NEW BLOG FEATURE...FAYE'S DOLLHOUSE DELIGHTS

Just a little back story about the name of this feature:  

Some of you may already know that my given name is Linda Faye; but because there was another Linda in our family, I grew up answering to my middle name.  In addition, family and dear and close friends also dubbed me Fayedoll.  I've started writing cookbooks several times, but they never really took flight, so I thought I'd post some of my favorites here on my blog -as an added feature. 

Although mine is an "almost" dedicated sewing blog, I have been thinking about adding several features to showcase my other interests.  Today I'm introducing "Faye's Dollhouse Delights" -  recipes that I love and adore. 

...tis the season for fresh peaches.  I've made not one, not two but three trips to Lane Southern Orchards this season, not only to get fresh peaches, but for one of my favorite seasonal treats - Peach Cobbler.  Although I can and do make it at home myself, there is nothing like the aroma of it when cooked in mass quantities there at the orchard.

I love my own recipe (that I share below) but you can also find Lane's cobbler recipe here.  I'll swear, theirs looks and tastes just like mine.  If you are a cobbler fan maybe you'd like to try both recipes and compare for yourself.

PEACH COBBLER

1 large can peaches or 2 cups of fresh peaches

1 Cup Milk

1 Stick Margarine or Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Self Rising Flour or Bisquick

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch (optional, but I like it)

Melt margarine or butter in a 9" x 13" casserole dish and set aside.

In a blender add: 1/4 Cup sugar, flour or bisquick and milk.  Blend until thoroughly

mixed.  (you can also use a mixer to blend these ingredients). Set aside.

In a sauce pan,slowly heat peaches, vanilla, 3/4 Cup sugar, and corn starch

just until warm and sugar is melted.

Pour peach mixture over butter in casserole dish.

Pour flour/milk mixture over peaches.

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees until bubbly and lightly browned.

> Serve while still warm; great with vanilla ice cream.

Variation:  This recipe also makes other great cobblers; just substitute a can of blackberry, cherry or blueberry Pie Filling for the peaches, and leave out the 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla, corn starch, and do not heat the pie filling.

ENJOY!!!

I'VE WON THE MOST WONDERFUL PRIZES...

...by now you all know that I just love WINNING - but, then again, who doesn't!  When it comes to give-a-way contests, one can't win unless one enters - right?  I do enter quite a few give-a-way contests in the sewing blogsphere arena, and every now and then I do win!  So I thought I'd do a post to show off my winnings, as well as give PUBLIC "THANK YOUs" to the bloggers who sponsored the give-a-ways.

• First up, I won two yards of this

 the most wonderful feeling interfacing ever from Pam Erny of Off the Cuff and Fashion Sewing Supply.  Pro-sheer Elegance Fusible and Pro-Woven Shirt Crisp Fusible.  I haven't even used it yet, but I do think I'm already hooked!  I can't wait to use the pro-woven in my next jacket. 

Secondly,

A wonderful retro blouse pattern from Rebecca of Ugly Cute Designs - our up and coming Fashion Designer.  I don't have very many, but I love retro blouse patterns.  I think this one has numerous possibilities and is just the right little wardrobe enhancer.

And Next,

This book has lots of ideas on growing ones blog and was offered by What's Up Cupcake (she has a beautiful blog too - you should check it out).


And this,

The prettiest hand crafted note cards from Smoking Needles - and I already know who I'm going to mail them off to.


And last but not least,

I had picked this from the shelf at the book store several times only to decide that the time to buy it just wasn't right, and then saw that it was offered by Angie at Quality Time.  There are several designs included in this book that I know I'll try very soon.


I still have visions of winning:

• a state of the art sewing machine that I could never afford to buy myself
• a new car
• a new, fully furnished home - located near a body of water
• an all expense paid trip to exotic places
• an I Pad2
• and of course, a million or so tax-free dollars.

Don't laugh - it could happen...

LESSON LEARNED...

When I attempted my last pair of custom made pants, I altered my dat gumn TNT pattern; you know the one:

•  just slightly younger than Methuselah Simplicity 8707 printed in 1978
• the one I found at the antique shop
• the one that cost me only $.49
• the one I've used successfully for over a year now
• the one I was working on when Gwen told me how to eliminate wrinkling across the front

you know, trying to make a good thing just a wee bit better.  Well, the results were terrible!  I never posted them because I experienced a sick feeling prior to snatching out my zipper and depositing them in the trash out by the side of the road.



I know that there are hundreds thousands of pants patterns out there - shucks, half of them are located in my pattern cabinet(s).   I know that if I work at it I can make another pattern fit me just as well - but I don't really have the time to do that right now (that's my story, and I'm sticking to it).

The only positive part of this story is - I did have sense enough to trace the pattern

so the original one is still intact (however a little tattered).  So I'm still in business and tonight I'm in the process of reinforcing the original with iron on interfacing to help it last a little longer.  I'll trace it just as it is when I get some extra Saturday time.

