Pleasant View Schoolhouse

Glowing Forsythia

2012-03-01T23:25:00.002-06:00

I especially love this forsythia because I planted these bushes myself from tiny sprigs. And now they're flowering!

Paper and Pine Cone Birds

2012-02-29T23:04:00.001-06:00

My mother gave me these life-sized bird decorations. I love the soft colors for the dining table, but I love even more that Frederick thinks they *might* be real and so says hello to them when he has the opportunity.

Pale Spring Sky Quilt

2012-02-28T23:25:00.001-06:00

Soft blues and whites out my window this week. And on my sewing table! My log cabin quilt for a baby is here in my etsy shop.

Cake Lady: Lemoncheese Cake

2012-02-27T22:24:00.001-06:00

Next up in my tour of Southern Cakes is lemoncheese. No, I had not heard of it either. It must belong to a very specific region of the South, apparently suburban Atlanta.

But it should be more widely known. A three-layer yellow cake spread inside, outside, and upside-down with nothing other than homemade lemon curd! Mine was an almost alarming yellow due to Phyllis' free-ranging chickens supplying my eggs.

Tasty!

Utility Cloths for the Kitchen

2012-02-25T21:40:00.003-06:00

I'm calling these utility cloths, but you could assign them to any job--dry dishes, mop up spills, cover the rising dough, keep the biscuits warm. I find it nerdily empowering to be able to sew these for myself and not go out to Wal-Mart to buy kitchen linens.

Choose any two fabrics (or double one), cut matching rectangles (size is totally up to you), sew with wrong sides together and let the margin fray (use zigzag stitch), or refine them with right sides sewn together and then turned right side out and topstitched.

Choose almost any all-cotton: flannel, seersucker, quilting, home dec. I'm trying it all and especially liking the unlikely mixes, including the backs of men's shirts from the thrift store, matched with something a little thicker.

Peach Roses at the Mirror

2012-02-24T23:09:00.001-06:00

Still beautiful ten days after Valentine's . . . .

A Flared Dress for Spring: Vintage Simplicity 1291

2012-02-23T23:22:00.003-06:00

Our truly mild winter has got me sewing things for spring already. Daisy loves this new Vintage Simplicity 1291. It has a gently-gathered bodice, flaring gored skirt, and piped decorative tab.

And even better than owning a new spring dress is that happy day when it's warm enough to wear it outside!

Cake Lady: Pound Cake

2012-02-22T23:17:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking about cake ladies. You know them? The ladies in your town who supply their special cakes whenever there's a funeral, birth, or potluck.

In my own life I would turn to Carol for Italian Cream Cake or Fresh Strawberry Cake, or Phyllis for a cheesecake. I've been known, myself, to come up with a raspberry-filled chocolate layer cake when the need arises.

And in honor of a cake-filled life I'm baking my way through Cake Ladies (see the link above), and I started today with this pound cake.

"The Story of Southern Cooking"

2012-02-21T21:43:00.003-06:00

"The story of Southern cooking is, in many ways, a story of resourcefulness, using what is affordable and readily available to create decadent dishes from simple means."

--Jodi Rhoden, Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition

In Animal News . . .

2012-02-20T23:27:00.003-06:00

Daisy sent another edition of the Animal News to the printer this weekend after the neighbors' goat Ruby had three babies on Friday and then Pearl had two on Saturday.

It just doesn't get more exciting than that.

Especially when these babies are the size of kittens (chicken included in photo for scale).

A Set of Matching Bags in the Shop

2012-02-16T22:29:00.002-06:00

Three little bags in turquoise and red in my etsy shop tonight. Have a look!

Back on Monday--I'm taking my mother for her Christmas trip this weekend. She wants to visit an auntie she hasn't seen in thirty years. I know we're going to have fun laughing . . . mostly at ourselves!!

Tiny Heart Cookies

2012-02-15T22:27:00.002-06:00

Bella and Daisy made tiny sugar cookies for our day-late Valentine's.

Alabama Stitch Swing Skirt: Iced Black Rose

2012-02-14T23:00:00.002-06:00

Sewn from four identical panels of jersey, stenciled with a single large rose motif, appliqued with black jersey shapes, and frosted with black bugle beads. My stencil was downloaded from the Alabama Chanin website, printed out, and Exacto-knifed out of poster board.

The back has a reversed image, without the applique and beading.

Fitzwilliam Starts to Get It

2012-02-13T23:33:00.003-06:00

In the process of domesticating our "feral" cat. He sure does purr a lot, and do a lot of lap-sitting, for a boy who was raised by wolves.

It's finally making sense to him, the whole pet thing. For the first time ever he spent several hours (all day, really), sleeping on soft furniture.

Some Good News for Clara

2012-02-11T21:58:00.005-06:00

Clara suspected this was coming, having outscored Felix last year. I think she takes some satisfaction in that. Her studying may be motivated 90% by the love of learning, but the other 10% is the desire to lead the class!

She got accepted by her first choice college last month, and is planning to double-major in music and literature. I'm watching her peruse book after book about orchestration and conducting--she says those conducting electives all look really interesting . . . .

She's going to love college!

Seriously, Sew the Oolong Dress in Jersey

2012-02-09T22:06:00.005-06:00

This Colette pattern is designed for a woven fabric, to be cut and sewn on the bias. But put on the straight grain on a knit fabric, it is a dream! No need to line it, no need to hem it or finish the edges of the facings, just go!

