Lane and Richard Gere to show up and give each other meaningful glances.
Question: does this stuff sell furniture? If yes, can we expect to see this technique in other areas of retail? When I go to Safeway to get groceries, is my hot chocolate going to remind me of the heroine of Like Water For Chocolate? Will the jam have signs saying, "Inspired by English Teatime"?
We'll know the world is in the End Times when they start marketing patterns like this. Inspired by Mr Darcy's riding jacket the pattern will say. It will sell millions. You read it here first.

Inspirations

2011-02-01T15:21:00.008-05:00

I need a new purse like I need a hole in my head, but these are sure cute and totally doable.
Looking at RTW is also fun, because I see where someone could replicate and dare I say, improve some current offerings.
For example this dress from Nordstrom:

Is pretty close to this McCall's pattern:

It would be fun to see how close you could get. Just a few minor tweaks, and you can brag to your sweetie that you "saved" $118.00.
It wouldn't take too much work to make an homage to this one for summer:

With this Vogue pattern:

I think I'd use this silk from Gorgeous Fabrics for my Tory Burch homage.
Or maybe this one. Mine would be nowhere near $350, so I'd have money "saved" for some cute sandals. "Saved?", I hear you saying. "Mrs. Hunting Creek, just because you didn't buy a Tory Burch dress, but made one instead, doesn't mean you saved money."
Foolish person. You seem to be unaware of the Law of Compensatory Cashflow. as explained by Calvin Trillin in his books.
Essentially, it works like this: I briefly consider buying a Tory Burch dress. It costs $350.00. I decide to make one instead. I have therefore "saved" $350.00, and I can use money to buy the pattern, fabric and shoes, and maybe get a mani-pedi with some cash left over. See how that works? Try it yourself. It's fun! It also works for cars and vacations. I admit Mr. Hunting Creek was slow to appreciate the law of Compensatory Cashflow at first, but now he's "saving" money everywhere himself with the same rationale. You can play too! Just look at the dresses online, make one instead, and we'll all be rich with "saved" money.

If the Suit Fits...

2011-01-31T12:09:00.005-05:00

It was with great interest that I read the interview with Abby Joseph Cohen. I am always interested in women of achievement, and she sounded like an interesting person. But I was distracted from her achievements when I noticed (immediately!) that her suit didn't fit her, and that her pants were all wrinkled. If I were a partner at Goldman Sachs, I would take myself to a nice NY Designer and have some elegant understated suits made. Suits that didn't look like they were men's suits, but smaller.
I used to work in Washington, in several law firms and for lobbyists. The women in the law firms who were partners wore very conservative suits, but the women lobbyists wore dresses and jackets and suits that fit. They had a much better developed style sense. Maybe because they wanted to be noticed and listened to? Something to think about. When we wear clothes that don't fit us, it distacts those very people who we are trying to impress. It dilutes our influence, it distracts from our message. When we wear clothes that 'suit' us, that fit our bodies and project the image that we want, we feel more confident and in control
When you watch the State of the Union, it's easy to pick out some of the women members of Congress who wear bright colors and well fitting suits.
The lesson I took away was to stop dressing like a mouse if you want your voice heard. Wear a color! Stand out! And make sure your jacket fits.

Spring Projects (I hate Winter)

2011-01-27T13:46:00.008-05:00

Let's be clear about Winter. I am through with it. I am working on Spring Projects and not going outside until everything thaws. That's my goal.
I am working on the following projects:
A brooch for my jackets and hat brim, using the zipper trim packet
just for fun. I am also completing a pair of blue linen capris and planning some blue tops to go with them, because I like to make coordinates. But almost everything I have goes with everything else anyway, because I stick with the same colors.
It makes life easier.
I am thinking of buying the following pattern for spring:

Hey McCalls, Vogue, Butterick, and Simplicity, I have a question. Why aren't all of your patterns available in ABCD and DD cup sizes? Why don't you make all of the patterns available in all of the sizes? Why are some only available up to size 18, and others up to 26? As Cindy-Lou Who said, Why? If you can make size 16, you can make 18 and 20 and 22. If you can make size 8, you can do 6. I can alter my patterns to make them larger or smaller, but I am over 50 and have been sewing since I was a child. Don't you want to make sewing easier and more fun to attract younger sewists?
I think you do. So take my advice. Make every pattern available with all of the cup sizes and make every pattern available in all of the sizes.
I am only buying patterns that have them from now on, as a protest.
Sincerely, Mrs. Hunting Creek

Black Tie, Optional - BANNED

2011-01-07T15:58:00.004-05:00

Black Tie, Optional

Attention: Wedding Planners
RE: Black Tie, Optional

Dear Sir or Madam,

The category “Black Tie, Optional” is not a valid dress code for weddings, engagement parties and anniversaries. It has been BANNED by the FIT, Nobel Committee and the Cotillion Society of America.

For all events, the following Dress Codes should be used:

Formal: White Tie
White tie or evening dress, is the Big Deal Dress Code. You are going to an Inauguration, or have won the Nobel Prize. (Your Mother is So Proud) According to Wikipedia (and who would argue with Wikipedia?)"The chief components for men are the dress coat, white bow tie and waistcoat, and starched shirt, while women wear a suitable dress for the occasion, such as a ball gown."

Semi-Formal: Black Tie
The Semi-Formal code has two components: Day or evening. For day wear, men should wear a black tail-less coat with formal trousers (Think JFK at his inauguration - and he also wore a Top Hat, because it was outside) After 6pm, the men wear black tie (commonly called a Tuxedo).Ladies would wear a short dress or cocktail dress.
A long dress is evening wear, and formal (White Tie, see above).

And then there is Casual. There are all kinds of casual, which is where a great many people get in trouble. My daughter called yesterday asking for advice. "What do you wear to a wedding that says the dress code is Black Tie, Optional?"
"There's No Such Thing," I told her, firmly. "It's either Black Tie, Semi-Formal, or it is Not!"
"I think they really mean Casual, but they also want to imply, no jeans."
"If they say Black Tie, optional, their guests could wear anything" I countered. Because there is no such thing." We decided that people who put that on invitations should be given difficult in-laws as their punishment. No wait, two sets of difficult in-laws.

Casual is situational. It can be kind of dressy but not, like Business Casual, or Playboy Mansion Casual, nighties and jammies encouraged, or couples Caribbean Resort Med Casual, which is clothing optional - the most casual of all. This is why we have Dress Codes. Imagine your horror if you go to an event in your nightie (because you thought it was Pajama Optional Dress Code)and everyone else is in Evening Gowns. Remember Bridget Jones in her Playboy Bunny costume at the party and you'll get the idea. Be kind to your guests. Say Formal, Semi-Formal, or Casual. They will thank you. Really.

Roma non fu fatta in un giorno

2011-01-06T13:42:00.005-05:00

Looking at the Do It All Mom Calendar, I make the snarky comment to Mr. Hunting Creek that I can’t find the Do It All Dad Calendar. “There won’t be gender equality until there are “Do It All Dad” Calendars.” He says. “The problem with women is, you let men get away with too much.”
I protest, “But then nothing would get done!”
He smiled an enigmatic smile.

He’s right. I hate when that happens. I decide immediately that I am starting a movement.
I will call it the Do Less Parenting Movement. (I originally titled it, Do Less Mom Movement, and was corrected by both son and husband that that was sexist. Duly noted. They’re right again. I hate when that happens.)

