Soft, gorgeous and just the right shade of blue!
Friday, December 27, 2013
Patons Silk Bamboo in "Sapphire"
Just had to post the (other) reason I may not be online for a while:
Monday, December 23, 2013
Last Christmas...
I don't believe I have ever moved so much! In some way, I have moved four times this year and am quite through with moving, unless I magically obtain a house...in some legal way, like a raffle or a benefactor, neither of which I have encountered recently. Sadly.
This year alone I have moved down from a third story without an elevator, across town, then up to the second story - with elevator - on the north side of a building, followed by moving to the south side where it is warm and bright. The final move was out of storage though thankfully not across town.
<== This is storage items in the living room.
The main vice in all this, as it has always been, is the shear number and weight of books, notebooks and magazines I have accrued over the years, primarily through large library sales, some discount coupons and two college degrees. It also does not help that I have a variety of interests, spotty internet and lived the majority of my life before the digital book. ...But the point is that it has taken at least a week to get nearly everything sorted and properly placed, and yet still not have enough room. Or rather, not enough shelving.
<== Living room mostly done.
Thus, it might be next year before I get back to this blog and my various projects. Stay tuned.
 |
| BEFORE |
This year alone I have moved down from a third story without an elevator, across town, then up to the second story - with elevator - on the north side of a building, followed by moving to the south side where it is warm and bright. The final move was out of storage though thankfully not across town.
<== This is storage items in the living room.
 |
| AFTER |
<== Living room mostly done.
Thus, it might be next year before I get back to this blog and my various projects. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Two for the Price of One
Considering that the recipes I have been working on are not original, this should be more of a recipe review. Anywho...
Fleischmann's Sour Cream Rolls
Everything you would want in a fluffy roll in the shape of a muffin: light, airy, gorgeous, moist, easy-to-make BUT a bit dry to the uninitiated. I have been eating two of these for breakfast (after warming them up by nuking them for 20 secs; where nuking here refers to microwaving) without any condiments but a fruity jam would make it very tasty. They would work well as the carb side of a dinner, especially to soak up gravy juices or that little bit of soup left in one's bowl. The best part about these rolls is that they stay fluffy over the course of a week; at least mine did when stored in a zip-lock baggy in the fridge.
Paul's Pumpkin Bars
Okay, so if you look at the pictures for this recipe, you will see that it is a cake with the thickness of a bar. Not super exciting since the ingredients are closer to a cake than a bar. As you can see, mine is more of a cake on purpose since I enjoy more cake than frosting and was achieved by adding a 1/2 tsp of baking powder and baking soda each. Another change I would do the next time I make this recipe is to add some more spices, like pumpkin spice, nutmeg and/or cloves, as I could not really distinguish that it was pumpkin. Perhaps this was because mine was a cake and not a bar; less concentrated. Very tasty, especially the frosting.
Fleischmann's Sour Cream Rolls
Everything you would want in a fluffy roll in the shape of a muffin: light, airy, gorgeous, moist, easy-to-make BUT a bit dry to the uninitiated. I have been eating two of these for breakfast (after warming them up by nuking them for 20 secs; where nuking here refers to microwaving) without any condiments but a fruity jam would make it very tasty. They would work well as the carb side of a dinner, especially to soak up gravy juices or that little bit of soup left in one's bowl. The best part about these rolls is that they stay fluffy over the course of a week; at least mine did when stored in a zip-lock baggy in the fridge.
Paul's Pumpkin Bars
Okay, so if you look at the pictures for this recipe, you will see that it is a cake with the thickness of a bar. Not super exciting since the ingredients are closer to a cake than a bar. As you can see, mine is more of a cake on purpose since I enjoy more cake than frosting and was achieved by adding a 1/2 tsp of baking powder and baking soda each. Another change I would do the next time I make this recipe is to add some more spices, like pumpkin spice, nutmeg and/or cloves, as I could not really distinguish that it was pumpkin. Perhaps this was because mine was a cake and not a bar; less concentrated. Very tasty, especially the frosting.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
One of the Things I Cannot Do
Quick back-story:
I started learning to cook along side my Dad on Saturday mornings making pancakes, french toast and the like from the tender age of five (+/- 1 year). And then my parents divorced and I lived part-time between them; money become scarce (as always, I was to learn) and meals became TV dinners, deviled ham sandwiches and generic lemon cookies. By age 12, I was living with my Mom full-time and pretty much learning to fend for myself in the pre-internet days. My Mom was never into cooking, so I am pretty much self taught with two summers of official kitchen instruction/work at Concordia Language Villages after high school.
