buttons buttons everywhere

I made myself a new dress using a cotton satin.  I like the purplish grey blue.  It is a hard color to give a name to.  I used the 1914 pattern from Sense and Sensibility.  I really rather not use gathers, so I used pleats everywhere.  I also made the cuffs a tad larger and changed the neck finish.  I think the next time I might change the neckline a tad.

I like how the cuffs and sleeves turned out.

There are 15 buttons on the back and two hooks and eyes.  It is a bit difficult to button by myself.  My Beloved was out of town this morning and I got into it!  I did ask a lovely lady friend at work to check that I was all buttoned up.  Not that anyone could tell because I really needed to wear a sweater all day. 

I would make this again.  May change it a bit but what else is new!

african flower bag

I finally finished all the crochet african flower motifs and put them into a bag for the tall short person.  But I decided it needed a lining so it would not stretch out and that small things could not slip through the holes.

I had a clasp from a pair of boots.  The clasp did not really work very well with the boots but I like it on the bag.

I added a tassel.

And it is done!

I filled it with the pajama bottoms I made for her.  She likes the pictures of everything but so far she has not come and gotten anything.  It will be interesting to see what she thinks when she picks it all up.

one sock down, one to go

My Beloved is such a patient man!  Especially when I am learning something new for him!  This long distant picture of the sock I made so far looks like it does not have many issues.  Taking a picture from a distance really helps!  After the first six inches, I asked him if he would like me to frog it and and start again.  His response was basically he liked the imperfections and only the Divine makes the perfect.

I thought this heel looked huge until it went on his foot.  And it fit.  He was worried about that the sock would be too big on his foot.  I had read the pattern closely and decided to trust it.  The pattern was right and it fit his foot.

I really liked how the toe came out.  He would like the top of the sock to be tighter.  I think it really needs to be taller.  He wanted it to be completely over his calf and it is not quite there.  I have not figured out how to do tighter yet.

But I have started on the next one.  I am going to make it the same size and strive for less imperfections.

The next set of socks I will use smaller needles and make the top longer.  Or if anybody has any ideas?

more Christmas gifts

I am still working on Christmas gifts.  My stitching slowed down after the holidays but I keep going.  Kind of like a very slow Energizer bunny.  I have added other projects and energy has been low.  But I had an unexpected day off due to ice.  So I got pajama bottoms for the Tall Short Person done. 

I started with two flat twin cotton sheets.  They were the stripe and the stars in one with a little bit of sky blue.  I was able to get three pairs of pajama pants out of them with a little piecing. The tall short person requested that they would all be long.  She actually wears them.  I actually asked if she liked this fabric about three times because it just felt like it got brighter and brighter!

Each pair is very unique.  But now I need to keep my eyes open for next year.  She would really like skulls, or skeletons, or Jack and Sally from Nightmare before Christmas.  The flying takeout boxes from last year worked though!  She is a strange child.

I will see what I get done tomorrow.  If I take another two hour nap like today it may not be much but my lungs feel heavy so I have a feeling healing is going on.  Better to do that with sleep then other things.  I only have a very long list!

gluten free waffles

I was craving waffles.  But my Beloved has been limiting gluten in his life again.  He is not gluten free currently but that could happen soon.  I figured that I really needed to come up with a gluten free waffle recipe so that we could eat together.  Us eating together is a good thing.  We enjoy each others company, talk up a storm, and I actually eat.  It is too easy for me to forget to eat unless I am with someone (or threatened that I cannot have my cookies unless I eat real food first!  Happened today!)

Molly over at Orangette asked for all the best waffle recipes awhile back.  She came up with two.  One was yeasted and one was not.  I was thinking about trying the yeasted one but ran out of steam so I tried the non-yeasted waffle recipe and made it gluten free.  

I think this gluten free waffle is the best waffle I had ever made.  It was light and crispy.  We did not think it needed syrup.  And it was whole grain which is something my Beloved is always pleased to have.  The grain flavors really come through so if you wish a different flavor, change the flours you use from what I used.

Gluten Free Waffles

adapted from Molly at Orangette A Great Make-the-morning-of waffle.

1/4 cup teff flour

1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup arrowroot starch

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup soured hempmilk (2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 14 tablespoons hempmilk)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat your waffle iron.  Mine is a cast iron waffle iron that sits on the stove.  I spray it with PAM so that the waffles do not stick.

In a mixing bowl, put in all the dry ingredients.  Whisk well (make them fluffy!)

Add the oil, milk, egg, and vanilla to the dry ingredients.  Mix well.

Pour into the heated waffle iron and bake until done.  It should take about five minutes.  I noticed a definite scent change when the waffle was done.

Serve.  You can add syrups or fruit or yogurt or.....  We ate ours plain.

This is what remained of our breakfast!  Even if you were not gluten free, I would go out and get these flours and give this a whirl.  They were the best waffles we have ever had.