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2015 Sewing Design / Inspiration Challenge on Short Stories of Shapely Seams
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Frabjous Couture Skirt Draft Along
http://www.coutureschmiede.com/2014/03/ssda-6-why-common-patternmaking-methods.html
Frabjous Couture Skirt Draft Along
Great Convertible Outfits for Summer
Here is a list of outfits that allow options for women who have to try on several outfits every morning but who for whatever reason don't have space for that many outfits maybe because we are out of town. As I find more, I will add more to this list. Whenever possible, I will link to the tutorial as well.
Weekend Designer Convertible Dressing
ModelistA 1001 Dress
I Can Make That Limitless Dress
Goddess Dress
Infinity Dress with Bandeau Top from Sew Like My Mom
Infinity Jumpsuit
OMG! Reversible Infinity Dress
Three Seam Caftan from Simple Simon and Co. (Not exactly convertible, but cute and easy and a perennial fave!)
This Multidress Tutorial
This tube thing that you can wear a million ways wth tthe help of rubber bands: http://hipknoties.com/pages/what-is-hipknoties
And when it is chilly, a Ruana Shawl is a nice convertible cape. One in black and one in brown with coordinating scarves will have you sharp!
And when it is chilly, a Ruana Shawl is a nice convertible cape. One in black and one in brown with coordinating scarves will have you sharp!
Update: another great infinity dress tutorial http://seecatecreate.com/the-infinity-wrap-dress-this-will-blow-your-mind/
I like this thing too: http://mmodelista.blogspot.com/2014/06/o-que-e-wrap.html?spref=fb&m=1
Limitless Dress Tutorial
I am really into reducing my closet because one day I am going to travel. So this is another one:
And here is a link to the tutorial for the limitless dress over at I Can Make That blog!
Cranberry Cleanser
A great looking smoothie. Now to find some cranberries! Looks like it has gobs of sugar though so watch out for that!
Sloper Muslin Week 4: Creating Blocks
This week we will be adding various amount of ease to our perfectly fitted slopers! We have a fitted block, now you can decide how much ease you like in your garments, and add the ease.
Now, you will redraft your pieces using ease for various fits. You have a perfect fitted sloper, now make semi-fitted, loose, jacket, and whatever fits that your heart desires!
Sloper Muslin Week 1: Gather Materials and Add Seam Allowance
As mentioned in an earlier post, be sure to have your wearing ease added into your flat pattern for your sloper. At this point, you will be adding seam allowances so that you can sew together your muslin.
It is really quite self explanatory, but below are a few tutorials on adding seam allowance. There is also a link to a double tracing wheel which can be quite handy when adding seem allowances.
What you will need:
- Muslin or another inexpensive woven (nonstretch) fabric
- Sewing machine or hand needle
- Fabric marker, pencil, or chalk (two of your choice) or as an alternative to these, you may want to use a tracing wheel and tracing paper ,
- Masking tape
- Pins
- Rubber Bands
I actually would read through these next few sets of links before you purchase anything.
Now on to adding seam allowance!
With a gauge: http://youtu.be/HL06dvr7CPI
With a double training wheel: http://youtu.be/Y4IPN9Otf68
Decide which way you would like to do it and purchase accordingly.
Now on to adding seam allowance!
With a gauge: http://youtu.be/HL06dvr7CPI
With a double training wheel: http://youtu.be/Y4IPN9Otf68
Decide which way you would like to do it and purchase accordingly.
Sloper Muslin Week 2: Sewing Sloper Muslins
Now you have your pattern made. This week we will be cutting and sewing.
If you chose to use the two pencils to add seam allowance, you may want to mark the allowance on your sewing machine with rubber bands, tape, or magnets that are designed for this purpose.
Trace a pattern onto fabric: http://youtu.be/_-0Id47fMqU
Tutorial on sewing straight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWk9kqaXz1w
Tutorial on sewing darts: http://youtu.be/TsFZSm2FnZc
How to assemble pants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_403WEtMeoo
Inside Allie's World: Mad About Gok
Inside Allie's World: Mad About Gok: By now if you've read my blog, you know that I'm a huge advocate of shapewear to give you an optimal fit in your clothing. But...
I think I love her outfit!!
Making Bread (No Knead Challah)
So, there is this braid bread that some girls I grew up with used to make during the holidays. When I got grown, one of the girls lived not to far from me in Atlanta and would have me over for holiday celebrations. Now, growing up, we called this braid bread: as young adults, one of her friends dubbed it sex bread, saying that it was better than sex. Now, we were supposed to do a recipe swap where I got this recipe, but we fell out right after I took my turn on the swap.
So I have tasked myself with finding this recipe. It is a slightly sweet bread with an egg wash on top. I remember the girls did not have a stand mixer and did a lot of kneading. (I don't knead!) So I found a recipe for daisy bread on pinterest, and I also found a no knead challah bread. Both are very easy recipes that I think should do the trick. (The recipes are linked below.) I used the no-knead challah bread version and put it in a loaf pan. (I really wanted to use it for French toast, but it is so good!)
