Dressed for Success

I'm currently knee deep in tartan material and a skirt sewing pattern that has me puzzled. I'm sure I'll solve it soon, but I'm so new to using paper patterns that is can be a bit overwhelming. I thought, in an effort to regain my sewing mojo I'd show you my recent sewing success(es). I fell in love with this tutorial, it is a fat quarter dress and uses up the small bits of fabric I have lying around the place.

First I made a practice dress, sized for an 18 month old, with some awesome leftover fabrics. It turned out so well I'm going to hold on to it to give it to one of my friend's daughters one day.

This was the first time I had top stitched, and it was a great dress to learn that technique. I also made a lined version, adapted from the pattern but not following their lined version (which looked wonderful but seemed a little fussy and I thought my tweaks would work ... they did.) The lining is the same as the hem colour (a light blue floral on one side, dark blue on the other.) It is one continuous piece each side, attached to the same hem join as the original pattern. I can't describe it very well but suffice to say it did the trick.  Not the best photo just you at least get to see the colours.

I also used it yesterday, to make this dress, size 5 for a friend's daughter. Pattern with a purpose, let's just hope it fits.

Not bad really. The tutorial was excellent, and helped me learn a few pointers about sewing, like topstitching and serging edges.

 The only problem is, now I'm addicted to this one pattern! And I don't have any kids of my own so it is almost a little creepy to be making them. It isn't that I'm clucky, or that I want kids yet, but I thought if I cut my teeth on little people's clothes then if I made a mistake I would waste far less material. The lovely other half agrees, and instead of being freaked out by my toddler clothing making binge he supports it. My sewing space shares the room with his computer so it also means we get to hang out in close quarters while he smashes cars or shoots bad guys (or writes thesis) and I sew to my heart's content. And now that I have the hang of it I feel almost confident enough to tackle a me-sized article of clothing. Hence the skirt, though the pattern fiasco is putting me off a little. I'll let you know how it goes.

I have sewn a few other things lately. I finished my Mum's pressie, but wont show it here until I've given it to her. I also finished the lovely other half's apron, with beer fabric and a fabric I had printed which is little mariokart figures. He loves it!

 

 A couple more bags have joined the fold too, a magnificent flamingo one (I've already worked out who I want to give this to, I just have to get it to her) and a Frido Kahlo one which is just glorious. I'd give this to my Mum but she already has so many of my bags she mightn't want it.

Ok, back to the drawing board, well in this instance the cutting board to tackle that skirt. At any rate, if I stuff it up it is only opshop fabric I am ruining. And check out this opshop fabric haul I got the other day. Seven different fabrics ranging from 1 metre lengths to just over 2 metre lengths in a couple of cases. Altogether it cost just under $10, and included another couple of metres of yellow cotton (not pictured) as well as the awesome lace. I'm using the two metres of tartan for today's skirt.

And no, this isn't a sewing blog, it is still my teetotal 2012, it just seems I've replaced one addiction (social drinking) with a new one (sewing.)

Pressies for all

I've been sewing (really???!!!???) and I made a few pressies for people. This cushion was for dear friend and cat lover, nearly Dr A. I hope it made her smiley and doesn't make her cat think it is competition.

The fabric patches are a mix of cats and kittens and this awesome cat newspaper print. Not too cutesy but lots of fun. The back turned out pretty wonky (sorry nearly Dr A) but it is such an awesome fabric, combining cats and cocktails, two very awesome things according to the receiver.

I managed to make the quilt below in a day. Just one day! I was impressed with my little sewing self and it didn't look ruches. It also didn't need to be done in a day, I just got caught up in the fun of it all. It is just a little lap quilt, only a bit over a metre each side and was for my wonderful cousin A's birthday (not Nearly Dr A, they're two different people.) The squares were from a precut charm pack but the black in between and binding were my choice and cut. It turned out really well I reckon, not bad for a day's work.

I also made a few things for rellos overseas which I don't want to give details of yet, because they wont be getting them for a few weeks ;)

Do I ever have time for anything else? ...

... of course not ... I only have time for sewing. Ok so I do a lot more than sew bags, but judging by my recent posts that's all I seem to do. Plus eating decadent foods and occasionally wearing silly gowns and hats. However in sewing land it has been bag central.

These two are for my Aunt's 80th Birthday this weekend. A big one for all that shopping, and a little one for those smaller trips. I hope the big one isn't too big for her. She isn't too frail or anything, but something that size can fit a lot, and would get heavy for anyone. I just couldn't help myself and kept adding layers which made it bigger and bigger. More and more blue (her favourite colour)

Here's a close up of the big blue one. It is large patchwork in the middle, with a blue floral border then some smaller patches on the outside. This was the first time I had embedded handles between the lining and the outer, they ended up a little long, but workable.

