Something Sweet On A Special Day

Whether you are a mother or not, a little something sweet, I think, is most appropriate on this day :) It may not be healthy in the traditional sense of healthy, but something sweet, something special, can nourish the soul and that's important too!  

As I've shared before, I really enjoy the blog Dust Jacket Attic. Although I think she has changed the name to just Dust Jacket, but regardless, she finds some of the most beautiful pictures and the posts are always inspiring.

This past week, she posted a picture of a piece of Tres Leches Cake for her Weekend Edit post. One look and I had to make the cake, and since it's Mother's Day, I thought it might be a nice surprise for my mother too!   

This recipe has quite the chain. I saw it on Dust Jacket. She found it on AverieCooks, and I think she originally found the original version on The Pioneer Woman. AverieCooks adapted the recipe. I have not tried the Pioneer Woman's recipe, but I think I like AverieCook's version a little better. I took the recipe one step further and added 1/4 cup of rum to the milk mixture. YUMMMMM!!! Really gave it a special touch. My cake is below. Look closely and you can see the milk mixture oozing out from the bottom of the cake. This is a super moist cake.

Just a few pointers if you decide to make the cake...and BTW, you should :) Unless you can't tolerate milk products or have other health issues.

Be sure to get a nice peak on your egg whites. 

Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter. You want to retain the volume, but yet have the two mixed well.

Once the egg whites have been combined with the batter, you will have a batter that has a spongy consistency and it will also be super light. 

Wire whisk the milk mixture together and if you like, add the rum at this point.  

Once the cake has baked, slowly pour the milk mixture over the cake and give it time to absorb the liquid along the way. 

Be sure to allow the cake to cool for at least a few hours before covering the cake. It's best to let the cake sit overnight in the refrigerator before adding the whipped cream frosting.

Just in case you missed it, you can find the recipe I used HERE.

However you are spending this day, I hope you are able to add a little something that makes you smile.

Happy Mother's Day!
Rhonda

Downloading The Frenzy Blouse Pattern From Papavero

I have heard from many of you who would like to download the Frenzy Blouse from Papavero, but are having a difficult time, so I thought that I would try and do a little walk through and help you out.

Begin by going to THIS page.

In the top right hand corner of the page, which you see below, you will see where you can either create an account or log in to an existing account. All along the way you will need to translate the page unless you can read Polish.  

Once you have created an account, it will take you to a new account page. Go back to the Frenzy Blouse page. Scroll down and you will see, highlighted in red, a link to the size chart. The size chart is in centimeters, so for us Americans who are a little metric challenged, you will need to convert the metric measurements to inches. 

The page that contains the size chart is pictured below.

Below is the size chart. Note that the sizes are across the top of the chart in red.

Once you have determined your size, go back to the Frenzy Blouse page and scroll down until you see the green boxes that you see below. The number on the right side of 174 is the size of the pattern in that file. Simply click on the green box for the size that you would like and the pattern will download.

The first page of the downloaded pattern is pictured below.

One last note on the pattern. I took my file to a print shop as I wanted to be sure and print out the pattern on the correct paper size. The pages are a little bigger than our regular paper size of 8.5x11 here in America. So the copy shop printed the pattern out on a legal sized piece of paper. Worked out perfectly.  

If you have any other questions, please ask and I will do my best to help. The download is a little confusing initially, but once you've figured it out, it will all make sense. Hopefully my little walk through will also help.

Good Luck!
Rhonda

Thrifty Thursday/You Must Make This Blouse!!!

I'm always on the outlook for new designers who are offering a free pattern to promote their work. The blouse below popped up on my Pinterest page. I thought it was cute, saved it with the thought that I might get to it, and then a Facebook friend sent a link and said that she thought I might like this. It's the Frenzy Blouse from Papavero. So I thought, okay, the sewing gods have spoken, I should give it a try :) 

And I'm so happy that I did! Such a cute blouse and so pretty on as well. 

Just to give you an idea of what is really going on at the neckline. There are 3 pleats on either side of center front that radiate diagonally out. 

