fall wardrobe #1: recycled sweater

Thus begins my fabric/recon stash clean-out and my fall-wardrobe construction. There are things I want, money I lack, and fabric to clean out, so this is my solution! I constructed this lined sweater from two grey cashmere sweaters of Cassidy's that I fulled in the wash. I scrapped the holey fronts. I lined it with leftover baby blue knit, and trimmed it with lightweight woven cotton from my stash - both to lend structural support to the cashmere. I made bias trim for the neckline, but as it's a scant 1/4 inch, it necessitated hand-sewing with tiny little stitches.

The sleeves are kind of a bubble, with a little pleat on top of each arm that I may tack down later with a button, but haven't decided yet. There's a lot of origami-esque pleating and folding on the runways these days, so I may just leave it be.


yes, the hem dips down in two points on the front.

it secures at the neckline with a leather button-tab that I secured/embellished with gold stitching. Buttons are reproductions of an 1890s poppy button - nothing fancy, just found 'em at the craft store.

Yes, it's kind of boxy and folkloric. I keep reading that boxiness is coming back (ha! take that, skinny jeans!) so I thought this would be a nice, structured way to try it out for fall. It does feel lovely on - it's so fluffy and cozy, I keep thinking it should be paired with a poodle skirt.

next up: the kinda-loud slippery print fabric that I've been trying to figure out how to use for about 5 years. I hope to draft patterns - and maybe start cutting and sewing? - tonight.

as american as ... ?

How American is apple pie, anyway? Oh, I know, I know, it's a cultural construct, part of the ethos of American identity, but doesn't anyone find it funny that these Donna Reed types were all baking apple pies in the 50s, with America deeply embroiled in a Cold War with the nation that is actually the native birthplace of the apple?

Food for thought. Actually, I do love apple pie. However, Cassidy doesn't. For some strange reason, he can't brook apples and cinnamon together. Seriously! So I haven't made one in a long time. Don't fret, I still have a tendency to bake myself an apple for breakfast of a wintry morning, or to stew a large pot of applesauce (just ripe with cinnamon and nutmeg!) on an autumnal afternoon. These are food rituals of my family, and cherished ones.

For the Fourth, however, though I don't consider myself the most ardent patriot, especially in these troubled times, I can't help but want to bake a pie. Maybe that's some measure of the American identity in myself. For all that it's so chic and urbane to be a cynic, I always choke up at the national anthem, I still salute the flag - even if not outwardly, there's definitely that kind of reverence in me that I can't locate or contradict, and I still want to make something picnicky for the Fourth of July.

So. Hopefully photos of the rest of the spread later, as the watermelon gazpacho I threw together is a picture of adorableness, but for now, I've made us an American pie. Not apple, no, but blueberry - a native fruit of this country. The crust really gave me hell last night, something I've not struggled with for years - perhaps it's this new climate? - but eventually I got it, and to boot, this is my first non-runny pie in years. We've already sent a slice, along with other food goodies, to a sick colleague this morning, so I can vouch that the filling I licked off the knife is very tasty!

Happy Fourth, everyone! Cassidy made espresso drinks and sourdough waffles for us for breakfast (my starter is really kicking into gear, now that it's 10 days old), which we topped with berries and cream for a suitably patriotic-looking breakfast with some friends. We're shipping off to have a swim in the ocean for a couple hours, and then we're going to churn some fresh vanilla ice cream for the pie this afternoon and make real, meat burgers (we haven't done this in a while) before we hunt for a good viewpoint for the fireworks show off the pier tonight. How lucky we are to live in such a prosperous country where young people like us can have such a day together. Here's to you, ol' red, white, and blue!

check back tomorrow for pics of my newest sweater project!

the grindstone

I'm working steadily away on fresh projects, fresh canvases, fresh feasts (the 4th is on the way, after all!) to share: I offer the above (exhibit A) as some proof that my silence indicates that there is much being done around here, if I haven't much to show for it.

However, my real reason to post today is to pop in and thank those of you who have been leaving comments. I don't know how these blog things get out - some kind of word-of-mouth or interested clicks or maybe even a label search? But I am so excited to learn that there are individuals out there who have been reading. Thank you! And leaving such kind, thoughtful comments - again, thank you!

I'll be leaving now, but rest assured, I'm off to plan this week's menu (including something tasty and exciting for the 4th) and then I've painting, sewing, befeathering and quite a bit of reading to do, as I'm behind schedule on R.F. Foster's history of Ireland.

my best to you, dear readers, whomever and wherever you are!

smorgasbord!

I tried, but I couldn't get all of it in! here's most of it:

from top: swedish rye sliced thin and wasa; three different mustards; gorgonzola; havarti, gouda, sheep gouda, gruyere, salami, and cucumber slices; pickled beets; herring in mustard sauce; gravlax with dill; split pea (and ham) soup; swedish meatballs with turnip and potato mash and lingonberries; strawberries; Anna's ginger thins; steamed asparagus in raspberry vinagrette with chopped pecans.

not pictured: akvavit, salmiakki, the other wines/alcoholic drinks, Swedish lingonberry drink, whipped cream for those berries, candy dish piled to overflowing with three types of black licorice.

looking at this picture makes me wish we could eat it all over again. yummmm

Solstice Skirt

whew! I just managed to finish my solstice skirt a couple of hours before our Midsommar Celebration on Saturday. This innocuous piece of clothing is my reconciliation between where I'd like to be and where I am. Seattle's scandinavian culture finds expression in the floral motif that I lifted from a photo of a 12th C. Danish textile. Santa Barbara sings in the exuberantly bright Mexican colour palette. Or that's how it seems to me.


