purple present

I make my best friend's Christmas presents.  Sometimes they do not get to her until June because she does not have an address to mail them to or that is the first time we connect but I make them.  I think this year she has an actual address.  But I will check before I mail anything.  Who knows where she will be?

She does not really spoil herself, so I do.  I thought some color was needed.  We both wear too much black and many earth tones.  She is notorious for whatever is on the clearance rack to be what she buys because just like me, she hates shopping.  The clearance rack may be online but it is clearance.

Working on films means she lives in hotel rooms and out of her car most of the time.  She does have a storage unit that has a large amount of yarn in it but sometimes I think that is all that is in there.  I have to make things I hope she loves.

I am actually making her a complete outfit.  The first bit is this slip.  I cut apart a nightgown I do not wear for the lace.  I had thrifted purple satin.  A slip for the dress I am making her.

It actually packs up very small so it will not take up too much room in her suitcase or car.  I am also sending leggings with the dress.  I bought a stash awhile back and I know these leggings will work under the dress.  Hopefully, when she finally receives everything, she will like it.

If you read my blog much, you may have noticed the Shop tab is gone.  I have disabled it because I cannot seem to keep up with it, my Etsy shop, and making things.  I decided it would be a good thing to simplify a bit.  

Even though the holidays are just over and that usually means I am back in this space a lot, I had a dear friend die yesterday.  I am feeling a bit lost and do not know what all the arrangements will be.  I also find my thoughts jumbled and words not coming easily or together easily.  Please bear with me.

It appears this year is going to be full of change.  

dress remake

I believe I blogged about this dress when I made it.  I had a changed a few things about it.  One, it was flannel which I really do not make dresses out of.  Two, long sleeves with cuffs.  Three, the original pattern dress length.  I found I really liked it but I only wore it when I felt ill.  A dress I just wished to wrap around me and be kept warm by. 

I loved the fabric.  So much so that even when I was making it I wished I had bought more.  Could I find it again?  Of course not!  But I did have about a yard left over that I kept.

So I cut the dress apart.  I had enough length in the skirt to make most of the dress.  I had enough in the scrap to add short sleeves and more length.  Then, the day before traveling I started sewing.  Because I wanted the dress for my parents.  Their house has a tendency to be on the chilly side.  It has a very open floor plan.

I finished it the morning of departure.  I packed it into my bag and off it went with me.  Through a few adventures getting to my parents and I changed into it on Christmas day.  I did not know I could drive from Mountain Home, Idaho to Prosser, Washington on one tank of gas with some leftover.  Driving through three states at between 30 and 45 miles per hour most of the time was quite an experience.  It was not even that bad just slow.

Back in my own home, it is the dress I am wearing it today.  I like how soft it is.  It is a comfort.  But it feels stylish in the sheath shape.  My one fear now is that I am going to wear it out and not be able to find similar fabric again.  That will be a sad moment but it will be what it will be.

I hope every one had a lovely holiday season.  I am just getting back into the swing of things.  I am not caught up at all but simple things are done.  The bed is made.  Tea is in the pot.  A morning walk was had.  I am curious to see what will be left of my garden after the below freezing nights.  The seed catalogs are here.  This could be a very bad thing!

because I had to

Am I ready for a week with family?  Where I will get very little done and Christmas and a birthday will be celebrated?  No.  I will be working on presents into January.  They just get mailed late.

This present had to be done today.  It does not look like much.  It is a hat I made with yarn I spun.  It is going to get wrapped and be gifted with a box of cookies.  It will be gifted either tomorrow morning or Saturday morning.

Why did it have to be done?  I walk every morning.  Almost five miles.  I look at the sky.  I try to breathe.  I check out the bayou.  I pick up trash every morning and put it in the bins along the path.

And I say good morning to the homeless man who lives under one of the underpasses.  That his spot.  It was his spot this summer.  It was his spot during Harvey and it was covered with water.  I do try to tell him what the weather will be.  He has offered me his umbrella when I got caught in the rain.  Just human. 

Being human, I am taking him a Christmas gift.  A hat and cookies.  Not a lot.  Something he can share.  Some small gesture to let him know I see him every morning.  I am a little worried about him.  He has been moving slowly out of his spot the last couple of mornings.  I am worried he may not be feeling well.  I know too many people who have homes who are sick right now.  There is not much I can do but I can show him that someone knows he is alive.

I will not be in this space until the New Year.  Lots of family starting soon.  I hope everyone who shares this space with me have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  

sour cream raisin pie

I got boxes out before Christmas.  The only two boxes that will go out but they are out.  Any other boxes will go out after the holidays.

Baking has been interesting this year.  I used flour that was milled within a week of baking and the moisture content has changed the amount of flour I have needed in a couple of recipes.  The boyos are not complaining about the rejects.  I am told that rejects need to happen more often.

I decided to test my sour cream raisin pie recipe with brown sugar.  I will be seeing my Dad next week for Christmas and am thinking that a pie will be his birthday/Christmas present.  Or maybe I will make him two.  But I wished to test it with brown sugar instead of white.  Going for more of the pecan pie feel then buttermilk pie feel.

It was rather an easy mix up.  And can I say that gluten free has changed a lot in the last ten years!  One of the boyos needs not to eat gluten.  Not celiac but something close.  I went to the store looking for all my normal bags of having to mix it myself.  But Bob's Red Mill had a Paleo bag mix that was very similar to something I would have mixed in the past.  I made my life easy.

So I made a gluten free crust.  Dusted the raisins with the same mix so they would not drop to the bottom of the pie so easily.  I baked it.  That is how easy it was to make this pie gluten free.   I am just a little worried because there has been so much wheat flour flying around my kitchen all week.  It is heritage and freshly milled but everybody has different tolerances.  I will keep my fingers crossed.

The boyos called it a success.  It is so old fashioned that I worry a bit that modern palates will not like it but so far it has been a success.  All the men I know seem to like it.  I will make one for my Dad when I get to his house next week.  Or, actually, the day after Christmas so I bake him another if he wishes.  

It will be interesting to be at my parents' with my siblings for a week.  This could get interesting!

madly baking

Posts for the month of December feel kind of redundant to me.  I bake so many of the same family recipes that I could just repeat posts.  This year, I am four days behind due to the unexpected Christmas party that was out of town.  

The vanilla and chocolate shortbread are done.  But that means the sables and molasses crinkles still need to be baked.  Also, scones for a couple people.  I am thinking about sneaking a pumpkin cake into Koda Bear's box because pumpkin pie does not ship well.  Pumpkin pie is his favorite.  Just like mine!

None of this includes any baking I would do for myself.  Travelling is happening for me at the end of the month.  There needs to be enough bread for every day let alone travels.  And I really wanted to get a kuglehopf and a panattone made.  I have a few of the cookies as they are baked but really I wish the yeasted cakes.

I do want to run one experiment past the boyos.  I wish to make a sour cream raisin pie here as a test.  I will be with my parents after Christmas and before my Dad's birthday.  I was going to make him a sour cream raisin pie for his birthday.  I was told the last one I made was the closest to what his Mom used to make.  I think I tweak now.  Brown sugar instead of white.  But I wish to test it on the boyos before I try there.  Which also means a gluten free crust because one cannot eat gluten.  

I have not even talked about the sewing that needs to go on!  Stocking my shop has slowed down as I sew for family but I keep making nine squares so there will be more quilts as the year starts.  Maybe even the one I am making for this home.  That would be a surprise!

Thanks so much for listening to the babble.  The cookie bowl should have soaked enough so I can make more dough.  Sables next.  Hopefully I can wait to walk to the grocery store tomorrow.....