Hey, how are you doing on your resolutions, Day 6? I thought I’d update you on a resolution I made a couple years ago, to stop buying fabric. As mentioned, I went cold turkey when accused by my otherwise charming children of exhibiting addictive behaviors regarding fabric and pattern purchasing, meaning, don’t get in between me and any Italian Silk when there is a sale. (Seriously, you might get hurt. Just sayin’)
Well, I did go cold turkey, and as of this March it will be three years since I have purchased fabric for myself. THREE YEARS. But I know that they say that it only takes one drink. I mean, Yard, to fall back into bad habits, so Mr. Hunting Creek and Ms. Hunting Creek remain ever vigilant that no new fabric enters the house until all old fabric is sorted and organized.

The forces of disorder, being the dog, son and Mr. Hunting Creek’s coffee mugs, are making it difficult to keep the outer order in the living room. Also my desk and sewing room are looking pretty rough. But I remind myself that Roma non fu fatta in un giorno, and start picking up clutter when ever I see it.

I realize that looking cute every day is a manifestation of the first mantra: Outer order contributes to inner calm! It’s all the same thing. Now to go vacuum up the dog hair.

Accessory Mystery Revealed!

2011-01-05T13:40:00.008-05:00

Lazy me. I saw muff-bags in the Complete Book of Sewing and thought, "What the heck is a muff-bag?". Several alert and energetic readers sent me links and pictures. (And my daughter commented,"What, is your Google-finger broken?")

Myra from Adventures in Baby-Sewing sent the following link, which shows a very attractive muff-bag: http://www.ioffer.com/i/vintage-crochet-pattern-pillbox-hat-muff-bag-purse-40s-182841426

Pictured at the top.

My sister found the Ugg one pictured on ebay: http://compare.ebay.com/like/360205540237?ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&rvr_id=193827408889&crlp=1_263602_304662&UA=WVI8&GUID=5057cb6712b0a0aad2775177fe50f26e&itemid=360205540237&ff4=263602_304662

And this one: http://needsupply.com/womens/brands/collina-strada/muff-bag-faux-fur.html

And I am fortunate that I did not title my post with what is a muff-bag. because it turns out to have more than one meaning. A NSFW meaning. Goodness, someone get the smelling salts for Miss Talbot. Conveniently stashed, along with streetcar fare and a compact, in your muff-bag.

Accessory Checklist 1943

2011-01-04T16:41:00.004-05:00

One of my Christmas gifts this year was The Complete Book of Sewing by Constance Talbot, copyright 1943. (My copy looks not only as if it has been through the war, but that it may have actually fought in the war. It is slightly battered but still holding together. Constance still has a lot of fight left in her.)
In order to keep my Resolution to look cute every day, I consulted with Miss Talbot for her time-tested advice.
Constance says:

January: To brighten your winter coat, wear a huge flower boutonniere of violets, or gay varicolored felt flowers. Carry a muff-bag, and repeat the flowers on the bag. Match your gloves to the flowers.

February: Remove flowers and make a new print turban and dress or blouse with scarf ends. Pull the ends through to show at the opening of your coat. Wear gloves in the predominating color of the print.

It just so happens that my sister also gave me a lovely Felt Flower brooch that I can attach to my winter coat! I'm right on schedule, accessories-wise. YES! I have no idea what a muff-bag might be, but I'm sure that my handsome black leather clutch with fur trim will suffice. It was a gift from Mr. Hunting Creek and he has exquisite taste.
I'll have to get cracking on the 21st century version of a turban. I think I'll wear a chic black hat with a brooch that coordinates with my outfit, should I venture out for my monthly culture Resolution (Go out to the movies, plays or museums,)
I do have gloves and scarves in several colors, so Constance would be proud.

How are you doing on your resolutions, my fellow Resolutionaries? Remember the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one single step towards your goal. Also, go and get that new varicolored felt brooch for your coat. Miss Talbot says so.

You Say You Want a Resolution

2011-01-03T15:54:00.004-05:00

The important thing about Resolutions or goals or whatever you want to call them is that the successful Resolutionary makes those resolutions specific and precise. None of those namby-pamby jackwagon goals like “lose weight”, or “get organized”. Those are resolutions that are bound to fail, usually by February 3rd.
Instead, the dedicated Resolutionary studies other, successful Resolutionaries, and steals, I mean, borrows their successful formulas. Why reinvent the wheel? It isn’t going to be easy, but a resolution is not a dinner party.
Good Resolutions should have clearly defined tasks and timelines. They must hold each Resolutionary accountable. It’s so satisfying to check a task off of a list. Holding that in mind, make that list of tasks so that you and your fellow Resolutionaries see clear consistent progress toward your goals, whether those goals are Invade Russia or Paint Bedroom.
So put on your berets or Fidel hats, your Che T shirts or Mao suits and let’s make our action plans.

One goal of mine is to be happier, but that goal is too vague for success. One way to make this both achievable and realistic is refine the goal and make it more specific. I need to have some idea of what would make me happy. Philosophers have been debating about what happiness is since the dawn of philosophy, but I think with a little soul searching we can make a task list for this one. Gretchen Rubin’s blog details every day what she does to achieve her happiness goals. One of her mantras is:

Outer order contributes to inner calm.

This might be my mantra numero uno for 2011.
I conferred with Comrade Hunting Creek, who is totally into task lists, checkmarks, gold stars and Resolutionary Agendas. He got out his legal pad, and started making lists. No vagueness there!
“You need to get rid of a ton of books”, he said.
I agreed. That’s doable. I’m sure it is safe to donate my college textbooks to a good cause, considering I graduated in 1980. No likelihood of a post graduate pop quiz at this point.
“Also fabric.” What! Get rid of my fabric? Did they ask Picasso to get rid of extra canvases? Did he have too much paint? I ranted. Comrade Hunting Creek waited.
“You know, you can’t possibly, ever, in three lifetimes sew all of these patterns, or use all of this fabric.”
You said that before and I bought you off with a pool table, I countered.
“I will finish setting up your sewing studio and you’ll see. It will make you happier to have a clean, organized space.” He is bribing me. I might, grudgingly, part with some fabric. (Don’t tell him I said so.)

Getting into the Resolutionary Spirit, Comrade Hunting Creek suggested the following Resolutions for Chez Hunting Creek:
(After all, it takes a gulag)

Get rid of things we don’t need.

To make this an achievable goal, we need to break this down. We decide to do the following:
Sort one room/shelf//drawer/ closet until we’re finished every week. Fill a box or more of stuff to donate. Actually donate it.
So far we’ve already gotten rid of six boxes of books, and gotten rid of one entire bookcase.
Well done, comrades!

Clean out closets and drawers of clothes that we don’t wear.
I protest faintly that ALL of my clothes are too big now, but if I get rid of everything I will be shivering naked in the snow, like our French Comrades in 1812. Comrade Hunting Creek is unsympathetic. He says, “Just buy some new clothes already!”
No problem, comrade. Consider it done.
I decide my second 2011 mantra is:

Look cute every day.