Thus armed with a cookbook, an Oster Hand Mixer and a recipe, I started learning how to bake during the preteen years with very little direction and LOTS of trial and error. A junior high semester home economics class did help. (Those pesky "Master Chef Kids" do not know how good life is today!!! gurrhhh!!) ...I started off with cookies and they are still the bane of my cooking existence. Some of the earliest batches were half burnt; that is, half of the actual cookie was black or dark brown! And the ones that were not burnt soon became hard as rocks.
So today I thought I would try to make white chip macadamia nut cookies from the Mauna Loa macadamia nut package. But my cookies are just not the nice, round, flat ones you get in stores or Subway! :( Perhaps my baking soda is too old; or the eggs were not fresh enough; or, or...or maybe I should just give up on this cookie recipe. Okay, maybe just cut down on the number of white chips and find a better way to flatten the cookies. (...Or could it have been the parchment paper they were baked on as the cause?)
Mauna Loa Macadamia White Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 12 oz package white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (or 1 package) chopped Mauna Loa Macadamia Baking Pieces
Preheat oven 350 degrees F
Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Blend in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia pieces. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes ~6 dozen.
In writing out this recipe, which is badly placed on my bag and in black on a rich blue colour backgound, I realized I did not add the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. This does not explain why the cookies did not flatten out but at least they still taste good, though I recommend having milk nearby whether your cookies have both sugars or not!
Even after the second day, the cookies are still good when stored in a tin. My particular version is a bit dry, more so on the second day than the first.
The recipe says it makes 72 cookies but given the "lack" of my cookie dough in proportion to the filling of nuts and chips, I ended up with ~30 cookies.
They are not bad but they are not great. Great would be extra chewy and soft with more dough.
Until next time cookie recipe!
I started learning to cook along side my Dad on Saturday mornings making pancakes, french toast and the like from the tender age of five (+/- 1 year). And then my parents divorced and I lived part-time between them; money become scarce (as always, I was to learn) and meals became TV dinners, deviled ham sandwiches and generic lemon cookies. By age 12, I was living with my Mom full-time and pretty much learning to fend for myself in the pre-internet days. My Mom was never into cooking, so I am pretty much self taught with two summers of official kitchen instruction/work at Concordia Language Villages after high school.
 |
| Complete with original box and handwritten birthday card |
Thus armed with a cookbook, an Oster Hand Mixer and a recipe, I started learning how to bake during the preteen years with very little direction and LOTS of trial and error. A junior high semester home economics class did help. (Those pesky "Master Chef Kids" do not know how good life is today!!! gurrhhh!!) ...I started off with cookies and they are still the bane of my cooking existence. Some of the earliest batches were half burnt; that is, half of the actual cookie was black or dark brown! And the ones that were not burnt soon became hard as rocks.
So today I thought I would try to make white chip macadamia nut cookies from the Mauna Loa macadamia nut package. But my cookies are just not the nice, round, flat ones you get in stores or Subway! :( Perhaps my baking soda is too old; or the eggs were not fresh enough; or, or...or maybe I should just give up on this cookie recipe. Okay, maybe just cut down on the number of white chips and find a better way to flatten the cookies. (...Or could it have been the parchment paper they were baked on as the cause?)
Mauna Loa Macadamia White Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 12 oz package white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups (or 1 package) chopped Mauna Loa Macadamia Baking Pieces
Preheat oven 350 degrees F
Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Blend in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia pieces. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes ~6 dozen.
 |
| See how the left side of the recipe is apart of seamed edge; still readable but annoying |
In writing out this recipe, which is badly placed on my bag and in black on a rich blue colour backgound, I realized I did not add the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. This does not explain why the cookies did not flatten out but at least they still taste good, though I recommend having milk nearby whether your cookies have both sugars or not!
Even after the second day, the cookies are still good when stored in a tin. My particular version is a bit dry, more so on the second day than the first.
The recipe says it makes 72 cookies but given the "lack" of my cookie dough in proportion to the filling of nuts and chips, I ended up with ~30 cookies.
They are not bad but they are not great. Great would be extra chewy and soft with more dough.
