Maybe The Third Time's The Charm/Londa's Terrific 'T'

I have never had such a difficult time with trying to give something away! 

A few weeks ago, I announced the giveaway for Londa Rohlfing's Terrific 'T' pattern. So many left their name to enter. I announced the winner...and no response. I drew a second name...no response. So this morning, I drew a third name, and the winner is...

Congratulations Ginger!!!

Please email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com with your mailing info so I can pass it along to Londa.

I will be back a little later today with some great opportunities that you are not going to want to miss out on. Can't wait to share the news!!!

Have a wonderful day :)

Rhonda

Sunday Night Reflections

Sunday Brunch/Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Roasted Strawberries

If you like pancakes...and strawberries, 

YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS RECIPE!!!

In last week's post, I told you about Kevin of A Garden For The House and a lovely Carrot-Ginger-Orange Soup recipe that he had posted on his website. I found his website because I was looking for some info on how to save my amaryllis bulbs and hopefully have them bloom again next year. Fingers crossed anyway :)

As I looked around, I absolutely loved Kevin's blog, great information and lots of inspiration, so I decided to jump on and follow his posts, and I am SO happy that I did. Now, the soup I shared last week was lovely, but his recipe for Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Roasted Strawberries is to die for!!!

The pancakes are a cross between a pancake and a crepe, heavier than a crepe, but still quite light. Roasting the strawberries allows them to retain their shape, and the liquid that is expressed turns into a lovely syrup. 

The recipe call for a pound of fresh strawberries, I used a pound and a half , but did not increase the sugar. They were perfectly sweet.

The strawberries are roasted in a very hot oven, 450 degrees for 20 minutes. I lined my pan with foil for less of a clean-up. 

For the pancakes, I used fat-free cottage cheese. While my berries were roasting, I made the pancakes and both were finished at the same time.

The pancakes cook quickly and have the loveliest color. 

There is no need for butter or any type of  syrup. The berries are all you'll need, so all in all quite light, but extremely satisfying.

The pancakes are not at all sweet. They would be great for an evening supper with a mushroom sauce, or, if you like, a chicken and mushroom sauce. Even creamed spinach would make a lovely topping.

You can find a printable recipe for the roasted strawberries HERE, and a printable recipe for the pancakes HERE.

A word of warning...
I thought I would have leftovers for another breakfast or snack...my husband finished them off!!! He left the table with a "PLEASE make these again!"  

Enjoy!
Rhonda 

Sewbussted's Material Witness Episode 3/Pant Fitting and Custom Sewing

We're far more connected than most of us will ever know.  

Just a little over a month ago, I introduced you to Tomasa of Sew Much Fashion and her incredibly well fitted pair of pants. As it turns out, she had taken a class with Karen Bengtson, today's guest on Sewbussted's Material Witness. 

After I did the post on Tomasa, a number of you contacted Karen and begged for a class, of which I had no idea. Amazing!!! Karen then contacted Joyce Simons Murphy, the master mind and creator of the most ingenious pant fitting system I have ever experienced. This prompted Joyce to contact me. I then contacted Karen and asked if she would like to be featured on my new video series. She replied with an ecstatic, "YES!!!" 

In the video, you'll see that my eyes are extremely swollen, a residual effect of the sinus infection that landed me in emergency care. Each day is better :) Please forgive my appearance.

I've purposely designed the videos so that you can watch if you like, or just put it on, listen and enjoy!



If you've always dreamed of a pair of great fitting pants, Karen will be hosting a workshop some time in June. You may contact her at karenssewunique@gmail.com

I am currently taking Joyce Simons Murphy's Building The Custom Pants Block class. Karen did the fitting on my pants block and in 1 fitting, I had a perfect fitting pair of pants. I have never been so amazed. 

I hope you enjoyed the video and that you are leaving inspired.
Rhonda 

A New Terrific 'T' Winner and The Easy-Check Winner

I am so sorry to say that Kelly, the winner of Londa's Terrific 'T' Pattern never claimed her prize :( 

But...one person's loss is another's gain. I pulled a new name and the winner of the pattern is...

Book Woman!!!! Congratulations. Please email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com so I can pass the info on to Londa and she can then get your pattern out to you.

Next on our giveaway agenda is the fabulous new tape measure, Easy-Check.

And the winner is...

Lucy Wynne!!! Congratulations Lucy. Again, please email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com with your mailing info so I can get your new tape measure in the mail.

If you would like to give the new Easy-Check tape measure a try, you can find them HERE in Helen Haughey's Esty shop. It's a tool that is well worth adding to your sewing toolbox.   

I'm so excited as yesterday, I did 2 interviews for the Sewbussted's Material Witness series. The next episode will be posted this upcoming Friday, so stay tuned!