(Which I totally stole from Trena at Slapdash Sewist, but a Resolutionary has to do what it takes to make the Resolution Happen, whether it is stealing good ideas or marching in Long Marches. Whatever.) Looking nice does make me feel better. I have noticed that when I am wearing nice clothes I feel better about everything. This is a totally doable resolution. I just need to stop my bad, work at home habit of wearing whatever is clean and least wrinkled right out of the laundry basket and organize that closet. See above resolution.

Winter is such a bummer for two California kids like us, so we also resolve to do some fun stuff like go out to the movies once a month and entertain more.

Resolution number three is thus:

Go out at least twice a month, to movies or plays or museums.

Number Four:
Entertain at least once a month. Brunch, lunch or dinner. Just do it.

Now that the house is approaching that magical state of Outer Order, we can ask people over and not worry about them turning us in to Hoarders TV SWAT Team.

Lastly, we decide we need to use some of our cookbooks. Let’s make a new recipe every week, I suggested. Comrade Hunting Creek looked skeptical. Just one, I said.

So our last resolution is:

Make one new recipe every week. (Desserts do not count, said Comrade Hunting Creek.)

My sister gave me the new Sunset Cookbook, so this one will be easy to do. I already make a weekly menu plan, so I can work those new recipes into the plan.

Your Resolution List list will be different than mine, but that is the beauty of the real life, doable actionable Resolution. Fellow Resolutionaries, you have nothing to lose but your chains!

Happy 1/1/11

2011-01-01T18:51:00.006-05:00

Happy 1/1/11 - what a lucky number! We are doubly lucky to not live in 1986, when this shirt dress was the hottest thing going. Look at those shoulders! If you were a big-shouldered, slim-hipped gal, that was your era.
I'm mulling over my resolutions and goals for 2011. It's always instructive to think of both what you want to start doing as well as what you want to stop doing. I think it should be a short list, with clear cut goals and a breakdown of how to accomplish them. (I don't get paid to be a Project Manager for nothing.)
What are your goals for 2011?

Anti-White Christmas

2010-12-20T08:19:00.004-05:00

My son commented that Irving Berlin was crazy. "He's in Beverly Hills for Christmas, and he is complaining?"
"I know, I'd give serious money to be bored by the pool in Beverly Hills right now."
"And all these songs about winter being the most wonderful time of the year are just pro-winter propaganda."
Question: why does no one sing of the pleasures of being in California at Christmas? I grew up there, and believe me, it is a pleasure. It is usually warm, people can barbecue, ride bikes and walk by the beach.
It was snowing on Thursday when I was at the doctor's office. I mentioned that the snow was a shock still to a warm weather California girl like me. The doctor laughed. "This is nothing!", she said. "I'm from Chicago."
And people can stop with the weather one-upmanship too.
If I whine about the ice and freezing rain here in Virginia, I can guarantee that some wiseacre will inform me in a smug tone that they are from New Hampshire/Vermont/ Wisconsin/North Dakota/Canada/North Pole and there "We'd be walking around in shorts in weather like this."

The Little Stocking that Could

2010-12-17T09:34:00.006-05:00

I found this little pattern from 1965 in my collection of patterns from my mother's stash. (I have patterns and fabric from her, Mr. Hunting Creek's mother and Mr. Hunting Creek's aunt. It's a whole family reunion in there.) "What a cute little train!", I thought. My daughter works for Amtrak, so a train stocking was indicated, even though the back of the pattern clearly states, "For Boy's stocking..."
Why can't girls have trains on their stockings? Why do only boys get planes and trains? "Because girls were supposed to stay home and take care of babies." said Mr. Hunting Creek. Bah Humbug to that! I immediately decided to rectify this grave stocking travesty of justice and make Ms. Hunting Creek a train stocking. It's Acela blue, with stars overhead to show the train running through America under the night sky.

The wheels are shirt buttons from my button stash. The train and stars are made from felt, and the smoke from the engine is from a scrap of sequin trim. Doesn't it look cute?
After making this I visualized a whole baby quilt made with train blocks and stars, train blocks and mountains, train blocks and cities...it's amazing what a little project can do to unlock one's creativity.

Paper Dolls

2010-12-13T14:50:00.003-05:00

My sister and I used to play with paper dolls, (and Wonder Woman comic books, and Supergirl comic books and others)to fill those long hours while we waited for our parents at the airport. (They ran a charter airline, and this was back in the days when kids could play in airports, before they were turned into a modern version of the Stanford Prison Experiment. But, I digress.)
I was so excited to find these cool paper dolls! Dior, Armani, Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, and lots more. It's like a mini modern fashion lesson, in color.
Here's the description:
Along with eight paper dolls in swimsuits and underwear (two for each decade from 1960–2000), fashion historian Tom Tierney here renders 120 era-defining cutout costumes in full color. These are faithful depictions of outfits from such designers as Yves Saint-Laurent, Mary Quant, Halston, Bill Blass, Donna Karan, Bob Mackie, Laura Ashley, and 70 others
I bought one copy for myself, and a few more in case Little Hunting Creek Customers love paper dolls as much as I do. I though I'd frame some pages for my new sewing studio.
If you like modern fashion and paper dolls, find them here. But don't wait...when they're done, they're gone.

Be Warned

2010-12-07T09:33:00.003-05:00

Don't let this happen to you:
My fellow stashers, be warned. We are in the process of changing my sewing zone from one floor to another floor. This requires all fabric to be moved from one floor to another. In my innocence, I let Mr. Hunting Creek pack up all of the fabric so he could re-arrange the former sewing cave. He started saying things like: I can't believe you have this much fabric. and You'll never sew all of these patterns in three lifetimes!
He broke out in a cold sweat. He started to freak out.
So be warned! Do not expose sewing rookies to the overwhelmingness of your awesome fabric stash. They. Can't. Take. It.
He's OK now. I talked him down.
(But it cost me a Pool Table.)

With Collar

2010-12-04T10:16:00.005-05:00

With Collar - of course, with collar! And crisp linen, and white gloves and a hat. Perfect for cutting Don Draper down to size with cutting, teasing repartee. This dress is made for repartee.

Don't you love the witty seaming detail? The enchanting pocket flaps that have no pockets? (who wants pockets there, anyway?)
If this is your sixties fantasy, find it here. Hat, gloves and advertising executive not included.

Scary Patterns II

2010-12-02T13:10:00.007-05:00

Any cat I have ever known would just as soon take a cold shower with a dog than wear a silly costume. What did McCall's do to get these cats to wear these costumes?
Feed them a whole can of sardines? (Laced with Valium?)

My sister's cat Matilda, famous for stalking and killing giant lizards, snakes, gophers, and even a hummingbird (!!!) scoffs at cat costumes.
If your cat loves costumes, find it here.

Studio storage ideas

2010-12-01T08:31:00.001-05:00

Check out this pretty fabric storage solution.
My studio and office are both painted, the office is done and in use.
Now the real work begins on the studio...
Please suggest any good ideas for fabric storage, thread storage etc.,in comments.
Thanks!

Grinchy Thoughts

2010-11-29T14:54:00.003-05:00

Christmas Carols I would be happy to never, ever hear again:
(and it's only been a few days!)

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
The Little Drummer Boy
Do You Hear What I Hear?
That song about buying Mama the new shoes so she can meet Jesus tonight - the worst song ever written.

