thrift store finds

I found these sweet hankies at a thrift store for $1. I just thought they were charming, but when I looked up the name Tammis Keefe from the walnut hankie, I found out she is a well-known designer. From the images I saw online, she was extremely talented and created many beautiful designs in her short life. As for the other signature, I have no idea who it is, but I love the giraffes anyway.

Update: the other signature is Carl Tait, about whom I could find less info, but who was also a talented artist with other great hanky designs.

weekend details

My mom's birthday weekend on Long Island. The lemon cake I made was this recipe, although I made a lemon cream cheese frosting instead.

horsie dress

Finished the Colette Chantilly dress with the horsie cotton lawn, yay! I did find it somewhat frustrating however, as the size I made was WAY too big, even though the measurements listed for that size matched mine. I had to take it in quite a bit, which was annoying because it is fully lined. I think it would have looked better if I had just made a smaller size to begin with. Next time I try this pattern I think I will go down 2 sizes. Also, I think the lining I used was a little too bulky, will go with the thinnest possible next time. I did find a couple of mistakes in the pattern. First, you need to make sure you leave the seam open for the zipper on the same side for the top and skirt of the dress...the illustration on p. 12 is misleading. Also, Step 2 on p. 6 seems to be superfluous. Other than that, I liked the way the pattern was made into a little book. It was clear to read, well-illustrated, and even had an index in the back. I would definitely try another Colette pattern, keeping in mind the sizing issue.

lovebirds

So here is the cotton fabric I designed on Spoonflower. I am really happy with how it turned out, and will definitely be using the site again. You can also buy fabrics designed by other users. Lots of unique prints, perfect for quilting!

chocolate banana cream pie

Yum! I used this recipe, with a few changes: bittersweet chocolate instead of semisweet, and a chocolate graham cracker crust instead of a regular pastry crust. Wow, was this intense! I think I overdid it a bit with the chocolate crust...maybe a little less sweetness would be better. However, the texture was really nice, I do love custard. Next time I'd probably add another banana. It's all my sister-in-law's fault, she was talking about chocolate banana cream pie over the 4th of July. It got stuck in my head, and the only way to get it out was to make it. She will be inheriting half of this pie today.

dresses

I just finished this little purple silk dress. I originally intended to wear it to a wedding until I found out the bridesmaids were wearing purple. Oops! Opted for red instead. It aint perfect, but it has been a long time since I made a dress (half-assed Halloween costumes aside), so I'm somewhat proud of its completion. Now I want to make more dresses!

Have been eying these gorgeous Colette patterns online for a while, and yesterday I finally picked one; "Chantilly." I couldn't choose between two fabrics at The Needle Shop, so I bought both! The tiny horsey one was a bit cheaper (due to a misprint), so I'll do that one first.

Both are lightweight cotton lawn, perfect for summer. I'd better get sewing before it gets cold again!

quilt backing

I found a lovely print at The Needle Shop for the backing of my pinwheeel quilt. It has all the colors from the patterns on the front, plus a zig-zagging gray design that intersects the organic elements. Yay!

lunch

The pickles turned out well, I'm going to try out some other variations. Perhaps with more brine and less vinegar...

4th of July details