Until next time cookie recipe!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Fall in the Rio Grande Valley
Up until the first week of November, it has been quite pleasant. Warm in the sun with light breezes.
Excellent weather to enjoy and document my favorite part of New Mexico: the colours of fall.
...Just enjoy the pretty colours from late October 2013.
Summer and Autumn from Alameda looking north along irrigation channel
 |
| Looking south toward Alameda |
 |
| Daisies in their last bloom. |
 |
| Walking paths/maintainence road along irrigation channel; Sandia Mountains in the background |
(And this is why they call it the land of entrapment!)
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Spook-tacular Deals at the Thrift Store!
Today I actually got out of the apartment and walked on down to the nearby Savers, on a day that was a bit too warm for even a cardigan. And oh what a treasure and fantastic deal I found!
I got FOUR great serging books for $3 each:
Serger Secrets (A Rodale Sewing Book)
The Ulimate Serger Answer Guide by N. Baker, G. Brown and C. Kacynski
The Complete Serger Handbook by Chris James (signed!)
Serge with Confidence by Nancy Zieman
Two handmade, wooden boxes; one Dominican Republic Cigar box and the other with in-laid wood design that reminds me so much of the Arts and Crafts movement. But the creme de la creme piece, the "I cannot believe someone has not already swooped in for this", was a bag listed for $3 containing four, 50g skeins of Elsebeth Lavold's Cable Cotton!!! The original price tags were still on, listed for $6.25 for one 50g skein, which means someone originally paid $25 for this and I got it for $3 (pre-tax dollars)! That is a discount of 88% off the original price. Sometimes I really love my hording gene. :)
I got FOUR great serging books for $3 each:Serger Secrets (A Rodale Sewing Book)
The Ulimate Serger Answer Guide by N. Baker, G. Brown and C. Kacynski
The Complete Serger Handbook by Chris James (signed!)
Serge with Confidence by Nancy Zieman
Monday, October 21, 2013
Free at Last!!
Finished my fourth and longest class on Coursera today; this means I can finally get back to some of my projects! But first, a little review of the classes thus far. (1-5 * rating, with 1 being not so great to 5 being a great course)
Virology I: How Viruses Work (11 weeks)
Offer by Columbia University, Prof. Vincent Racaniello
Review: ***
First off, I need to preface this commentary by saying I have not taken a biology class since high school (many years ago) mainly because biology does not really interest me. I am not stimulated by all the labeling and memorization one needs to do, nor the tiny details of which particular proteins need to bind together to make a system work properly. That being said, why would I choose to struggle through 11 WEEKS of essentially just that?! Initially I thought the course was going to be about the vectors and transmission of viruses with maybe an overview of how viruses work (apparently that is for part two). By the time I realized what it was not, I felt I had already invested so much time and energy already that I might as well try to stick it out and finish the course.
So I made it through and learned some interesting things I did not know before but it has not made me into a biologist nor a virologist, nor has it instilled any desire to become either. The class was good though tedious at times for a math-type person. There was one part in the second week where a Poisson distribution was used in determining the multiplicity of infection and I wished that the professor could have continued with more examples and other distributions. The slides and lectures were good, despite having to stop a lot of the video lectures to write down the processes that were new to me. I did not really utilize the discussion boards as I did not have that much time (and interest, if I am being honest) to commit to this class. This is perhaps more information about virology than a biostatistician, with an epidemiology bent, needs to know.
Computing for Data Analysis (4 Weeks)
Offered by Johns Hopkins Universtiy, Prof. Roger Peng
Review: *****
I am just loving every class that Johns Hopkins is offering on Coursera. This was by far the hardest and shortest MOOC (massive open online course) I have taken and I think I just got by the skin of my teeth (feel like I scrapped by) even with a 92/100! I have only worked with R for a year, being mostly a front-end user and this course turns you more into a programmer of R. The concepts were not difficult but implementing them for the assignments were tough, especially for week 3 where it was all about loops. My only other experience with statistical/mathematical programming languages have been SAS and Matlab (I wouldn't really include Minitab in that set). The hardest part was knowing what I may have been missing (i.e. a particular line of code) but not knowing how to articulate that in R or not knowing what to look for on the online resources. The discussion boards were the greatest help. For someone of my skill level, I feel like I need a workbook to go through more examples/data sets and be quizzed on my understanding of the various lines of code. This is not something that the course needs to do but is a niche that could be filled in the publishing world. Or perhaps I just need to go through "Complex Surveys: a guide to analysis using R" by Thomas Lumley and "Discovering Statistics Using R" by Field, Miles and Field.
