tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45774858283449422852024-03-13T10:42:02.372-06:00Modern SuzieModern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-41756051770036555352018-02-26T18:45:00.000-07:002018-02-27T08:32:49.205-07:00On the Hunt to Find Hoodoos<div class="MsoNormal">
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While I've driven through Edson on numerous occasions on my way to Jasper or BC, I had never really bothered to stop there (other than maybe for gas and a bio-break, the town doesn't exactly scream tourist destination). A friend of mine posted a few amazing hoodoo pictures on facebook and said that they were near Edson, much to my suprise. It was
enough to get me hooked; we love hiking but we go to Jasper so often that we
were in the mood for a bit of a change in scenery (whiny, right?).</div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">We did a quick google search and the park is pretty much halfway between Edson and Hinton; a</span>ccording to google, Sundance Provincial Park is about a 45-minute drive from either location. We decided to
use Edson as a base as all the pet friendly places were booked up in Hinton.<br />
<br />
Once in Edson, we stopped at the info centre to see if they had some more
details on how to get to this park as online resources were pretty scarce,
unfortunately they didn’t have a lot either but were kind enough to print off a
google map search for us.<br />
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-CA">Big mistake, do not, I repeat, do not use the google
map. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-CA">Google maps will send you down a logging road that does not lead you to the park
and will waste about an hour of your time. After searching and searching I
figured out where we needed to go and from highway 16 we headed north onto
Range Road 192 (which then quickly turns into Township road 532A). We followed
the road until we hit Emerson Creek Road and then headed west (left) until we
came upon the park on our left. These roads are gravel and used mainly by
logging and oil & gas trucks, so be warned. We were glad that we brought
our Jeep instead of our shiny new car as there were a few times we had to pull
over into the ditch to let trucks by. I think you could do it in a car but it
would be much slower and not quite as enjoyable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Here are a few maps from google to help you
out:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">Once we finally arrived (way, way later
than planned) we found an empty parking lot with a clean outhouse and a map of
the park. This part of the park has 3 trails: the Lake trail, Skyline trail and
the Wild Sculpture trail. Since my main goal was the hoodoos, we headed towards
the Wild Sculpture trail. This area is beautiful we started off in a densely
forested area, with tons of beautiful wildflower, the first part of the trail
was well maintained but looked to be lightly used, you travel over rolling
hills with nice views of the lake until about 2km in and then there they are,
the hoodoos! The dogs seemed to be even more excited about the hoodoos than we
were. Every time we came across one, they would run up and try to climb it and
we’d have to holler at them to stay off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA">We continued on the path to see a few
different sections on hoodoos and eventually hit a fork in the trail where you
could decide to continue to the Skyline trail or down to the Lake trail. We
didn’t make it too far on the lake trail as it was starting to rain and the
overgrown trail was getting pretty slippery; this trail is not maintained past
a certain point so is a bit difficult to navigate and was covered with tall
grass and branches. After our unsuccessful stint down the lake trail we headed
back to follow the Skyline trail; this one has some steep sections and there
are parts where you are right on the edge of the cliff giving you great views
of the lakes though and some of the hoodoos below.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA">Overall it was a great little trip and we
will definitely be back.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA"><b><br /></b></span>
<span lang="EN-CA"><b>Other places to check out in the Edson Area:</b></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="https://benchcreekbrewing.com/">Bench Creek Brewing</a></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA">We stopped by the brewery for a tasting flight and to buy a few growlers. The have a few seats inside and a nice little patio. They do offer tours on set days of the week, check out their site for more details.</span></div>
Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-9138673639562283962011-04-20T11:27:00.006-06:002018-02-27T08:14:39.674-07:00Dying Easter EggsEaster is coming up and I’m really tempted to dye some eggs, they always look so pretty. I haven’t done that since I was little. We often bought kits to dye eggs but I did recall my mother mixing up a batch using food dye. With a quick google search I found the following recipe:<br />
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For colorfast egg dyes, mix 7-8 drops of food coloring into 1 cup of hot water. Stir in 1/4 cup vinegar. Let them dry thoroughly between coats of dye.<br />
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I haven’t tried these but here are some recommendation for natural dyes that I’ve found online:<br />
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Boil ingredients in water with a tablespoon of vinegar until the desired shade is reached. Strain to remove solids.<br />
<span style="color: #ffff33;">Yellow:</span> Yellow onion skins or ground turmeric<br />
<span style="color: #ff6600;">Orange:</span> Same as yellow, with added beet juice<br />
<span style="color: #ff99ff;">Pink:</span> Cranberry juice concentrate<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Red:</span> Beets or paprika<br />
<span style="color: #3333ff;">Blue:</span> Canned blueberries, red cabbage or grape juice concentrate<br />
<span style="color: #33cc00;">Green:</span> Spinach and/or kale<br />
<span style="color: #cc9933;">Brown:</span> Strong brewed coffee or tea (although I'm not sure why you would dye eggs brown since they often come that colour)<br />
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I’ve heard that the onion skins work really well for a yellow colour, a bit of a side note, but apparently using a whole, un-pealed onion to make chicken broth produces a really nice yellow-y stock.<br />
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I am also seriously considering making this Easter Egg Bread:<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597720144658612370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RU3AQndN8Eb8T3zkyhkuiqmomwQbJvCucrLHQY6i3-Aitjet5OlhnO5o2Lf3_3EEwq7pbTMPnV1G_v4EuywqYN-r72YnkEni72Himo3sn1qVtUwKCKbr0w5ml3ZtllJ8Tezx48ydsDo/s200/207651.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="200" /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Image from Allrecipes.com, </span><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Cook/13263181/Photo.aspx?photoID=207651"><span style="font-size: 78%;">http://allrecipes.com/Cook/13263181/Photo.aspx?photoID=207651</span></a><span style="font-size: 78%;">, accessed April 20, 2011.</span><br />
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Recipe found <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Braided-Easter-Egg-Bread/Detail.aspx">here</a>.</div>
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Doesn’t it look pretty?<br />
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I do have two dinners to go to. This might be a nice thing to bring. What do you think? </div>
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Is it rude to bring bread even if they have said that I don’t need to bring anything? </div>
Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-1268431305052172362011-04-18T12:05:00.009-06:002018-02-26T18:40:24.938-07:00Swiss Meringue ButtercreamWe had a nice little visit from some of the in-laws last weekend (my brother in-law, sister in-law & boyfriend & another sister in-law) which involved bowling and food. We fired up the BBQ since it’s no longer completely buried in snow (only a couple of feet left) and I made a very yummy cake. I’m not going to include the cake recipe since I cheated and used a cake mix (I added a few crushed chocolate bars to give it a little extra oomph) but I will share the icing recipe. I made a Swiss meringue icing and it was amazing, not quite as good as the stuff that was on my wedding cake but still amazing. Meringue icings have always intimidated me, for some reason they just seemed really difficult and so much work (compared to a traditional buttercream). It turned out to be really simple, a bit time consuming but worth the effort for a special occasion. I adjusted the recipe to make it smaller (Only 4 eggs and 1.5 cups of butter & 1 cup of sugar) but it almost wasn’t enough icing (to coat and fill two 9” cake rounds). I would recommend make the full amount and <s>eating</s> freezing the leftovers. This icing isn’t as sweet as a traditional buttercream, so if you like really sweet icing this may not be for you, this one is super buttery with a mild sweet taste. Unfortunately with this recipe you will be left over with some egg yolks (unless you use that carton stuff); I used mine to make lemon bars later in the week, but you could make pudding or custard with them. <br />
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<strong>Swiss Meringue Buttercream</strong> <br />
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<em>Recipe</em> <br />
6 egg whites<br />
2 cups white sugar<br />
3 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract <br />
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<em>Steps:</em> <br />
1. Place the egg whites and sugar into a metal bowl and set over a pan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water. Stirring frequently, until the temperature of the egg whites reaches 140 degrees. I didn't have anything to measure the temperature with so I heated/stirred until the gritty texture was completely gone. <br />
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2. Transfer the heated egg whites and sugar to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix at high speed (or as high as you can go without egg flying out of the bowl) until they have reached their max volume, 5 to 10 minutes and are stiff and glossy.<br />
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3.Mix on medium or medium-high speed while throwing in small pieces of butter and mix in vanilla. The buttercream may look like it is breaking down, but keep on mixing and it will come back together. <br />
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After I added the butter I thought I had ruined the icing, it became oddly runny and liquidy, so I left the machine running and hoped that it would somehow work out. I came back a bit later and my icing looked horrible, like it had curdled or become dry curd cottage cheese, slight panic set in but I figured that I had already ruined it so I would just let the mixer keep going and maybe it would smooth out. It did, about 10 minutes later I came back and it started to look like normal icing.<br />
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After some googling it looks like I’m not the only one this happens to, so if you make this be prepared, it will turn into liquid then chunky curds and then glorious buttery goodness, don’t panic! Since I didn’t have enough icing to make this cake look nice I dressed it up with skor bits on the side, crushed chocolate bars and drizzled melted chocolate on top. In the end I think it looked great and it tasted pretty good too. The skor bits and topping ended up being really sweet but the icing wasn’t so it seemed to balance out.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-7593253758461330162011-03-29T15:20:00.000-06:002018-02-21T14:32:48.677-07:00My seedlings have sprouted!The peppers are still tiny but look at the tomato plants: They’ve grown tall! Too bad they’re so spindly. I have hope though, after some google searching I have determined that they are not getting enough sun. It been very snowy and therefore cloudy so there has been very little direct sun on the plants. I’m going to put a lamp over them and hopefully they’ll fill out a bit (I’m hoping a regular CFL bulb will give off enough UV rays). I’m also going to top up the soil, which is suppose to help spindly tomato plants. If neither of these actions work I may have to pull them out and start over, boooo. As for the peppers, they are still really short (less than an inch) so I’ll leave them under the plastic dome until they get their height up (1-2”). Hopefully with the introduction of a lamp they’ll do well. I can’t wait for spring so that I can put these in the ground!Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-29357095496883674892011-03-17T05:34:00.007-06:002018-02-26T14:13:52.414-07:00Happy St. Patrick's Day! Avoid Green BeerI lived in Ireland for a year, I say lived because at the time I didn’t know if I was ever going to leave so I started to carve out a life for myself there. While I'm not sure if I would ever live there again, I really do love Canada despite the horrible weather (Ireland actually has some pretty nice weather compared to here), there are some days that I really miss it and long to be back.<br />
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The oddest things will remind of my time there, for example bus exhaust on a rainy day always reminds me of Belfast (often I used public transport) and makes me crave an ice cream cone with a stick of flake stuck in it (I would go for long walks on misty days and often pick up a cone).<br />
Whenever I miss a place I make food; it seems like you take that first bite and you are transported back to the place you were thinking of, cheesy I know but it really does seem to work. Ireland isn’t really known for its food (those fry breakfast are deadly – bacon, sausage, black pudding, white pudding, eggs, potato farls, soda farls and a half tomato all fried in butter and bacon fat) there are some things that I wish they sold in Canada. I miss rhubarb yoghurt, honey yoghurt (why don’t they have these flavours in Canada? They’re amazing), store bought bakewell tarts (the store bought ones are basically pie crust, raspberry jam and topped with white cake), mini honey-nut Wheatabix (they sold these in Canada for awhile but now all I can find is the regular mini Wheatabix), Smithwicks on tap (the bottled stuff just isn’t the same), cheese & onion crisps (although you can find these in some specialty shops), cheese toasties made on an Aga (I stayed with some people who owned an Aga for awhile) and soda farls. I used to eat a toasted soda farl every day, they are so good.<br />
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So, in honour of St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland, I give you a simple recipe for Irish Soda Farls:<br />
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<strong>Irish Soda Farls</strong><em>Ingredients:</em>2 cups flour<br />
2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
2 tbsp butter<br />
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<em>Steps:</em>1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and cut in butter with a fork (crumble in like a pie), make a well in the centre and pour in buttermilk, then mix.<br />
2. Lightly kneed the mixed dough on a floured counter, form this into a flat circle (about ¾ inch thick) and cut into quarters with a knife.<br />
3. Heat a large fry pan, sprinkle on a bit of flour and cook the farls for 6-8 minutes on each side or until browned<br />
4. Once browned, remove the farls from the skillet and wrap in a clean tea towel and let sit for a few minutes.<br />
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**TIP** if you don't have buttermilk you can use 1 cup of milk with 1 tbsp of white vinegar added to it (let the mix sit for 5-10 minutes before using), or you can use plain yoghurt.<br />