Here is the recipe I used: http://www.averiecooks.com/2013/06/no-knead-make-ahead-dinner-rolls-with-honey-butter.html
Since I was making loaves, I baked them for 24 minutes. Mmmmmmmmm!
Getting Ready for New Years Resolutions
Now, if you actually read my blog, you may notice that I make resolutions and plans all times of year: New Years resolutions, birthday resolutions, Monday resolutions, tomorrow resolutions, soon-as-I-get-*insert necessary object here* resolutions! and on and on... So why not now, when most people are doing them.
I am constantly trying to learn to live a more healthy lifestyle. I really want to be more healthy because I want to be here for my son and be able to play with him! That is important to me! I can now, but it think that the only reason I don't have health and mobility problems is because I am still fairly young.
So, if the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, I will be doing a few things in 2014 that I have never done before.
I will begin by noting certain things that have caused my past learning experiences (or what others would cause failures). The second thing I will do is plan how to address each of these issues. The third thing is to accept, and expect, help from my mom. (I know this sounds horrible, but you would have to know the relationship and how she treats me for being fat.) Fourth, I will be journaling so that I can recognize various traps and see my successes.
I like routine and predictability, but I have a tendency to be very feeling and passion oriented. Furthermore, I indulge myself based on these feelings. In plain language, I baby myself, engage in emotional eating, am easily distracted, and can seem quite lazy. To address this, I need to add an element of fun and challenge to my healthy lifestyle.
I don't really care to cook. This is mostly because I hate cleaning the kitchen and have thousands of other things on my mind I would rather be doing with my limited time. (Remember, I can be quite passionate about things and this leads to distraction.) To address this, I need to buy paper plates!! This will be a tremendous help. I will also clean as I cook and find quick recipes. I can also prepare bulk batches and eat leftovers. (I have absolutely no problem with leftovers.)
Bulk batches present an additional problem for me. I have problems with portion control, especially when eating something I like. I can address this by portioning the food out as I put away the leftovers. I will need gobs of ziplock bags.
I have to figure out what my son will eat. He doesn't like my cooking. My mom has him hooked on the heavily processed, sugary and salty foods. I want him to eat better too. (This adds to my cooking frustrations!) He has a tendency to like fried foods and oven fried does the trick. I may have to just cook him separate food. I don't mind. I know a lot of people don't do it, but we grew up with separate food because we ate leftovers. My grandmother would cook lots of food on Sunday, and variety doesn't do the Sunday meal justice. But then we are what we wanted on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, until it ran out. I may have to do us both up with some left overs and just warm them up!
It is hard to exercise with my son awake, but he never sleeps! Omg! He is insomnia! My mother told me she wants me to lose weight and has been telling me this since I was about eight years old. She has volunteered to keep my son while I go walk on the treadmill in the apartment gym. Not only will I be taking her up on this offer, I will also be holding her to this promise. I know that on Mondays and Wednesdays she had something to do. On these days, I will be working out before my son gets up! I will be participating in YouTube Fitness!
I am very tired from working out and don't want to do anything on those days. This is a problem because I tend to indulge these feelings of fatigue. I really. Don't do well with being tired! I get cranky and lazy. Add this to a child who never sleeps and living in tight quarters, and you have a recipe for disaster. The good thing is that I am generally more chill when I am working out regularly. The time out daily for working out may also relieve stress. I also will be journaling to help me get out some frustrations. I will also make sure to get proper rest. I know folk say 8 hours, but my body does best with about 10. I will also be aiming to drastically cut back on refined sugars, simple starches, and caffeine which affect sleeping patterns and mood. (For me this also means, absolutely no chocolate!! I love the taste but it takes me out emotionally and keeps me up at night.) Finally, the tv will be going off at night, and I am considering switching to incandescent light bulbs in the bedroom.
I am horrible at keeping journals, but I need to. I also need to reflect on it at the end of the day! It should include feelings, activities, sleep patterns, and food! I want a notebook at a pen! I will keep it with me, write everything, and read it before bed. It doesn't need to be fancy or well written, just "wrote down." I think to help this, I will be making a template or whatnot to follow in my journal. Maybe some stamps would be helpful, like those stamp markers. Oh, let's be for real. I am going to lose those!
Finally, my hair!! Solution: corn rows under a wig.
RECAP
Add fun and challenge to workouts
Find recipes I like: some simple with less clean up and some culinary masterpieces, lots of oven fried for the mini me
Paper plates and bowls
Cook big meals and put leftovers away in portion controlled ziplock bags
Get sleep in
Turn off tv at night
Incandescent light bulbs in the bedroom
Journal about feelings, activities, sleep patterns, and food. (Add these to a template.) Reflect at night and notice patterns. Maybe every now and again, I should go back and highlight certain things to notice more thematic patterns
Cut back on sugar drastically. I think I will be avoiding refined sugar for at least January. I may not be able to do it completely, but I will be looking to avoid it as much as possible. This means cooking more at home.