I have given this five stars because it has shown me what I need to focus on more if I am going to take biostats to the next level.
Mathematical Biostatistics Boot Camp I (7 Weeks)
Offered by Johns Hopkins University, Prof. Brian Caffo
Review: ****
If you have previously taken a course in Probability and Statistical Inference, you should have no problem with this course; it might even be a nice refresher. This course assumes (and states) that you should understand multivariate calculus and basic probability before enrolling. There should be an emphasis in the title on the math and statistics part as the lectures covers primarily these topics, with the bio part being used in some of the examples. The course provides more of the core statistical bases that are used in the field. I don't think I have a single complaint about this course; now I just wish my brain were as great at understanding all the concepts as some of the individuals who were able to elucidate on the discussion boards!
Cased-Based Introduction to Biostatisitics (5 Weeks)
Offered by Johns Hopkins University, Prof. Scott L Zeger
Review: ****
This class is a light, easy-yourself-into-the-field course on biostatistics that is quite opposite to the Boot Camp class listed above. It touches upon the stats but is no way heavy on the math. As the title states, the course relies heavily upon cases to illustrate the key topics and methods and lightly uses the statistical program R. The programming used in the lectures does not differ greatly from what is needed to complete the quizzes; certainly less stressful than "Computing for Data Analysis"! Also provides a great refresher on probability, on the light side.
And now a light distraction with Tom Mison in Sleepy Hollow! So much more delectable than in Lost in Austen...blondes just don't do it for me.
If I am really luck, or efficiently diligent, I will also post a list of recipes to get through and even finish off the Vogue dress. Technically there are two dresses, same pattern, just slightly different fabric and alterations made.
But tomorrow I will make Whiskey Bacon and my first White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies!
Virology I: How Viruses Work (11 weeks)
Offer by Columbia University, Prof. Vincent Racaniello
Review: ***
First off, I need to preface this commentary by saying I have not taken a biology class since high school (many years ago) mainly because biology does not really interest me. I am not stimulated by all the labeling and memorization one needs to do, nor the tiny details of which particular proteins need to bind together to make a system work properly. That being said, why would I choose to struggle through 11 WEEKS of essentially just that?! Initially I thought the course was going to be about the vectors and transmission of viruses with maybe an overview of how viruses work (apparently that is for part two). By the time I realized what it was not, I felt I had already invested so much time and energy already that I might as well try to stick it out and finish the course.
So I made it through and learned some interesting things I did not know before but it has not made me into a biologist nor a virologist, nor has it instilled any desire to become either. The class was good though tedious at times for a math-type person. There was one part in the second week where a Poisson distribution was used in determining the multiplicity of infection and I wished that the professor could have continued with more examples and other distributions. The slides and lectures were good, despite having to stop a lot of the video lectures to write down the processes that were new to me. I did not really utilize the discussion boards as I did not have that much time (and interest, if I am being honest) to commit to this class. This is perhaps more information about virology than a biostatistician, with an epidemiology bent, needs to know.
Computing for Data Analysis (4 Weeks)
Offered by Johns Hopkins Universtiy, Prof. Roger Peng
Review: *****
I am just loving every class that Johns Hopkins is offering on Coursera. This was by far the hardest and shortest MOOC (massive open online course) I have taken and I think I just got by the skin of my teeth (feel like I scrapped by) even with a 92/100! I have only worked with R for a year, being mostly a front-end user and this course turns you more into a programmer of R. The concepts were not difficult but implementing them for the assignments were tough, especially for week 3 where it was all about loops. My only other experience with statistical/mathematical programming languages have been SAS and Matlab (I wouldn't really include Minitab in that set). The hardest part was knowing what I may have been missing (i.e. a particular line of code) but not knowing how to articulate that in R or not knowing what to look for on the online resources. The discussion boards were the greatest help. For someone of my skill level, I feel like I need a workbook to go through more examples/data sets and be quizzed on my understanding of the various lines of code. This is not something that the course needs to do but is a niche that could be filled in the publishing world. Or perhaps I just need to go through "Complex Surveys: a guide to analysis using R" by Thomas Lumley and "Discovering Statistics Using R" by Field, Miles and Field.
