the weekend

Sewing continues with the completion of an actual, official shirt for Amelia.  In between the endless loop of removing seams and redoing them (I lost count but it's a wonder the fabric hasn't disintegrated), we went to watch the 5th Avenue Mile.  Usually we run it as well but this year is not panning out as we had thought it would.  Rire has a boot on his foot!

Brenda Martinez, Anna Pierce and Hannah England.  We absolutely act like crazed Bieber fans with the cheering, shouting and high fiving.  They are our rock stars.

Olympians Matt Centrowitz, Bernard Lagat and Leo Manzano.

They treat their fans well.

so, sewing

People sew in my family.  My Grandma was a quilter and my mom made us clothing.  Bravely letting Amy and I pick any fabric we wanted at Joann's for our stirrup pants and jams.  I can only hope I'm as open minded someday.  The 80's were not kind to apparel fabric.

I came to sewing late, but I have not been deterred.  First up.  The internet famous Wiksten Tank for myself and the Emerson Tunic Dress for Amelia.  At this stage in the game it's safe to say I do more things wrong than right.  Like running out of scotch tape and switching to a decorative blue.

And using every trick in the box to try and center the pleat.

Box pleat!  I have no idea what the proper way to go about this was.  But the pins helped me.

(Fabric from my Grandma's legendary stash.)

I may have sewn the entire thing only to decide it wasn't quite right.  I may have ripped out every stitch and started over.  And because I can't leave well enough alone.  Let's appliqué a bird on it.

The Wiksten came together beautifully - curved hem, French Seams and all.  French seams!

Pictures of the actual finished pieces coming up next...

september 11th

I'm always a little thrown when the weather is exactly like it was 11 years ago.  The weather from that day has locked in my memory like no other day ever has.

tea cake

It feels like soup outside.  Humidhumidhumid.  So of course I suggested inviting people over for homemade pizza.  Because I like turning my oven to 500 degrees and sticking my head in it every 12 minutes?  More like I love baking and having company for dinner justifies large quantities of butter, sugar and fruit.  The peaches were rock solid, but had flavor.  The raspberries were added just incase the baseball-esque peaches let me down.  Fingers crossed.

Before and after, the Stone Fruit Tea Cake in Rustic Fruit Desserts.