personal projects
personal projects including artwork, sewing for myself or for my cat, recipes and other things about my life
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1911 Corset Sew Along – The Mock Up
So or those of you who hadn’t seen this yet, I am doing this fun sew along project that goes along in bite sized pieces through January and February, and I should end up with a 1911 corset for the Titanic centennial. So far, I have drafted the pattern in my size and have made a mock up which is called a “muslin” which is what one does to ensure proper fit of a garment made in some sort of cheaper fabric to practice on so one doesn’t ruin expensive fabric. As I said before in a previous post, I am only posting a couple of photos of my progress…
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1911 Corset Project
I came across this blog when I was doing research for my new corset line. I have been reading it here and there. I hadn’t checked it in a while, but came across this sew along last week. And because it is in nice bite sized pieces, I decided it would be fun to do. The 1911 corset is to go along with the centennial of the Titanic this year. When I mentioned that to a friend, he asked if there would be any re-enactments. Not sure that is something that I would really like to re-enact, but to each their own I suppose. I am not sure if I…
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Satsuma Mandarin Ice Cream
I know that this isn’t a cooking blog. Last year I received an ice cream maker for my birthday, and I have been experimenting with recipes and posting about them on Twitter. I have had many requests for recipes, so I may be posting more of the best of them here. This recipe has a quite subtle lovely flavour of fresh Satsuma mandarin with a little warmth from the Grand Marnier for a light holiday dessert treat. 1 pint (16 oz) heavy cream1 pint (16 oz) whole milk1 cup sugar4 egg yolks3 Satsuma mandarins (juiced)2 T Grand Marnier In a saucepan gently heat the milk and cream. Whisk in sugar,…
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Fixing the Holes
once in a while i will get a crazy idea born out of some twisted idea of necessity. part of this is a fixation with repairing much loved things. a good long time ago, i received a vintage faux fur coat as a gift. it became my primary winter coat. and one day there was a hole in the lining. i patched that hole with a crazy quilt fan block i pieced together from some random scraps. the outside of the coat was fine, but the lining was disintegrating. over the next couple of years as the lining continued to fall apart, i continued to patch up the holes. finally,…
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fixing an old friend
many years ago i discovered quilting. i think that if i could make my living this way, i would be a quilter. it is a secret madness, quilting. the constant eye out and collecting of calico (the printed cotton fabric used for traditional quilting) with every trip to the fabric store, and the hoarding of scraps of fabric in plastic bins. i have several unfinished quilts that i work on every now and then resting in a neatly folded pile at the foot of my bed. about 10 years ago i made the quilt that covers my bed. it is made out of 1930’s reproduction prints in bubblegum colours. a…
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leaving my ‘pet’ crow
back in the beginning of may i had to stop eating wheat. we had to break up because it just wasn’t working for me anymore. in a fit of housecleaning, i pulled all of my open containers of wheat based products: crackers, granola, pretzels, cookies, cereal and emptied them into a brown paper grocery bag with the intention of dumping it in the compost bin. but then i felt a pang of guilt. while a good portion of this food was completely inedible (stale and old) i felt a pang of guilt about throwing it away. the bag was filled 6 inches deep. i went back and forth with myself…
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my inability to be monogamous to one art form
i am not so fond of new year’s resolutions nor making promises that i can’t keep. i have been sinking due to old habits. there are the barriers that we put up that once protected us, but now are a detriment to my survival and especially to my ability to thrive. i have trained myself prioritize that which i thought would give me the best gain in the short term, and in the long run it has led to apathy and stagnation. once upon a time i would have an idea in my head, and then i would have to create it right away. my excitement would keep me singularly…