Colette Patterns Rule!

I don't know which part of this post to do first, so, since I'm about 2 days late...


Thank you to The Coletterie (the blog for Colette Patterns), for featuring me and my Jasmine top in their Monday Featured Seamstress segment. If you missed it, you can click on the name and see the post. I was so flattered to have been chosen, after they had seen the Jasmine top in their flickr group. They made my Monday!


And on Monday, I finished my first pair of Clover pants. I say first pair, because I will definitely make more. I didn't actually have to make too many changes... traced the size 12, messed around with the crotch depth length. Is that the right term? The length that goes from your front waistline to the back waistline?


Anyway, after making the muslin, I had to tweak just a wee bit more, and they fit! OK, they are just a touch tight, but I'll take care of that with eliminating a recent obsession with Halloween candy. Done. The only change for the next pair is to lower the back waistline about half an inch. I did make the pockets, but I think I'll probably just leave them out for future pairs. I have several pieces of fabric already pulled in my stash for said future pairs.


These are made from an inexpensive poly gabardine from Hancocks. And it's black. Not too exciting, but I predict a lot of wear.


Oh, and p.s., no Wilma on Wednesday today, but the holidays are coming up, so lots of opportunities for hitting the dessert section of her cookbook pretty hard.

Vogue 1252, aka The Wedding Dress

I'm kinda loving calling it The Wedding Dress. So much easier than the dress that I'm wearing to a wedding I've been invited to. I'm going to show it to you, but remember, this is just about the dress, not about the styling. The complete look will have to be revealed later.


Starting with the back. The neckline was gaping a lot.

That fence heading down the hill is really messing with me. Seems like there's a lot of leaning going on. I used a zipper that has the little crystals, and wow, it is not straight. I'll have to remember that when I get dressed for the wedding... make sure someone straightens me up in the back. I put darts in the neckline and ripped out the shoulder seams after first taking off the facing (which was bad news). I think I pulled up 4 inches of extra fabric that was gaping.


I haven't decided yet between sheer black hose or black tights, so pretend like that's what you're seeing instead of blinding white legs. Also, pumps instead of loafers.

I haven't tacked the drape across the front yet and not sure I will. It's supposed to be pulled down over the boobs, but with the busy print, I don't think it really makes any difference in look. And that's it.


Hmmm, the dogs kind of match my color scheme, don't they!


Oh, other than shortening the sleeves and lengthening the bodice, I didn't make any other fit changes, cutting a straight 14. When I lengthened the bodice, for the back pieces, I only lengthened the sides, leaving the center back the original length. That took care of the sway back alternation.


Not sure I'll have a better looking dance partner...

Twirly fun...

Have a great weekend! Hoping to have a new pair of clover pants to show off Sunday or Monday.

I Lied

The "wedding dress" won't be revealed today. I'm holding on for tomorrow. Turns out, after trying it on, there was a major gaping issue with the back neckline that has to be remedied, and alas, the remedy will not fit into my sewing time schedule for today. I did assess what needs to be done.


In the meantime, I whipped up a muslin for the Clover pants that I had cut out last week. No pictures because there is a major fit issue (but shouldn't be a difficult fix). This will NOT be a wearable muslin (though it was never intended to be).


I was greatly amused by the comments on yesterday's recipe. Turns out people have a real relationship with the tuna casseroles of their past. I do have a tuna recipe with noodles as well, so you'll have that to look forward to, lol! Maybe for next week, I'll do something in the dessert category!


How about a little southern fall foliage for your viewing enjoyment. Last Saturday was our 28th wedding anniversary, and we spent part of the day at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia.

Wilma on Wednesday -- Tuna What? Casserole

This week's Wilma installment has been a staple for me, for as long as I can remember. And I'm pretty sure it was the first thing I ever made all by myself, and at the tender age of around 6. But I'm also pretty sure I've never heard of anyone else ever concocting such a casserole.


My mom and dad got married at the young, young age of 19 and 22, respectively. Aren't they cute?...

Is my mom really wearing red boots? That's my Great Aunt Dortee (short for Dorothy) looking on over on the left. This was taken in early 1959, a couple months after my parents got married, in front of their first house.


Anyway... as wonderful a cook as my Grandma Wilma was, she never really taught my mom anything. While the following recipe is in Grandma's cookbook, I'm speculating that my mom found it on the back of a Campbell's soup can, and we ate it so often, that later in my parent's marriage my dad refused to eat tuna ever again.

But it is super easy, and can be dumped together assembled in about 5 minutes. And a 6 year old can make it! I think I let my own daughter, Laura, make it when she was 6. Aren't we cute...