I never mind hearing O Little Town Of Bethlehem and Silent Night. Those songs always fill me with Christmas Spirit.
But if I hear Last Christmas by Wham a few more times, someone somewhere will be getting a lump of coal.
What are your favorite and least favorite holiday songs? Here is your chance to vent.

Undergoing Renovations

2010-11-27T10:12:00.004-05:00

Unbeknownst to me, Mr. Hunting Creek had planned to strip the wallpaper in the office/current sewing zone. This has entailed a great deal of domestic upheaval. During these times, when absolutely everything is messy, covered with tarps or otherwise in a different place, one reminds oneself that one is blessed to have a spouse that will strip wallpaper on a holiday weekend. That one should thank one's lucky stars that he likes to paint and decorate. I'll be so happy when it's done. I'll then be able to show pictures of my new studio.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I feel like we should be undergoing a butter-cream detox. I realized when I was making the desserts (my task this year) that I had used one entire pound of butter making three desserts. American Thanksgiving is definitely for people who are preparing for a long, butter-deprived winter.
We received rave reviews for the Crack Pie, the Pumpkin-Gingerbread Trifle and the caramel and Rum Cream Deep Dish Apple Pie(my own creation). When I found the Crack Pie recipe, these words immediately made me decide to make it: Anyone who has taken a bite of this Milk Bar best seller immediately knows the reason for the sassy name. Once you start eating this rich, salty-sweet pie with its oat cookie crust, you won't be able to stop.
That certainly pushed all of my dessert buttons. You will need a glass of milk or cup of coffee to go with it.
I had to have mine for breakfast on Friday because I was too full of Thanksgiving dinner to eat dessert. And it was very super delicious.
Of course, all this butter and sugar give us the energy we need for the holiday endurance Triathlon that is the Holiday Season.
Happy shopping!

The 22 Inch Waist Unlaced

2010-11-16T12:19:00.004-05:00

An educational slide show about the history of women's corsets. Kind of makes you really appreciate lycra spandex in whole new way.

Sewing Genius Bar

2010-11-06T12:12:00.004-04:00

The cooking newbie has it easy. There are any number of easily accessible places where one can call in and ask why the egg whites aren't whipping, or why the turkey "looks funny". King Arthur Flour has a website with a blog plus recipes and pictures to show baking newcomers every little step. There are entire cooking TV networks with stars like the hunky Eric Ripert showing where he gets his inspiration. But sewing newbies...those poor people! They have to search. There is no equivalent Butterball Party Dress Hot line for sewistas in a panic to turn to. The pattern companies have incomplete, crazy or just plain weird instructions (I'm talkin' to you, Burda.) It can be scary. Plus everybody eats, so cooking advice is everywhere, but not everyone sews, so unless you know a sewista, where do you get advice?
My phone number is on my website, and so I get lots of calls from sewistas from all over asking for sewing advice. (Of course I'm not an expert, but I have been interviewed on NPR talking about sewing, so I guess that counts.) It occurred to me that sewistas everywhere need a Sewing Genius Bar (like Apple's) where sewistas at all levels of experience can call or write in and get help. I was on the phone this very morning with Jane from Alexandria (Hi Jane!) and she was looking for advice for sewing from the Italian sewing magazines.
(The Sewing Genius Bar will have an Italian Translator on staff...and a German one, of course.)

Jane had the following questions:
1. How do I know what size to sew?
2. How is the fit compared to the U.S. Big Four pattern companies?
3. How do I sew without instructions?

Sewing Genius Bar Answers:
1. Sizes are tricky. The measurements are listed, but in my experience, the European sizes run smaller than U.S. sizes. There is less ease, and they seem to be based on a smaller boned body type. So making a muslin the first few times to determine your size is a must. I recommended tracing a simple pattern, and then laying a tried and true pattern that you know fits you on top, lining up the center fronts and shoulder seams. Compare - do you need to go up a size? or down?
Make a muslin and try it on, making note of the ease allowed. This will give you a more accurate idea of what your Italian size is.

2. How is the fit? I find that the fit runs slimmer. The sizing block used fits better in the shoulders, but uses less ease than U.S. patterns. They seem to use a C cup as the base instead of a B cup like the Big Four. Since the majority of women in the US are C cup, this works for me. You may or may not have to do a full bust adjustment. Make a muslin! Do I sound like your mother yet?

3. How do I sew without instructions? Instructions? You really don't need them. (haha just kidding! We geniuses have a wicked sense of humor.) Anyone who has attemped to sew with Burda Whatevertheirnameisnow knows that bad instructions are actually worse than no instructions. Here's what I do. With basic patterns like t shirts, blouses and tops...well, they are all made the same way. First you sew the shoulders, then you finish the neck, then you add the sleeves, and so on. Use the instructions you already have as a guide to completing your Italian masterpiece, with a sewing guide like the Vogue Sewing Book or Reader's Digest on hand for questions. Think about this: if you were designing your top, there would be no instructions then. You would have to make up your own. Visualize yourself as the designer and imagine your own next step. In some ways I prefer figuring stuff out on my own anyway. But if you've never sewn before, you need to think of yourself as an apprentice in the middle ages and find a Master to Apprentice to, until you learn the ropes. If you really are a beginner, put DOWN the Modellina right now. That's for later, missy. Baby steps.

Do you have questions for the Sewing Genius Bar? Let us know. Who knows? This could be the beginning of Something Big.

Gearing up Mrs. Santa's Workshop

2010-11-04T11:46:00.008-04:00

Every year Mrs. Hunting Creek magically transforms her workshop into Mrs. Santa's Workshop. What? You thought Santa made everything? Ha. We all know Mrs. Santa does all the real work, there with her clipboard and MBA organizational skills. Santa just drives his red Ferrari sleigh, while he scarfs down Christmas cookies. Typical. If most men were in charge of gift giving, we'd all get beer and chili for the Super Bowl. No birthday gifts, no baby showers...just football related gifts...but I digress. We are thinking about the winter Holidays. In the Northern European culture that I sprang from, holidays are mainly the responsibility of women. We bake the cookies, make the gift lists, wrap the presents, plan the parties. Whew! I'm tired already.
But these fun activities make the holidays memorable, and build happy memories. The trick to avoiding a Holiday-induced nervous breakdown is to pick what activities are important to you, and delegate the rest. Every year I make little gifts for my family and coworkers. During the year I test out little projects to find something fun I'd like to make.

These little birdies are from Spoolsewing.com
My sister sent me the link because she liked the birdies, so I made a couple for her. They only took a few minutes to make, and will be cute decorations for her tree.
They also offer free patterns for a grocery tote, and a chef's apron.
Grocery totes and chef's aprons make nice personalized gifts, and they are fun to make assembly line style. Just decree that everyone gets an apron!
I made my whole office custom totes last year (I filled them with homemade treats) so I have been thinking...what about insulated totes and casserole cozies? This is potluck season, so they would come in handy.
To try out my new Insul-fleece, I designed an oven mitt. You don't need a pattern to make one; I traced around my hand. I cut four sets - two for the outside, and two for the lining. You can use matching or contrasting fabric - you are the designer. I used a cute 60's Volkswagen van print. I used 100 percent cotton fabric. Canvas or denim would also work. No synthetics, please. I then cut out a layer of Insul-fleece and a layer of thin cotton batting. Just for fun, I quilted the layers with my Pfaff's decorative stitches. (No quilting is actually required. I was just goofing around.)

