New Vintage Wardrobe #26: My 40th Birthday Dress

Okay. I'm like  a year and a half behind posting this. But I think you'll like it anyway.
It's the dress I made for a dinner out in the city for my 40th Birthday. That was a year ago last October.
Dinner was great by the way. Deee-lish.

I haven't worn it much and when I put it on for the photo shoot I wondered why not.
It's a very nice dress.

I have to fix the sleeve hems now that I have a bit more sewing experience.

It's so grownup and sophisticated.

It's a scotch and soda dress.

The top is raw silk and the bottom is a heavy rayon, vintage hand screen printed.

Maybe I  just don't pull off sophisticated as easily as I'd like!

Simplicity 2153. 

Circa  Late 50's, I'd imagine

It was pretty darned easy to make, 

Just like it said on the package 

and it was all salvage materials for my Fabric Fairy Godmother...

Thanks Diana!

 As usual...Fashionably Late,

Betty

Saint Anne (More Photoshop Practice)

I have been really lazy about taking pictures of what I'm sewing, but pretty disciplined about playing with other people's old pictures. So here is my tribute to the lovely Saint Ann. Patron saint of housewives, and seamstress alike. She was Mary's mama, don't ya know?

I also feel compelled to point out she also was  originally said to have had a virgin birth. Was that a lot more common way back when? Or maybe it just ran in the family. Anyway the Catholic Church had the story straightened out a few centuries back, so I should just stop spreading rumors.

Anyhooo, as my threads break and my seams tweak, it just find it comforting to know that there is a specific saint I should be calling on.

Her feast day is July 26th. Maybe I should throw her a party!

New Vintage Wardrobe Project# 24: The Mail Order Pattern

This is a mail order pattern from the LA Times.

It has been a WIP for quite some time. 

2 years minus only about 1 Month, I think.

My first pattern with no seam lines or printing on the pieces.

And it was mailed in 1952 to Miss Bonnie Lawrence.

But it doesn't look like she ever made it.

Finally finished... Ta Daaaah!

New skill: Button loops!

I'm happy. 

Sooo Happy, in fact, that I made it a necklace, out of vintage bingo pieces and milagros.

I bought this  fabric from my friend Amber (aka Maple Syrup) and I think these two boys look like her two boys.. at least a little. 

 

But these guys would be older than me these days.

This NVW project is dedicated to her.

 

I got the buckle form the Addison Studio sale that I attended with my lovely sister...

Perfect, don't you think?

Well, That's all until Monday!

Thanks to Miss Retro Modern for the backgrounds for this shoot!

Bitter Betty's Thanksgiving Tip

 For added elegance, when in doubt, always add a sprig of parsley, as a garnish.

Thanks to you... For Reading!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Love, 

 Betty

Made It Myself Monday: Lists and Wishes

I worked on my calendar and my "To Do List" yesterday.
I scheduled my annual "Sisters In The City" shopping day with my sistyuglers.
I scheduled The Annual Tree Hunt.
I scheduled the pre-tree cleaning spree.

 Tiny felt tea set.. a finished gift. The buns are the size of a pencil eraser.

I still want to schedule a Holiday Ladies Potluck Champagne Brunch and Glitter Soiree. (A day of making tiny gifts, tags, doing some wrapping... But Very Sociably.)
and, of course, Teen Dude Gift Creation Weekend.

But those are all I need to feel happy celebratory and chock full o' good cheer.

I made my "what needs finishing" list (3 items)
and "still to make" list. (5 items)
I compared it to my "folks who need gifts" list.
Any Folks not represented on the first two lists are being put on
the "local-indy-etsy shopping list". And there we are.
Less mess, less stress.

And I celebrate Day 2 of My Personal Advent by Putting The Halloween Away and making green tomato chutney which can make a lovely hostess gift, gets rid of those tomatoes, and is awesome on a grilled cheese sandwich.

Green Tomato Chutney

12 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 and 1/2 diced white onions
4 granny smith apples chopped/ peeled
2 cups raisins or currants
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1 stick cinnamon
1Tbsp ground ginger
2 1/2 cups cider vinegar

Place all items in large heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil. lower heat and simmer uncovered for 
over an hour until thickened. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
Can be canned in sterilized jars with a 10 minute water bath process.


Use my Labels for cuteness.

Thrift Thursday: Storybookland

Well... Here we are in October. That means the Birthday Season has officially Begun. I am going to the city Today with Julia from Mariquita Farms to deliver fresh organic veggies to hungry foodies and then out to eat. Hurray. I am very excited. I like food and people and good physical labor. A fun adventure to be sure.

I decided there will be an over arching yet lax theme for the BBI for the month of October. That is Storybookland. My little light yellow red ridinghood ceramic bell is my thrifty storybook example for day one. I love storybooks. I love all books. Right now I am reading 4.