I have given this five stars because it has shown me what I need to focus on more if I am going to take biostats to the next level.
Mathematical Biostatistics Boot Camp I (7 Weeks)
Offered by Johns Hopkins University, Prof. Brian Caffo
Review: ****
If you have previously taken a course in Probability and Statistical Inference, you should have no problem with this course; it might even be a nice refresher. This course assumes (and states) that you should understand multivariate calculus and basic probability before enrolling. There should be an emphasis in the title on the math and statistics part as the lectures covers primarily these topics, with the bio part being used in some of the examples. The course provides more of the core statistical bases that are used in the field. I don't think I have a single complaint about this course; now I just wish my brain were as great at understanding all the concepts as some of the individuals who were able to elucidate on the discussion boards!
Cased-Based Introduction to Biostatisitics (5 Weeks)
Offered by Johns Hopkins University, Prof. Scott L Zeger
Review: ****
This class is a light, easy-yourself-into-the-field course on biostatistics that is quite opposite to the Boot Camp class listed above. It touches upon the stats but is no way heavy on the math. As the title states, the course relies heavily upon cases to illustrate the key topics and methods and lightly uses the statistical program R. The programming used in the lectures does not differ greatly from what is needed to complete the quizzes; certainly less stressful than "Computing for Data Analysis"! Also provides a great refresher on probability, on the light side.
And now a light distraction with Tom Mison in Sleepy Hollow! So much more delectable than in Lost in Austen...blondes just don't do it for me.
If I am really luck, or efficiently diligent, I will also post a list of recipes to get through and even finish off the Vogue dress. Technically there are two dresses, same pattern, just slightly different fabric and alterations made.
But tomorrow I will make Whiskey Bacon and my first White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies!
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Not so barbecued chicken
The 1981 edition of The Karo Cookbook page 32 has the following recipe (not available on their website)
Pineapple Barbecued Chicken
1 8oz can crushed pineapple in own juice
1/2 c Karo dark corn syrup
2 tblsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp pepper
1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut in parts
1 tblsp corn starch
1/4 c cold water
Cooked rice
In small bowl stir together undrained pineapple, corn syrup, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, ginger and pepper. Place chicken skin-side down in shallow roasting pan. Top with 1/2 of the pineapple mixture. Bake in 375 degree F oven 30 minutes. Turn chicken; top with remaining pineapple mixture and bake 30 minutes longer or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to platter; keep warm. Skim fat from liquid in baking pan. Mix corn starch and water. Stir into liquid in baking pan. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 minute. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with rice.
Makes 4 servings.
Comments: As perhaps you can already tell, the taste was not barbecue - at least not as most Americans have come to know or think of barbecue in the southern tradition. My version was not tasty by any means. I cannot quite remember if I added too much ginger but in trying to remedy the ginger taste, I added Chinese 5 spice. Oh, was that the wrong idea!! The consistency is much like the Orange Chicken at Panda Express but ugh, the taste (now kick-named the gagging glazed sauce.). Also, just make sure you grab the crushed not the chunk-ed pineapple in the cupboard; the recipe really does work better with crushed pineapple. And it seems to work fine with skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
Would like to try the recipe again, without the Chinese five spice.
Pineapple Barbecued Chicken
1 8oz can crushed pineapple in own juice
1/2 c Karo dark corn syrup
2 tblsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp pepper
1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut in parts
1 tblsp corn starch
1/4 c cold water
Cooked rice
In small bowl stir together undrained pineapple, corn syrup, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, ginger and pepper. Place chicken skin-side down in shallow roasting pan. Top with 1/2 of the pineapple mixture. Bake in 375 degree F oven 30 minutes. Turn chicken; top with remaining pineapple mixture and bake 30 minutes longer or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to platter; keep warm. Skim fat from liquid in baking pan. Mix corn starch and water. Stir into liquid in baking pan. Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 1 minute. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve with rice.
Makes 4 servings.