Then I trimmed the seams, added a hanging loop and inserted the lining, remembering to leave an unsewn portion at the side so I could turn the whole thing right side out. (Yes, I really forgot to do this and then had go go back and use my seam ripper.) Then I turned it right side out and VOILA! Custom made oven mitt, with heat resistant batting.

If I were to make a bunch of these for gifts, I would not do the fancy quilting, because it takes too long. But I'm working on an insulated tote for my next project.
Here's a free pattern for a casserole cozy that I might try as well.
What kind of fun gifts are you making in your holiday workshop?
All good ideas will be warmly welcomed.

New Favorite Website

2010-11-02T12:58:00.003-04:00

Want to figure out what to make with the three green onions, two carrots and the half carton of cream in your fridge? Go play with supercook.com for hours of work procrastination enjoyment. Mr. Hunting Creek and I have always imagined an Iron Chef Challenge that involved the the chefs being forced to come up with something creative with the supplies in our fridge on a Friday evening, when all of easy stuff has been used during the week.
Deal with our end of the week fridge, Iron Chef!
Now will someone invent the same thing for my fabric, so I can type in "two yards gray rayon knit" and it will show me all of the patterns I could make?

Sewing Room Makeover: Part I

2010-10-19T21:14:00.004-04:00

Working on a long term project here: turning a child's former bedroom into a sewing room/guest room. In true backwards fashion we have thumbtacks first. I saw them at my supplier's and fell in love. Button thumbtacks! Must. Have. I don't even have a cork board yet, but no matter. I could not pass them by. If you need some too, they're here. Supplies limited, no two sets alike. Made from recycled buttons in Canada.

Nightmares

2010-10-08T09:17:00.003-04:00

This is even scarier than the Pig Dolls posted previously.
Can you imagine having one of these dressed up trolls? as a bunny? As Santa?
If having one of these insidious monsters is your fondest dream, find it here. Please don't post pictures. I can already see them when I close my eyes.

Apple-Hazelnut Upside-down Cake

2010-10-04T18:38:00.008-04:00

After the first time we have to turn on the furnace, it's Fall. Time to make fall food, like chili and stews and apple desserts. Every weekend while Mr. Hunting Creek indulges in a glut of college football (Go Bears!), I like to bake a new dessert. There's something about baking that appeals to me: the ritual of getting out all of the ingredients, the preparation of the pans....it's almost like a religious rite.
If you are a tentative baker, there are a few things that you can do to improve your baking one hundredfold: measure everything out ahead of time. Get out all of your ingredients and make sure you have everything. Prepare your baking pan. Preheat your oven. It's like the checklist that pilots do before take-off. My daughter measures out all of her ingredients beforehand and she makes the best Toll House cookies.
She attributes this to her mise en place ritual. Mise en place is just French for preparation - getting everything ready to go. Professional chefs rely on it to make their cooking as fast and mistake free as possible. If you get in the habit of doing it every time, soon you will be baking like a pro too.
This weekend I had fresh picked Virginia apples and so an apple dessert was indicated.
I used Nittany apples which are an East Coast variety (if you can't tell by the name) but any good tart baking apple will work. Granny Smith, York, Greening...something tart.

Apple-Hazelnut Upside-Down Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease and lightly flour a 9x2 inch cake pan.

First we make the topping:
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Two peeled and cored apples

Pour the melted butter into the bottom of the baking pan, and tilt it so it is evenly coating the bottom. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg and then sprinkle all over the bottom of the pan. Then slice the apples and arrange all over the bottom. You can arrange in a pretty design, or just dump them in. Just make sure that they are evenly spread in the bottom on the pan. I like to make a nice design, but I'm OCD like that.

Then make the cake:

2 tablespoons hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

First, put the hazelnuts in the food processor with 1/4 cup of the flour and chop them up until they are ground up. Then add the rest of the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix a couple times. Set aside in a bowl. While you prepare the wet ingredients

1 peeled and cored apple
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons rum ( I like dark rum)
2 teaspoons vanilla

I do the whole thing in my Cuisinart. Slice up that last apple into chunks and chop it up - about 5-6 times. You should have about 1 cup. I can tell by looking because I have done this a zillion times, but if you aren't sure, take it out and measure it.
Add butter and sugar and mix a few times, until smooth - about 30-45 seconds or so.
Then add the eggs and mix those in. Add the milk and rum and extracts. Mix a couple seconds. Then add your reserved flour mixture above. Mix just until blended, about 3 or 4 times. You don't want to over mix once you add the flour. This makes your cake tough.
Pour the batter over the apples in the pan, making sure they are all covered and the batter is even. This batter is super delicious, so DO NOT taste more than once.
Bake about one hour, or an hour and ten minutes. Mine only took an hour.
Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before unmolding. I like it warm, but it is good cold too. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or creme anglaise.

Now that you have your nut-fruit upside down cake template, mix it up by substituting pecans for hazelnuts, or use walnuts, or almonds. Use pears instead of apples. Try using brown sugar instead of white sugar for the topping. Use brandy or amaretto instead of rum.
Pretty soon people will be begging you to bring "that cake you make".

This recipe is based on one in Abby Mandel's excellent book, Cuisinart Classroom, readily available for 1 penny plus shipping from Amazon. Of course I adapted it to my own quirks.

Formal Jeans

2010-09-28T09:15:00.003-04:00

Do you iron your jeans? Are the words "formal jeans" an oxymoron? Mr. Hunting Creek asked me yesterday if I ever ironed my jeans. "Jeans are work clothes, real work clothes. It may be against Rebel Law to iron them. Never!"
"Spoken like a true Berkeley Girl" , he said. "What do you think of jeans worn to movie openings and other fancy events?"
"I would wear jeans to the movies, but on the other hand, I didn't star in that movie, so there are different expectations for my dress, versus what the star should wear. I think Movie Stars should dress up."
"You may be the last person on earth to think so."
Who still pays attention to movie openings, anyway? Sometimes I wonder what all the fuss is about. Still, to me that's a professional obligation on the part of the actors, so they should dress accordingly. (Am I turning into my mother in law? That's just what she would have said!)
When we were in college we wore our jeans constantly, until they could stand up by themselves. (Mainly because we had to pay to do laundry, so we'd space laundry use out accordingly.) I prefer dark wash, and I like to fade mine naturally. I won't buy prefaded or already worn out jeans. That's cheating.
What do you think? Are jeans acceptable formal wear? Do you iron your jeans?

Mad Sewing

2010-09-27T13:56:00.002-04:00

I screamed like Sally when she heard about the Beatles tickets when I saw that Betty was sewing!

Zucchini News

2010-09-24T09:35:00.002-04:00

Dateline Montana: woman uses giant zucchini from her garden to beat off a bear that was attacking her dog. Add this to your list of zucchini uses, should you have a bear situation.
Stephen Colbert, take note, and stock up.

Last Cakes of Summer

2010-09-23T11:41:00.007-04:00

This is my Peach and Berry Cake from a couple weeks ago

This is the same cake only baked with the berries underneath, then flipped over, in classic upside down cake style. To make any cake in this style,for one layer, I melt 1/4 cup butter (half a stick) and pour into my greased and floured cake pan - this one is 9x2in - then sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar on top, then add the fruit of choice to cover the bottom of the pan. You can do this with cupcakes and make mini upside down cakes in various colors for a pretty party display.

