Pumpkin Pie

My son kept asking if we could bake a pumpkin pie, so after the last of 3 exams in a row K and I rolled our sleeves up and hit the kitchen with a rolling pin and a whisk in hand.

I was in charge of the pie crust. I love King Arthur Flour's Perfect Pastry Blend. It is fail-proof and absolutely delicious.


Once the crust was made it was up to K to put the rest of the pie together. He followed the recipe directions perfectly, with minimal help from me (we used the pumpkin pie recipe on the Libby brand pumpkin can).

While we waited for the pie to bake, K was able to get his homework done.

Once the pie cooled (which seemed like days) we cut the perfect pie. We didn't have whip cream so we enjoyed our treat with scoops of vanilla ice cream.



I love baking with my son. It's a great way for us to spend time together and he feels accomplished when he is able to feast on the food his hands prepared.

Summer Sewing Fun, Part I

Over the summer, I stashed my pharmacy books and study guides and dove right into sewing and family fun. At the beginning of my summer break I purchased a few patterns and books on sewing clothes for little girls. I have an adorable 2 year old (nearly three now) girl who loves skirts, dresses, and frilly pants. I, too, love skirts, dresses, and frilly pants especially when they're layered and splashed with complimentary colors and patterns.

The first 3 patterns I got were Modkid patterns. I love Patty Young. Her fabric collections always makes me smile. I have such a difficult time cutting into Michael Miller fabrics designed by Patty Young because I tend to reserve them for the "perfect project." Of course, no perfect project comes along and I end up admiring them washed and neatly folded in stacks on my fabric shelf.

 The first dress I decided to make was from the Modkid Ava pattern. My wonderful husband had purchased Cloud 9 Organic fabric (Flock Bird in Sky) in enough amounts to create this darling outfit.The directions were clear and concise; easy to follow and also allows the maker to use their imagination. I just made it exactly as stated in the directions, but I can see how you can change a few things. Also, the pattern is two separate pieces with a top and then a skirt. So pair this classy top with a cute pair of skinny jeans and you've got yourself a stylish diva!

 My next pattern adventure was the Modkid Nina pattern. It is ridiculously easy to follow and there are so many variations that even someone with limited sewing experience can come up with ideas to enhance its already fantastic design. The particular version that I made (the sleeveless top) allows my daughter to use this outfit for at least 2, maybe even 3, years. This is because the skirt has an elastic waist and the top can be adjusted (via the shoulder straps) as my littlest grows. 

Look at her face! She loves getting new outfits!

The Modkid Frida pattern was next. This was an easy and fun pattern. I had a little trouble with the sleeve, but it was due to user error. The dress looks super comfortable and I had half a mind to increase the size and make one for me, but I didn't think it was such a good idea being as I would have to increase length, bust size, arms...you get the idea. It would just be depressing.

Modkid patterns are fun and easy to follow. They are great for beginners because the instructions are very direct with fabulous illustrations that leaves you with no doubt. It is also a nice pattern if you are an experience sew-er as the pattern leaves so much room to add your own creativity to it.

Of course I went out and purchased more Modkid patterns. In addition to the 3 I listed above, I purchased the Emma, Maddie, and Kyoko patterns. I already had the Modkid Julia skirt pattern which I have used and love because it's so easy and produces such a stylish skirt. My next purchase will be the Addison pattern. I've been eyeing for a few days on Patty Young's blog. Can you say "gorgeous!" I think my little sweetness won't be able to take that one off if I make one for her. I guess there can be worst things to happen as a mom.

Turnip Head

One of my favorite movies and books of all time is Howl's Moving Castle. So when my son's school had a pumpkin decorating contest in which the theme was to decorate a pumpkin in your favorite book character, I thought of the moving castle from the story. After looking at stills from the motion picture, I resigned myself to throw the idea out because of how complicated it was going to be. Then my husband suggested we make Turnip Head. What a great idea! 

K was thrilled at the thought because Turnip Head is one of his favorite characters from the movie and he is fascinated by scarecrows...and we just so happened to have a real miniature pumpkin laying around the house-perfect!

  After a trip to Michaels to get black and brown foam we were set to start.

 This was a collective effort: My husband colored the pumpkin white, made the skeleton for the character from wooden sticks, and added the pipe which was made from a toothpick and leftover foam. K drew the face with a Sharpie, constructed the top hat which was attached with a hot glue gun, and used felt to make the undershirt and bow-tie. I sewed the jacket and the uni-pant (aka a skirt) using suede remnants from my overflowing stash of fabric.

