Asymmetrical Folds Skirt - The Fall Version.

Well, it's almost Halloween, which means here in South Texas the weather is finally dipping below 80 degrees and the sun fades earlier in the evening. The trees and grass still grow green, and my air conditioner hums along at least 75% of the time, but the grocery store is stocking fresh pressed cider and I bought candy corn for a ceramic pumpkin dish in my kitchen, so in other words, it's fall.

And what better way to celebrate than with a new fall skirt? This is none other than my favorite Asymmetrical Folds Skirt pattern, but this time sewn up in an Autumn cotton blend. I reviewed the skirt this winter in great detail already, so below is a modified pattern review for this version. If you like this, and if you like the original in green velvet, stay tuned. You just might be in store for a treat (no tricks) next week.

Pattern Description:
The pattern comes from the inaugural issue of Stitch magazine, a publication from Quilting Arts. "Add a modern twist to the classic wrap skirt by working all the angles. Asymmetrical folds that button down the side, the shaped hem, and contrast lining guarantee you'll be a standout in any crowd." The skirt is a take on the basic wrap, but with more decorative closure that includes a four-buttons detail closure along the hip. Each buttonhole is made near the edge of the skirt, through folds of doubled over fabric. Part of the lining shows with each fold, and the hem is raised asymmetrically into a gentle arc as a result of the doubling-up of layers on the edge.

Pattern Sizing:
The skirt comes in five sizes XS (26 3/4 inch waist) to XL (38 1/2 inch waist). I sewed the XL with plenty of room. Previously I attempted to increase the size, as XL is often too small for me, but it turns out the Stitch version of XL is plenty big. It would be a simple pattern to tissue fit, so consider taking your measurements and comparing to the actual pattern pieces before choosing your size.

Fabric Used:
I picked up the beautiful stretch-cotton, fall fabric at Elfrieda's Fine Fabrics in Boulder, Colorado on a trip home earlier this spring. I bought five yards thinking it might become a dress, but I never found the perfect frock pattern (or the nerve for such a vibrantly patterned dress). So, I thought, why not use some of the yardage for a work appropriate skirt? The lining is synthetic "linen-like" fabric in brown that I choose for color, easy drape, and low price.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
An important heads up – the pattern pieces for the skirt facing and interfacing are shorter than the actual skirt, but they should be the same. Make sure you measure and make adjustments before cutting out the facing pieces. A formal correction is available on the Stitch website here.

With that said, I lined the entire skirt rather than only lining the facing area per the instructions. It is just as easy to sew a second skirt for the lining and attach them along the side and waist seams. The lining gives the skirt a bit more body, as well as a bit more modesty and substance. On my first version of the skirt, I stitched the entire lining to the outside of the skirt inside out, and turned them to secure the lining on all four sides of the skirt (waist, sides, and hemline). On this version I only stitched the waist and sides together, and instead hemmed the skirt and lining separately. They remain unattached. The lining hem is about 3/4 inch shorter than the skirt, so it never pokes through. This is an infinitely better way to line the entire skirt than my first version.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I have no dislikes. I just love the drape and style of the skirt. The pretty Grecian-style drapes along the mid section camouflage a tummy, and the asymmetry creates a nice visual line down to the calf. The cut is flattering for all shapes and sizes. I like that the pattern was a piece of cake to cut and sew, with only three major elements plus facings. Also, after cutting out the fabric, the skirt only takes about an hour and a half to sew, including hemming and buttonholes. It offers instant gratification.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Stay tuned next week to find out the answer to this little question.

Conclusion:
This is a fun and simple skirt with more personality than your average wrap. I think it works for work, dress up, and play depending on fabric. Best yet, it is easy to fit and makes a great project for beginners.

Kate's custom fitting shell.

A week ago I had a special appointment with a Palmer/Pletsch fit instructor. Patti Palmer and Martha Pletsch are authors of my favorite fit book, Fit for Real People. They are also the founders and instructors at the Palmer/Pletsch International School of Sewing in Portland, OR. If I ever win the lottery or become independently wealthy, I plan to visit them for fit workshops and help. Until then, I am finding assistance with wonderful instructors locally, like Marilyn, who helped me created a custom fitting shell.