I will also be using the glycemic index to make better starch choices.
Remember at Christmastime and at Other Times
I came across this poem on social media this morning. It is written in the rhythm of one of my favorite Biblical passages: 1 Corinthians 13, a poem about love (or charity depending on your Bible). Keep this in mind as you make your preparations.
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust... But giving the gift of love will endure.
(I am NOT the author).
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust... But giving the gift of love will endure.
(I am NOT the author).
Buttonholes, Zippers, and Linings! Oh, my!
So today, I sewed my son's vest together. It is working up to be quite cute. I followed the Professor Pincushion tutorial, but it was just so difficult closing the vest. It is a nightmare sewing such a small garment. I thought to just finish the vest up by hand instead of trying to use the machine, but against my better judgement, I used the machine. It turned out ok though. I also used my 4 step buttonhole stitches on my machine. I don't understand how exactly the foot works, but the buttonholes turned out pretty nicely as well. (Although, I did put them on the wrong side. I get so confused. Smh!)
I also sewed my skirt together. I put on a waistband and installed a zipper! My first zipper! It is not perfect, but it will hold my skirt up. I think I will be adding a hook and eye at the top though. It needs something. (I wonder if I can take it off an old bra.)
All that I have left to do is sew the buttons on the baby's vest and hem my skirt. Because parts of a circle skirt are on the bias, the skirt has to settle or fall or whatever it does. In short, it needs to hang for about a week before it cut it even and hem it. So it is hanging.
I plan to add the buttons on the vest tomorrow. I also plan to put the hook and eye in tomorrow. Next week I will cut and hem the skirt. I think I will look into making a tulle petticoat and just wear a slip under it so it doesn't cut my stockings up.
25 Foods You Can Regrow from Kitchen Scraps (with links to how to do it)
FRUIT
HERBS AND SEASONINGS
MORE INFO:
maternity sewing tutorial roundup from luvinthemommmyhood
Here is a collection of posts all about sewing for that pregnant belly!
Maternity Sewing Tutorial Roundup 2012!!!!!
Maternity Sewing Tutorials Roundup 2011
maternity sewing tutorial rounduphttp://sewlikemymom.com/diy-maternity-clothes/
Can't Believe It's Oven Fried Chicken
When I was a child, my grandmother cooked chicken so many ways and she taught me all of them, but today we are making fried chicken. The first way I learned to make chicken was in a pressure cooker. It was simple-- put the chicken in the basket, lower the basket, turn the knob, and wait for the bell to ding. Perfectly crispy and juicy chicken every time.
The second way I learned to fry chicken was to deep fry it on the stove. (I think the pressure cooker broke because I never saw it again.) Here is a tip: Watch the bubbles. When you first put the chicken in, the bubbles are really large. As the chicken cooks, the bubbles get smaller. That helps you tell which pieces are done. It think it has something to do with the amount of water coming out of the chicken.
Finally, I learned to oven fry chicken. I have been oven frying chicken since I was about 13 years old. It is my preferred method of cooking chicken because I love fried chicken but I HATE (can't emphasize that enough) cleaning up grease. I hate cleaning the splatters! I hate cleaning the pot! I hate trying to find newspaper so I can throw the grease away! I hate the guilt of dumping it down the drain! I HATE CLEANING UP AFTER FRYING!!!
So anywho, I have several recipes for wing sauces on this blog. I put them here to save until I can try them out. Since I missed the chance to join my friend in going out for wings the last few weeks, I decided that there was no better time to try one out. But again, I don't like frying; and besides, I am supposed to be trying to lose weight. Fried chicken is not a part of my lifestyle change.
So today, I oven fried some chicken. Here is the way I got it perfectly crispy and golden brown.
I will be back with the seasoning mix I used. My mother mixed it up in much the same way as my grandmother did. I know it is salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and paprika. I just don't know how much of each. I do know it is about half seasoning salt. The paprika makes the chicken that perfect golden brown you see in the picture!
I thawed the chicken in a bit of salt water.
Then I sprinkled the mixed seasonings generously over the chicken. And I do mean generously! Leave no chicken not red!!
Then I poured olive oil over the seasoned chicken, coating it lightly.
Then I breaded the chicken in the following:
5 T. flour
3 T. panko bread crumbs
2 T. Parmesan cheese
Here is a tip for breading: Put the breading ingredients in a bag and shake to mix them. Then, put the chicken in the mixed breading in the bag. My grandmother used to bread her chicken in doubled grocery bags. Works great and is very economical!
I put the chicken in a greased pan and sprayed the top of the chicken with cooking spray.
I baked the chicken for 35 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Now we all know ovens vary so you may need to adjust the cook time, but this should get you started.
Here are pictures. I served them with garlic green beans.
J
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