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So Happy St. Patrick's Day! <strong>Avoid green beer</strong> (no one in Ireland drinks it) and have some Irish food & drink ;) instead.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-64301928329596856142011-03-09T17:11:00.000-07:002011-03-09T17:11:00.649-07:00A couple of things to think about...<iframe marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" src="http://www.life.com/embed/index/image?id=50654767" frameborder="0" width="280" scrolling="no" height="370"></iframe><br /><br />I came across some interesting posts/reads lately.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jenbutneverjenn.com/2011/03/owning-f-word.html">Jen but Never Jenn</a> had a lovely post about feminism and International Women’s Day. While I myself often use the term “genderist”, as in fair treatment for all genders, I do feel strongly about the feminist movement and am disappointed in how it has been dying over the last decade. On a silly side note, my mother used to call me her “little feminist” because when I was young I renamed the characters in my favourite movie (The Land Before Time); I would call the main character (Little Foot) Sara and vice versa because I hated how all the females in the movie were portrayed as “dumb.”<br /><br />Charlotte from <a href="http://tuppencehapennyvintage.blogspot.com/">Tuppernce Ha’penny Vintage</a> brought up a controversial post by <a href="http://www.superkawaiimama.com.au/2011/03/07/a-wonderful-weekend-haul-of-vintage-treasures/">SuperKawaiiMama</a> about a possibly (her readers had varying opinions) offensive bar statue that she owns. The comments are an interesting read. I personally don’t find it offensive for people to own such items as long as they are for historical interest and education on how things have changed for the better, however, I would never personally display such an item in my house. I must confess though that I own an offensive book, a reprint of Tintin in the Congo (see the book cover <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tintin_in_the_Congo">here</a>). The Adventures of Tintin are a series of comics, books and a television show. My brother bought it for me as a gift from his trip to Belgium (it is in French) because we used to watch it together every morning, even though I absolutely hated the show (Snowy the dog was so very annoying). We only watched it because my brother liked it so much. Anyway, back on topic, the depictions of the Africans are really offensive, they look similar to Super Kawaii Mama’s statue, I find it astounding that they would even still sell a book with these kinds of portrays but I keep it because it was a gift and it is an interesting piece of history; it’s packed away and out of sight but I’m not sure that I would get rid of it. A side note, the author of these books apparently later regretted making this book and was ashamed of this piece of work.<br /><br />The thoughts of many of the commenter’s and readers on the two blogs above did get me thinking, am I a hypocrite? I frown upon the display of such items yet I do feel fine displaying pin up prints and I have always wanted a nicely framed print of <a href="http://www.allposters.ca/-sp/Black-Thunder-Josephine-Baker-posters_i291034_.htm">Josephine Baker, Black Thunder by Paul Colin</a>, which is possibly offensive (the whole banana dance part). Something to ponder I guess…<br /><div></div>Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-36152360205756157592011-03-05T17:50:00.005-07:002018-02-27T08:15:13.154-07:00Tobacco Fabrics<div>
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First, I want to thank everyone's well wishes on the car incident, it really did make me feel better. My husband is still laughing about it (I am so glad that I have such an easy going husband). I was feeling under the weather this morning due to dinner out last night (I can't seem to eat rich foods anymore, damn all that healthy food that I've been eating, I really love a good burger) and was completely bored mostly watching tv. I manage to catch up on my newpaper reading though and came across an interesting article in one of the small local areas. It was about a museum exhibit that is in town, called "Better Choose Me: Collecting and Creating with Tobacco Fabric Novelties, 1880-1920."<br />
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From 1880 - 1920 there was a popular style of needlework called "crazy quilts." These were made up of small, brightly coloured pieces of fabric with embroidered edges. The style was used on garments and household accessories, such as blankets and pillows, and considered very stylist. When tobacco companies started tying cigars with silk ribbons, they became popular collectors items among women, who would then sew them into quilts. The companies decided to cash in on the craze and began to issue fabric inserts with their products (these had their company logo and name on them for advertizing of course). The cigarette companies figured that not only would this work for advertising but it would make women less critical of their husbands smoking since there was something in it for them.</div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="216" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580769988009010914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAJE05d-_8iVn9SGoXTAzlkYZog_fUH8E8M0h9NUn03PktfGplvzvJFJ5bPEgCh9sZgisYvfYXJnJOXrLvhoQT9HnFwrEl7ZiuIYWssNQ46QzZaX896TpjHSB-SdwzLsvTdH0_xDnMZc/s320/tobacco2.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="320" /><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="240" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580769985377475010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqCp-lgNTHCeuNpJjnMxtKE0BzcrvtJmIwEfhJWILhiEiYdHvXp-wu4sQ-6gwdY_h-wHVshwd6X2leiTPhb_cv4HtPFVJJGI2khc4vIeyGMIHCSJxqCjxKsdd3vWg9pWiQPAsuYdP0cI/s320/tobacco1.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="320" />Pretty fascinating really, I'm going to have to make it down to the museum.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 78%;">Pictures from:<br />Kauffman Museum: Travelling Exhibits, accessed March 5, 2011, <a href="http://www.bethelks.edu/kauffman/Traveling%20Exhibits/BCM/Index.html">http://www.bethelks.edu/kauffman/Traveling%20Exhibits/BCM/Index.html</a></span></div>
Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-72352951739588941032011-02-27T15:41:00.006-07:002011-02-27T16:00:14.200-07:00Butterick 5059<a title="DSC00885 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5463835692/"><img alt="DSC00885" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5463835692_59f7c977c9.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />My red dress is complete! It felt like it took forever since there was quite a bit of handsewing for this pattern. I'm still not exactly sure as to the date of this pattern but I love it's mod stylings. It's designed by "Jean Muir" who was a "60's fashion icon," so my guess remains late 60's or early 70's. I picked this to go with the <a href="http://fashionsfromthepast.blogspot.com/2011/01/sewing-through-decades-challenge.html">Sewing through the Decades Challenge</a>. Here's my version:<br /><a title="DSC00890 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5483070973/"><img alt="DSC00890" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5019/5483070973_0807110c5d.jpg" width="387" height="500" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">I really need to start ironing my finished products before I get my husband to take photos, look at all those wrinkles and creases<br /></span><br />I ended up thinking that the skirt was too big and I took it in quite a bit, but that of course ended up being a bit of a mistake since the dress now looks really boxy on me. (or maybe it's just me?) I'm not really sure this style suits my body type very well, I end up looking very rectangular and flat chested. I do have broad sholders so maybe that's why.