The specific changes I've made:
• I used two yards of 60 inch jersey (from the thrift store, no less).
• Pieces are turned 45 degrees to align with the grain.
• I hand-gathered the front bodice with button thread.
• I top-stitched the skirt to the bodice by hand, with button thread (a la Alabama Chanin).
• This time, I swapped the sleeve out and used a circular flounce. Unhemmed. I pulled mine from the "Taffy" blouse in the Colette Sewing Handbook, but cut it to just half the length.
• No hem necessary at the bottom of the skirt, no raw edges need finishing.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Ice Cream

2012-02-08T21:14:00.003-06:00

•Chocolate-Hazelnut Ice Cream•

In a 300 degree oven, toast 1 cup hazelnuts on a cookie sheet, for about ten minutes, stirring once or twice, and keeping a close eye on them. When they smell toasty, and haven't burned, tip them out on a dishtowel and let them cool for a few minutes, then rub them briskly in the towel until the loose skins fall off. Ignore the skins that are stuck on, and roughly chop the nuts and set them aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together :
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup hazelnut syrup (from the coffee aisle at the grocery store)
until the sugar is dissolved.

Gently mix in:
2 cups heavy cream

Freeze in any maker (I use my countertop Cuisinart machine). At the last minute, drop the chopped nuts into the ice cream and get them mixed in. Decant into a cold bowl, large enough to stir around in.

Get out the jar of Nutella and drop several spoonfuls into the ice cream. Stir gently and quickly to get it somewhat streaked around. It will want to stay in blobs when it gets cold, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

More melted Nutella can be added at serving time, if you feel like going overboard.

Hemming a Circle Skirt with a Bias Strip

2012-02-07T20:50:00.004-06:00

Circle skirts have curved hems that can be awkward to turn up. One way to deal with the curve is to hem with bias strips cut from the same fabric. Because bias strips have some give, you can stretch out the lower side as you sew it to the dress, then neatly turn under the top side and not have a bunch of little pleats of excess fabric to deal with.

For this dress in semi-sheer cotton, I cut a bias strip two inches wide, and sewed it to the bottom of the dress, right sides together, using a half-inch seam. Then I turned it up under the skirt and neatly pressed it, and then folded in and pressed the other raw edge.

That edge can be machine-sewn in place, or hand-sewn, if there's time to kill, and that circle skirt will be nicely hemmed, with a nice hang.

Fait Accompli

2012-02-06T22:56:00.002-06:00

Fitzwilliam is successfully neutered. Very impressed by the vet doing this on my dining room floor *without* using glasses. I guess he is a couple of years younger than I am.

He suggested we put Fitzwilliam on a towel in the big clawfoot bathtub, closing the bathroom door, to give him a safe place to come out of his anesthesia. I had my doubts that even that big antique tub could contain this cat, but I went ahead with the plan.

Ten minutes later I opened the bathroom door to check on him, and he was careening around the little bathroom. He panicked at the sight of company and wonkily tried to jump onto the tiny windowsills. That didn't work, so he went for the sink and made it. He barely fits in the sink, he's so big, and he accidentally turned the cold water tap on full blast as he landed, so that wasn't so good.

Torn between sympathy and cracking up, I got him out and back onto a towel and the rest of his recover was, as they say, uneventful.

Gray Cotton Jersey, Stencilled

2012-02-04T22:14:00.002-06:00

Slow beauty blooming: after so many steps I finally get some paint on the fabric, and it's worth the trouble.

This is so beautiful to me--

Even the supplies.

So Much Sourdough

2012-02-03T21:42:00.002-06:00

I bought the book Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson and eyed it sideways for months. I wanted to bake that loaf on the cover, but first had to make myself buy a scale for the kitchen, so I could measure by weight.

I don't even want to know why that purchase took me so long. It's behind me now. I love baking by the scale! But I race ahead. First I had to grow my own sourdough starter. The book made it sound so easy--just flour and water, cover it up with a towel, and start baking on Tuesday.

Unbelievably, that is exactly what happened. I followed the meticulous directions for raising, shaping, and baking my loaves and they have been perfect every time. I bake so much *we can't eat it all*. I have moved on to the advanced pleasure of giving away bread so good it can't even be purchased in this county.

The bench rest (I adore doing all these shapings):

The final rise (I know you can spend money on special baskets and linen liners, but I just line my Pyrex bowls with dishtowels):

The finished loaves making crackling sounds as they cool:

A Glowing Thrifted Painting

2012-02-02T22:08:00.001-06:00

I found this oil painting in a thrift store last month and have given it center stage in the kitchen. The glowing cantaloupe! The copper kettle! The straight-up-and-down knife, and the seafoam green!

Daisy's Newsbag

2012-02-01T21:59:00.002-06:00

That's Daisy's newsbag you see cross-body. She keeps it on her person much of the time, in case there's news and she needs to write it down.

She specializes in Animal News (in fact, she has a whole office devoted to this on my sewing room floor. It takes up a lot of room, and involves lots of little boxes).

The biggest Animal News story of late is the new, gigantic cat that's been hanging around the kitchen door. I must confess I love him. He's just so big! Felix named him Fitzwilliam, and he's getting neutered tomorrow, right here in the kitchen (thanks, Dr. M!). I'm not sure he would even fit in my cat carrier, he's that big.

I'm sure that will go in the Animal News tomorrow.

And from the obituary page . . .

It was a chickadee.

Orchid, Big and Beautiful

2012-01-31T22:46:00.002-06:00

I bought this beauty at the grocery store at the very beginning of the year, for $20.

Week after week these huge and gorgeous blooms have filled the sitting room.

Clara in a Brilliant Thrifted Dress

2012-01-31T09:54:00.002-06:00

I found this unbelievable ensemble at the thrift store last year. An incredibly tailored silk/wool blend dress and coat--every seam is either piped or bound with bias binding.

Too narrow for me, it worked for Clara when I took up the side seams. I left the excess fabric in place, though, I couldn't bear to cut into those gorgeous seam finishes.

Rhinestone pave buttons do frost the cake, don't they?