Comments: As perhaps you can already tell, the taste was not barbecue - at least not as most Americans have come to know or think of barbecue in the southern tradition. My version was not tasty by any means. I cannot quite remember if I added too much ginger but in trying to remedy the ginger taste, I added Chinese 5 spice. Oh, was that the wrong idea!! The consistency is much like the Orange Chicken at Panda Express but ugh, the taste (now kick-named the gagging glazed sauce.). Also, just make sure you grab the crushed not the chunk-ed pineapple in the cupboard; the recipe really does work better with crushed pineapple. And it seems to work fine with skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
Would like to try the recipe again, without the Chinese five spice.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Knitting Needle Case
Pattern: None
Fabric: 100% cotton in seafoam, light green and multiple stripes
Notions: Sulky 100% Rayon thread (colour #1508 "Putty"), quilt batting 100% cotton, fray check
Completed: 13 Sept 2013
Time: 8 hrs
Comments: The majority of the time required to make this was spent in the planning and laying out the fabric to confirm that I had enough matching fabric and whether the I could fit all of my small knitting needles adequately. These needles consisted of two types, a set of 4-5 double pointed and circular needles. The US size ranges from 0 to 13 (2.0 - 9.0 mm) for the circular needles and US size 2 to 15 (2.75 - 10.0 mm) for the double pointed needles.
I wanted the case to be flexible so any thought of using cardboard was eliminated in favor of quilting the pieces and creating pouches or pockets. There was 1/4 yard of the the striped and sea foam green fabric each and rather than cut uncertainly, both pieces were centered about the batting, with the latter being cut just smaller than the fabric. Starting from roughly the center, a straight seam was sewn to quilt the fabric and batting together. Sadly I forgot that thicker "fabric" requires a longer stitch length resulting in the only bit of puckering in the project. With the fabric being set in place, the bottom edge was trimmed and the light green fabric was sewn in as make-shift bias tape; this allowed the pockets to be formed with a nice, finished edge.
Now for the fun part: placement! The striped fabric is the exterior and subsequently the pocket flap, which will aid in the alignment and sewing of straight seams. Given the length of the needles, the height of the pocket required some fiddling until a height of 5" (12.6 cm) appeared to secure the needles and leave the sizing information visible. From this point, it was a matter of choosing needle set placement, marking with a pin and then sewing to form the pocket. It is recommended that one start from the center and work out to the ends, sewing at most 2 pockets at a time, in order that fit and easy work well. I ended up with 15 pockets of various sizes, none of which were measured.
Thus, behold the power of remnants!!
Fabric: 100% cotton in seafoam, light green and multiple stripes
Notions: Sulky 100% Rayon thread (colour #1508 "Putty"), quilt batting 100% cotton, fray check
Completed: 13 Sept 2013
Time: 8 hrs
 |
| Center seam and lower binding sewn into place |
I wanted the case to be flexible so any thought of using cardboard was eliminated in favor of quilting the pieces and creating pouches or pockets. There was 1/4 yard of the the striped and sea foam green fabric each and rather than cut uncertainly, both pieces were centered about the batting, with the latter being cut just smaller than the fabric. Starting from roughly the center, a straight seam was sewn to quilt the fabric and batting together. Sadly I forgot that thicker "fabric" requires a longer stitch length resulting in the only bit of puckering in the project. With the fabric being set in place, the bottom edge was trimmed and the light green fabric was sewn in as make-shift bias tape; this allowed the pockets to be formed with a nice, finished edge.
Now for the fun part: placement! The striped fabric is the exterior and subsequently the pocket flap, which will aid in the alignment and sewing of straight seams. Given the length of the needles, the height of the pocket required some fiddling until a height of 5" (12.6 cm) appeared to secure the needles and leave the sizing information visible. From this point, it was a matter of choosing needle set placement, marking with a pin and then sewing to form the pocket. It is recommended that one start from the center and work out to the ends, sewing at most 2 pockets at a time, in order that fit and easy work well. I ended up with 15 pockets of various sizes, none of which were measured.
 |
| Fitting the pockets |
 |
| The center seam puckering |
 |
| General size of pockets and stripes |
The last steps were simply trimming the raw edges and sewing on the make-shift bias tape, first along the remaining long edge then on the two shorter sides, fray checking the corners. The top area above the needles will act as a cover for the exposed portion of the needles. A blue sash secures the filled and rolled bundle nicely.
 |
| All the lovely needles fit!! Not endorsed by Boye or Clover/Takumi |
Thus, behold the power of remnants!!
Thursday, September 12, 2013
More Than Just Confetti
Kraft's Confetti Fudge Bites Variations
The prime ingredients for the flavor of this recipe are white chocolate and vanilla instant pudding, which suggests that the taste of the fudge can be altered with different flavors of instant pudding. So let's have a go mixing it up!