 

Needless to say, K was overjoyed! 

He walked into school, head held high with Turnip Head at his side. 

His only complaint was that the pumpkin would eventually rot.

Business Cards

I got my new mini (business) cards in the mail today. Ordered them from Moo. I couldn't help myself, I like cute things and these cards are cute! It came packaged in a neat little box that couldn't wait to be opened.

Once I got the little cards out, I was in love. My only complaint was with the printing in that it looks a bit pixelated. Maybe in the future this can be avoided, but for now. They meet my expectations and I'm happy.

Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale

Don't be silly and brave the crowds, the cold weather, and the early morning start time. Shop from the comfort of your home online! Save 20% off anything in my shop. New items added today!

You can also visit any one of my fellow Etsy friends listed in our KCEtsy blog.

Many items to choose from and at great prices or free shipping!

Paper, my first love...

Before fabric and its array of wonder, I worked with paper. My first job, many years ago, was at Flax Art and Design in San Francisco, California. I knew nothing about art nor did I care that I did, I just needed a job and I needed it fast. My first position was as a cashier, but within a few months I moved into the paper room and was soon thrown into a world of constant inspiration in the form of paper.

Just imagine a warehouse filled with rows upon rows of steal metal flat-files all containing two, sometimes three different designs or patterns of large sheets of paper. Raw materials waiting to be made into something, yet occasionally able to stand alone as an art piece. The ideas were endless and I would spent my time at work thinking of the next project. I kept a journal in my pocket and inspired by customers (clients as we called them) or the object itself, I would sketch out designs into it. I've gone from constructing lamp shades to burning paper (made from a sort of plastic material, I was trying to obtain an artistic sculpture-like look by manipulating the plastic as it heated up and eventually burned), but the most fun was in bookbinding.

The first books I made were pitiful. The glue I used seeped through the cover and I didn't put enough pressure on the book while it was drying so, the book buckled and the folds were loose. My technique was messy and as precise as I thought I was when I scored and punched holes through the pages of the book, I was usually 1/8"off every single time.

After purchasing and reading several books on bookbinding, upgrading my tools (I bought a drill and heavy duty clamps to make uniform holes though the binder's board and pages), trial and error, I improved my bookbinding skills and was finally happy with the results I could produce. One book from start to finish could take a full day to complete, but the masterpiece at the end was always worth the laborious steps.


Pictured are a few of what remains of my bookbinding/paper days. I promise myself that one day, when space allows, I will set up a bookbinding studio along side my sewing studio and enjoy my two favorite hobbies.

Sewing Magazines

Just picked up the latest issue of Stitch Magazine by Quilting Arts. Perusing through the pages gets me inspired and wondering "what I'm doing with a magazine in my hand? I should be in my studio right now sewing!" It is one of my favorite magazines for sewing and inspiration because it features patterns for hip new items, websites to visit, tips and techniques, and an array of yummy pictures that triggers all kinds of ideas. The only downfall to Stitch is there is no option to subscribe, thus no opportunity to save on some mula. At $14.99 (some issues are less, for example summer was a mere $7.99 in comparison) an issue it seems logical to want to pay the yearly fee if they'd offer it.

Sew News is another great magazine. A bimonthly snippet to keep your focus of sewing in check. This one you can subscribe to and I highly recommend you do. They feature some basic patterns geared mainly towards beginners and intermediate sewers. The articles, tips and technique contents of the magazine are pretty handy especially for someone like me who lack formal sewing training.

Another great magazine I enjoy is Sew Hip which is based in the UK. Similar to Stitch but with a European flare, all of the measurements for the patterns threw me off because they were in SI units. I had to pull out some conversions in order to make the cute shoulder bag it featured in their summer issue. Overall the magazine had some pretty cool articles and loads of patterns. It even featured a DIY knickers pattern, just in case you were ever curious on how to make undies.

I'm not a quilter and I found there to be a slew of quilting magazines in print. Occasionally the quilters magazine may have a purse pattern or something of interest, but I rather not spend the $5 to $7 on a magazine for one pattern. I wish there were more magazines geared towards the new generations of sewing enthusiasts that contains useful information spanning all sewing crafts (not just quilting or dress making) and an abundance of eye candy.