Now Knitting: Short-Sleeved Cardigan in Violet

2012-01-28T23:06:00.002-06:00

Once again working from Sarah Dallas' Vintage Knits, I'm doing the short-sleeved cardigan with tie-neck in a violet cotton DK. Oh, I love this yarn! Such a luminous color. And I'm thrilled to be doing something with an interesting texture. Why, it's just a short step away from intricate lace, right?

Mm.

But it is fun.

New Growth on the Fern

2012-01-27T21:56:00.002-06:00

I bring my potted ferns inside every winter to sit in the bedroom windows.

Crocheting a Jersey Rug

2012-01-26T23:48:00.002-06:00

I am always enthusiastic about ways to *make* a rug myself because why? Because rugs are expensive and never come in the color or size I have in mind.

I've been crocheting one this week with great satisfaction for a completely different reason though--it's using up my cotton jersey scraps. The long, oddly-shaped, useless ones.

What do you need to do this? A rotary cutter (make sure it's sharp, not like in all those other tutorials that encourage you to use a dull blade, right?), cutting mat, and big fat crochet hook. Not even scissors, and there's no sewing. And no threads, best of all!

First, cut those strips. About an inch wide, and they can be across the grain, along the grain, or ignoring the grain. Sometimes mine aren't even straight, they curve around a big wide corner. Crazy, I know. Do not use a cutting ruler, just eyeball it. As you finish each strip, take the rotary cutter and press down on the strip about an inch from the end, so you get a little slit cut just like you see here.

They look like buttonholes. You are going to join your strips with these. Match up the two ends you want to join, and lay New Strip over the end of Old Strip. Match up those buttonholes and poke them open with your fingertip.

With your other hand, take the free end of New Strip and bring it up from the bottom through both holes. Pull gently till the little foldy join is snug and secure.

Attach all five thousand other strips. Just be sure that you loop them together like this right onto your "live" strip. In other words, don't put together a whole long chain offstage and think you'll join them to your crocheting. Because you'll have to pull the Whole Chain through that little buttonhole. Or sew or tie it on. And if you do it my way, there's no sewing *or* tying!

And crochet it!

A Soft and Thrifty Cashmere Blanket

2012-01-25T20:52:00.002-06:00

Mostly cashmere, that is. As many thrift-store--and personally worn-out-- cashmere sweaters as I could find, and I filled it out with very fine merino sweaters. Felted them, cut out rectangles as big as possible, and pieced them together.

Backed it with flannel, then used the eyelet embroidery stitch on my machine to "tie" the top and back together. Satin blanket binding on the edges.

Then indulged in giving it away as a no-occasion gift to a very sweet friend.

Alabama Studio Style: Relief Applique Dress

2012-01-24T23:05:00.002-06:00

Back in the fall I made this plain jersey dress for Clara.

This week I got around to embellishing it with my hand-cut stencil (downloaded from the Alabama Chanin store, for free), and fabric paint dabbed on with a sponge.

Once the paint dried and set I cut out the appliqued petals (slightly larger than the stenciled shape) and stitched them on using the "relief applique" technique from one of the Alabama Chanin books.

Then I added some beads.

Then of course I did the back!

Africa II

2012-01-23T20:31:00.003-06:00

Africa I

2012-01-21T20:42:00.003-06:00

Bella and the Composer spent two weeks in west Africa to meet up with a small group of nationals who work at everything from education to evangelism to school-building, health work, agriculture, orphan care, small business development . . . the list goes on . . . traveling with them to document their efforts and help to tell their story.

Giles met them on the way at the airport in Zurich (how cool is it to rendezvous in Zurich, I ask?). Most of the camera work you will see is his.

I won't attempt to caption these images--just enjoy them as beautiful glimpses of an incredible trip.

Daisy and the Goats

2012-01-20T20:57:00.002-06:00

She walks down every day, rain, shine, or fog.

Always carrying a few bites of candy for her two favorite little ones, and a crust of bread to fend off the chickens.

The little goats aren't scary, but the big ones are . . . surprising, sometimes.

She considers herself the little ones' "second mother."

And the goatyard is her "second home."

They're so tiny, Nigerian dairy goats, I think.

Phyllis has a sense of humor--these two are named Luscious Kandy and Sinnamon.

Luscious Kandy always takes a bite of Daisy's skirt.

And Sinnamon is a great climber.

And Jezebel loves a Lifesaver.

A Bright Hallway

2012-01-19T21:53:00.002-06:00

Well, it's nice to be back in this space! The Composer and Bella just returned from west Africa, and my photo capabilities came back with them (yes, I know that my hallway pales in comparison!).

Felix and I spent part of our home time painting the downstairs hallways. Now they match the living room's Atrium White trim, and that feels very nice and fresh. I had totally forgotten that Felix developed fierce painting skills this summer working on the house exterior. My gain! I thought this would be a *small* project, but he worked 18 hours and I worked 16. Ugh.

We had so much fun together though. We used Spotify for its best purpose ever: discovering little-known Neil Diamond numbers. He's fearlessly un-ironic and has a fine disregard for grammar--Felix and I turned it up.

So, four views of the hallways,

and African adventures soon, plus Daisy and the Goats, and college news for Clara!

Signing Off and Shouting Out

2012-01-05T21:22:00.002-06:00

Signing off for a couple of weeks--back then with many sewing projects and some exciting family adventures!

And speaking of changing the subject, as Daisy says, I see that Christianity Today gave its Album of the Year award to Josh Garrels, who has a rabid fan base here at the Schoolhouse. I hope this doesn't make him less likely to agree to be our next house concert artist!

A Bird Print Pillow for Felix

2012-01-04T20:24:00.002-06:00

My sweet cousin Sal sent me a length of this crazy fabric--charmingly simplified prints of birds done in questionable colors. So much turquoise!