The tab is sewn on under the pleats. The tab pattern is not included. I cut a strip 3" wide and stitched it together with a 1/4" seam allowance. I obviously cut my tab much longer than it needed to be. Once the tab is made, simply center it with the center front of the blouse and then fold back the pleats. Remember, they are pleats and not darts, so no stitching them down.  

The instructions call for a center back zipper. I hate having zippers in my blouses if they are not absolutely necessary. The neckline looked large enough to get my head through, so I basted the top together before actually sewing. Slipped it on without a problem, so no zipper!

The neckline is finished with a bias strip. This is not included in the pattern, but easy enough to cut on your own. Once the neckline is finished, wrap the tab to the back and hand stitch in place.

As you can see, the blouse would make a lovely dress as well, just lengthen the pattern.

Downloading the pattern is a bit of a challenge as the instructions are in Polish. Thank goodness for Google translate. There are separate files for each size, so be sure to check the measurements to determine the size you will need. 

The download is a bit of a challenge, but well worth it. As I said, I am so very happy with the blouse. Fits beautifully and it was very easy to make. I will be making more!

Enjoy!

Rhonda

The Wednesday Showcase

Before my grandmother died, she wanted to get her will in order and asked if I would like to have her sewing machine. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting under her treadle sewing machine and pushing on the foot pad. It would go, and go, and go, and I would laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Obviously, it didn't take much to entertain me ;) It now sits in a guest bedroom. At the moment it is unusable as it needs a new belt. But I think I have found just the person to inspire me to get it running again....meet Lyric of Sew Lyrically Vintage. Lyric is on quite a journey. She's making her clothes and using primarily this antique hand crank Singer sewing machine. Amazing!!!

Now hold on to your seats as you are going to be blown away with what she creates, like this sweet vintage inspired dress.

She has made a number of Sewaholic Minoru jackets. The one below has a quilted lining and she even made a matching bag! 

Here are the others. Love the fun linings.

Lyric helped a friend learn to sew. She had planned to make the caddy as a gift to celebrate her endeavor and then realized that she could make her own and it would make a great sewing lesson. This would make a great gift...or sewing lesson for anyone who sews or is learning to sew. You can find the instructions for the caddy HERE.

Be sure to check out Lyric's blog. Just a warning, she may have you looking at the non-electrical sewing machine ancestors with a wistful eye!!! 

Next up is gMarie of gMarie Sews. Her name is a combination of her first and middle names. She said that her husband even had her name engraved on champagne flutes. I think he is smitten ;)  

If you have not met gMarie, I think you are going to love getting to know her. She has such a beautiful spirit and she is so very creative. Not only does she sew, she also loves to knit.

This is a girl after my own heart as she loves to make and wear dresses.

Since I am in the process(very long process I might add)of cleaning up my sewing studio, I just had to show you gMarie's lovely space. Talk about magazine ready!

As I scrolled through her blog, look who I found!!! Why is Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic! Sewing friends are the best and we do tend to get around :) 

If you aren't able to get out to Seattle to meet gMarie in person, then pop over to her blog and say hello!

Before I go, just a few quick things to share. I talked to a friend of mine a few days ago, a catch up call as we have not talked in a while. Before we said goodbye, she said, "oh, I have to tell you!!! I LOVE the Barb pant pattern." She was so happy with the fit. If you haven't downloaded the pattern, be sure and do so as I don't know how long it will continue to be available for free.  

And finally, I received a message from Angela of My Little Sewing Dreams. She made up  a number of the little owls from THIS post and loved them. She said that they are a great way to use up scraps and make a fun little unexpected gift too!

  

Isn't it wonderful that we can share and enrich each other's lives? :)

Happy Wednesday!

Rhonda

The Magic Bias Dress From Fashion In Harmony/Construction Tips

Just a quick note to let you all know that the new post is up for the Magic Bias Dress on the Sew News blog, and you can find it HERE. In the header it says that this week is about color blocking. We actually talked about color blocking in last week's post. This weeks' post is about assembling the body of the dress. And, I give you a few of my tips for working with bias. Hope it helps.