<br /><br />I messed up a bit with the fake belt detail (it ended up centred rather than off centre) so I had to add a second button to balance it out. I hemmed it a bit on the long side since I'm not sure that I can still pull off something so short (check out the mile long legs on that red dressed model).<br /><br />This shot is a bit better:<br /><a title="DSC00894 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5483072471/"><img alt="DSC00894" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5483072471_9d7a619a67.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br />Maybe I should just always stand with my hands at my waist. Overall though I think it's pretty cute. I love the curved seams that make up the bodice. I think this pattern could be modified into a really cute top.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-1725809131571284752011-02-14T06:02:00.002-07:002018-02-26T14:17:17.355-07:00Happy Valentines Day!Happy Valentines day everyone! Hope you do something nice for someone you love (and they do something nice for you) and if you don't have someone special to spend the day with, wait until tomorrow and reap the benefits of discount candy.<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573344883873477202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DTwu87hZhO1FxwOVddAHGM-6KtjqaYdTEVf1sAX0-rj9k9gnTLz2O56v_YKMzyp3o6takgIIcUhS4zhlWUMf6OXBJncOFVt6W5HcS49wca83V6mBdAzeDyY0fVsNmb-vuuyt93-WJ3Y/s400/free-vintage-kids-valentines-cards-two-fried-eggs-in-pan.bmp" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 294px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" />and if you're still looking for that perfect card, check out <a href="http://vintageholidaycrafts.com/free-vintage-kids-valentine-cards/">this site</a> (VintageHolidayCrafts). They have a bunch of really cute vintage cards that you can download for free, including the one above.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-51397096473834258532011-02-11T23:51:00.001-07:002011-02-11T23:51:05.971-07:00Amazing Almond Ricotta CakeLast weekend my parents came over with their snow rake to knock down some of the snow from our roof (we really didn't want to have to climb up there and shovel), so for their help I made a nice big warm meal, finished with a yummy Almond Ricotta cake.<br />I had never made this cake before and I planned on modifying the original recipe a bit so I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. It turned out very, very yummy and moist. Too yummy in fact, I ended up eating at least a quarter of the cake (yes I am ashamed), it took a lot of hard work at the gym last week but I still think it was worth it. My husband even liked it, and normally cake has to have a lot of icing for him to say that I should make something again.<br /><br /><a title="DSC00846 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5403105030/"><img alt="DSC00846" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5403105030_a761022807.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Amazing Almond Ricotta Cake</strong><br /><br /><em>Ingredients</em><br /><em>Cake:</em><br />4 eggs<br />1 1/3 cups of sugar<br />2/3 cup canola oil<br />2/3 cup ricotta cheese<br />1/4 cup cocoa powder<br />1 1/2 tsp rum<br />3/4 tsp vanilla extract<br />3/4 tsp almond extract<br />1 cup + 2 tbsp ground almonds<br />1 1/4 cup flour<br />1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br /><em>Topping:</em><br />3/4 cup ricotta cheese<br />1 egg<br />1/3 cup suagr<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />2 tbsp cocoa powder<br />2 tbsp milk<br />1 cup sliced almonds<br /><br /><em>Steps:</em><br />1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a springform pan with parchment paper (I did bottom and sides).<br />2. Beat eggs, sugar and oil wih a mixer on high until the mix is thick and pale. Add ricotta, rum, vanilla and almond extract and mix until blended.<br />3. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined. Pour into pan and bake 40-45 min (until a toothpick comes out clean).<br />5. While baking, combine ricotta, egg, cocoa, vanilla and all but 2 tbsp of sugar, in a seperate bowl mix milk with 2 tbsp of sugar and toss almonds in mixture to coat.<br />6. Let cake cool for about 10 minutes then pour ricotta mixture on top and sprinkle with the almonds, put the cake back into the oven and bake at 370F for 15 minutes or until almonds have started to brown.<br />7. Cool cake, then serve.<br /><br />This cake ended up tasting even better the next day straight from the fridge, it was still really moist and I think it tasted better cold (although it was still really, really good the day that I baked it).<br /><br />I am a little ashamed to admit it but I ate a good 1/3rd of this cake, so good, so many miles at the gym and boring bean salads, uuugggggg.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-17277640961637516432011-02-07T06:37:00.002-07:002011-02-07T06:37:00.464-07:00DIY Vanilla ExtractI have been wanting to make my own vanila extract for quite a while; a couple of years ago I was watching Chef at Home and Michael Smith showed that he makes his own and this inspired me. It took awhile before I actually made my own because of well, time and the fact that the only vanilla beans that I ever saw in a local store were $20 for 2, which is pricy in my opinion. So, the other day when I saw some beans on sale for $10, I grabbed a vial and decided to finally make some extract.<br /><br /><a title="DSC00866 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5402517195/"><img alt="DSC00866" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5254/5402517195_447e149d39.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Homemade Vanilla Extract</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><em>Ingredients<br /></em>2 plump vanilla beans<br />1 cup hard liquor (rum, vodka or bourbon are good choices but it must be at least 40% alcohol)<br /><br />you will need 1 clean jar & lid (I sterilized mine in some boiling water)<br /><br /><em>Steps:</em><br />1. Split vanilla beans open by running a sharp knife lengthwise down the bean.<br />2. Spread the beans open and use the side of a knife to scape the "caviar" (or seeds) out, place the seeds in the jar.<br /><a title="DSC00864 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5403111952/"><img alt="DSC00864" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5403111952_bdac0b083f.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br />3. Cut the beans in half and place in the jar, add the alcohol to the jar and seal.<br /><a title="DSC00865 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5403113220/"><img alt="DSC00865" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5091/5403113220_fb634ed41b.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br />4. The hard part - place the jar in a cool dark location for at least one month before using, you can top it up as you use it (best to add more beans as well since they loose their flavour over time).<br /><br />I used some white rum that we picked up on our honeymoon, so the total cost for my extract was under $15, which is less than what a cup of artificial extract would have cost me (that bottle cost less than $5 - god bless Cuba).<br /><br />Apparently "<a href="http://www.busterrhinos.com/main/ftp_recipe_vanilla_extract.php">the USDA requires at least 35% vol. of alcohol and 13.35 ounces of pod per gallon which is roughly 8-11 pods per 250ml</a>." Mine is nowhere near that as you can see but I think it will still turn out pretty well, I mean, if <a href="http://chefmichaelsmith.com/">Chef at Home </a>make his with only a few beans, then I'm sure that mine will taste just fine.<br /><br />In a couple of months I'll pull this baby out and well see how it turned out.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-61470052889860930882011-02-01T11:55:00.001-07:002011-02-01T11:55:00.488-07:00Cornmeal BreakfastThis is a good, filling, healthy breakfast and provides a bit of variety from the usual oatmeal (my husband prefers this to oatmeal, which is another reason that I make it).<br /><br /><a title="DSC00854 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5403106422/"><img height="375" alt="DSC00854" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5057/5403106422_9882290756.