Palmer and Pletsch pioneered a particular style of tissue fitting that helps identify and execute pattern alterations on the pattern itself, rather than through tedious muslin fittings. Since tissue fitting yourself is very challenging (how do you see, let alone fit your back by yourself), my morning with Marilyn was invaluable. Marilyn helped me discover all of the quirks of my own figure, and translated these into pattern alterations to help garments fit me as they were designed.

I went into the process thinking of these physical quirks as flaws, although the more I think about it, the less I like to think of my body shape as flawed. Certainly there are areas of my body that are less than they could be (carrying extra weight, for example, or upper arms that are less toned due to a lack of exercise). These "quirks" might fairly be considered flaws. But there are also parts of my shape that are simply intrinsic to my genetic code. My broad shoulders and narrow hips, for example, can never be undone by any amount of exercise. My height, my bone structure, the length of my torso are all examples of "quirks" that are not flaws. True, they differ from the standard shape used to draft commercial patterns, but just because they are different does not mean I need to think of them as flaws or deformities. So instead I will think of these shape alteration specific to my figure as my quirks, my idiosyncrasies, or to make it fun, my Kate Traits.

Kate Traits: The Back

We started with the back, which is ALWAYS the proper place to start. An ill fitting back will result in garment discrepancies in the front, so it is important to always fit the back bodice first. Marilyn put me into several sizes of pre-sewn fitting shells, looking careful at the back to determine the correct pattern size based on my shoulder breadth. First things first, I was able to GO DOWN A SIZE in patterns. I always thought I needed a size 24 based on my high bust of 46 inches. However it turns out my best size is actually a bit smaller, and this smaller size fits more appropriately to my shoulder width.

As I have always surmised, my front side is significantly larger than my backside. However, trying to buy to fit my front always results in ill-fitting garments with shoulder issues (see Everyone's Favorite Claire McCardell as an example). Rather than buying big and scaling back, Marilyn succeeded in showing me how to buy for my smallest part and increase size with alterations for specific quirks and idiosyncrasies, thereby ensuring a stronger, closer fit overall. Brilliant.

Looking at my back in the tissue fit, Marilyn immediately wrinkled her brow at the wrinkling and puckering in the lower armhole area, which she acknowledged is due to my high round back. Apparently, I have a very prominent protrusion in my spine just above my shoulders where my back becomes my neck. This rounded area pulls the fabric and affects fit in the arm area. It is so protruding, in fact, that it requires a full 3/4 inch high round back adjustment. According to Marilyn, this is a fairly significant amount to add to the back, so it should be added in two areas. I add a 1/2 inch to the highest high back, and 1/4 inch to the low high back. Conveniently, these areas for alteration are noted on the Palmer Pletsch fitting shell, which made the alteration easy (and you can see in the above photo), however for other patterns I need simply gauge the two areas for alteration based on arm hole to make the alteration.

My back torso is also a bit longer than average, so I added 5/8 inch in back length. This was done as a horizontal adjustment just above the waistline. On other patterns it should be made at the lengthen/shorten line if noted, and if not, always made above the waistline.

Finally, because I have a thick middle, I need to add about an inch extra at the side seam at the wast, and taper the stitching line to its mark. I also need to eliminate back darts. Marilyn suggested I can create an "essence of dart" by stitching a tiny, essentially non functional dart if they are part of the design element of a pattern, but for me there is no real need to taper material. I need all I can get to cover my midsection without pulling.

Kate Traits: The Front

When the back fit, we moved to the front. The first alteration Marilyn noticed was a forward shoulder. Apparently, along with my high round back I also have shoulders that slope slightly more forward than average, so I must add 3/8 inch to the shoulder seam at the armhole on the back bodice, and true the seam by tapering my new stitch line to the existing stick line. This means I must also DECREASE the shoulder seam on the front of the bodice by 3/8. The idea is to never, ever, ever alter the circumference of the armhole when making alterations. So if you add to one area along the armscye, you must take it away from another area.