This is the giant zucchini that my sister gave me with the blithe comment that I could make some zucchini bread...or something.
I did make chocolate zucchini bread (from Fine Cooking last month's issue) and Mr. Hunting Creek was inspired to make a Zucchini Parm variation of Chicken Parm (you see what he learns from watching the Sopranos on dvd)
That's a placemat it is sitting on to give you an idea of the size. I had to peel off the skin and remove the seeds, then I grated it on a cheese grater for the zucchini bread.
What would you do with a zucchini this size (don't say baseball bat)?

Quotable Friday

2010-09-17T12:02:00.003-04:00

How many times has someone said, "Her dress/top/jeans look like they were painted on!"
Now painted on clothes can be a reality.

"The fabric, which dries when it meets the skin, is very cold when it is sprayed on, a limitation that may frustrate hopes for spray-on trousers and other garments."

Did we even have hopes for spray on trousers?
I wonder if we can get neon metallic colors?

The Importance of Clothes

2010-09-16T13:52:00.006-04:00

"I leaned back and closed my eyes - and instantly the whole day danced before me. I wasn't merely remembering, it seemed to be trapped inside my eyelids; the City, the traffic, the shops were all there, shimmering, merging. Then my brain began to pick out the bits it wanted to think about and I realized how the day made a pattern of clothes - first our white dresses in the early morning, then the consciousness of what people were wearing in London, then Aunt Millicent's poor dead clothes, then all of the exquisite things in the shop, then our furs. And I thought of how important clothes were to women and always had been. I thought of Norman ladies in Belmotte Tower-keep, and Plantagenet ladies living in Godsend Castle, and Stuart ladies when our house was built on the ruins - and hoops and Jane Austin dresses and crinolines and bustles, and Rose longing for a little black suit."

I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith, page 84, 1948

Poor Rose! She and her sister Cassandra went to London and when they got there, they realized that they were dressed all wrong! We all know how awkward that feels. Ever show up for a party all dressed in party wear to disover that everyone else was dressed casually? Or worse, the opposite? We all hate that feeling - like saying the wrong thing. Oh wait - you are saying the wrong thing - but with your clothes.

Clothes have their own language, and we can all read it and speak it. We know someone's socio-economic status, their job, their social standing, their role in life itself by reading what they are wearing. Like any language, context is everything. Ripped jeans and shredded finery are a statement about fashion's fleeting nature, or they are worn by a homeless person making an even larger unspoken statement about the strange heartlessness of fate.
I always feel frustrated by people who say, (always with that tone of smug superiority) that they don't follow fashion. Everybody follows fashion. Whether or not you actively participate in either setting or following fashion, you have an influence every day on everyone you come in contact with. We all see your clothes and make judgements about you based on what you are wearing. Wouldn't it be in your best interests to influence those judgements in a positive way?
My grandmother used to joke when we were kids that she was going to dress us in pillowcases with a ribbon tied around us. Some people do make clothes out of pillowcases. But they are recognizably clothes. And they do speak a language.
Translate this - black boots, wool pencil skirt, cashmere sweater, pearl necklace. It says city woman, probably working in an office. Now take that same woman, but dress her in overalls. If clothes didn't matter, she'd get the same treament wherever she went. But they do matter, and she probably won't.
Now I work at home. I could wear anything. But I have noticed that I feel better and work better if I am wearing nicer clothes. I don't wear pajamas, although I have some co-workers who do; (they call them work pajamas.) If I have new clothes to wear I feel happier.(It's important to me that I look nice, even if no one sees me. I feel more in control.) I read one essay where the author worked at home in pajamas every day, but one day she was dressed to go out, and the UPS man said, "It's nice to see you finally dressed!' See? People notice what you wear.
My sister in law says that she loves new tshirts so much that she is tempted to just wear them once and then give them away. I'm not that extreme, but I won't apologize for taking an interest in sewing or fashion, because no matter what anyone says, it is important, and looking nice makes me happier. I've been going through my closet and getting rid of everything that doesn't work for me, and that made me happier too.
So when people give you humbug (as we used to say when I lived in Hawaii) about clothes or fashion, tell them they just don't get it. I give you permission to use a tone of smug superiority.

Halloween Comes Early

2010-09-15T21:15:00.002-04:00

There are few words that would express my horror at being gifted with these dolls. Would they move in the dark? Would they sneak up with meat cleavers? Oh the cruel irony! Even Chuckie would be afraid of these.

All is Vanity

2010-09-10T08:29:00.003-04:00

Imagine my surprise when I learned that men's wear manufacturers practiced vanity sizing! I had always labored under the (mistaken) belief that men's sizing was the last bastion of truth, and that a 36 waist meant a 36 waist, that Large was always Large no matter where one bought it, but au contraire!
Esquire Magazine has a very enlightening and amusing expose on men's vanity sizing.
It looks like Old Navy and Dockers are the worst offenders, I mean, flatterers. Last night my son and I were talking about sizes, and he said pretty soon, someone will introduce negative number sizes and then it will be a race to even lower numbers. You heard it here first.

Possible solutions to vanity sizing:
Color codes instead of numbers
No size at all, you would have to try everything on
Metric numbering
Sizes in Chinese dialects (since they make the clothes there anyway)

What solutions can you think of for the vanity sizing crisis?

Cautionary Tale

2010-08-26T09:43:00.004-04:00

Be careful when making pencil skirts not to make them too tight, or your head will correspondingly expand.
Penciled notes on the envelope read: Dec 1960, White fur-Carol. E-skirt 6/89- material left from folding seat covers.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not feeling the folding seat cover fabric idea.
Pattern found here, if you have a better idea.

Dreaded Sewing Chores

2010-08-23T15:35:00.004-04:00

There are certain sewing chores that we all avoid if we can. Some people avoid buttonholes, others hate gathering. I myself hate to fill bobbins. It just seems like such a waste of time when I'd really rather be sewing. They always run out of thread right when I am in the middle of sewing, happily cruising along in a state of flow. Then the Pfaff little bobbin low light comes on and the machine nags at me and stops everything. I swear, Mrs. Pfaff here is like sewing with a mother-in-law. A German dominatrix mother-in-law. When I do everything right, she purrs along nicely, but let that bobbin run low, or leave the needle in the too low position and WHAM, I'm in trouble.
I have a pair of blue linen pants to finish- except for the bobbin thread I could finish today. But that means that I have to set up the bobbin winder and wind it. Not exactly like chopping wood or working on the chain gang, but I resent having to do it. I want to be finished! I don't want to stop everything to fulfill Mrs. Pfaff's unreasonable thread demands!
It's funny. I don't mind ironing, or gathering or any other dreaded sewing task. I don't even mind cutting things out. (I like to see how little fabric I can use, so that's always a fun challenge.) But I hate winding bobbins.
What sewing chores do you avoid?

More Summer, please

2010-08-21T16:56:00.005-04:00

We went to our local produce stand and bought more tomatoes, more peaches, more squash, more plums...summer is all about MORE, isn't it? (As winter is about doing more with less.)
I plan to make a tomato pie, a sub sandwich pizza (Mr Hunting Creek invented it this morning) and another peach cake. This peach cake is a little simpler than the fancy one I invented a few days ago, and smaller. But it is moist and delicious, and best of all, super easy to make.