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><p><strong>Cornmeal Breakfast</strong><br /><em>Serves at least 4<br /></em>1 cup of cornmeal<br />4 cups of water<br /><br />Or<br /><br /><em>Serves 2<br /></em>½ cup cornmeal<br />2 cups of water<br /><br />Steps:<br />1. Combine cornmeal and water in a pot and bring to a boil, stir often to avoid clumps.<br />2. Once it has reached the preferred consistency remove from stove and serve (I usually cook it about 10 minutes).<br /><br /><strong>Warning: Hot cornmeal can burst out of the pot like lava, so maybe use a lid or watch the heat that you cook it at.</strong><br /><br />My hubby sees this as a savoury dish where as I like it sweet. He tops his bowl with a bit of margarine, salt, pepper and a sliced hardboiled egg.<br />I top mine with a bit of milk, chopped fruit (bananas are my fav but I used a peach this time), cinnamon and some raw almonds.<br /><br /><a title="DSC00858 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5402509425/"><img height="375" alt="DSC00858" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5402509425_2f757d9b55.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />I often make the larger serving and pour the leftovers into a casserole dish, then bake for 20 min at 350F, the result is homemade Polenta (which is good topped with some pasta/tomato sauce).</p>Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-84568406809596848282011-01-30T18:05:00.008-07:002011-01-31T08:17:26.047-07:00Slow progress on Simplicity 1906<div>Well, I haven't gotten much done on Simplicity 1906 (the 1940s blouse) but I figured that I would give an update anyway.<br /><div>Here's what I have so far:<br /><a title="DSC00868 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5402502603/"><img height="500" alt="DSC00868" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5294/5402502603_a5ec88c94c.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I still need to attach the sleaves, hem, make button holes and attach the buttons and snaps. Oh, and obviously I need to iron this baby. I think the fit is a bit off but I'm not 100% sure, I know that sounds odd but it fits great in the waist and is really billowy above that, I can't quite tell from the pictures if it's suppose to be like that. I'll try to post a picture to show you want I mean later.<br /><br />I have also decided to join the "Sewing through the Decades Challenge" from <a href="http://fashionsfromthepast.blogspot.com/2011/01/sewing-through-decades-challenge.html">My Happy Sewing Place</a> and <a href="http://www.rhinestonesandtelephones.com/">Rhinestones and Telephones</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://fashionsfromthepast.blogspot.com/2011/01/sewing-through-decades-challenge.html"><img src="http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j159/marvellous_mouse/Blog/Decades-Logo2JPGSm.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>I am hoping to make a piece from the 30's, 40's, 50's and one from the 70's. 1970's isn't really my style or an era that I wouldn't normally pick but my mother has boxes of patterns from that era (the height of her sewing - her late teens and early 20's) and some of them are cute.</div><br /><div>My top above will count a one piece for the 40's and I hope to make the pants from <a href="http://www.simplicity.com/p-1976-missplus-size-sportswear.aspx">Simplicity 3688</a>:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568368089087969394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 281px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtZoOvN1P-oT1AnpHlQFP1su1_fRyMzdRgWCWK20oGBMVaoellgdWUEhE8zNH8CMXWPmhoYY9Rbpm_4v4AGzaGaSATLVUM9a92GaDUxT6-rvm0dndByI7vcGY0zymM5O_VRCdqUsKBy8/s320/Simplicity_3688.jpg" border="0" />For the 50's <a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/b6582-products-1037.php?page_id=371">Butterwick 6582</a>:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568369038876805730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNkVvsgXTKkZgoY_iNgSCFwE0DegIkDs_cDfp4GTuT7VydgjTQnxcW3lzE_N75QPUHhdmFJzLuybU_GlnVyTBYUP9sXjgKCM5uJ_3vL7n2ZKLQGtNl_RNou7t1Ru0GZn-lZr0TKTCKQU/s320/B6582.jpg" border="0" /></div></div><br />and that's as far as my planning has gone.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-11431418760718217232011-01-28T09:07:00.002-07:002011-01-28T09:10:38.588-07:00Jay – e –elle – elle – ohMy hubby has a huge sweet tooth and when he wants dessert it ends up being a whole big bowl of ice cream with cookies or a whole big chocolate bar. He just can’t go without, so I am trying to find desserts that are a little bit better for him, if he can have a little bit of sweet then he won’t go and binge, luckily he likes Jello, unfortunately Jello is made of sugar, artificial flavour and colour. I managed to find a recipe for “home-made” Jello (I think they called it Gelatin Dessert but same thing really). It takes the same amount of time and effort to make as the boxed stuff but uses juice and unflavoured gelatin; I used Knox and no sugar added juice (it’s white cranberry with grape & apple) since most juice is sweet enough as it is.<br /><br /><a title="DSC00840 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5395287829/"><img alt="DSC00840" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5395287829_0120872961.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br /><em>Ingredients:<br /></em>4 pouches of Knox Gelatin (unflavoured)<br />1 cup cold juice<br />4 cups boiling hot juice<br /><br /><em>Steps:<br /></em>1. Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice and stir, do this one pack at a time, it won’t all dissolve, just try to get rid of the chunkies.<br />2. Bring the rest of the juice to a boil, then pour into cold juice mixture.<br />3. Stir until al gelatin is dissolved and cool until set (the instructions said 2 hours but mine took longer).<br /><br />I mixed the whole thing in the mold that I was going to use so I only used two dishes (one pot for the boiling juice). This turns out really firm, you could easily cut this into squares and eat with your hands; if you like your Jello less firm I would suggest using more juice. I also ended up cutting up some banana and pushing it into the gelatin once it started to firm up, I’ve never had jello with fruit in it but it’s awesome. My hubby gave it a thumbs up and said “it’s as good as Jello but not as good as a sundae” and I actually liked it better than Jello, it’s not super sweet which I liked. Next time I’m going to try layer different flavours.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-74588997765670603382011-01-14T18:01:00.004-07:002011-01-14T18:13:19.692-07:00My January Sewing ProjectAs you may have read, I am going to try to sew more this year and set a small goal of 12 projects, one a month. For January I am planning on sewing a 1940s blouse (Simplicity 1906):<br /><br /><a title="DSC00836 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5355404993/"><img alt="DSC00836" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5355404993_d065160112.jpg" width="375" height="500" /></a><br /><br />I'm planning on making view 4 minus the little tie/bow around the neck. I've already bought and washed the fabric:<br /><br /><a title="DSC00835 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5355405755/"><img alt="DSC00835" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5355405755_5aa86a3ac4.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></a><br /><br />and yes, I did buy this fabric the same night that I bought the fabric for my <a href="http://modernsuzie.blogspot.com/2011/01/space-pajama-top-simplicity-3688.html">silvery space top</a>. I was obviously feeling like my wardrobe needed some spunk that evening. The purple is brighter than the picture apears, but I do like it. I love bright colours but never seem to buy bright coloured clothing. I also bought it because it was crepe and I love crepe, it drapes so nicely and it always seems to wear and wash well, I'm a low maintenance type of gal so these are high scoring points for me. Anyway, stay tuned for the sewing details...Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-45947692435280773132011-01-09T15:44:00.004-07:002018-02-26T18:38:30.122-07:00Simplicity 1690Today is the last day of my stay-cation, it's pretty depressing. I really, really don't want to go back to work on Monday, the last couple of day have been a bit lazy too, we've basically been snowed in. 20 cm of snow last night, it's ridiculous (I'll try to snap a picture later), plus it's cold and very windy, not really unusual for this part of the world (Alberta, Canada), but we all still whine about it, one day I'll move I swear! Anyway, I did manage to complete one more sewing project while stuck in my house, Simplicity 1690 - view 3, a pencil skirt pattern from 1956.<br />