Here are the substitute instant pudding flavors:
Hershey's White Chocolate
Cheesecake
Coconut Cream
French Vanilla
Horchata (unique flavors of rice, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon)
Method
As I have yet to win the lottery and rather than waste ingredients if things do not taste well, I made up the recipe with all the ingredients except the instant pudding. The joke is on me though as I only realized after double boiling the unsalted butter and "white chocolate" that the chocolate was actually vanilla chips. Proceeded with the recipe any way.
The fudge was then equally divided into six parts using Wilton Jumbo batter scoop with a little over 0.5 oz (1 tablespoon) of each instant pudding flavors added to those parts. The sixth flavor is vanilla to compare with the "original" recipe taste. I also forgot to buy more powdered sugar so my fudge bits only have 2.5 cups instead of the called for 3 cups. To keep the six flavors separate, I lined a 9 mini-bread loaf pan sheet with foil and molded the foil to the "loaves." Initially thinking that the Jumbo scoop would not be enough to fill the "loaf", the first couple of flavors were slightly over filled whilst the last two "loaves" were under filled.
The Palate
Before handing out squares to any one, I tried little nibbles of each one - which was more than enough for some of the flavors! Having mixed up the white chocolate bits with vanilla but also having the white chocolate pudding flavor made me think that this taste was similar to the original recipe. And indeed, it did taste like white chocolate, though for this flavor I would loose the sprinkles and substitute them with Oreo crumbs. Truly all the fudge bites could have done without the sprinkles as the recipe is quite too sugar for my adult taste buds, so much so that the overly spicy beef I made for dinner tasted swell after all the nibbles!
The vanilla flavor tasted like slightly less rich frosting whilst the french vanilla was exactly like frosting. The coconut creme could not be not be tasted no matter how many times I tired. The cheesecake was delicious in the first third of the taste but then became much too sugary and rich in the last two-thirds of the bite. Sadly the Horchata flavor did not fair so well either. The Horchata had a more mellow taste than the other flavors but had a graininess to the consistancy that could not be outweighed by the warmth from the cinnamon.
Recommendations
If this is what is being given to children, it is no wonder that Americans have such a short attention spans with rising rates of diabetes. It is much too rich for my tastes to make again, let alone distribute to others, especially the young, but perhaps you will have better luck.
The prime ingredients for the flavor of this recipe are white chocolate and vanilla instant pudding, which suggests that the taste of the fudge can be altered with different flavors of instant pudding. So let's have a go mixing it up!
Here are the substitute instant pudding flavors:
Hershey's White Chocolate
Cheesecake
Coconut Cream
French Vanilla
Horchata (unique flavors of rice, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon)
Method
As I have yet to win the lottery and rather than waste ingredients if things do not taste well, I made up the recipe with all the ingredients except the instant pudding. The joke is on me though as I only realized after double boiling the unsalted butter and "white chocolate" that the chocolate was actually vanilla chips. Proceeded with the recipe any way.
 |
| Separate bowl used for mixing in the pudding. Not endorsed by Jell-O, Hershey's, Horchata or Great Value. |
The fudge was then equally divided into six parts using Wilton Jumbo batter scoop with a little over 0.5 oz (1 tablespoon) of each instant pudding flavors added to those parts. The sixth flavor is vanilla to compare with the "original" recipe taste. I also forgot to buy more powdered sugar so my fudge bits only have 2.5 cups instead of the called for 3 cups. To keep the six flavors separate, I lined a 9 mini-bread loaf pan sheet with foil and molded the foil to the "loaves." Initially thinking that the Jumbo scoop would not be enough to fill the "loaf", the first couple of flavors were slightly over filled whilst the last two "loaves" were under filled.
The Palate
Before handing out squares to any one, I tried little nibbles of each one - which was more than enough for some of the flavors! Having mixed up the white chocolate bits with vanilla but also having the white chocolate pudding flavor made me think that this taste was similar to the original recipe. And indeed, it did taste like white chocolate, though for this flavor I would loose the sprinkles and substitute them with Oreo crumbs. Truly all the fudge bites could have done without the sprinkles as the recipe is quite too sugar for my adult taste buds, so much so that the overly spicy beef I made for dinner tasted swell after all the nibbles!