I'm taking a bit of a physical and mental health day today. You'll see in the videos that the sinus infection and lack of sleep really did a number on me. My eyes are so swollen. I didn't realize how swollen until I saw the videos. So a little rest is most definitely on the agenda.

Have a wonderful day!
Rhonda  

Monday Morning Inspiration/Flower Power Fashion

Jill of The Denver Sewing Collective recently shared a link to a very interesting website, Moomooi. Now it's no secret that I love flowers, so...this was right up my alley :) 

Moomooi is the work of Meredith Wing. Her training and background is in fashion design as well as architecture. In 2014, her #SomeFlowerGirls illustrations rapidly gained a huge following and now her client list is mind boggling. She combines illustration with flowers, vegetables, and other found objects. I've included a few of my favorites below. You can see more HERE. 

Check out this video that showcases accessories featuring her delightful designs. I think she needs to start designing a fabric line!!!



Just goes to show...

“Love what you do and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.”

Ray Bradbury

Sunday Night Reflections

Sunday's Soup/Carrot-Ginger-Orange Soup

I have always loved flowers. I enjoy growing flowers, drawing flowers, as well as picking them and making arrangements...a bit of a flower child :)

Every year for Christmas, my nephew sends me an amaryllis plant. It arrives in a box just waiting to see the light of day. I immediately pull it out, give it a good watering, and wait for the magic to happen. This year's plant arrived quite close to Christmas, so the growth didn't really begin until about the middle of January. The blooms have been absolutely spectacular! At this point, it's a little past its peak, but still gorgeous. One bud has yet to open, so I should, fingers crossed, still have some blooms to enjoy into March.

On a trip to the grocery store a few weeks back, they had the loveliest hyacinths blooming in water. Not only were the blooms beautiful, the bulbs were a deep purple, a little like a purple onion. I thought that although they were forced to bloom, there might be a chance to save them. I would also like to save my amaryllis, so off to Google!

My search lead me to the loveliest website, Keven Lee Jacobs Delicious Living. The author is an award winning food, gardening, and lifestyle guru who lives in New York's Hudson Valley. As it turns out, since the hyacinths were forced in water, the bulbs are shot :(, but the good news is that my amaryllis can be saved, and he gives very detailed instructions on how to save the bulbs so that they'll bloom again next year. I'm so happy!!!   

While I was on Kevin's website, I just happened to stumble upon a picture that caught my attention. In a mug was a very vivid orange colored soup. The soup has some interesting ingredients. Along with the carrots, there's the zest and juice of a large orange and a good tablespoon of grated ginger. 

Once the carrots are tender, the soup is pureed, and then the orange zest, juice and ginger are added.

If you would like, 1/4 cup of cream is added at the very end. I thought it looked awfully pretty as it swirled into the carrot mixture.

Kevin serves the soup with a dollop of creme fraiche. I substituted a dollop of Greek yogurt. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

A fabulous soup for lunch, or a light dinner. 

You can find a printable recipe HERE. This is one you will want to keep.

If you would like to take a look at Kevin's instructional video, I've added it below.



By all means, take a little time to look around on his website. Great info, inspiration, recipes, and beautiful pictures.

Have fun!

A Thrifty Thursday Repeat/Raglan Sleeved Top

Almost 2 years ago to the day, I made up this raglan sleeved t-shirt for a Thrifty Thursday post. Wow, I can't believe that it was 2 years ago!!! 

The pattern is from On The Cutting Room Floor. It's a rather boxy top that includes a hip band.

You got a glimpse of the top in my last Sewbussted's Material Witness video. A number of you sent notes asking to see more...
So here it is,

If my memory serves me well, I believe that I added 2" to the bottom of the top to compensate for leaving off the bottom band.

As for the pattern placement, this was a fussy cute situation. The pattern was placed on the fabric to get just the right design. It's not perfect, but close enough ;) 

I recently wore the top to dinner at a friend's home. Two other couples had been invited whom I'd never met. When the hostess asked if I had made the top(she knows I sew), I said yes, and the other 2 women were shocked! Always a great compliment :) 

If you would like to give the pattern a try, you can find the FREE DOWNLOAD HERE. 

A few things to take note of:
*Be sure that the guide box is the correct size after printing.
*It is a boxy fit, so in order to get a fitted look, you will need to taper the side seams.

This is a fun pattern for mixing fabrics and a great way to use up a few scraps that are just too large to part with. 

There are a number of other free patterns on the website, so be sure to look around. 

Terrific Thursday With A Terrific 'T' Pattern Giveaway!