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and here is my version:<br />
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I love the way it turned out. This is a really quick and easy pattern and it fits really well, I am definitely going to make another skirt from this pattern.<br />
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I used leather buttons for the tabs; I've always like this style of button but I've never really made anything that they would match. I think they are made for jackets and coats, but I think they look really cute, hopefully they wash alright (I only thought of this point later, after I had completed the skirt).<br />
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This time I did the zipper my way, rather than following the instructions (<a href="http://modernsuzie.blogspot.com/2010/08/dress-project-complete.html">remember how badly "following" instructions </a>worked out for me before?) and it turned out great. I also used a funky leopard print ribbon on the inside of the band to finish the seams.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVijePbYx3HqtGkcxhOd8Sg0xKnpiqg84I_jCHyvossVIzJ2vvhZOjhMAz8lMaOW1XPZpWa4rvM7SkLNcbPDOWJlU88gSl0Gg2M7u2MAlKLrqaNINYbkhYPq19VieVvMvnL7qCjKlugs/s1600/DSC00815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVijePbYx3HqtGkcxhOd8Sg0xKnpiqg84I_jCHyvossVIzJ2vvhZOjhMAz8lMaOW1XPZpWa4rvM7SkLNcbPDOWJlU88gSl0Gg2M7u2MAlKLrqaNINYbkhYPq19VieVvMvnL7qCjKlugs/s320/DSC00815.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These last few sewing projects have been really encouraging for me, I finally feel like I'm learning from my mistakes and getting better!!Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-67221587372923910362011-01-07T18:05:00.004-07:002018-02-26T18:36:22.589-07:00Let's Get TropicalI have completed another project that has been sitting in my sewing room for ages (at least a year), a tropical/tiki inspired purse. It's not my usual style but I saw one online and thought it looked pretty cute so I figured I would try to make a similar one for myself. I modified an older pattern that I had used before, Simplicity 4759, to make it.<br />
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I used upholstery fabric that I found in the sale section of a fabric shop and some leftover cotton for the lining. I think it turned out really cute, I wish I could have top stiched the edges though, they aren't quite as crisp looking as I would have liked. I used a really heavy interfacing though and my old machine just couldn't go through that much fabric. I think with age and some weight it will straighten out a bit better.<br />
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Sorry that the pictures aren't that great; I realize now that I had the flash turned off on my camera.<br />
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Here is the final product:<br />
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I also added studs to the bottom of the bag to make it look a bit more professional.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hXzQOOk0Gi1grYSeQFzONooICaF7ZwguZF4bE5cafiEo8UIVI77DNw63uaUDI6xQKT0cRLSy6GQqFzMOmIm1-YZNIRajqdwaiC9yZNuNP05J1pboO5CapuUHy7meWPuX9ufOUKrhUN4/s1600/DSC00805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hXzQOOk0Gi1grYSeQFzONooICaF7ZwguZF4bE5cafiEo8UIVI77DNw63uaUDI6xQKT0cRLSy6GQqFzMOmIm1-YZNIRajqdwaiC9yZNuNP05J1pboO5CapuUHy7meWPuX9ufOUKrhUN4/s320/DSC00805.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A tip on studs, when going though thick fabric, press the prongs in to make a slight indent, then use a seam ripper to start the hole. It makes studding a lot easier, I once studded an entire leather jacket this way. Also, when bending over the prongs (on the inside), don't bend them in all the way or the fabric will pucker.<br />
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Here's a shot of the lining:<br />
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I have a ton of old metal zippers from my punk days so I decided to use one of those, they are all black unfortunately, but I still like that look so I'm fine with the obvious hand stitching on the zipper, not for everyone I realize.<br />
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Just looking at this bag makes me think of summer, ahhh, spring is only four to five months away ;)Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-72398854457539181262011-01-05T15:11:00.004-07:002018-02-26T18:35:35.303-07:00Space Pajama Top/ Simplicity 3688I have completed the top from Simplicity 3688 in my "metallic grey," I was obviously trying to kid myself because after looking at the fabric in bright daylight (and the pictures), it is clearly silver, shiny, shiny silver. That's what I get for letting someone else pick and sway me on the fabric, I guess I could have just vetoed it but then who could I pin the blame on? Anyway, I've ended up making what is clearly a space pj top.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW23XYajwbi672auw8dkJ_ssIodbtfB5YOAp-mrvgFYeVDcF0CRjxfncoBIZ3MnO4eQCGqB2d3-Y_i4M3NirzOLjqyuOCANy_v3Hxa2F1ioAgjifTdGczjQN1nQd9Ff1Wr6lkBzzt-lVA/s1600/DSC00794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW23XYajwbi672auw8dkJ_ssIodbtfB5YOAp-mrvgFYeVDcF0CRjxfncoBIZ3MnO4eQCGqB2d3-Y_i4M3NirzOLjqyuOCANy_v3Hxa2F1ioAgjifTdGczjQN1nQd9Ff1Wr6lkBzzt-lVA/s320/DSC00794.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I do believe that my sewing skills have improved somewhat though, this came together quicker, easier and I think better than my last few sewing attempts. Practice makes perfect right? Truthfully I will still wear this top out, I think it still looks retro when worn with a high waisted skirt, or very '80s when worn with high waisted jeans (like in the pictures) and frankly I love the '80s (the tackier the better).<br />
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I must have short arms though because the sleeves seem a bit too long and I thought I hemmed them up to a nice length. I really like the pleats along the waist, they look really smart and help with the baggyness of the top (it is suppose to be a bit of a loose top).<br />
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This pattern also had a great tip in it for darts: run the seam to the end of the dart (the point) and don't backstitch; instead leave plenty of thread and hand knot at the end, this prevents the dart from bubbling. This method worked out really well for me, I've had trouble with those little dart bubbles before.<br />
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I also ended up sewing my own button hole for this top, I used the advice from <a href="http://www.colettepatterns.com/blog/tutorials-tips-tricks/handmade-buttonholes">Colette Patterns</a>.<br />