The skirt is a lightweight 100% linen. I designed it in winter, when side panels contoured to my hips and gathering under each panel was something I hadn't seen anywhere. Now, it seems I merely anticipated a summer trend, but oh well. There is a hidden zipper at the center back seam, with hook-and-eye at the waistband. (this back-shot is blurry - my apologies! - but that "seam" you see is the interlaced band over the hip panel, not the hidden zipper)


Embroidery is in cotton, and I owe Janet over at Primrose Design a debt for her inspiring Stitch School. The seaming on the sides of the hip panel is covered with interlaced band stitch in purple and pink, and palestrina (spaced out) trims out the side panel when it meets the gathered fullness of the skirt. The hem is worked in the same two stitches.

The flowers utilize satin stitch, basketweave (or "woven filling stitch"), chain stitch, back stitch, and raised herringbone. It took me a long time to figure out a simple solution for transferring this pattern to the fabric: I simply traced it onto Solvy water-soluble interfacing, and laid it on top of the skirt. I embroidered ,then gently tore away excess, then soaked the skirt for about 30 minutes to dissolve the Solvy. It's sad that it took me something like 5 or more days to think of this, seeing as I'd purchased some Solvy to play with just a few weeks prior

coming next: a post for Natalie - the Midsommar smorgasbord for our party! It was delicious!

I made myself wait

until I'd actually completed something to show you. Apologies for the pause in posting. You'd think this summer-thing would leave me with heaps of time on my hands, but I'm surprisingly busy currently, what with the reading and the cooking and the cleaning, and the party prep. Yesterday, I finished the 20 some-odd feet of bunting that I was making for the party. A good way to use up fabric scraps (one of my goals on my summer list), festive for the party (yellow and blue for Sverige), plus I really like the idea of washable, reuseable party decorations. And is it just not too cute for words? I mean, really! Mine took a bit longer than some other versions out there as I decided to back my little bunting flags in the same fabric, which vastly increased the amount of pinning, sewing, pressing flat, and trimming of corners. However, these won't fray, so I think the extra time was worth it for being able to wash and reuse these without them getting tattered.

They're quite simple to make, just triangles sewn together along two sides, trimmed, flipped right sides out, pressed, and zig-zagged into a long thin strip of silk that has its own raw edges tucked under and pressed before sewing. I spaced mine about 2" apart on the silk.

In other news, check this out:

tomatoes! we're almost there... and plenty of basil abounding for when they're ripe.

Finally, something new to try. I picked up Donna Hay's Flavours cookbook at the library last week. Not too shabby - a bit meat-heavy on the dishes, but some interesting ideas. And we do eat meat once or twice a week anyhow. We made the "fresh salmon and lime cakes" and split it for dinner on Monday, with a fresh green salad on the side. By the time Cass had skinned and chopped the salmon, I had everything else in the bowl, so needless to say, it goes together quite quickly. We were out of wasabi and substituted some dijon, but agreed that next time, we'll make sure we have the wasabi in it. And perhaps some more ginger, too. Did you know Trader Joe's sells a ginger puree these days?

fresh salmon and lime cakes

• 1lb salmon fillet, skin removed
• 1 egg white
• 3 Tbl fine rice flour (we used mochi flour we had on hand)
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded (these were great. next time we'll use three. and maybe a shot of lime juice)
• 1 Tbl finely chopped ginger
• 1 tsp wasabi paste
• 3 Tbl chopped fresh chervil or flat leaf parsley (we used the latter)
• oil, to shallow fry

Remove any bones from the salmon an dchop into 1/4" dice. Combine the chopped salmon with the egg white, rice flour, lim eleaves, ginger, wasabi paste, and chervil or parsley. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat to shallow-fry the cakes. Place 2 Tbl of the mixture into the hot oil and cook for 35-45 seconds each side, or until lightly golden. Drain on absorbent paper and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.

Serve with lime dipping sauce:

• 1/4 c. fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 2 Tbl brown sugar

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl with a whisk or fork until sugar is dissolved.

enjoy! I'll be back soon with another post: there's another needlework project in the works currently, I just started another canvas, and the Midsommar party is this Saturday, so lots to share, hopefully soon!

in the light of day

fever dream. oilbar and pencil on canvas. 30 X 40. 2007

Finally! It's daylight. And although daylight is doing some horrid washing-out of the lovely pinks and purples of her lovely profile, at least there is a picture. She's done. It sounds weird and conceited, but I am so so in love with this painting, particularly the shadows of her sweater. I don't really know how it happened, but it looks good! She's hanging over Cassidy's table, and her hair is just the same colour of the warm mahogany. She sings. Welcome, welcome.