Each panel had borders already in place, so I bumped them up a bit with some rickrack. The front and back of the pillow are identical, and the case closes with a turquoise zipper.

The Neighbor's Egg

2012-01-03T21:52:00.000-06:00

A Wrap Smock for Bella

2012-01-02T21:08:00.002-06:00

This sweet and simple piece works as either a utilitarian apron or a fashion layer. Bella, that queen of layering, chose to make it a part of her outfit.

A simple tiny floral and some contrast binding work with the very shapely cut quite nicely!

I mocked it up from my Verity Hope dress from years past. Making it in my own size gave Bella the extra ease to wear it over other clothes.

Boys with Schematics

2011-12-31T21:31:00.002-06:00

The boys did a whole lot of building and rigging this vacation. First Felix built a lamp out of a specimen jar with a horseshoe crab in it (no, he's not selling it at any price, so sorry). Next came various moss gardens and terrariums (terraria?) . . .

and then they decided to build an electric thingy that would sense when the light level is low and turn on the light. Multiple trips to Radio Shack. Lots of soldering.

Bella doesn't think so.

To each his own!

Raspberry Ripple Blanket, Finished

2011-12-30T20:31:00.002-06:00

For Daisy's delectation. We're trying it out by the fire here in a minute.

I think it can be hard to incorporate white or cream stripes into your design. I like a very small range of values, myself, everything about the same darkness or lightness. This was different.

I had to get used to it, whichI did by repeatedly telling myself "Ice cream." It worked.

January Plans

2011-12-29T20:04:00.003-06:00

I love to make plans for January. It can be a long or dreary month; or, I can plan to fill it with things I'm excited about. In my notebook for this January:

• I'm bringing Clara's yellow dishes out for daily dinner use. Such sunshine!

• Painting the two downstairs hallways bright white--they're still the cream color the living room was before last January.

• I'm taking at least two little day-trips to farther off towns. These will involve thrift stores, for sure.

• New flannel sheets for my bed. And maybe even an electric blanket!

• Tracking down a good strong decaff black tea--I see that my darling P.G. Tips is now available decaffeinated.

• Serving citrus fruit every day of the month to everyone who wants it.

• I'm fitting a 1940s pants pattern, because I never have.

• I'm making felt slippers.

• Wish I didn't know this, but apparently I'm planning to run 88 miles this month as I gear up for a spring half-marathon. Man, I wish I hadn't done that math.

• And, I want to make some of the crazy salads from my 1940s and earlier cookbooks.

• Very last, I'll be taking two weeks off from posting here as we juggle some very large projects as a family. I'll let you know when it's time.

Anyone else have January plans?

Felix Gets a Hat

2011-12-28T21:33:00.002-06:00

Felix hit the hat jackpot when my mother offered her father's carefully stored (original Dobbs hatbox) hat. Everyone who knew my grandfather knew the hat; he wore it every day.

It's the exact color of Felix's eyes and he'd been wanting a real hat.

Later, that same weekend, he found these shoes at the thrift store for $1.50. Giles looked them up when they got home. Apparently they are $400 Italian leather loafers. Who in this town buys those--and more to the point--who gives them to the thrift store?

Well, they've found a good home now.

Winter Waterfall

2011-12-27T20:00:00.003-06:00

A Happy Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T20:44:00.003-06:00

Roses on the table, vintage snowflakes on the tablecloth, lots of good salty food (homemade egg rolls were the favorite!), two sets of grandparents.

Daisy wanted to get right to the part where we open the presents.

Okay! We had several themes going. First, Clara had knitted for everyone. Gorgeous silk tie for Felix: see it! Bella and I have a few days more to wait for our scarves to be complete, but they'll be worth it.

For Giles she made these incredible wool socks on something like a size 0 needle. Blue and brown stripes and a perfect fit!

And Giles had done all his shopping in Japanese stores. Muji, Uniqlo, and Kinokuniya. It helps to live in New York, right? Those were all well-received--Bella got a faux fur collar which I thought was coincidental (at least!) since I've moved my own fur collar to the front row of fashion seats.

Happy!

All Is Bright

2011-12-24T14:55:00.001-06:00

Calm, and bright.

We are all together, and we call His name Immanuel, God with us.

A Vintage Fur Collar

2011-12-23T22:16:00.002-06:00

"Remember that furs are a state of mind, a symbol of affection and a mirror of luxury and femininity. I doubt if even diamonds can compare with the mood furs create . . . "

--Anne Fogarty, Wife-Dressing: The Fine Art of Being a Well-Dressed Wife

Not to mention, diamonds are awfully thin on the ground at the thrift store.

Granny Stripes Pillow

2011-12-22T21:28:00.001-06:00

The last, the very last, of That Pile of yarn remnants.

Made into a pillow.

Alabama Studio Style: Blue Eyelet Blouse

2011-12-21T21:55:00.002-06:00

For Clara's blouse I used the tank top pattern from Alabama Studio Style, raised the neckline, and added sleeves. Also, I turned the neckline binding around so that the ends joined at the center front, and inserted tie ends into the binding, to give it a little tie-neck look. The little ties are just cross-grain strips of jersey that you give a good yank to. They skinny up and curl in and have many uses.

The seams are all hand-sewn (except for the sleeves), and then felled by hand with embroidery floss.

To embellish the front hem, I used a mix of bugle bead flowers and "eyelet" embroidery in various shades of blue.

The shirt fabric came from a thrifted tee, because I love the soft worn blue so much.

A White and Thrifty Table

2011-12-20T22:03:00.002-06:00

A very rewarding stop at the thrift store yielded an entire new table setting: a very large white damask tablecloth, four cutwork napkins in cream and beige, and a heavy milk glass vase in an unusual pattern. I paid $6 for everything.