I gave this one to a different Aunt and Uncle last Sunday. Patchwork on both sides, with two different kinds of purple. These are very basic, but were test runs for french seaming. It seems I am improving and they loved the bag. Again it is really just a glorified shopping bag, but it looks good too. Machine washable for when the bananas you forgot to take out two weeks ago go mouldy. Don't you just love the boots int he background! Maybe I shoulda cropped those out ...

This picture below doesn't do the bag justice, and now it has gone home with its recipient (my Mum!!!) I can't take anymore pics. I wanted to show the front, back and floral lining all in one shot, but really it just looks like it is falling off a shelf. Pink patchwork one side, pink and black dots on the other, with some dark purple florals inside. Again another french seaming practice run.

A friend on facebook asked for closeups of the stitching of the dooner cover I made. This is about as close as you'll get. It had three different sizes of patch, mostly orienal and floral motifs. See here:

In between I sewed some gold ribbon. This covered the joins of the material and also added to the overall design of it. I wanted the black stitching to be noticable so I did this zigzag stitch. It's uneven in places, but worked out ok.

This is the floral material that covers the bottom half. I had to run a few lines of stitches through it but I didn't want to quilt it properly, leaving it instead to retain some natural flow. That's because it is partially seethrough and I loved the effect of the blue behind it. We will see how long this holds up.

 
Here are the three elements together.

Current projects include finishing an apron for the lovely other half, finishing a different apron for Mum and making a skirt for me. Well trying to make a skirt for me.

Pasta Mad

I've always been a pasta fan. Just ask my Mum and she'll tell you yes, indeedy, oh my word yes, all with a pained expression on her face. She loves pasta, she just doesn't get to eat it very often. She says Dad hates it and that's why they don't have it often. Except that, as I recall, for a long time pasta, in that house, was the vegetarian option for a Friday night, more ubiquitous than risotto. Dad suggests he loves pasta just not vegetarian food. So in her effort to make him eat healthier and have a meat-free day the pasta became the go to meal. Now it's just the gone meal. I reckon she should bring it back, and make is mainly meat free, or make a rich tomatoey sauce that is packed full of hidden veg. (for the record Dad does eat veg, and he is incredibly healthy for his age, he just subscribes to the meat is the main, veg is for the side menu of life.)

I swear my Mum thinks I eat pasta every meal of every day. I'm a big girl (just look at the grad pics in the last post) and going off alcohol has actually made me put on weight. But pasta and I know to keep our distance and it is a once or twice a week thing (when you are cooking for one, you never simply make one serve, you make at least 3, one for then, one for the next day and one for the freezer, hence if pasta is on the menu, it is on it at least twice) However, I am definitely a bit keen on it as you can see from previous TIBG blog posts.

The lovely bf and I decided to make our own pasta. I used to do this when I lived with mum and dad, but it is a bit of work and not that useful to a time poor girl who lives on her own (at least for a couple more days.) That, and I broke my pasta roller! The bf has his own pasta roller and we moved it in to my place the other weekend. And for once I have a benchtop that fits it.

The test run of pasta was just as good as I used to make, firm but light, with just the right 'toothiness'. Thank goodness for women's weekly recipes, triple tested to lock in the goodness.

I served some with a pesto, chorizo sauce, pictured above, and the later serves with some left over beef rib bolognaise. All were delicious. I will definitely be making more of this in future, though would love to eat it with a nice crisp glass of ...

Vue de Monde: A most amazing meal

I finally strutted and fretted my hour upon the stage, with the PhD graduation ceremony last Saturday morning. I even have some dorky pictures to prove it:

It was a lovely ceremony, and the dinner afterwards with my relatives was equally delightful but the highlight of the weekend/month/year was definitely dinner the night before at Vue de Monde. My father and I had joked early in my candidature that if I ever graduated from the PhD he would take me to this wonderful but extravagant restaurant. I did, and he did, as well as bringing along the rest of the family, the boyfriend, a dear family friend and an Aunt and an Uncle. 8 people meant sitting at the chef's table (one of 3 apparently.) It has both a private window and a view of the kitchen.

Or, if you are a magic phone photographer like my lovely other half, you get both in the same picture. Wonderful, and so was the meal. I didn't like all courses, but then again anyone who has a palate that wide is just lying. Here is a photo of my favourite course, the cucumber sorbet for which the flavour balance was perfect and the theatre of the dish erred on the funner side of things.

The other half loved the course below immensely, as did I, which was different tastes and textures of mandarin and viola. If you've ever read my other blog, you'll know I love all members of that flower family.