My machine only has one button hole foot and it required button twist to use it. They don't sell button twist at my nearest fabric store (not sure if they even make it anymore) and I wasn't sure if tiny cording is a good substitute. Anyone else know (and what size of cording to use)?Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-14240361900130095202011-01-04T22:13:00.006-07:002011-01-04T22:29:14.628-07:00Stay-cationWell, I'm off from work this week. My husband and I are taking a bit of a staycation (he doesn't go back to school until next Monday). So far it's been a fairly lazy vacation, yesturday we shopped, watch a couple of movies (we had to watch a couple, we had just bought them) and read and today we went to the gym (for a couple of hours) and I started sewing the blouse from Simplicity 3688. It's a reproduction vintage pattern that I bought a long time ago but haven't yet touched.<br /><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 281px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558569022489397698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tek3p90KvQSZJUMxDcI4SKlZMkeKx9CIzYFTzhNhqDXYdb97rayjqwgc7AgjHySgd9rJNWnzAuUxiDftPMrzFF161FILy5gXlcM8UirbQ1CFDYowGLbaGn8_GCe13Mf9n7rYenm-90g/s320/3688.jpg" /></p><p>I originally wasn't that thrilled with the blouse, just going by the picture, but after seeing <a href="http://fashionsfromthepast.blogspot.com/2010/05/me-made-may-day-4-bold-and-bright.html">Debi's version</a> (from My Happy Sewing Place) I changed my mind. Her's turned out great!</p><p>My version is in a shiny, metallic-y grey. I'm about 3/4 finished so hopefully I can post the completed version tomorrow. I plan to eventually make the whole suit (jacket, pants and skirt) but I'll leave that for when I have more time and money.</p>Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-26029682520458040732010-12-19T18:37:00.007-07:002011-01-27T15:39:08.882-07:00More Christmas BakingWell, I've been kind of sick the last week and therefore lazy. This weekend I ended up having to catch up on all my regular house chores and do my Christmas baking (since I'm having people pver for Boxing Day). The baking turned out so-so. I made chocolate chip cookies, which were fine but nothing really special, and some sugar cookies, again not so special. The sugar cookies ended up being not very pretty or sweet but I'll set them out with a chocolate fondue so they'll be fine. I wanted to make pretty swirled ones like these: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552574526246085730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 107px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 92px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymJTSUpaEhFv40Za-40RR2t9Loc5LHZhtObAVv2BksgfKDKk4BIPVRWqVVPrhDkeWBdtT7EG4Ga2td_B-BdaXOuDlwITGuVnItjzBN9k1W88odD04Rh7VXZAM8Z3I-hcrZFuys4Z3d0Y/s320/0306_kids_iceboxcookies_l.jpg" border="0" />Mine are swirled but not as pretty, damn that Martha Stewart and her perfection!<br /><br />I did however manage to make some good Rugalach, I've only ever made it with these two types of fillings but I know jam is pretty popular as well. This recipe makes 32 cookies.<br /><br /><strong><em>Rugalach Cookies:<br /></em></strong>1 cup butter (room temp.)<br />250g cream cheese (room temp.)<br />3 cups flour<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br /><em>Cinnamon Filling:</em><br />3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup butterscotch chips<br />2 tsp cinnamon<br />2 tsp milk<br />1 tsp vanilla<br /><br /><em>Chocolate Filling:<br /></em>1 cup finely chopped chocolate (dark)<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />2 tsp milk<br />1 tsp vanilla<br /><br />Steps:<br />1. Cream together butter, cream cheese until smooth, then add the flour and salt.<br />2. Wrap dough and chill for an hour.<br />2. Mix together filling ingredients (chocolate or cinnamon) and preheat oven to 350F.<br />3. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and form into balls.<br />4. Roll each dough ball into round discs about 8 inches in diameter and cut each disc into 8 triangles.<br />5. Sprinkle filling at the widest end of the triangle and roll (from wide end) inwards like a croissant.<br /><a title="DSC00765 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5276007972/"><img height="375" alt="DSC00765" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5276007972_0f2cdf6c26.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />6. Bake for 15-20 minutes.<br /><br /><a title="DSC00766 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5275400459/"><img height="375" alt="DSC00766" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5275400459_3dd0b3d44a.jpg" width="500" /></a>Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-11087687617814178602010-12-15T19:41:00.005-07:002018-02-26T18:34:57.132-07:00DIY Glitter HouseWell, as you may have read, I really, really want a Cardboard Putz House, but I probably don't have enough time for shipping (plus I've already spent quite a bit this Christmas) or time to attempt to make one myself. Luckily, I was at Michaels (a craft store) looking for my one last gift for a crafty friend when I saw these:<br />
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A little cardboard house and a church ornament. I'm pretty sure that I've seen these before, so they are probably pretty easy to find elsewhere in the world. I snipped off the loops (for hanging) and painted them using acrylic paints:<br />
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One they were dry, I coated small sections (for example the roof, one side, etc.) in all-purpose white glue and sprinkled (a heavy sprinkle) them with clear glitter. This part takes quite awhile since it's best to wait for the glue to dry a bit before doing another section. Make sure to do this part over a bag or newspaper because glitter is <strong>messy</strong>. The glue will look murky until it completly dries, but it will dry clear so don't worry.<br />
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and here is the final product:<br />
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Aren't they cute? The plan is to make a couple each year and eventually I'll end up with a whole town. Next time I'll try making them from scratch.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-13478409901119878902010-12-14T15:32:00.005-07:002018-02-26T15:16:44.542-07:00Cardboard Glitter Houses or Putz HousesI’ve found this hilarious blog that I felt I had to share. It’s called <a href="http://www.jenbutneverjenn.com/">Jen but never Jenn</a>, the author is a Canadian writer from Toronto and on top of being funny, she’s conducted an experiment called “<a href="http://www.jenbutneverjenn.com/2010/05/welcome-to-50s-housewife-experiment.html">the 50’s housewife experiment</a>”. She tried to be the perfect, idealized 50’s housewife for two weeks (click the title to check it out). It’s pretty inspiring and reminds me of Ruth’s Mid-Century menu post on the <a href="http://www.nopatternrequired.com/">No Pattern Required</a> blog. One day, when I have the time I think I may just have to steal this idea for myself, meat and gelatine intrigue me and my house could definitely use a good strong retro cleaning. Recently Jen posted about Cardboard Putz Houses, I had not heard of these before but man, are they cute. I have decided that I need one, NEED. Check these out:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550670312036772514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4THjKhBbL2XAAcEURU3p8ezWlNW_ZWxwYZgKcxOw_d6rUmxv5OOo9h-PUdRJ3YSYAW_hGWEKWq7rkYf3wY5pFiQHORXhxr6HnfedXWSxu9B602oExMhUA4Bpa5Ahq8GDbUdcT2zZ93g8/s320/house.bmp" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550670309240869154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 264px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53edCvTY5oz-izOm7RIgXdIU-STEZNczXcZneZihqK1dEgS3whm6wJok4MGZdk0h2vQjaFjsphH_wOyOAG6mkRBtAroA7eLpUmdZpfALlzB7arzeBfJY-WqHnRKIojW9ZXf7tpaOUXL0/s320/house4.bmp" border="0" /><br />These little cardboard houses have apparently been around for a long time, the tradition starting in German. It gained popularity in the 20s when Japanese companies started producing brightly colours, sparkly variety’s for dirt cheap; they were sold in dime stores. The house had little velum windows and a hole in the back where you could insert a bulb from a string of lights, making the windows light up. These little Putz house are the precursors to the lovely Ceramic Christmas Villages that people have now. The cardboard house remained popular into the forties, when they were slowly replaced with plastic and ceramic houses.