Hosting a Funeral Luncheon: A Detailed Plan

2011-12-19T17:46:00.006-06:00

I present you with some confidence-building information on how to host a funeral luncheon, lest you chicken out of this undertaking and allow it to become a lost art. Which would be a shame because it is such an important way to minister to a grieving family.

Speaking from my small town Southern experience, the funeral luncheon can occur either before or after the funeral itself. Regardless of when it's scheduled, it's going to take the greater part of a day and be a draining (but satisfying) undertaking, so plan accordingly.

1. Cook the food. The day before, if possible. Choose something that can sit, is easy to warm up, can be served buffet-style, and that won't scare anyone. Lasagna-salad-French bread is a good configuration. Pork loin-mashed potato casserole-green beans-salad. Soy sauce chicken thighs-coconut rice-Asian slaw. The keynote is ease for the cook and ease for the guest.

In case there are vegetarians present, an easy bring-along option (you can eat it yourself later if it goes unneeded) is a simple cheese plate--a pear, some nice crackers, and half of a small Brie drizzled with warm raspberry jam and sprinkled with walnuts.

2. Prepare the tables. I would go to any lengths (including bringing china plates from home) to avoid paper plates and plastic silverware at bare tables. Most churches have some real tableware, and almost anything looks good if the tables are draped in colorful (for white plates) or plain white (for bright china) tablecloths. Mismatched silverware, folded paper napkins, and real glassware make the tables look inviting, and are available in most church kitchens, I would think.

Take care of the details for each table--salt & pepper, milk & sugar, butter--and decide whether the tables need or can even hold a little bit of decoration. Long rectangular tables tend to fill up quickly, and no decor is needed.

I think that beautiful, welcoming tables speak very clearly to the family that they are cared for, cherished, and worth serving.

3. Arrange the food service. The best plan is a buffet set up on a side table very close to the family seating. For sure, drape the table in a lovely cloth or two, and plan room for your serving dishes and pitchers of ice water or tea. Coffee service can also go here, or coffee cups can be set at the table, and you and your helpers can walk around with coffee to pour.

4. Serve the meal. Realize that this will work much better if you don't attend the service, but instead make things ready. Ideally you will have at least two competent helpers. Get the food heated up and maintain it at serving temperature--you never know how long it will take people to gather. Brew coffee, ice the glasses. As people settle in, invite them to collect a plate and help themselves to food. After they are all seated, you can walk around offering coffee (if you've worked in food service, or entertained large groups often, this will be old hat! I write for the rest of us).

As the meal progresses, make sure that coffee continues to flow, that water glasses are topped off, and that the food hasn't run low.

As people finish, you can begin clearing plates. I have my helpers do this while I remove the main course from the buffet table and bring out dessert. If it is tidy cake, have it cut into small slices ready for self-service. If it is messy, plate it yourself and leave the servings on the buffet table.

Remember that you are there to serve as a friend, but you aren't part of the family. On the other hand, don't get to thinking that you have to act like a waitress!

5. Clean up. Self-explanatory, I know. As an aside, it's really nice if there is enough food that you and your helpers can have a quick bite.

You will be tired, but it will be good.

My girls and I did all of this yesterday for Veda's family, and I am so glad we could.

Another Blue Wool Bag

2011-12-17T21:51:00.002-06:00

Actually, it's a set of blue wool bags! This time they're in an inky dark wool, and the lining is drool-worthy silk that was a gift from a friend. Find them in my etsy shop.

The Amaryllis Has Gone Live

2011-12-16T22:41:00.001-06:00

Well, one has. The other six pots don't even have buds yet.

Clara Embroiders a Kindle Case

2011-12-15T19:04:00.001-06:00

A folded-over piece of wool felt, machine stitched into a pocket.

And French knot hyacinths in a row across the top.

Beautiful City Afternoon

2011-12-14T22:57:00.000-06:00

Krispy Kreme Korset

2011-12-13T20:35:00.002-06:00

Just what I didn't know I needed: an Alabama Chanin-style donut-themed corset.

Well, I have one now. Found the Krispy Kreme shirt at the thrift store, and backed it with a plain red tee.

Hand-stitched, except for the shoulder seams. Seams unfinished and left on the outside. Pattern found in Alabama Stitch, Natalie Chanin's first book.

Cookie Season

2011-12-12T22:54:00.002-06:00

I've accomplished the four necessaries: chocolate-mint layered bars, coconut macaroons, rugelach (see), and molasses cut-out cookies. Leaving us two weeks to bake optional fripperies. Fun!

More Trees in Milk Glass

2011-12-09T20:24:00.001-06:00

Loving these little milk glass cups: ashtrays or candy dishes? It's fun to have three identical, and they're perfect for holding my fabric trees.

Daisy's Tiny Tree

2011-12-08T21:15:00.001-06:00

Daisy is old enough now to page longingly through craft books, and make lists of things I need to pick up for her. Mmm. However. No purchasing was necessary for this little cedar topiary--all I had to do was cut the floral oasis to fit the milk glass for her.

Extra credit for noticing the tiny paper star at the top.

Forest Green: Vintage Advance 7111

2011-12-07T20:24:00.002-06:00

The third and last twill iteration of this lovely dress (fourth one is wool).

Nothing new here except the vintage velvet holly sprig to pin on the shoulder--well, not new exactly! But different.

Daisy Scoots By

2011-12-06T22:57:00.002-06:00

After a rollicking weekend of chasing her friend David around the living room, Daisy is deep in a scooter phase. She's tricked the scooter out with a basket of kittens-for-sale hanging from the handlebar, and strips of bias binding used as streamers.

Now for a banana seat . . . .

Jersey Dress in the Shop

2011-12-05T15:38:00.003-06:00

Navy jersey dress, in a larger petite size, in my etsy shop.