Summer Peach Cake
(Adapted from Fine Cooking a few years ago, with dare I say, a few improvements)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 teaspoon rum, or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or add all three - sometimes I do)
2/3 cup plain yogurt (I have used sour cream or flavored yogurt when I was out of plain yogurt - it all works. Buttermilk works too)

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x2 inch deep round cake pan.
Mix the flour with baking powder salt and soda and set aside. Beat butter with sugar until fluffy, then add eggs, vanilla and yogurt until smooth. Add flour, mix til smooth. Pour into cake pan, and top with a ripe cut up peach or nectarine, or some plums, or some peaches and raspberries, or blueberries. I like a combination. Sprinkle with sugar.
Doesn't that look beautiful? Bake about 40-45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

What are your favorite summer treats?

Quotable Friday

2010-08-20T10:41:00.003-04:00

In the "you have got to be kidding me" category:

For Lyz Olko, a designer of the punk-chic label Obesity and Speed, the layered floral/tough girl Elaine look is nostalgic. “My entire wardrobe consists of floral, denim and black leather,” she said. Recently Ms. Olko, a self-proclaimed pack rat, retrieved many of her ’90s dresses from storage to wear again. (“I was also into floral print rompers,” she noted, “but I’ve retired them.”) On a recent thrifting excursion, she emptied an entire rack of floral dresses into her cart.

“I went into Screaming Mimi’s the other day,” she said of the venerable vintage shop in NoLIta, “and it was all dresses you would see in Arizona.”

NY Times August 18

Sometimes I think that the New York Times zeitgeist-trackers need to get out more, and see some new people. And what exactly do they mean by, "all the dresses you would see in Arizona." Obscure Morman polygamist cult wear? Laura Ashley floral leg o'mutton sleeved atrocities? Annie Oakley costumes? Discuss.

New (Old)Technique: Pin weaving

2010-08-19T14:30:00.007-04:00

In my newest addition to the website's Indygo Junction Patterns, this new one caught my eye. The Mosaic Purse uses pin weaving to create an unusual texture and design. I immediately thought, "I could do that! and also started to think of all of uses besides a purse it could be used for, like a pretty pocket or an insert on a hem or a cuff or collar. So I started my ritual of gathering all of the fabrics that I think might make a pretty combination. Since my favorite color is turquoise, I have a bunch of batiks in that color family that would work.
The pattern gives instructions on how to accomplish this, and I linked above to the Threads article on pin weaving. I was reminded of the potholders we used to weave for my mom on those little potholder looms. Do you remember those? We used bags of loops in various colors and made all sorts of designs. My mom must have had hundreds of those, because they were really fun to make. The pin weaving looks like it will be like that, except I make my own loom. We'll see. Famous last words...how hard can it be? (She says, hopefully...)

Consider the Peach

2010-08-17T18:24:00.005-04:00

Smell a white peach and you will remember that peaches are cousins to roses. They smell like the most heavenly sweet perfume. Some perfume company should make a white peach perfume. When I'm not standing over the sink sucking down white peaches like a demented peach vampire, I try to think of peach desserts to make.
Something besides peach pie, and peach crisp, because I like to get creative.
I invented:

White Peach, Raspberry and White Chocolate Cake
(I'd show you a picture but there is none left)

3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt(if using salted butter, only use 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened (I use a Cuisinart, so I never soften the butter)
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but really nice with peaches)
1/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt)
2 cups cut up peaches
1/2 cup raspberries (or use blueberries, or more peaches)
1/2 bag white chocolate chips, optional but highly recommended ( 6 ounces?)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan or angel food pan,(12 cup capacity, 10 inch size) I use the spray that has oil and flour mixed. The person who invented that should get the Nobel Prize for Baking.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together, set aside. I mix mine in the Cuisinart then place in a bowl while I combine the rest of the cake.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using a mixer or processor. Mix in the eggs, vanilla and almond extract. A splash of Amaretto wouldn't be out of line either - maybe a tablespoon? You won't be sorry. Add sifted flour and buttermilk or yogurt. Then fold in the fruit and white chocolate chips. This is thick and very delicious,If you're the kind of person who loves cake batter, watch out, because it is wonderful, and you'll make yourself sick.
Scoop into baking pan. Smooth it out, (stop licking the spatula!)
bake about 55-60 minutes. Cool for about 15 minutes in the pan before removing - hot cakes are more likely to break - ask me how I know.
Glaze or not as you like - we are a no glaze family, but for guests we'd probably add a vanilla-almond glaze, or maybe raspberry.

Hurry and make this, because after summer is over, you won't see white peaches again until next July.

Bad Memories Circa 1980's

2010-08-04T10:15:00.003-04:00

Sometimes we see a vintage pattern and think, "I want that! How beautiful!" This is not one of those patterns.
Did women really wear floral printed jumpsuits?
I have no memory of doing so, but time may have drawn a merciful veil over my youthful excesses. What vintage style do you remember with horror? Tie-dyed jeans? Ripped sweats? Leg warmers?

Mini thoughts

2010-07-29T12:20:00.003-04:00

My sister (who is taller than I am , and could wear minis with style if she wanted to) had the following comment:

"B-- and a lot of men at the lake seemed very interested in buying CDs from the young lady with the band at the Country Hoe Down that was selling the band's CDs. She had a little mini denim skirt on just below her butt with white boots. She was blonde, very fit with very tan legs.

None of the men mentioned that she looked undignified or child like, hee hee. They stood in line to get that band's CDs very patiently!

I thought it was funny. When one of the women asked if I would wear such a thing I said, H**** YES, if my legs looked like that AND I was her age.

It was very amusing.

However, if you are a normal woman, short skirts ride up when you sit and everything hangs out."

We are fortunate to live in in a place and time where we can wear what we want. I'd be the last person to tell a woman what to wear - I was voted Most Liberated in high school, after all. When I started high school girls weren't allowed to wear pants to school. (Part of our argument was that skirts of the 70's showed more legs than pants, and thus pants were actually more modest than the skirts in style at the time. Which was entirely true. We won.) But we can't rest on our laurels. It seems like every generation ends up having to fight for the freedom to dress as they please.
Other cultures and countries are still trying to control what people wear - for morality's sake (always their excuse). The Clothes Police even want to dictate women's underwear! France has outlawed full veils and Britain looks like it will follow.
In the interest of Free Speech (and what is more of an expression than what you wear?) I stand firmly on the side of being able to wear or not wear whatever we please. So it turns out, after some thought, that I am technically in favor of the right to wear mini-skirts.

Mini Skirts - yes or no?

2010-07-28T16:20:00.004-04:00

The pattern above would be cute made today at the above-the-knee length shown at right. But I would have never worn the mini length - my mother would never have let me out of the house!

I don't like clothes that require the wearer to be careful. That's one reason out of many why I don't like short skirts. I don't like fussing with my clothes, or watching how I sit or stand or lean over. I think skirts that are too short are sexist and make women appear childlike and undignified. I think that the super short skirts offered by stores like Anthropologie and Forever 21 are silly. But hey- that's my opinion. What do you think? Are short-short skirts a tool of male oppression (which sadly deluded women unthinkingly buy) or are they cute?