Moral of this story:   leave well enough alone Faye!  In the words of Anthony from Project Runway Season 8, "Da_m, lesson learned".

Have you learned any valuable sewing lessons lately???

EXCITMENT IS BUILDING FOR ME...

...and I know many others too.  I can wait to see

It's been a long dry season off.  I so wish this show could run continually.  

Guess what?  I finally finished my Navy blazer.  Seems like it took forever and a day because I  started around the 8th of the month.  I really thought I'd finish sooner, but a 4 day business trip coupled with 3 nights of work during the last two weeks sort of slowed up my sewing progress bit.

Again this was Butterick 4138, a simple 8 piece pattern that I added a lining to.  I made two of this same jacket (but unlined) back in '09 during one of my unselfish seamstress moments.  Seems like forever ago.  As simple as it is, I really like this jacket a lot - it fits well, and I only had one glitch, (the backwards collar that I did go back and fix).  Adding the lining did take more time than I estimated, but now that I've traced off specific lining pieces for the pattern it should save time on the second  jacket that I plan to make soon. Next up will be the matching pants for this jacket - it will be the outfit I plan to wear on the first day of school, August 1st.
  
Have a great week all...

NO PICTURES...

...JUST A NOTE OF GRATITUDE.

It would  be totally rude of me to take one more minute before thanking all the people who follow my blog.

That's right - Thank you for taking the time to look in and read here.  Each and every follower is very important to me!!!

NEW MURPHY'S LAW....

 ...NEVER GET TOO HAPPY - UNTIL THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED!

I finally started working on one of the four (yes 4) linen jackets that I did have planned for summer sewing.  Each will end up a with matching pants - or so the plan goes. I wanted each  jacket to be almost effortless, but have the look of precise sewing skills handled with much care.  I ask, is this an oxymoron?

I choose Butterick 4138 for Jacket #1 - Easy 8 pattern pieces

• After musling I found that I needed to increase the armscye because it was a little binding.  That involving adjusting the jacket front, back and front and back facings.  I also increased over all the width of the sleeve to achieve a slightly baggy feel.
• Added back fisheye darts for just a little bit of contour and fit.
• Added 2 1/2 inches to the sleeve length to facilitate a rolled cuff.
• Added twill tape to the shoulder area, and a back stay in addition to the pattern's back facing to add stability, and increase longevity of the jacket.
• The pattern is for an unlined jacket, but I will line this jacket for wearing ease.

Not too time consuming - So far, so good huh?   Not so much!  I constructed the PERFECT collar for my jacket, and achieved the PERFECT turn of cloth for it which left me beaming, proud, and a very happy sewista UNTIL - attaching it to the jacket, and trimming my seam then discovering that I sewed it in backwards!  THAT'S RIGHT my PERFECTLY rolled collar is - PERFECTLY rolled in the wrong direction!

Needless to say I spent the entire next day debating whether to rip it out and turn it around, or just leave it and hope no seamstress with discriminating eyes gets close enough to detect my error.  I think we all know the verdict - I WILL rip and sew again.  But first, I needed to let it sit a while... marinate, and then attack the job.  I guess I should ... NEVER GET TOO HAPPY UNTIL THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED!!!

A SLIGHT CASE IF MIA-NESS...

...at the end of my last chapter/post you found me in hot pursuit of satisfying my sewing addiction.  Well, right in the middle of that adventure I decided that maybe it was high time for a computer clean-up.  Well because I had put that little chore off for so long, what should have taken one afternoon turned into 3 days worth of labor for my highly skilled computer man.  (Sorry computer man!)   Being without my computer is almost like being away from my bff, and it also throw me off of my posting game.  As a result, I'm behind with posting my FP's ( finished projects).  My SW/OP (Sewing without a Plan) marathon turned into a full fledged Top-A-Thon in which I was able to produce:

• 2 Sorbeit Tops,
• 1 Knit Vest,
• 2 Sheer Tunics,
• 2 RTW Top Re-fashions,
• an apron,
• and a pair of curtains (curtains still not hung - pictures forth coming)

Here are pictures of the two tunics that I made.

Butterick 5496

OOP Butterick 4754

Not to bad for SW/OP time, huh?

A RELEVANT MUST READ...

Melissa Bourbon's "Pleating for Mercy", offers a refreshing twist from that of other story novels.   Who would have thought that a sewist turned sleuth wanna be would write such a gripping page turner?  A sewist after my own heart - Melissa's mixes actual sewing references (with which I was familiar) with modern reality to bring the story line full circle;  not to mention the author's attention to detail when it comes to crime solving.


Any serious sewist can tell you the critical thinking skills necessary to create a garment from her imagination; now add that to the job of crime solving, and you have a plot that is just brilliant - even magical. And, if you don't fall love with the small Texas town at first, you will after reading "Pleating for Mercy"; where smiles are warm and all the people know you.  To top it off, amongst the warm smiling townsmen...the least person you would suspect solves the murder.

Let me stop before I give away the ending, but  I definitely suggest this book as I eagerly await the next edition of the Melissa Bourbon series...