More Felt Ornaments

2011-12-03T21:42:00.003-06:00

This year's embroidered felt ornaments are going to be at least this deer, and a red winter coat. Thank you to Posie's shop for the pdf patterns (Clara donated felt from her stash).

The Annual Panforte

2011-12-02T21:59:00.002-06:00

Chocolate panforte! The dairy-free person's answer to fudge. Or to a chocolate advent calendar. I sent this to Giles and told him to cut it into twenty-four pieces, and then it would be time to come home for Christmas. He suggested cutting into halves and coming home early. But I think that's because he really likes panforte, not that he doesn't like his job.

I use this recipe ever year.

In other news, Bella wrote an essay today about the O. Henry story "The Gift of the Magi." Explaining that the Wise Men brought gifts to baby Jesus, she wrote: " . . . and they fell down and worshipped while they were at it." That has been cracking me up all day.

Planning the Formals

2011-12-01T21:40:00.003-06:00

I've decided to act in advance* of need, and am planning to create formal dresses for my girls while they don't need them. Because don't you know, if they ever do need them, I'd never have time to make exactly what we want. I'm using this gorgeous Advance 6118 (and realizing that I *love* Advance patterns!) for both girls. After I work out the sizing kinks, Bella will have a dress--I hope--in deep apricot satin, tea length. Clara has designed her own (heavily inspired by Anne Fogarty) and will sport a floor-length ballgown made of *ticking*, and a matching stole lined with rose satin.

The skirt's hem is about 11.5 feet around the bottom. So that should keep me busy through January.

I picked up my pattern at this wonderful etsy shop--she has a wonderful, well-priced, well-organized selection, and her attention to detail is fantastic.

* Oh. Not supposed to be a reference to the pattern, but I'm going to leave it in.

Creamy China Trees

2011-11-30T20:38:00.001-06:00

Darling brown and white trees from the thrift store. I can't believe I dithered back and forth for two weeks before I dropped the fifty cents and bought them.

It Starts in the Kitchen

2011-11-29T21:08:00.001-06:00

True, I am cooking out of these, but also true that it's satisfying to put away all the cookbooks that *aren't* red and green, just for the season. Bring on a little bit of festive!

Wool Plaid Bucket Bag

2011-11-28T21:43:00.002-06:00

I found some subtle wool plaid in my stash, and matched it with a brown and blue cotton print, and made up this bucket bag. Usually I like to keep my bags on the floppy side, but this one is interfaced to be fairly structured. I love the gigantic covered button--I had some from the thrift store and couldn't imagine them on a garment.

But a bag, yes! And it's in the shop tonight.

Daisy, Waif

2011-11-26T20:49:00.002-06:00

Oh, this girl. Channelling a French street waif today as she test-drives the new Christmas ensemble cardigan from her grandmother.

Even If, and Camellias at Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T21:42:00.002-06:00

"Though the fig tree should not blossom,
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail,
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold,
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation."

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Array of Amaryllis

2011-11-23T22:08:00.002-06:00

Amaryllis bulbs potted up in milk glass, college boy's laundry all done, cornbread crumbled up in a big bowl on the counter for tomorrow's dressing, movie and popcorn all together.

Grape Twill: Vintage Advance 7111

2011-11-22T22:33:00.001-06:00

Beautiful deep purple color, rhinestone buckle I've been saving for the right occasion, ready for church.

Raspberry Ripple

2011-11-21T21:45:00.002-06:00

Managing one last ripple afghan out of the yarn remnants. This one is all ice cream colors and totally reminding me of a Baskin-Robbins scoop my mother got once called Baseball Nut. Or something. All I remember is that it had a vivid raspberry ripple in it, just like this blanket.

Blue-Embroidered Strip Quilt

2011-11-19T22:36:00.002-06:00

A strip quilt, crib size, pieced by machine, out of linen, wool, and cotton.

Hand-quilted in bright teal embroidery floss. In the shop next week, or e-mail if you're interested.

Vintage Thanksgiving Inspiration

2011-11-18T22:02:00.003-06:00

"The turkey was stuffed and placed in the roasting pan ready for the oven. The celery was cleaned, washed, rolled in a damp napkin, and placed in the refrigerator. The squash, cut and peeled, was left standing in a saucepan of cold water, as were the potatoes and onions. The creamed macaroni, covered with buttered crumbs, was in a baking dish ready for its final browning. Even the tiny sausages which, all brown and crispy, were to garnish the turkey, were ready for the frying pan. . . . Lemon, orange, and pineapple juices were mixed for the mint cup; ginger ale and soda, which were to be added when it was ready to serve, were at hand."

--Emilie Loring, Forever and a Day

Tangerines in Milk Glass

2011-11-17T22:14:00.001-06:00

Milk glass and dresser scarf from the thrift store, fruit from the grocery store.

A Polished Day Dress in Twill: Vintage Advance 7111

2011-11-16T22:06:00.002-06:00

This quickly became Clara's defining pattern for the season--I've made three and have one left to go. Hancock's has a rack of absolutely beautiful cotton twills right now, in muted jewel colors, and the weight and hand of the fabric is perfect for this softly tailored pattern.

Selling points of this dress include the soft pleats that release from under the collar, the fitted waist, and the dramatic flair of the skirt (great for cello). To fit this tall girl I added half an inch to the bodice, and three inches to the skirt length.

We tacked the 3/4 sleeves on from another 1950s pattern.

You will be seeing this again soon in navy, grape, and forest green . . . .

It Is Well

2011-11-15T21:57:00.006-06:00

Suddenly my best friend Carol is losing her mother-in-law. Just like that, to cancer. Veda has never smoked; she outlived tuberculosis back in the day; she's forever been a stick of crocheting dynamite. But she got sick in September, and lost her voice, and last week the doctor found cancer everywhere in her lungs.