Quotable Friday

2010-07-23T07:41:00.003-04:00

“Mostly I decided to try writing because I didn’t have to be young and beautiful and thin to do it,”
Jennifer Salt, screenwriter for Eat,Pray,Love

"No one wants to see curvy women. You've got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly."
Karl Lagerfeld

"Instead of trying to downplay your curves, find a designer or style that glorifies them. There are designers who simply don't design for people with shape and there are those — like L'Wren Scott or Roland Mouret — who do exactly that. Once you find what looks best on you, stick with it."
Christina Hendricks

I would rather have lunch with Christina Hendricks than Karl Lagerfeld (that old mean lizard! Is he even human?).

My favorite part of Eat, Pray, Love was when she was trying on jeans in Italy and nothing fit because she had been eating gelato all day, every day, and she kept having to ask for bigger jeans! She had been so sad and fragile when she arrived, and as part of her recovery, had finally begun to learn to feed her soul.
The contrast of thin and fragile versus plump and happier was not lost on me.

What do you think of the war between curvy and thin? Who's right, Lagerfeld or Hendricks?

Something's Missing

2010-07-21T18:19:00.005-04:00

A friend commented on my last post and she said the reason we like vintage patterns so much was that they were "grown-up clothes". Nowadays, she said, the clothes are all for kids. "They never show what the clothes look like on someone over 16." she complained. "or a person of color, or a handicapped person." I agreed. It's as if anyone old or handicapped or ethnic doesn't exist in fashion retail world. "Don't they want my money?" she complained.
A co-worker asked me how I shop for clothes now that I can't walk that far. I shop online or I sew my clothes, I told her. Going to the mall is just too hard for me.
"They don't make it easy to spend money." she said.
This made me start thinking, why is it so difficult to find clothes for grown-ups? And why does retail ignore older women, larger women, ethnic women, handicapped women...basically all women who don't fit their very narrow demographic? Something is wrong if almost all of my coworkers, in all ages and size ranges, feel left out by retail fashion. They have money to buy clothes, but they can't find anything that fits. Or they can fit into the clothes, but the clothes are inappropriate for adults.
"You're lucky you can sew", my neighbor said. Believe me, I know it.
I feel like Carrie Bradshaw by ending my essay by asking, "Where does a woman find grown-up clothes today?"

Just in Time

2010-07-19T16:33:00.005-04:00

Just in time for Season 4 of Mad Men:Simplicity 4036. Admire the short fitted jacket with raglan sleeves and the understated tie neck. That dress neckline was made for an elegant brooch. Nothing was ever placed in those welt pockets on her hips. Nothing - a lady never has anything in her pockets, my mother always said, (So get your hands out of there!) I can see Trudy or Joan wearing this.

The back suggests, among other choices:...brocade, shantung, faille, silk alpaca, peau de soie, satin, wools, crepe, tweeds...
Just imagine wearing this out to lunch or dinner in an elegant restaurant. Men would rise when you walked in. (They don't do that when you're wearing jeans.)
They race to open doors and hail cabs for you. (They don't do that when you're wearing jeans!) The only things in that purse (which smells of Shalimar inside, faintly) is a lipstick (red!), a powder compact, a comb and cab fare.

Girls just want to have fun

2010-07-16T12:59:00.000-04:00

My sister emailed me after my post below to ask:

"What makes underwear "fun?" The pattern? Little duckies on them?"

A question great minds have been asking since Ancient Egypt (That's what those hieroglyphs mean!)

Quotable Friday

2010-07-16T08:31:00.002-04:00

In which we share our favorite quotes:

Françoise Sagan wrote: “A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off you.”
The New York Times advises: Buy some fun, new underwear.

I'm always in favor of new undergarments. Can't go wrong there. But I wonder what dress would meet Mme Sagan's strict guidelines?

Being Wrong

2010-07-14T18:00:00.003-04:00

It is pretty universal across the human race that most of us just hate to be wrong. It embarrasses us, makes us uncomfortable, makes us avoid situations where wrongness might occur. My BFF from high school and I both confessed that we had majored in certain majors in college to avoid the more difficult kinds of math. (Hello, Ancient History! Taking Classical Greek and Latin was nothing compared to my dislike of Calculus.) When I was a kid my dad would yell at us older kids because our younger brother would cry when we beat him at cards and board games, screaming, "Let him win for once, damn it!" (my younger brother turned out to be a perfectly nice person in spite of this, or maybe because of it. Who can say for sure?) We just hated to lose. We didn't like to be wrong at anything, and even now my sister cannot bear typos in letters or memos, and both my children are demon proofreaders and grammarians. (These things run in families.)
All this week I have been reading Kathryn Schulz's Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error, and sometimes stopping and reading the best parts to Mr. Hunting Creek (who after having been married for thirty years knows all about wrongness.)
Do you reload the dishwasher after someone else has loaded it? Do you reset the table, turning the knives the right direction and refolding napkins?
Don't you just hate it when someone corrects you? (Even though correcting others is a breech of etiquette and they very seldom appreciate it.)
The paradox of wrongness is that only by being prepared to be wrong and taking risks do we learn new things. Part of the fun of travel is being wrong in a new place. You don't know the customs or the language and the possibility of wrongness is ever-present. of course, that's what makes it fun, too. The tension of wrongness. I am always interested in the topic of wrongness because my work involves helping people who have made mistakes or encountered errors in software or programming and I have to diagnose their errors. And I have had a very personal experience with wrongness in the medical profession, as I was misdiagnosed for two and a half years before it was determined that I had multiple sclerosis. I was told that I was depressed, or had an ulcer, or cancer, or was imagining my symptoms. So yes, wrongness is a topic that I have experienced firsthand.
As a creative person, I have to be willing to take risks and try new things in order to create. We have all experienced the frustration when a project is not coming out the way we visualized it. Some of my fellow sewistas call their failures "wadders", and they mentally (or literally) wad them up and toss them. Not everything we make comes out perfectly. Sometimes everything goes right but we just don't love what we've made. It's a crapshoot. (Oh, but when everything goes right, we are so happy!)
We don't learn new skills if we stay in our comfort zone, so in order to grow as an artist, one has to be wrong a little bit, make mistakes, and flail around creatively, until one can be right. How very zen, yes? You have to choose wrongness to achieve rightness in the end.
Kathryn Schultz has been interviewing 'experts' on Wrongness on Slate this past month, and I have found the the conversations very enlightening. (I especially enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's remarks.)
After reading the book I resolved to not rearrange the dishes after Mr. Hunting Creek loads the dishwasher. (At least, not when he's watching.) And I'm trying not to always sound like I know something about certain topics, when any rational person could guess that I know less than nothing about making goat cheese, weaving baskets and training horses in dressage (all topics I have recently discussed with friends.)
It's an entertaining book. I was right to read it. And I love being right.

A summer wind, a cotton dress

2010-07-07T11:43:00.006-04:00

Doesn't this dress just make you want to put on your gloves, spray on some ozone-depleting Aqua net and rush to the Junior League Tea to Fund Raise for some lady-like cause?

Here's the pattern back, for all of you Vintage Detail junkies.

This is a dress that wants to made out of some pretty cotton, with flowers. The kind of dress Richard Shindell was remembering.
If you want to be part of a Don Draper flashback, find it here.