Vintage Vogue … DONE!

It is finished! YEY! I am all done with my Vintage Vogue dress. It took me a little longer to get it done than expected because life has been totally bananas for me. Any way, it was really fun to make. The bodice was a little tricky but not too bad. The skirt was simple to construct but the hem … ugh. what a pain. Because it is more or less a circle skirt, you have to pleat the hem so it will lay flat and not pull.

I also made a petticoat for the dress to give the skirt the body it needs.

Its a pretty good pattern. There are a few things that were unclear – for example they do not give any directions on how to close the facing of the shoulder seam (you just have to hand stitch it but still they didn’t cover it). Overall its a good pattern that is super fun to twirl in. I think I just may use again for another dress!

Wilma’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tonight at my church we are having a Ladies Craft Night. This is our second one. They are the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month. Last time, one of my favorite ladies at the church made zucchini cookies. They were amazing! So, I decided to do a little baking for tonight.

My church, Greene Valley Presbyterian Church, published a cook book earlier this summer. So I flipped through it and found a recipe by Wilma Allison (who made the zucchini cookies). She is questionably one of my favorite ladies at the church. She has such a sweet spirit and is full of wonderment when you share craft projects with her. Sigh … I just love her!

Here is the recipe for Wilma’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 Sticks Butter (softened)                        1 tsp. Vanilla

¼ C. Sugar                                                2 Eggs

1 pkg. White Chocolate                        21/2 C. Flour

Instant Pudding                                    1 tsp. Baking Soda

¾ C. Brown Sugar                                    1 Bag Milk Chocolate Chips

Mix softened butter, white sugar, pudding, and brown sugar together. Add vanilla and eggs. Add flour and baking soda mixing slowly. Add 1 bag of chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min. The cookies are very light in color.

I had never used instant pudding in cookies so I was interested in hot it would taste. They were fantastic! Very moist on the inside and a little crispy on the outside. YUM! Try it for yourself!

Vintage Vogue

So I’ve always been a big fan of Vogue. When I was younger, I was reading it rather than Seventeen or those other teen magazines. So, of course, when it comes to looking at inspiration for new garments I turn to Vogue.

Historically, I have made a lot of my own patterns but I have been wanting to do more complicated things. So I was looking through some Vogue patterns at JoAnn’s and I found a super fab vintage pattern.

I am obsessed! It is so full and lovely. I had no idea what I would make it out of until I saw this red fabric with the navy boats on it. I love nautical things. So fun! Anyway, I have it cut out and have started assembling. Stay tuned for the finished product!

An idea, a dream, a new way of life

So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how different life would be for me if I lived the way my grandmother did when she was in her 20’s. She made almost all of her clothes and she cooked basically all of her meals from scratch. Me – I buy basically all of my clothes and I rarely cook my meals from scratch.

My grandma has been a great influence in my life, she started teaching me how to sew when I was 3. We made a little blanket for my Barbies. We have’t cooked as much together but I have gotten a few tips from her over the years.

What I want to do is begin making all of my clothes (with the exception of undergarments) and stop using so many processed foods in cooking. My friend, Mary Beth, has also had the same idea of playing around with this concept. We have different strengths. Mine for sure are in sewing and general craftiness. Mary Beth is a rock star in the kitchen and crafty too.

Stay tuned for our progress on living a life sans conventional clothing shopping and processed foods!