Here is a quick craft I did a few weeks ago. I dried my late summer hydrangeas and then stuck them to a straw wreath form with T pins. The wreath and the tpins? Thrift Store. Thrifty Homegrown Fast Craft...You gotta love it. Total spent 1.50.

I also need to clean out those closets and get ready for the rain. I'm even uploading a picture of every single vintage pattern I own to flickr to make myself a reference and get ready to send some away.
But now I gotta run.. The veggies need me.

That's how we roll here at Chez Betty: We bite off more than we can chew.

Let's Hear it For October!
Betty

WIP Wednesday: Peaches Loves Basil

"Oh Peaches, How I adore you!"
"Oh Basil, you make me blush!"

It sounds like a 1920's Love Affair. Peaches and Basil sitting in a tree....
But it isn't. It is this years Experimental Jam Recipe winner! (Yes, I ran my own personal jam contest. I'm eccentric that way.)

I met and schmoozed with a lovely farmer at farmer's market yesterday and got 12 pounds of jam peaches. Jam peaches are like jam strawberries. They are mostly good (the funky bits are easily trimmed away) and very ripe. They must be processed within the next 24 hours or they will quickly become overripe and then, almost instantaneously- compost. But they are the most reasonably priced locally grown organic produce I have ever found. These were a 1.00 a pound! And often they are not advertised or displayed... Hence, the schmoozing with the farmer.

I decided it was affordable enough to experiment with!

I made 2 types of jam in 2 Quart batches. (That is 2 quarts of pre-processed fruit, in case you were wondering.) One features a yummy vanilla, cinnamon style peach jam and the other is my favorite, peaches with lemon and basil infused.

Peach Pie Preserves:

• 2 quarts of peeled sliced peaches
• 5 Cups sugar
• juice from one lemon
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 vanilla bean opened and scraped
• plus vanilla seeds from pod

Cook peaches and 1/2 the sugar for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add remaining ingredients, mix and mash with a fruit or potato masher while boiling. Continue to stir increasingly as fruit cooks. When fruit starts to seem to adhere to pan bottom between stirrings, the jam is ready to can.

Peaches Loves Basil Jam

• 2 quarts of peeled sliced peaches
• 4 Cups sugar
• juice and zest from 2 lemons
• 8-10 fresh basil sprigs ( mine were 4-5 leaves per sprig)
• 3 fresh lemon balm sprigs

Cook peaches and 1/2 the sugar for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add remaining sugar and lemon, mix and mash with a fruit or potato masher while boiling. after another 5-10 minutes put in the herbs. I tied mine with a kitchen twine to make it easier to remove. For a more intense basil flavor I also rolled over mine with a rolling pin to slightly bruise the herbs. Continue to stir increasingly as fruit cooks. When fruit starts to seem to adhere to pan bottom between stirrings, the jam is ready to can. Pull out the herbs, and can as usual.

Basic Jam Canning:

• Sterilize jars by boiling for 10 minutes.
• Heat canning lids and rings but do not boil these.
• Put hot jam into hot jars.
• Wipe jar rims and place a lid and ring on each jars, tightening slightly.
• Process all finished jars in boiling water bath (2 inches of water should cover each jar) for a quick 5 minutes,
• remove with canning tongs and cool.

My 12 pounds of peaches yielded 13 1- cup jars of jam, plus enough extra peaches for a yummy peach and blackberry crisp.

I know.. You want to come over for dinner now.
Well, Okay. Come on Over Already!

Love your Peaches, Wanna Shake Your Tree,
Betty

PS: The Lovely and Talented Jen of the Austin Craft Mafia/Naughty Secretary Club/CraftLab mentioned that suitcase project in a really great round up she just blogged about. ( Um.. Now I need to make a minibar...hello?)
Thanks Jen!

And to those I have forgotten to thank before... Thanks now and I apologise. Flakey like a croissant, but deep down grateful to every one who links, comes by or comments. ( Like, Molly, for instance...)I really love you guys. I'd be lost without you.

WIP Wednesday: Spring Cleaning

Yes, Ladies, that's me... Happily scrubbing the bathroom ceiling.
My life has truth and depth and meaning.
Like a slightly punky Stepford wife.

Hallowweeeeeen Party.

The Party Already?

Well, I did consult
the Housewives Tarot....

and things are looking spooky.

But I'm still altering the altars.

Carving the Pumpkins,

Working in the lab.

So feel free to look around,

but keep coming back, because,
I plan to attend this party all week long.

Today's treat:

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin-Eater Madelines


Prepare your favorite pumpkin muffin mix,
according to the directions on the box.
(or make it from scratch, if you must...)

Butter Madeline tin and fill each half full.
Bake a 375 for 7-10 minutes.
like magic. madelines.

Make Sure You visit A Fanciful Twist to see the whole list of Revellers.