<br /><br />I’ve always liked the ceramic villages so it’s not really a surprise that I like these. I think these would go great with my candy-coloured Christmas stuff and I plan on eventually having my own little town of them. You can find vintage Cardboard Putz houses on eBay and Esty, and there is a <a href="http://www.bigindoortrains.com/primer/glitterhouses/glitterhouses.htm">site that makes new ones (custom made)</a>, this site also has more info on the history if you’re interested.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-15374376661949057252010-12-11T16:28:00.007-07:002011-01-27T15:46:22.618-07:00Cookies, Holiday Baking Part IWell, it's my birthday weekend and I'm too busy to really celebrate. I have a weekend course and my husband has a final exam today (Saturday) in French that he has been really stressing about. He's tried his best, he made dinner and bought me a knife set (??????), so I made him some cookies. Ok, maybe they were for me too. I've been in a baking mood lately, maybe it's because we're getting close to Christmas or maybe it's the horrible, horrible cold snowy weather. I ended up making chocolate thumbprint cookies, they were very yummy and I am now planning on making some for Christmas (yes, we ate the whole batch :( ). The recipe called for kraft caramels (which I didn't have) so I used what I though were butterscotch filled chocolate cups, they turned out to be mini-cups. I think this recipe would have been great the original way or with Rolos. It makes about 2 dozen cookies.<br /><a title="DSC00756 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5252197433/"></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">See how tiny these cups were? They didn't even fill the thumbprint!:</span><br /><br /><a title="DSC00756 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5252197433/"><img height="375" alt="DSC00756" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5252197433_d8e4a3810a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><em>Ingredients:</em><br />1 egg<br />1/2 cup butter, softened<br />2/3 cup sugar<br />2 tbsp milk<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1 cup flour<br />1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />24 candies (rolos, caramels or chocolate cups)<br />1 1/4 cup chopped pecans<br /><br /><em>Steps:</em><br />1. Seperate your egg (reserve the white for later). In a bowl cream (combine) the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla and milk.<br />2. Add flour, cocoa powder and salt, mix well. *<br />3. Refrigerate for 2 hrs or so until dough has cooled and it easy to roll.<br />4. Pre-heat overn to 350 F. Shape the dough into balls and roll in egg white, then pecans to coat.<br />5. Place the cookie on the sheet and use your thumb to make an indent in the centre (this is the thumbprint part). Place a candy in each "thumbprint."<br /><br /><a title="DSC00754 by modernsuzie, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernsuzie/5252198159/"><img height="500" alt="DSC00754" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5126/5252198159_0dc91b6443.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Here are my deformed cookies pre-baked.</span><br /><br />6. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookie are firm.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*recipes normally have you mix the dry ingredients seperatly, then mix with the wet ones but I'm pretty lazy about this and just add them all in at once. I've yet to have a problem, but I would say do it whichever way you prefer.</span><br /><br />Stay tuned for more Christmas baking in the weeks to come...Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-60560559708131335142010-11-11T14:53:00.008-07:002018-02-26T18:32:17.991-07:00My '50s top completeWell, I have finally finished Vogue 9278. Here is the pattern:<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538419393547220594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITjeeKLWE6J1XSaXjzXa3-Bd2cYJDdz-wJ6BNMrtsQbV0JRHlEzpWM3qNdvQ9lZhAYB5v0E_jJjpJEV4EbP3DjHWG_-A1uSHbt4h6z1h10cR9SFYXx8ra2uXpyORzkD2ejTqI6VhGiWM/s320/vogue.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 205px;" /><br />
and here is my version:<br />
with the wrap in the back...<br />
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with the wrap in the front...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9PfSvF1ehfl4DPOXmvR2ImgXvrZtBoReGhZ0l1D1c0j7MADZDtxD_pBrbkir6GdiTi4vn8lj0HFboPEaXcEHj0zQ65t5cf1-5WaV5mVkBfrTtXB6J0bXHZiUja-JYZNQWG6fBbsCyk0/s1600/DSC00733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1542" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9PfSvF1ehfl4DPOXmvR2ImgXvrZtBoReGhZ0l1D1c0j7MADZDtxD_pBrbkir6GdiTi4vn8lj0HFboPEaXcEHj0zQ65t5cf1-5WaV5mVkBfrTtXB6J0bXHZiUja-JYZNQWG6fBbsCyk0/s320/DSC00733.JPG" width="308" /></a></div>
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Not perfect, but I like it. I think it turned out better than my first dress, which means I am improving on garment making. I had to adjust this pattern up a few sizes so that may have been one of my issues. I also ended up hating the fabric. It ravels horribly and the colour is a bit gloomy. I think if it was paired with the right skirt it wouldn't seem so bad though.<br />
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It's really baggy in the sleave area, not sure if it's suppose to be a bit baggy or not, the pattern picture doesn't look like it but the pattern pieces don't have real defined arm pit areas. The hem on the sleaves isn't very well done either, it said to use ribbon seam binding but I think it was a little bit stiff and I probably should have just done a regular hem.<br />
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Overall I deem it wearable, my husband thinks it looks too "homemade" and "nurse-like" (not sure what that really means) but I don't care. I think I prefer this with the wrap in the front, not only for look but the neck is a bit high and it feels odd the other way around.<br />
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I may make this pattern again some day.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4577485828344942285.post-52745512471464523132010-11-06T21:44:00.007-06:002010-11-06T21:59:19.442-06:00My latest sewing projectWell, I need a bit of a break from Christmas projects, a break from embroidery really, so I've started a new sewing project. Here it is, vogue 9278:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0ioPPPB5svsBoXmkKrxa2xeVcvuY1YFOGOS-GJqKrXEihzIgvol3BfLlyoEhAescZclAztaWrQmoWlZlfiIwU3hD-YeV3hBi-sNR3HWRDavjJt-JeSFbgYCjLTcPWn5oHuSV0UKWL9o/s1600/vogue+pattern.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 272px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 416px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536650497019092738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0ioPPPB5svsBoXmkKrxa2xeVcvuY1YFOGOS-GJqKrXEihzIgvol3BfLlyoEhAescZclAztaWrQmoWlZlfiIwU3hD-YeV3hBi-sNR3HWRDavjJt-JeSFbgYCjLTcPWn5oHuSV0UKWL9o/s400/vogue+pattern.jpg" /></a><br />I bought this pattern a while ago but have been pushing the project off since the pattern is too small, way too small. I bought it for looks really, but who wouldn't? I am making view B (short sleaves) in a grey crepe. If it turns out well I want to wear it to work, grey crepe kind of seemed office-y. So far, it's turning out ok, I'm about half done but decided to call it quits for the night since I was beginning to make mistakes. I am clearly not very good at making clothing. I'll blame it on the fact that I had to re-draft a large size from the pattern.<br /><br />The instructions are kind of confusing as well, I now know why some people avoid old vogue patterns. They really assume that you know what you're doing (and I'm clueless). The pattern is a "perforated" one, which is actually pretty neat. The pieces are precut and there are hole for marking darts and the seams, I kind of wish they sold new patterns like that too. Anyway, I'm hoping to finish this weekend or next, I'll post some pictures as soon as I get a chance.Modern Suziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07537888164860537681noreply@blogger.com0