So beautiful to see her grown children move in, on and around her, in her modest trailer, with the photos of her kids and grandkids and greatgrandkids taped to the walls. The couch and recliner are always full of ladies crocheting, of young moms tending babies. And huge Stephen, her biggest grandson, crocheting too.

One Sunday this summer she came twinkling up to the Composer after church. "Thank you for playing those songs. I want those hymns at my funeral. The happy ones." He pulled out his ever-present Note to Self card and wrote them down, and labelled it Veda. I saw it out on his desk yesterday.

Hospice starts tomorrow. Her daughter tells me over and over, "It is well with her soul." It is.

Auditioning in the Living Room

2011-11-14T22:18:00.002-06:00

Time to tape the college auditions. The Composer is so good at that type of thing, and has the equipment--I always wonder how other families get it done.

I love this screen shot; it looks like Clara is doing some sort of cello grand jete, so beautifully.

Two Colette Blouses: The Violet and the Jasmine

2011-11-12T22:05:00.005-06:00

I'm calling this a wearable muslin--I did it to check the fit and the construction before using nice fabric. It went together beautifully, and the center back and front seams are a lovely and easy shaping detail. No buttons or zipper, for you faint of heart!

Made up in a hilariously old-lady crepey fabric from a box of sewing goodies. I suspect it's all polyester; it's certainly spongy and it doesn't hold a pressing.

My favorite detail, and one I will lift for other garments, is the little center-front loop that the ties thread through. Makes them lie perfectly!

And Colette's Violet blouse, in a medium-weight linen. This blouse is cut much looser, with a dart for shaping, and a back yoke.

First I made it up according to the pattern, and then I decided for the seven thousandth time that I can't really stand to wear collars, so I cut it off. I used the bold method of standing in front of a mirror in the shirt and drawing on myself with a ballpoint pen; going to the sewing room and cutting on the line; and then binding everything with some bias binding.

Leaving my raspberry candy buttons intact, of course.

Running, Resting, and Cleaning

2011-11-11T19:39:00.002-06:00

Friday has always been my rest day from running. Monday through Thursday I run or work out at the gym, Saturday is the long run. Friday is the day off that enables me to crank out the seven or eight miles on Saturday morning.

This fall I discovered that rest day is perfect for cleaning. I get up, and I automatically feel ready to expend a great deal of energy right at 7:30, in stretchy clothes. This translates into a perfect time to do all my major housecleaning tasks. So I put on a running shirt and grubby pants and get to it. I always run before breakfast, so I usually do the worst cleaning before breakfast, too--all the bathrooms scrubbed. Then I keep on going, and if I focus I have the whole house done by 11:00 (with a break for Daisy's school and concurrent crochet, of course). Then take a bath. And have a cup of cocoa.

So glad to have discovered this reservoir of physical energy! This works great for me this year.

Oh, Applesauce!*

2011-11-10T22:13:00.004-06:00

Wonderful harvest of late apples this year on my solitary tree, and I've made many pots of applesauce. It's so not hard, anyone can do this if 1. they have a food mill or 2. they don't mind peeling the apples. I do mind, and I have a food mill.

First rinse and quarter the apples, and cut the cores out. Leave the peels on unless you *want* the extra work. Fill your pot as full as you want (I go right to the top) and add about 3/4 inch of water. Put a lid on the pot, put it over medium heat, and let them cook until they are completely soft--about 45 minutes? My apples are hard and not very juicy, so I keep an eye on them, stirring every eight minutes or so, and adding water if the mess seems to be getting too dry.

Yep, that's it. Time to take them off the heat and run them through the food mill--that's the fun part. Probably your youngest child will want to help turn the handle a time or two.

There you go. I freeze mine in freezer containers and the girls doctor each bowlful with brown sugar and cinnamon. None of the grownups in this house like applesauce, actually, but the children make up for it.

*If you don't read as much vintage fiction as some, you might not be aware that "Applesauce!" was a snappy comeback used by sassy teens in the thirties.

Baby Granny Squares, with Piecrust Frill

2011-11-09T21:24:00.004-06:00

I think I love crocheting more than knitting. It's just not as tense. You can rip out stitches without the world falling apart. You can add on after deciding you had finished.

It has an improvisatory quality that my knitting sadly lacks.

The granny squares baby afghan is finished and in the shop. Help yourself!

A Rainy Day Bouquet

2011-11-08T22:01:00.000-06:00

Maple leaves as bright as flowers.

Daisy Hosts a Cocoa Party

2011-11-07T22:05:00.003-06:00

It's true that I had to make the cocoa, and pour it, and the girls carried the trays, but Daisy did everything else. It was her idea.

Cocoa, and animal crackers in egg cups, and all five of us, outside, under the maple tree.

This was on Sunday afternoon.

We used the pretty china. And everyone's egg cup had a name tag in it. She didn't want to hurt any feelings by giving them an egg cup in a color not their favorite.

So yes, that worked out.

No one was sad.

Just glad to be at Daisy's cocoa party.

Love You More: The Divine Surprise of Adopting My Daughter

2011-11-05T20:10:00.004-05:00

I adored Jennifer Grant's delightful memoir about her family's journey through the adoption process. Fascinating that others have experienced a call so similar to my own--that word from God that the next baby will come through adoption. That divine tap on the shoulder that suggests when, and eventually where, and then, at last, places that child in your arms.

Jennifer is a fluent and entertaining writer--I loved her stories, small digressions (always worth the little rabbit trail), and the glimpses into an intelligent, humorous, and compassionate family culture.

As she notes, all happy families are *not* the same (sorry, Tolstoy), and meeting her family made me richer, for sure.

Find it here.

Bright November Afternoon

2011-11-04T22:28:00.001-05:00

A new friend with tiny children (hurray!), ginger shortbread, sunshine, clean house, packages mailed, weekend ahead.