If you can't tell from the age of the pictures, I'm on the left on a trip to Boca Raton, Florida, and Laura is on the right, somewhere in the Czech Republic countryside. Sadly, I don't think Laura's husband, Thomas, likes tuna, so she'll be limited to making it on those time when he might be on a business trip, and she needs to feed the kids quick.


Tuna Potato Chip Casserole

In a 9" x 9" square pan, layer:


Crushed potato chips
1 can of LeSeur peas
1 can of tuna fish (any size you want... I used 2-5 oz cans)


Meanwhile, mix 1/2 can of milk with a can of cream of mushroom soup. Pour this over the layered ingredients. Add a topping of crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 deg F for 20-25 minutes.


I don't have a picture of it on a plate, because frankly, it looks a little gross. But 2 of us ate almost this whole thing on Monday, leaving just enough for my lunch today.

"Wedding dress" update: check back here tomorrow! It's almost done!

The Forgotten Chambray Dress, Simplicity 2246

Have you ever almost finished something, and then completely forget about it? That's what happened with a chambray dress that I made and almost finished around the end of August. All it needed was the buttons, and then self stitched September rolled around, and it, literally, got tossed on a heap of fabric in my sewing area. What? You don't have heaps of fabric lying around. Well, anyway.


Let's back up a bit. The pattern is Simplicity 2246, and is one of the Lisette line. I knew right away that I would make it pretty much as is. Then I saw this in the JJill catalog:

... and I was sold. (Those little dots in the picture are my sharpie marks counting the tucks.)


So, I made the dress. Tucks and all. I did remember that I needed buttons, and I bought some sometime in September. And I finished it up a couple of weeks ago. Now, I wish I could give you lots of details on how I did it, or what size I made and how I made alterations and fit it perfectly, but I really don't remember. Oh, but when I when I went to put the buttons on, I noticed this:

The color is way off so ignore that, but yes, so is the hem. How the heck did that happen? And how did I not notice? OK, so I fixed that and then it was done.


Let's just see some pictures then:

I took the pictures last week, but I've worn it all day today, and I'm only giving it a Wearability Index (WI) of 7. It could (should?) be a little shorter. And I just don't think it's all that flattering. But I do like the way it fits on the top.


I'm totally thinking of cutting it off, and just making it into a shirt. And I think I have enough chambray scraps left to make a crescent skirt from the part I cut off. None of this is going to happen soon, though. Remember the wedding that is happening 1 week from Friday. Yeah, I have things to make for that first.


How about a final shot of what it will look like as just a shirt (and to see the tucks a little better):

The Vintage Pattern Obsession and a New Blog

Don't you love this blouse? So sleek and chic! And I've really gotten into getting the patterns in my Etsy shop, and am excited that they are actually selling! So I want to step it up a bit, and I've started a new blog just focusing on the vintage patterns, the shop, and things I make (and hopefully others make) from these patterns.


BUT. I'm not leaving this blog, because it's really my personal, here's what's happening in my life! It's the thread, dammit! LOL! There's the Tracy Reese "wedding dress" waiting to be revealed, and Wilma on Wednesday, after all.


If you love vintage patterns, though, and want to check them out in my etsy shop (where the majority are under $20, mostly under $10) come take a look at Sew Vintage Today. It's a wordpress blog, and there is a definite learning curve, so changes will be coming slowly but steadily... like adding the blogroll, and all the widgits and all the good stuff. Follow along for announcements, giveaways, and maybe even a contest or two. I just need that critical mass of followers, hint, hint.


Hope to see some old friends over there!

Wilma on Wednesday is Back!

Grandma Wilma and Grandpops Gerry with my little sister, Susan on a trip to Austin, Texas

After a bit of a hiatus with the Wilma recipes (due to an attempt at vegetarianism... that's for another post), I decided it was time to get on with Wilma's recipes. One of my family's favorites is a super easy one, that I have made over and over. You probably have a version you make for your own family.

Easy & Quick Chicken Divan

2 - 10 oz. frozen broccoli (I use the florets)

2 cups sliced cook chicken (I used 2 bone-in chicken breasts and roasted them for about 45 minutes, uncovered)

Place the above ingredients in a casserole pan (12" x 8").

Mix together:

2 cups cream of chicken soup (I used one can), 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I didn't measure), and 1 tsp lemon juice (I squeezed one wedge into the mayo/soup)

Spread the mixture over the chicken and broccoli. It's thick, so it kind of spreads like frosting. It will "melt" into the casserole.

Sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs (I leave these off).

Bake at 350 deg F for 25 minutes.

Sprinkle grated sharp cheese over the top and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

I served this with white rice.