Next she lengthened the front bodice 5/8 inch on the shorten/lengthen line to match the alteration we made to the back. The general idea in all of these alterations is to make sure that the seam lines always remain the same. The armscye should not change on the bodice, lest you need to make changes on the sleeve too. Therefore if you add 5/8 to the entire back of a garment in a way that changes the side seam, you must make the same alteration to the front to lengthen the overall side seam. Otherwise you end up with mismatched side seams.

With the shoulders fit, we jumped right into the full bust alteration, for obvious reasons. The pattern only pulled partway across my bust without coming close to my center front, and because I needed to add a gigantic 2 1/2 inches in my full bust adjustment, Marilyn taught me the new and improved Y-bust FBA. It magnificently adds the needed width and length in the full bust while keeping better proportions than a standard full bust adjustment. The Y-bust involves spreading the adjustment over two areas, rather than one. It is so helpful I plan to post a second post focused entirely on this new technique. It's that helpful.

The Y-bust gracefully assisted the tissue bodice in covering my ample bosom, and the shoulders maintained a very nice, flush proximity to my chest. No armpit, shoulder poufing as I have experienced with other FBA. However, due to my ample tummy, the pattern was still not long enough to pull down to my waistline. Thus Marilyn added 2 5/8 inches in length at the center front. With a lesser adjustment (less than an inch), you would simply true the seam at this point by drawing a new stitching line lined up along the new center length to the side seam (in order to avoid altering the side seam length, as mentioned earlier). However my addition is so significant, she encouraged me to carry the 2 5/8 straight through the bust point, before truing the seam. It makes sense to me, I have a lot of roundness to cover in my center belly.

Kate Traits: The Sleeve

As expected, my overall larger body size also means larger arms, although my right arm turns out to be bigger than my left. My left gun clocks in at 14 1/2 inches around, while my right arm measures a full 16 inches. Marlyn assures me that this is not a visibly noticeable difference, and I should always alter for my larger side on both sides.

Again, the idea when making sleeve alterations is to NEVER change the circumference of the armhole, so before making any sleeve adjustments we traced the original armhole onto tissue and marked where to reattach later. After all adjustments, we placed to original curve back on the arm to maintain proportion.

Overall we added 2 inches to the upper arm. We also shortened the sleeve by 1 inch total, taking 1/2 from above the elbow, and 1/2 from below the elbow to maintain proportion.

Kate Traits: The Skirt

The good news is that like the bodice, the back skirt fit well in a size 22. Again, I eliminate the darts entirely to accommodate my thick waist. I have an incredibly flat derriere (that is the honest to god alteration terminology in the book!), so there is no need for me to dart the back to accommodate any curves. Marilyn again suggested that I can always create an "essence of dart" for design aesthetic without actually changing the back width of the skirt.

The front of the skirt, wow, it was shockingly too small. In the end we added about 5 inches to the side seam and eliminate front darts entirely. These changes were coupled with changing the top stitching line on the skirt. In order to keep the hem straight, the adjustment needs to be made at the waist. The center front of the skirt should always match the center front of the person, so in adding waist width I also had to pull up the waist of the skirt along the center front of the waist, to avoid a droopy middle. It is, quite frankly, hard to explain, but works wonderfully to keep everything proportional.

Overall it was a great experience. I am pleased to use my new found size 22 as my starting point, and especially pleased about this as it puts me back into the size range of most traditional patterns which often go up to 22 but not beyond. Yay!

My next order of business is learning to use the fitting shell as a guide for altering other patterns. I may even retrace the lines and laminate the fitting shell for a permanent reminder of my body map. And with that I am filled with a renewed vigor and enthusiasm for sewing. Let the custom alterations commence!

Austin City Limits tests my limits...of mud!

