Coffee and a new (old) pattern

My coffee is hot and the banana bread is oh so good! I have decided to try a new pattern from Nanny's stash for this weekend. It is Simplicity 4615 , there is no date, but I am pretty sure it is late 50's or early 60's. I like that it says "Simple To Make" on the front. I always find those words to be like a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it is comforting to think that this might be easy. On the other hand, when I struggle to figure it out and the dress will not go together, I feel like those words are placed there to taunt me! We will see. I want to make view 2 for my 12 year old. She loves the full skirt. I just wonder where these skinny waisted people came from. Obviously these photos and drawings did not include the effects of childbirth. I will post my progress. Not sure what fabric I will use yet. I would love to buy something new, but my bags in the closet must be put to use first.

Super Moist Banana Bread

Well I just love it when the bananas don't get eaten and I get to make some bread. It makes the whole house smell scrumptious! I am including my recipe and some pictures of the process. If you are not a cook, pictures always help I think. I have found that gathering all of my ingredients first makes the process much smoother. I also clean as I go along. It is much easier to sit and enjoy that yummy warm bread when the dishes are done and the supplies are put away. So if you have some aging bananas that seem destined for death, put them to good use today!

First you will need to preheat your oven to 350.

Then gather the following ingredients:

1 stick of butter at room temp ( I never use margarine, so I don't know if it changes the recipe)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 ripe bananas

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla ( I always use pure vanilla, but imitation will work)

1/4 cup sour cream (I think this addition is what makes it so moist)

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cinnamon (depends on your taste)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Optional items-2/3 cup finely chopped pecans and/or 1/3-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine the bananas, sugar and butter. I put my broken bananas in and run those for a minute to mash them, then put in my butter and sugar. Add your eggs one at a time. Mix until combined. Then add your vanilla, sour cream and spices. Once those are incorporated, add your flour mix (soda, salt, flour). Then if you like pecans or chocolate chips, you add those.

I use a great Martha Stewart mini-loaf pan to bake mine. They just look nice once they are done and they are easier to freeze (if you have any leftover). You could use a loaf pan or muffin tins. You will need to adjust the cook time though.

Mini loaf pan-30 minutes Loaf pan- 50-60 minutes Muffin tins-check at 15 minutes

Ahh! Spring

Don't you just love spring! Everything is new and sweet and fresh. In the Psalms ,it says that He causes the dawn and the sunset to shout for joy! I love taking just a few moments of quiet to sit in our hammock and notice all creation being made to shout "Glory to God in the Highest!"

Very Easy, Very Vogue dress pattern

Here is another treat from Nanny's stash of patterns! I was making it for my girls, but it ended up fitting me. I will be putting the large, low pockets on it. My girls didn't like the pockets, so they are not on it in this picture. It also has a long sash to match that gives it a nice shape. This was my first experience with a yoke and a raglan sleeve. I am really not good at either one! This was another sew, stop, rip! So humbling and good for the soul. It was my first zipper and it happened to be 22 inches long. I did pretty well. Zippers still scare me! This pattern is for knits and I really like this retro print.

60's gourd skirt

Unfortunately, my husband's nanny passed away New Year's of 2009. We have spent some time there going through her things and now her house has a sale contract on it. When we were going through her attic, we found about 60-80 patterns from the 1940's-1970's. I have had so much fun going through them. I found a cute six panel skirt with an elastic waist that I have made several times now. I did have one problem with my first one. I made it for my twelve year old and she loves that it twirls when she spins (she is very girly). She was wearing it to church on a Wednesday night and all of a sudden the seam just started to bust open. I thought maybe she pulled it on something, but I realized that it was the use of rayon thread in a cotton jersey garment! I love shiny rayon thread almost as much as I love fabric. It does not hold up well in a knit garment. NOTE TO SELF! Oh well, we have repaired and since then sewn some more of these skirts. I just love vintage and retro and homemade!

The wrap skirt

Just thought I would post this pic as well. This is the wrap skirt from http://chicandsimplesewing.com/ made from the garden collection of M'Liss fabric from Hancock. Very summery!

Retro Shift Dress

I have recently purchased the book http://chicandsimplesewing.com by Christine Haynes. I have made several circle skirts and a wrap skirt and tried this retro shift dress. AAARRGGHH! I took the neckband out three times. I just can't quite figure it out. I am a relatively stable, educated female, but for some reason this stumped me. I just wanted my mom to come fix it for me, but alas she is in another state! I sent her pictures and read her instructions and I still don't like the end result. The neckband went a little crooked and it is a healthy reminder that I am a "trainee" when it comes to sewing projects. I just laugh and rip and laugh and rip some more! It is a good thing my seam ripper is ergonomically designed-hee hee. I will try another one soon, but for now here is my lovely 18 year old wearing said catastrophe! She makes anything look great.