to the rescue (or down a rabbit hole)

For the last three days, I have been working on a wedding dress.  One of the boyos is getting married the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  They have been planning it for awhile.  His fiancé had been falling wedding plans for timing.  She thought it was all going well.  That was until the seamstress she took her dress to had not made any progress on the hem of her dress in three weeks.  The boyo asked my Beloved if I might be able to help.

Part of the problem, was that the bride had gotten sick since she bought her dress.  Thirty pound later the dress that fit so well did not.  And the picture of the dress implied it might not be the easiest dress to take in that much.  Her seamstress had not even started to address those issues.  While I was chatting with her, I told her I needed the dress now to do anything before I traveled for Thanksgiving.  When she was tentative about the possibility about getting the dress back, I asked what the back up plan was.

I became the back up plan.  I am making another dress.

Friday was about making a decision on what she wanted, buying fabric and supplies, and making a muslin.  Of course, the muslin went together perfectly.  Saturday was about making the skirt and the skirt lining.  Lots of long seams.

 Sunday was putting the bodice together, attaching it to the skirt, and putting in the zipper.  I worked Saturday and Sunday until my eyes burned.  The dress is also why I did not write Friday.  I just did not have time.

There is a dress.  It is not perfect because the dress did not go together as well as the muslin.  The hems need to be done but the bride still needs to decide on how long she wants the train.  I made the sleeves long so she can have choices there.  I have two hooks and eyes to put on and one sash to make.  The decision about hems will need to be made tonight.  As well as a bustle.  

I can see every imperfection.  But it looks better today to me then it did last night with my eyes burning.  It is all going to work out fine.  And it will be done before I leave on Friday.  More travelling!  Different tent because the normal on has a split zipper.  It will be repaired.

After I deliver the dress this week, the next time I will see it is on the bride.  It will be a good day.

I may be hand sewing all day tomorrow . . .

royal blue and washable

When I went into the office everyday, many of my dresses were wool.  Which I loved.  But, since I am currently working from home building my shop both here and on Etsy, I need something more washable.

I have always loved corduroy.  I know it is not the toughest of fabrics, especially in a pinwale.  But I like the feel of it on my skin.  I like it washes.  Historically, it is more royal/noble then velvet because it was harder to make by hand.  Loops had to be cut by hand and it could be easy to screw up if you did not know how.

I bought multiple pieces of corduroy.  So between stocking my shop and getting gifts made for the holidays, I am going to try to put a few simple sheath style dresses together for me.  This is the brightest of the bunch.  I was not sure I would like the colour on but I do.  I am odd.  I find when I wear bright colours they can depress me.  I might make the next one just a touch longer but otherwise, I am very pleased.

Now, it is just finding the time!

pasta for lunch

Because of the boucherie, homemade pasta was requested for lunch yesterday.  I learned from Chef Tom Ramsey that egg pasta needs a long rest after making.  Four hours is great.  Twenty four is better.  But he was having us make an eggless pasta at the boucherie due to time and hands needed.  I used the eggless version yesterday.

He told me the porportions with semolina flour is 4 flour to 1 water.  I did not have semolina flour but I did have some nice organic all purpose.  One cup of flour went into a bowl.  I made a well and sprinkled the flour is as I mixed with my hand.  You want pea shaped clumps if you can get it.

This is what I got.  I started kneading.  I wet my hands twice and it all came together.  Very little extra flour.  Pasta is how little water you can use, bread is how much.

The dough turned out very silky.

I wrapped it in cling film so it could hydrate.  I had an hour or so but you only need about twenty minutes.  I was putting together two more bread doughs at this point.

I floured my counter and started rolling.  I wanted it to get as thin as possible.  There was a very silky finish to it.  Then I floured the whole dough again, loosely rolled it, and cut noodles.

I put them on a floured baking sheet because I could not find my quarter baking sheet.  I have a good idea where it is.  I let the noodles dry until hunger happened.  My Beloved wanted is noodles in broth so they were similar to ramen.  I made cacio e pepe for myself.  Quite lovely.

I am having lunch with friends tomorrow.  I got asked to make pasta again and because there was time, I put together an egg pasta dough.  100 grams flour to one lovely Mr. Hatterman egg.  Let it sit. 

Life is good.  At least this part.

Runaway Boucherie Year 3

I spend the majority of the last three days at the Runaway Buoucherie.  This was the sunrise from Saturday morning.  We were there because of my Beloved's knives, Serenity Knives.  There was a delivery to be made and we were invited.  So why not?

A boucherie is a butchering event.  Cow, pig, lamb, chickens, duck.  Lots of food.  Lots of adult beverages.  Beer, bourbon, and whiskey were at the top of the lists since we were in Louisiana.  Most of us camped out.

I watched the cow being butchered.  It surprised me a bit because they took the hide off exactly the opposite I am used to.  I did not chose to ask why.  I just thought it was interesting.

On Sunday, I helped make pasta for lunch.  Orecchiette.  It was served with an organ hash that was quite good. 

During the chicken and duck butchering, I was cutting vegetables.  I kind of thought that I would not be cooking this weekend.  Yeah, right. I brought over 5 kg of bread to share and did not bring any home with me.  Three doughs were started this morning.  One was for pasta.  Bread and something yeasted and laminated is going to happen.

I actually did not get any of the dinner I helped make.  I had boiled shrimp and gumbo.  Danced a bit.  Then I was off to bed.  I was more wobbly from exhaustion then alcohol.  But I could still hear the music from my sleeping bag so that was lovely.

Saturday and Sunday were lovely.  It was all about getting the work done and feeding people.  Very my element.  It was raining Monday morning.  The pig butchering that was scheduled did not take place but there was still good food, good music, good people, and good drink.

I enjoyed myself.  Though I feel behind on my week but that is alright.  Not enough hours in the day.

quilt festival

Living in Houston means I have easy access to the International Quilt Festival.  I find I do not really enjoy the trade show but I do enjoy the actual festival show.  This time, because of what I do for joy and in my shop, I decided to go to the whole thing.  I am unable to go to SAFF this year because I am going with my Beloved to a butchering foodie all weekend into the start of next week.  I want to learn some butchering so it is a good place to start.  SAFF will need to wait.  I do have enough fiber to spin.

The trade show was interesting but not insightful.  I did pick up some dress fabric though.  Yes, I know.  It was a quilt festival.  And a couple Christmas tree panels that I had talked about that style with a quilt with a friend last year.  Also, a handful of fabric chips.  Just like paint chips, but fabric.  I will use them in a quilt and a gift.

The festival show gave me some ideas.  I did not like much of that but that is okay.  The lighting was very poor for pictures and I also was trying not to get run over. 

I did learn a few things.  When I make digital quilts, I truly need to make the black less black.  I learned I am really drawn to monochromatic or subtly coloured quilts on the whole.  Not always, but mostly.  It is why I ask for help picking out fabrics from other people.  Different tastes!

I do like nature quilts and quilts with a lot of hand work, not just machine.  The blurry octoganle quilt above has every piece embroideried.  I do not like thread painting.  Which is all machine.  Just embroider silly!

But I will admit that part of the best part of the day was sitting down in one of my Beloved's customer's bar.  I had a few adult beverages and smoked fish spread with crackers after the festival.  I had not brought enough of my own food and I will eat Justin's.  Public Services is a place that you can go with friends or, my particular favourite, sit with in a comfortable chair with a book and enjoy a lovely beverage.  After so many people, this was me. 

My small pile of purchases from the trade show.  Ideas are already percolating so that is all good.

Long day.  Today is focused on baking bread for the weekend.  We will be sharing.  Hopefully, I will capture pictures for here.