I remember my first Austin City Limits. It must have been 2002, because it was my junior year of college. I went up with my friends Billy and Melissa. I had no idea what I was in for, but I went just for kicks. I guess that is just what you do when you are in college. The truth is that I am not and have never been a super cool music person who knows all the hip bands. But I have always been someone who likes outdoor shows, and I like to get involved. That day we arrived first thing in the morning and stayed through the last show, without ever once purchasing anything to eat or drink. After the show, we went to Kirby Lane's on the drag by UT, and Billy was so hungry he at a pancake off of a stranger's discarded plate. It was awesome.

Since then, the show has become a bit of a tradition. Last year Sam and I went, and the festival tested our limits of both heat and rocking! Last year was my first three-dayer, and this year was my first three-dayer in the mud. Because boy was it muddy. Friday was beautiful and sunny. Saturday it poured and we stood in front of the stages in our rain coats getting soaked. Sunday it did not rain, but it sure did mud. Zilker Park recently installed brand new grass, complete with hefty natural fertilizer made from reclaimed sewage, and the mud turned this effort into rich, brown, thick, smooth goop that was entirely unavoidable.

Sunday I plopped a plastic tablecloth down on a hill between two stages and did not move once from my island of mud-free safety (except for once, to find a bathroom, which ended up being a distressing and unpleasant intermission from my mud-free island). The shows were great, the crowd was in high spirits, and I feel like I got a glimpsed of what it must have been like to be at Woodstock. Rock on Austin!

I always enjoy going to Austin, because there is always something new to do. On Saturday night three very talented deejays at my radio station put on a quarterly soul event, the Super Soul Shakedown, here in San Antonio, and this year they took the gig to Austin for the ACL music festival. So we saw both Brownout and T Bird and the Breaks. They are two Austin bands we have seen here in our own home town, and it was fun to see them on their own turf. The KRTU Soul guys put on a great show, yet again, and Sam and I totally shook our stuff as we huddled underneath an overhang outside the window of the club to avoid the heat inside and the rain outside. I think we had the best seats in the house.

Your best assets.

A very wise seamstress and fellow blogger recently gave me some simple, yet powerful, advice. She said that I need to embrace what looks best on me, regardless of my attraction to other styles. For example, I am drawn to the New Look shape of the 1950's. I love a tiny waist and full hips enveloped in an even fuller skirt. Yet my own shape is much more decidedly the inverted triangle shape. I have a poorly defined waist, and narrow hips. It seems obvious, I know, that 1950's patterns are therefore a poor choice for my sewing aspirations. However, up until this point I have ignored that reality and tried to create the New Look silhouettes in my wardrobe.

But this advice - dress for what looks best on YOU - is wise and true. And with this advice I am choosing to release my stubborn attraction to the New Look and instead embrace the styles that look best on me. It turns out these style are largely looks from the 1930's. And, as it also turns out, these styles are beautiful.

I did a bit of research into the fashion of the 1930's in hopes of identifying exactly what about these shapes and silhouettes suits my own shape and silhouette. The more I can pinpoint what works for me, the better able I will be to adapt my tastes to my figure reality, and ultimately sew things I like to wear.

And here is what I found. The most characteristic fashion trend from the 1930s to the end of World War II is attention at the shoulder, including butterfly sleeves and banjo sleeves. Patterns were designed with broad, rounded shoulders cut in one piece with the yoke.Feminine curves were highlighted in the 1930s through the use of the bias-cut in dresses.

It was in the 1930's that the "Sweater Girl" image emerged, modeled after Lana Turner. The "sweater" look become an informal look for young women that relied on large breasts pushed up and out by brassieres. This look continued to be influential into the 1950s.

The strong shoulders of the 1930s is expressed through wide lapels, shawls, capes, boat necklines, and accents of feathers or frothy scarves. Short bolero jackets, capelets, and dresses cut with fitted midriffs or seams below the bust increased the focus on breadth at the shoulder. Short hair remained fashionable in the early 1930s, but gradually hair was worn longer in soft or hard curls.

Darts were replaced by soft gathers. Necklines received dramatic attention, often with wide scallop-edged or ruffled collars. Fabric flowers might be placed at the neckline, on one shoulder, or at the center waist or center neckline. Bows were another popular accent.

I have broad shoulders, a prominent bust, and short curly hair! I feel like a model image of 1930's fashion, and it is so empowering. Let the sewing commence.