A Sewing Lull

2011-11-03T21:02:00.002-05:00

Having just finished a black watch plaid wool dress for Clara I am ready for a little lull. After a large, complicated project it's nice to faff around doing a little of this and a little of that in the sewing room. Mending, trimming thrift store dresses into blouses, replacing buttons. Nothing too big.

Meanwhile Clara enjoys her new vintage Advance dress (above pattern, with sleeves added). It's the same pattern I used here, and I found a perfect vintage buckle for it in the stash--it's actually greenish black, just like the fabric it's sitting on.

Pictures soon!

An Autumn Dress for Bella: Vintage McCall 7977

2011-11-02T22:30:00.002-05:00

In a heavy cotton tweed, this pattern will work well with a cardigan over it for cold weather.

It's in the big collar/big pocket tradition. So handy for carrying big small things around.

Hm, I see that I need to make or find a belt, soon! Other than that, it's great.

Soft and Thriftie Baby Blankie

2011-11-01T23:01:00.002-05:00

Two skeins of soft teal alpaca were a gift, the crisp dark cotton was a gift from the thrift store. It's the oddest yarn--not spun from fibers apparently, but formed like rope! It crochets up with a firm, crisp, smooth texture, delicious with the fluffy deep alpaca as its neighbor.

(Maria, this one's for you and your nephew!)

New Pillows in the Shop

2011-11-01T22:47:00.000-05:00

Visit my shop stuffed with pillows!

The Winter Pantry

2011-10-29T22:29:00.003-05:00

It's not winter yet, but the pantry's ready for the cold half of the year with some extra things on hand for power outages, frozen roads, sickness, or general wintry needs:

• boxes of chicken broth
• ginger ale
• light-colored fruit juices--apple and white grape
• matches and candles
• over-the-counter fever and tummy medicines
• jugs of water
• enough canned things to last a few days
• cocoa mix (in the please-no hypothetical of no fresh milk for Daisy's first-thing-in-the-morning cup)

That list should cover every worst case scenario, and hopefully, I won't need to use any of these this winter. But it feels so much better, just in case.

A Batch of Patchwork Cushions

2011-10-28T22:30:00.002-05:00

Once I get the box of scraps out it's easy to keep going and going.

I made three of these, and two more in a brown and rose colorway. Hope to have them in the shop tomorrow, or e-mail me if you're interested. 18 inches square, $25.

Finally She Needed the Tooth Pillow

2011-10-27T19:05:00.001-05:00

At last that front tooth fell out.

Borrowing the Goats

2011-10-26T22:26:00.002-05:00

This weekend I asked my neighbor Phyllis for the loan of a couple of goats. She was glad to off-load two of her neutered teenage males for as looong as I want them.

I've got them in the vegetable garden, which is over for the season. They're eating everything up for me--Johnson grass, Bermuda grass, dead tomato plants--and efficiently turning it into manure. Thank you, goats.

Now, they hate rain, so with showers in the forecast they got a ride home for the night in Phyllis' husband's VW bus. As he chased them around the garden he remarked that two goats can sure make a person look dumb.

They'll be back with the sun, in a couple of days. It feels good to have farm animals around, especially ones with their own chauffeur.

Emilie Loring

2011-10-25T21:20:00.004-05:00

I'd never heard of Emilie Loring until I stumbled on someone's collection at the thrift store. For so cheap, I thought that even if they weren't worth reading, I could enjoy the soft colors of the covers for a season before passing them on.

Now, having read four, I'm glad I found her. Not for her plots, but because she gives fantastic descriptions of her heroines' outfits on all occasions. Cotton gardening dresses, velvet housecoats, sports ensembles, formals, street clothes--if a spirited but wholesome young lady wore it, Emilie Loring described it.

A Blue Bungalow Apron: Anne Adams 4543

2011-10-24T21:02:00.002-05:00

Continuing my bungalow apron experiments: this one was a great success. So very comfortable, and though I say it myself, it's cute!

This is a great pattern--the sleeves are very loose (the seam is open several inches on top), the pockets are deep, the waist ties are in the right places. The bias binding was strangely, unworkably wide, and I had to cut the width in half to make it work, but I appreciate that it *would* have looked nice had it gone together as written.

Definitely I will be making this again--I'd love a whole week's worth of these in different gorgeous fabrics. I noticed the pattern is published "in stout sizes only", although it does go down to a 32 inch bust. I wonder what that's about, because it doesn't feel stout on. It feels productive and homey!

Granny Squares Together

2011-10-21T19:46:00.002-05:00

I had enough to cream yarn to make a small blanket, nine tows of ten squares. I couldn't resist though, I've bought some additional cream and I'm putting a border around it. It's not an *exact* match, but what baby would care?

Clara Went Shopping

2011-10-20T22:36:00.002-05:00

Clara went shopping this afternoon. She bought sixty-six bright yellow dishes at the thrift store, a new hat, a skein of yarn, and a cup of hot chocolate.

The girl knows how to do it right.

A Round Crocheted Cushion Cover

2011-10-19T22:23:00.002-05:00

Some of my last scraps of post-ripple-blanket yarn made up into a round cushion cover. I had the worst time crocheting a simple circle! This is not perfect at all, but it fits over the curve of the pillow because I forced it to.

And I so cheated--I just slipstitched my round thing onto the top of an existing throw pillow.

Clara Wears Lavender and Raspberry

2011-10-18T22:26:00.002-05:00

Thrift store sweater over a jersey dress, handmade jersey scarf*, hand-knitted beret.

*Even if you can't sew at all, a quarter yard of jersey makes a gorgeous, edgy scarf, no hemming necessary. On the other hand, it's lots of fun to dress one up with some hand-stitching or a fabric marker.