Happy Thursday Everyone!!! It's always a wonderful day when I get to give something away :)

What a great response there was to Londa Rohlfing's Terrific 'T' pattern giveaway! I had said that I would reveal my t-shirts today, but I am going to wait until next Tuesday. Later today I'm going to post a top that I did a while back for a Thrifty Thursday post. So many have asked to see it on me. You got a glimpse of it in the last Sewbussted's Material Witness video. Sorry to make you wait on my Terrific 'Ts', but I think the wait will be worth it :)

The winner of Londa's Terrific 'T' Pattern is.....

Kelly!!!!

Congratulations Kelly!

For those of you who don't know Kelly, you can find her at WeSewRetro as a contributing blogger. 

Be sure to email me at sewbussted@yahoo.com with your mailing info so I can pass it on to Londa.

For those of you who didn't win, you can find the Terrific 'T' pattern HERE. Londa also offers a PDF version which you can find HERE. I highly recommend spending the few extra dollars and waiting a few days for the printed version. A much better value. Remember that the pattern offers a darted and un-darted version of the t-shirt. A great feature. 

One little word of warning for those of you who have never made your own t-shirts...it's addicting!!!! Not a bad addiction though ;)  

A Better Mousetrap/And a Chance To Win!

We're always looking for a better mousetrap :) Well, maybe not a better mousetrap(I hope you don't have mice), but a better way of doing just about anything in our lives.

My grandmother had a very simple kitchen, an enamel sink that stood on legs, a huge stove that had a compartment for storing pots, a cabinet that my grandfather built that was basically just a very large Hoosier cabinet, a tiny little refrigerator, a small enamel top table...and that was it! But...just the thought of the food that came out of that kitchen still makes my mouth water. Her utensils were simple. Eggs were always whipped with a fork, until my cousin gave her a little whisk for Christmas. She absolutely loved it, and she was amazed by how easy it was to whip her eggs!!! Something that most all of us take for granted today. 

Well, I have a better mousetrap to share with you today! 

For so many who sew, the perpetual cry is difficulty in fitting. As we all know, fitting a pattern begins with great and accurate measurements. 

My friend Helen Haughey called a few weeks ago and told me that she is now carrying in her Etsy shop a tape measure that she thinks is fabulous. She wanted to send one to me so I could see what I think. I was a little skeptical at first, but, out of the package and it's the only tape measure that I want to use for taking body measurements!

The tape measure is called Easy-Check, and it's made in Germany. What makes it special is the snap and glider system. Just snap it around the body where you would like to take a measurement and then adjust the glider. Once unsnapped, the glider stays in place and gives you an extremely accurate measurement. No more trying to hold your finger at just the exact right spot, and then wondering if your finger slipped.

The tape measure also makes a great guide for marking the waistline. Just snap it around the waist and then adjust the glider. It will stay in place and then any measurement can be accurately taken.

Since I don't want to give mine away ;), Helen was very gracious to offer a free Easy-Check Tape Measure to a lucky winner!!!

If you would like to win an Easy-Check of your very own, just leave a message on this post. You'll have until midnight Monday, February 20th to leave a message. I'll announce the winner next Tuesday, February 21st. 

But...if you can't wait, you can always pop over to Helen's Etsy shop and pick one up for yourself. I think it's a great addition to your sewing tools. It really is a better mousetrap :)

Good Luck!   

Monday Morning Inspiration/Oscar de la Renta Resort 2017

Last week, I told you about a book that I was reading, Gary, The Most American of All American Cities. I found the book to be extremely interesting, and enlightening. Rather than watch the Grammy Awards last night, I finished my book. How are you when you finish a book that you have thoroughly enjoyed? Maybe you're like me, I close the book, hold it for a moment, turn it over and re-read the back cover, hold it in my hands for a few moments longer as I ponder what I've just read, and then rather sadly say goodbye. Isn't it wonderful though when you read something that really touches you? Now the search is on for the next great read :)


I've been sharing quite a bit of lace inspiration recently. The Haute Couture Club of Chicago will have a lace challenge at our next meeting. What usually takes place is our speaker will have about 45 minutes to give their presentation. Then we move into the challenge. Everyone who participates will have made something that they feel fits the criteria of the challenge. They put on their garment and then explain what they have done. It's always a lot of fun to see what everyone has made. So I am hoping that with all the inspiration that I've found, we'll have some knock out pieces for our fashion show which will be Sunday, May 7, 2017.

When I was looking for a fashion show of the Valentino 2017 Resort Collection last week, I stumbled upon the Oscar de la Renta Resort Collection. It's a beauty! This collection also showcases a number of lace pieces that I thought were especially lovely.

The collection mixes tweeds with lace and little sweaters. Love the peek-a-boo lace near the hem.

Lace godets add an airy touch to a tweed dress.