The vanilla flavor tasted like slightly less rich frosting whilst the french vanilla was exactly like frosting. The coconut creme could not be not be tasted no matter how many times I tired. The cheesecake was delicious in the first third of the taste but then became much too sugary and rich in the last two-thirds of the bite. Sadly the Horchata flavor did not fair so well either. The Horchata had a more mellow taste than the other flavors but had a graininess to the consistancy that could not be outweighed by the warmth from the cinnamon.
Recommendations
If this is what is being given to children, it is no wonder that Americans have such a short attention spans with rising rates of diabetes. It is much too rich for my tastes to make again, let alone distribute to others, especially the young, but perhaps you will have better luck.
Stalled Retro
Pattern: Butterick 6239
The zipper belongs on the left side, with pins holding it in place for the photos but no shoulder pads. The polyester has no hold for the front tucks, making it rather baggy around the chest area, especially with A-cups. The picture below illustrates the difficulty of working on a sewing machine without a walking foot pressure foot - the seams do not line up!
The top two folds on both sides are being held up with pins as one could not see the folds otherwise.
Fabric: Mini white dots on forest green background Polyester Silky
Notions: None...requires a 16" zipper, shoulder pads and stay tape but have not got that far
Incomplete
Time: 6+ hrs
Comments: This is a Retro 1942 pattern which does NOT do well with this type of fabric. And seeing what other people have done, it would appear that this pattern looks smashing on gals with a bosom.
The trouble can be seen in the photographs!
 |
| Side |
 |
| Back |
 |
| Front |
 |
| Upclose side view with front to the right |
All in all, I do not wish to continue with this pattern and this fabric; the dots are just too much for my eye. I might finish this project if the top and bottom were switched up with a white to match.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Been out on sick leave!
A broken and impacted wisdom tooth can be a real pain in the mandibular ramus! Sorry, skeletal anthropology used to be my profession. Nevertheless a tooth ache can really take away the enjoyment of cooking and sewing. ...Be posting soon.
Leave you with this tantalizing view of...
Song Seung Hun!!!
Leave you with this tantalizing view of...
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Foray Into No-Pattern Land
In late 2009 or early 2010 I got some great light weight cotton pre-embroidered with a white leafy (?) pattern along the salvaged edges.
Unfortunately I bought it at the end of the season when there was only 1.5 yards left on the bolt - no chance of obtaining more for correcting "mistakes."
The back has too much space with a straight back but works well when bending over. There bodice armhole region needs work as it at once cuts into the arm and has too much fabric, especially with my small bust size.
Issues: The skirt front is faux princess lines with darts, no pattern. The midriff and bodice is made from slightly heavier, white cotton and altogether a bit too thick as dress and lining. The top of the midriff is a tiny bit too snug, whilst the bottom of the midriff is a bit too loose. ...The straps are also too thick and not positioned correctly but at least the hem is a nice length.
The back has too much space with a straight back but works well when bending over. There bodice armhole region needs work as it at once cuts into the arm and has too much fabric, especially with my small bust size.
I also added some blue satin ribbon covering the seams between the skirt/midriff and bodice/midriff. The piece would look better with a black midriff or at least some colour other than white, as evinced by the black cotton sash added here.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Summer Parfait
Pattern: Colette Parfait No. 1003Fabric: "Isabella's Garden by Legacy Studio 100% cotton (skirt and bodice)
Teal blue 100% cotton (straps and midriff)
Notions: Ecru invisible zipper; interfacing;
4 La Mode white 3/4" (style 4762) buttons
Completed: end of March 2012
Time: 12+ hrs
Comments: I did not add the pockets nor did I fit the dress super well to my figure. The waist is waaaay too tight and difficult to zip up around the midriff (blue) area. I also had trouble putting in the zipper such that the base seam does not match up.
I intend to make the dress again with the same fabric, only fuss cut next time, with purple cotton for the midriff and straps. And now that I have a dress form, I could adjust the pattern better in the bodice and hem length, though I enjoy wearing what I have made, despite not being able to bend over in it! (Still working out the lighting.)
Again, this dress was made without the use of a serger so all the visible seams were zigzagged, which does not hold up well after numerous washes (and not trimmings), as these photos illustrate.
 |
| Back of dress on the left, zipper, front of dress on the right. |
 |
| Side seam and hem |
 |
| Front of dress and zipper |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)