Pattern Reviews: Colette Patterns "Beignet" and Simplicity 2211 by Lisette

  So, I finally did it! Something I've wanted to do for years and for whatever reason just never worked out. I made an entire outfit or "ensemble" if you want to sound fancy. I have been admiring the Colette Patterns line for awhile now and decided to give one a shot. The Beignet skirt looked quite flattering and not too difficult to make. It did not disappoint. JoAnn's recently had Simplicity Patterns on sale for a $1.99 so as usual I stocked up.( Patterns on sale and machine needles are pretty much the only things I can bring myself to buy there.)   I wanted a nice button up- tuck in kind of blouse pattern. Although this pattern is actually a tunic syle blouse with non-functioning buttons.
                                                                                                             

                                                                     

                                                               

Excuse the wrinkly skirt. I promise I did iron before wearing. That's the result of three hours at church with rotating intervals of a squirmy toddler and three year old on my lap.

I made the skirt out of a navy cotton/spandex twill sateen that got from Fabric.com

I loved the Beignet pattern. It had thorough instructions and was really pretty easy to put together. I made a size 16 because of the ample porportions of my back side but did have to take it in at all the waist seams. I love the lines of this pattern. Because it is a six gore skirt it's really easy to make adjustments to get a really nice cusom fit. And fit has always been the issue for me in sewing for myself. Overall I give Beignet top ratings. You should also check out  http://www.colettepatterns.com/blog. They have a lot of nice tutorials and other fun stuff.

I chose Simplicity 2211 because, well it was simple. I liked the slight puff sleeve. And although I wanted a button up, the pull on style was a piece of cake to put together. Even with all that goes on in a house with six kids I was able to put it together in a couple hours total. I would say the hardest part is making sure your topstictching is nice and even. That's a detail that can make or break a garment. I had to make the arm bands a smidgen bigger as I have some "strong" arms and if I were to make it again I would make it an inch or two longer for tucking in purposes. But all in all it looks fabulous! I love dotted swiss. It's so pretty and classic.

Something I Love So Very Much

http://lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2011/04?lang=eng

Conference Weekend! Yay!

This has been a wonderful weekend. I look forward to general conference for months before it comes. My faith, hope, and peace are always renewed. I come away with a refreshed vigor for life and gratitude for the beautiful blessings I enjoy every day.
I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth, organized in the way He directed, and led by men who sacrifice so much and live in such a way as to be worthy of the constant guidance of the Holy Ghost!
This weekend my brother Nate and his wife Krista came to town for a visit. They have been very missed. My son Jairus and their daughter Katlyn are little adorable partners in crime. They LOVE each other.We had a big family get together at our house with all six of us kids, their spouses and kids and of course my mom and dad.  We got family pictures taken, had an Easter egg hunt for all SEVENTEEN of the grand kids and just revelled in the chaos. I think it's pretty amazing to see all that my parents have created.

Up next- I'm working Marley's Hermia costume for the upcoming A Midsummer's Night Dream. It's funny how most of time I'll do whatever it takes to make time to sew because I love it.....but now that I have to, I'm more than dragging my feet.

Carrot Cupcakes

I thought about trying to make my very first post special in some way. But.....I couldn't think of anything so instead I decided to just jump right in with a recipe.
I had a hankerin'(funny word) for a big ol' peice of carrot cake with lots of cream cheese frosting. Turns out I had never actually made carrot cake before so I appealed to my friends for their favorite recipes. This was the first one I got and since I couldn't wait a second longer it's the one that got made.
2 cups flour(it called for white but I used fresh ground whole wheat)
2 cups sugar
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
3 cups fineley shredded carrots
1 cup cooking oil(I used olive)
4 eggs

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix well. Then add the carrots, oil, and eggs and stir until combined. Pour into lightly greased and floured pans(this recipe makes a 9x13, two 9" rounds, or about 18 cupcakes). Bake at 350 degrees. The 9x13 for about 35 minutes, the rounds for about 30, and the cupcakes for about 20.

These were pretty good. They were very moist, although how could they not be with all that oil. The texture was fabulous, the flavor just seemed to be lacking a little something special. But once you put the frosting on they were all good, in fact all gone. I don't want to admit how many I ate over a 24 hour period. I really don't have self control when it comes to baked goods.
OK, so for the frosting:
6 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter( please don't use margarine, it's so gross!)
2 t vanilla
3 1/2-4 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar.
Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until light and fluffy and then gradually add the powdered sugar until it reaches good spreading consistency.

Here's my beautiful, cherished grain mill! Oh, how I adore my Retsel! I use fresh ground whole wheat flour in almost everything I make instead of white flour. At the very least I use half and half.

We don't have a food processor, so grating 3 cups of carrots by hand was a job perfect for the kids;) Townsend-is not capable of taking a picture without a pained expression on his face. Picture taking is very painful!

Sadly I don't have any shots of the finished product. I couldn't hold back the horses long enough once they were done.