I wont put up anymore pics of the food, because they're from a phone and they do not do these amazing dishes justice. Although props to the awesome phone photographer. However other highlights, for me, included an amazing mocktail (see you don't need to drink to have a good time), petit fours that still linger in my memory, eel with a cracking good texture, coconut sorbet balls and anything that had mushrooms. Although there are no more pics of food I couldn't resist this one, of me with my new favourite thing in the world (sorry boyfriend) the cheese cart:

My precious, my cheese ... though I do note that I erred on the side of decency and only tried three while my brother raked in tiny tastes of at least 6 French and Australian cheeses. I went all gollum with this wheely wonder and would have made off with it if I could. The 55 floor lift kind of got in the way of that plan. So much cheese, a well selected range and generous servings.

VDM even give you a morning after bag to take home, with a brioche, museli and more. A few days later they sent Dad a menu of proceedings, a touch which I considered to show the same care and detail as saw on the night. I mean this is a place that does a set menu but also caters to dietary needs. I can't eat under/uncooked egg, and one dish contained a barely more than raw egg. Although I drooled over everyone's plates I knew that with just one bite I'd be dashing for the ladies. Instead of causing me difficulties, they kindly prepared me an alternative dish, smoked kangaroo and other goodies. It even came with the same freshly shaved truffle that the egg dish did. No fuss, no bother, no 'we don't do alterations', just thoughtful.

It really was the most perfect graduation present and everyone enjoyed the night. There were some tiny hiccups, as there always are, with noise being a slight issue at times. The other chef's tables were in quieter locations but for a cooking-mad Phd grad (and a few other foodies on the table) the one closest to the main kitchen was a coup, and I wouldn't change anything. There was also some undulating service (my brother felt pressured to have a soft drink after repeatedly declining the kind but constant and overly forceful  questions from our wait staff.) However, these quibbles really were so minor, and simply part of dining out. The funniest issue was with the toilets. They are very grand, but very dimly lit, and I got a little confused (it probably didn't help I was mid-oncoming migraine at the time.) But a different lovely lady, we'll call her Mum for the sake of this story, managed to get locked in a stall. My Aunt only narrowly missed this fate. The family friend somehow found himself in the same trouble in the disabled toilet. Moreover he wasn't aiming for, nor needed the diasabled toilet, it was simply to dark that it was hard to tell the difference. I'm just surprised I didn't get locked in because I could barely even find the door to get in, let alone get out again. And from the waitress's stories this is, seemingly, a common event. Not sure how to fix this problem overall, but they might want to warn people in advance.

It might sound strange but I was talking about it to the boyfriend afterwards, and we both agreed, magnificent as it was, we are in no hurry to go back. We do wish to return one day, but just not soon. It was so big, so grand, so gourmand and looms so large as a wonderful memory that I don't feel I could manage it a second time soon. Maybe one summer when the menu is somewhat different, or when I have something else special to celebrate we will return (not to mention when I finally have the money to spend on this place.)

But for anyone else, all I can say is, save, scrimp, eat rice for a year if you have to, but do whatever you can to spend a night at Vue de Monde, it really is worth it.

Although one last piece of advice - it might be wise to go to Vue de Monde AFTER your graduation, lest you end up like this on the big day:

Sew much fun

The surrogate addiction, sewing, has been in full swing again. I rejigged this dooner cover to make it a little more me.

Now to make the matching pillow cases.

With the fast approaching arrival of the lovely other half into this household I've had to do a bit of rearranging. This means the sewing space is now a sewing nook and it doesn't look half bad. Yes I did eventually move the sewing maching in there too, but this shot is just to show it mid set up.

I've made a tonne of bags and aprons which you can also see in this photo. I've even been learning how to french seam. It's getting a little technical in here, I might even sew something useful one of these days.

On Related Deliciousness

Remember the chocolate hazelnut pavlova? No? This pic might remind you.

I'm drooling with just the memories of this rich little number. I'll be remaking it this weekend for my extended family for graduation celebrations, only I'll be likely adding a bit of this to the mix.

So chocolately ...  so awesome! And what is even more awesome is this cheesecake.

 

Yes that is only a couple of small pieces but that was all that was left when I remembered to photograph it. It was a raspberry baked cheesecake, adapted from this recipe and was delicious. So delicious it turned a confirmed cheesecake hater into the biggest cheesecake fan on this planet (Curiousity may discover a bigger cheesecake fan on Mars but that's a bit of a long way off ...)

I'm making this cheesecake too for Saturday's celebrations. Though my brother might say otherwise, sometimes I guess it is good to be related to me! :)