I have now made 3 dresses, so I thought that I would do a blouse. I've shared before that I can have the attention span of a gnat, so I'm always thinking of something new to try. I decided to try something a little different and see how it turned out.
As you can see below, I folded up the extended end of the pattern and basically squared off the bottom of the pattern.

What I ended up with is some what of a tunic. The back is of course quite short where the "v" comes up, but I have another idea that I think will add a little interest and make this a super cute top to wear with tights. So stayed tuned. 

I had hoped to get a few pictures of me in this skirt today, but my day is getting away from me. I'm planning a little fashion show Friday post, so I'll get a picture of me in the skirt then.

The skirt is the Chinese Lantern Skirt also from Fashion In Harmony. After making the Magic Bias Dress, I was really intrigued with the skirt, and I was not disappointed. It is SO easy to make and it is such a cute skirt. I slipped it on the first time and I now want more! This is a a skirt that you could literally live in all summer. I didn't have the right drawstring, so what you see will not stay. I just had to stick something in so I could get the true effect of the skirt. The skirt is basically 2 circles, but there's a little trick that makes it drape the way it does.

The hem is simply finished with a piece of bias tape. The fabric is a very light weight double faced gauze. When I walk in the skirt, you get just the slightest glimpse of the orange. 

The back of the skirt. Take note of the hem. The asymmetrical aspect of the hem is what cases the skirt to drape so beautifully. 

You can find the skirt HERE on the Fashion In Harmony website.

For those of you who are making the Magic Bias Dress, I hope you are having fun with your creations. If you do make the dress, remember, I have a link up running on THIS POST, so be sure to post your pictures as I would love to see what you've done!

Happy Sewing!

Rhonda

Sunday Night Reflections

If you spend your time judging people,

You have no time to love them.

                                                                                                        Mother Teresa

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Eating For Your Future/Stuffed Bell Peppers

About eight years ago, my husband and I were invited to a destination wedding in Ireland. The wedding was lovely and magical, just as a wedding should be. And yes, they are still married :) 

After the wedding we decided to continue our stay in Ireland and do a bit of touring. Saw lots of castles, the beautiful seashore, and of course the rolling green hills. Finding a vegetarian meal could be a bit difficult, but I managed. One night, we ate at a restaurant that served stuffed bell peppers. They were vegetarian, and really delicious! So I decided to come home and work on the recipe until I had something I really liked.

I begin by sauteing onions and celery. I then add minced garlic, a shredded carrot, chopped kale, and chick peas. 
 

I then add brown rice and a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. The mixture simmers while the peppers boil in water for a few minutes.

Just before I stuff the peppers, I add crumbled feta cheese and mix well.

I then pack the peppers and do my best to match the lids ;)

And then, probably horror of horrors to some of you, I fill the hole of the lid with ketchup. I really like the ketchup! Of course, you could omit it all together, or use tomato sauce if your prefer.

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 green bell peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion diced

1 large stalk celery diced

1 large clove of garlic minced

1 large carrot shredded

1 packed cup chopped kale

1 15 oz. can chick peas drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, heat the oil in a large pan. 

Add onion and celery and cook until tender. 

Add garlic, shredded carrot, chick peas, and chopped kale. Continue to cook until kale has withered.

Add cooked brown rice, tomatoes, and dried oregano. Stir well and allow the mixture to simmer while preparing the peppers.

Once water has come to a boil, add the peppers to the boiling water. Be sure to remove all seeds and stem. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the water and drain.

Before stuffing the peppers with the vegetable mixture, add crumbled feta cheese and mix well.

Stuff peppers and place the de-stemmed top on pepper. If you would like, fill the hole with ketchup.

Place peppers in a backing dish, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven, serve and enjoy!

If you would like a vegan form of this recipe, just omit the feta cheese.
This is a great dish to make if you are having vegetarian friends over for dinner. They will be so happy! For your non-vegetarian friends, you can always serve your meat of choice on the side and then everyone is happy :)
Enjoy!
Rhonda