Love this little flapper inspired lace cocktail dress. Perfect combination of 2 laces and feathers.

This dress has applied lace on the tulle. The back of the bodice is lace.

Lace insets in the jacket.

Crochet is also a form of lace.

Love the combination of the stretch lace tee with the pieced skirt. 

I left the last 2 images in their larger size so you could really see the application of the lace. So pretty.

If you would like to see more still pictures from the collection, you can find them HERE at Vogue.com. 

There are many other pieces that are especially pretty, and there's nothing better than actually seeing the clothes move, so I've included the fashion show below. It's not too long :) 



Hope you enjoyed the show!
Have a great week!!!
Rhonda

Sunday Night Reflections

Making A Terrific Tee and A Giveaway!!!

About a week ago, I received a lovely package from Londa of Londa's Creative Threads, a thank you gift for featuring her on The Wednesday Showcase. So nice, and so unexpected. 

Like so many of you, I love a good t-shirt. A great fitting pair of jeans, a comfortable t-shirt, my completely worn out pair of pink cowboy boots, and I'm a happy girl. You should see these boots. Unless you look closely, they look worn, but not so bad(at least that's what I tell myself). But on closer inspection, 1 layer of the sole has worn through, and there are cracks in the leather. My husband even remarked that he's surprised that I haven't gotten rid of them. But for anyone who knows and understands a good old pair of boots, there's nothing more comfortable, and even more than that, they actually take on the persona of a good close friend. How can one throw away a friend? ;) 

Included in Londa's lovely gift was a pattern for her Terrific 'T'. 

As you can see, there are a number of mix and match options for sleeve lengths and necklines. The instructions are in booklet form, something I really like, no big pages to deal with, or shuffling around of pages. It comes with a tissue pattern, so no printing or taping of a PDF pattern, and even better, there's an option for a darted tee and an un-darted tee. 

If you've ever sewn with Londa, you may already know that she has a very unique feature to her patterns, and that's a link to the talking pattern. There you can see large color photos and Londa walks you through the process of making the garment. It's like having her right by your side! 

Over the next week, I will be making up a few of the tees. One can never have too many! 

In the meantime, if you would like a chance to win a Terrific 'T' pattern of your own, just leave a message on this post. You'll have until midnight Wednesday, February 15, 2017 to leave a message. I'll announce the winner on Thursday, February 16, 2017. 

So, you'll have the chance to make your own Terrific 'T'. The only thing that will be missing is a worn out pair of cowboy boots. I'm not giving those away!!! 

Good Luck!

The Wednesday Showcase

Happy Wednesday! 
Looks like the ground hog was right, winter continues on, and snow is on its way. I look at it this way, it's good for my roses. Always a silver lining :)

My husband and I had an early date last night and went to see the movie Hidden Figures. Wonderful movie...do see it.

I'm reading a book that most would overlook, but I am finding it to be absolutely fascinating. The title is, Gary, The Most American of All American Cities. You may not know, but U.S. Steel purchased the land that is now known as Gary, Indiana in the beginning of the 20th century in order to increase their size and production. The city was built to house workers, a company town of sorts. The book not only tells the story of Gary, but explains the connection with Chicago, and the ultimate decline of the city. It reads a little like a good novel. 

I have a brand new, and when I say brand new, I mean that she has only been blogging since December 2016. So super brand new!!! Meet Maddie of Maddie Made This. 

Not only does she love to sew, she finished her master degree in Library and Science in the fall of 2016. And if that wasn't enough, she's  currently working on a Master of Arts in Public History which she'll complete in May. WHEW!!! 

She recently jumped on the Toaster Sweater band wagon and made this super cute top. She said that she hates matching, but the window pane pattern was a nice compromise. You can read her thoughts on the pattern HERE. 

She recently gave the free Orla Dress pattern a try, and LOVED it! You can read her review HERE.  

Maddie thought that when she began sewing that she would concentrate on items that she couldn't get to fit in ready to wear, but she succumbed to the call of bra making. 

I think you are going to absolutely love Maddie, so by all means, pop over to her blog and say HI!

The Wednesday Showcase is usually reserved for bloggers who are following my blog, but this morning I received a note from G of lin3arossa. I showcased her blog a looooong time ago ;) She's always great about finding interesting people and she thought I should check out Ellen of Ellen Sewing and in particular this amazing puzzle dress that she made.

You can read all about how she did it HERE. Ellen lives in Norway and has a HUGE passion for sewing and really enjoys sharing her makes with like minded creatives. So, please do pop over and say hello and compliment her lovely creation. 

Isn't it great that we can travel all over the world with just 1 simple click, and meet some of the most amazing people?!!!

Have a wonderful day!
Rhonda