Sewing Projects In July

 

I finished the pouch that I started in May. I had to stitch the back and front to the middle. And then apply the binding over all the seams.

I used some recycled hardware that I salvaged from some old bib overalls. This pouch will be for my daughter's birthday.

This is a dress that I made 12 years ago that need a repair this month.

I snagged it on a nail. It made me real mad when it happened. Why do dresses and skirts have to trail away from your body and catch on things that you pass by?

The repair is kind of unsightly, but at least I can still wear it.

Only one more sewing project to tell you about. This dress is a size 10 but my 4 year old daughter wouldn't wait to wear it. I made the shoulders shorter, took in the sides a little and put two darts in the neck on the back to keep the straps from sliding off her shoulders. I can always take my work out so this dress can grow with her. I wonder how many years she can keep wearing it?

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Ice Cream Cake Tips

I made an Ice Cream Cake on Monday. I followed this recipe from my sister's blog: My Beautiful Bubble Ice Cream Cake Recipe. 

I have a few tips and ideas to add.

#1. Definitely start by making the fudge sauce. (I prefer to use Chocolate Gravy instead of the fudge sauce in my sister's recipe.)  It takes a long time to cool adequately. So, make it first and get it cooling down in a water bath as soon as possible.

#2. This is a dish saving tip. Once the fudge sauce is finished cooking scrape it from the pan into a glass measuring cup with a spatula and then use the pan to melt the butter you will need for the crust. You don't have to wash the pan between using it for fudge and using it to melt butter and you will only have one pan to wash instead of two. The glass measuring cup was already out from measuring the milk for the chocolate gravy recipe. I still didn't have to dirty a new dish.

#3. Save money by using off brand sandwich cookies. These off brand sandwich cookies don't taste as good as Oreos but in an ice cream cake I don't think you can tell the difference. 

#4. Also, I couldn't find a whole package of the chocolate flavor sandwich cookies so I bought two packages of the assorted varieties and cobbled together a whole package's worth of chocolate sandwich cookies.

#5. Save back a cup of cookie crumbs to decorate the top of your cake. These packages of cookies were larger than a package of Oreos so I had plenty of extra crumbs.

#6. Here is another dish saving tip. Mix the cookie crumbs and melted butter together right in the cake pan. You don't need a mixing bowl to do that step.

#7. Try adding extra flavors. I add dollops of peanut butter.

#8. If you want a less homogeneous cake use a spoon to put the ice cream in the cake as little chunks instead of a solid slab of ice cream. When you pour over the fudge sauce it can work it's way into the crevices.

And that concludes my tips. I hope you get to try this cake. It is a favorite in our family. 

My Garden Of Crooked Soldiers

This past Saturday I scrounged around and cut a bunch of sticks to use for my tomato stakes. 

Yesterday, I finished the job of tying my tomato plants to the stakes.

They look like a garden of crooked soldiers. It is my style to have things turn out with a little whimsy and character as opposed to uniform and perfect.

I couldn't bring myself to buy uniform stakes when I have hundreds of sticks in this giant pile and around the yard.

I like the way they turned out. We will see if they hold up. 

What Good Is Sun If I Can't Run?

I love this poem that I recently discovered in the most unexpected place. A local museum had a free admission day as a promotional event. We took advantage of this free day. In the art gallery was a sitting area with a few toys and books provided for children. I spent some time there with my toddler. He liked the wooden toy train. I picked up a picture book and paged through it. Turns out that it was a book of poems by Gwendolyn Brooks. I had never heard of her before. I read a few poems. This one struck a cord with me. I relate so strongly with the girl: Paulette, I assume. I love to run. I love to climb trees. I feel societal pressure to give up these activities around self respecting adults. Mostly, I conform but there are times when I break into a run and I don't care who's watching. "What Good is sun if I can't run?"

 Paulette

By Gwendolyn Brooks

What good is sun 
If I can't run?

"You're eight, and ready 
To be a lady."

That is what my Mama says. 
She is right again, I guess.

But there! I saw a squirrel fly 
Where it is secret, green, and high 

And there! Those ants are bustling brown,
And I require to chase them down!

What good is sun 
If I can't run?

Ever since reading this poem it has stuck with me and I recite it to myself. Actually, just the first half because I haven't committed to memory the whole thing yet. 

This poem inspired me the paint a picture. My children love to climb trees. One day I took a picture of my little girl in a tree in order to be the subject for my painting. Yesterday, I pulled my watercolors out and did this picture.

Don't forget to have fun. This is a reminder to have some simple joys like you did as a child. Stay young at heart!

June Sewing Report

 I was supposed to be showing you a completed sling bag. This is as far as I got on that sling bag. It is coming right along, but I had to put this project on hold because one of my sisters is going to have a special birthday and I wanted to give her a special present, worthy of such an occasion.

I made plans for her birthday present last September and cut out all the pieces for a dress, using this pattern. I love this pattern. I love this style of dress and the instructions. This makes the 5th dress that I have made using this pattern.

Something I did differently this time was to cut my own bias strips and make homemade bias tape. I decided to use a contrasting print to give the inside of the dress a pretty little secret.

I added a snap at the top corner and in few places where the bust tends to pull.

Another fancy thing that I did was finish all the seams with my homemade bias tape. You can see them in this picture of the dress turned inside out 

I used some tiny hand stitches.

I tried the dress on just to show it modeled on my blog here.

I had to diet for two weeks to fit into the dress well. That is called blogging dedication. 

I have yet to sew the buttons on. You can tell, if you zoom in. I have to make a trip to town to buy some.

I think this dress is going to look amazing on my sister. I already know that this cut looks good on her because I used this pattern to make her a dress years ago. I can't wait to give it to her!

The last project that I did this month was to repair a dress that I had made 13 or 14 years ago for my sister who was 12 or 13 at the time. I made a major mistake when I sewed all the seams with machine embroidery thread. All the seams in positions of stress split. It was kind of embarrassing. I am finally getting around to repairing this dress. 

I re-sewed many of the seams that I could get to: sleeves, side bodice left and right, waist, skirt panels.

I have another sister that is turning 13 this year. I am hoping that she can wear this and enjoy it.

And that sums up this post: two dresses for two sisters.

I hope you're getting to do things that you enjoy this summer!