Sunday Breakfast.

Breakfast is arguably the best meal of the day, especially when whipped up on Sunday mornings in the comfort of your own kitchen with your PJs on and your husband rubbing his eyes sleepily and sitting with you while you cook. Last Sunday we made fried eggs on toast with french-style pistou.

A pistou is a simplified pesto. It skips the pine nuts and the cheese and relies entirely on fresh basil, olive oil, and a tiny bit of garlic. We used the remains of our potted herb garden basil. I cannot tell a lie, we were bad herb gardeners this year. The summer was so hot, and well, we were lazy waterers, and the result has been a sub-standard herb garden. Our parsley is a bit yellow, the rosemary and sage haven't grown an inch, and our thyme has shriveled to nothing. The basil is the only plant growing, and we let it get so big and unwieldy that it has become hard to use at all. It is almost like a mini tree at least two feet high, with hefty trunk-like stems with little to no foliage. It featured an abundant, top-heavy flowering of new leaves up top, but I think the new leaves block the light for the lower branches, perpetuating the unfortunately bare stems. All in all the plant had lost its functionality as a ingredient-producing garden and had grown into a bit of an eyesore and a constant reminder of our poor gardening skills.

So last weekend I made a dramatic move. I cut nearly the whole plant back. I just took my scissors and - whack-whack-whack - trimmed off all of the giant branches of leaves away, leaving a tiny plant behind. Sam was upset. After all, he is a sensitive soul, and the idea of killing away a portion of a living thing that we are responsible for can be upsetting to sensitive types. But the good thing is that his sensitivity led us to save my trimmings, and as a result we had a lot of basil to make pistou. And pistou is simple and delicious.

The word pistou means pounded in French. Traditionally, the ingredients are crushed and mixed together in a mortar with a pestle. We used a mini food processor. The dish hails from the Provencal region of France. It can be used in soups, or as a spread on bread or served over pasta. But for our breakfast, we served it with eggs over toast.

Poached Eggs and Parmesan Cheese Over Toast with Pistou

1/3 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 small garlic clove
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
2 1/2-inch-thick slices brioche or egg bread, toasted
Parmesan cheese shavings

Puree basil, garlic, and oil in mini processor until very smooth. Season pistou to taste with salt and pepper.

Add enough water to medium skillet to measure 1 1/4 inches. Sprinkle salt generously into water. Bring water to simmer over medium heat. Crack eggs 1 at a time and gently slip into water. Cook until egg whites are just set and egg yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Place hot toasts on plates. Top each with Parmesan. Using slotted spoon, transfer 2 eggs, well drained, to each piece of brioche. Sprinkle eggs with salt and pepper. Drizzle with some of pistou and serve.

A missing pantry staple.

We forgot to buy olive oil, so tonight we were forced to cook our dinner in butter instead. Sauteed grape tomatoes with oregano and lamb meatballs with cous cous are browning up in on the stove right now. Our house smells amazing. Also, I feel like Julia Child. "Just a little bit of butter, enough to taste..." My poor husband is worried about the saturated fat content of our meal, but me, I am just enjoying the benefits of missing a pantry staple. Tomorrow, we go to the store.

p.s. We did not actually use an entire stick of butter as the photo suggests. That is from another recipe from a few months ago.

The D.U.K. #2

Do you see that tall dude in a chefs coat in the front of this picture? And do you see how all of us are smiling huge, goofy grins? Well, that's because that tall dude is a Real. Live. Professional Chef. And he had just cooked us dinner. Also, probably, because we drank 11 bottles of wine. But mostly because of the chef.

The chef is Chef Jason Dady, and indeed, he came over to John and Lauren's house on Thursday to make us a fabulous dinner. It was all part of D.U.K., or Dady's Underground Kitchen for those of you not in the know. Basically, it is a super cool idea on Dady's part to set aside some dates for private cooking for a group of ten. It's underground, because he sends out the dates at random on his Twitter feed, and the first to respond get the date. We provide the kitchen. We bring the wine. He cooks a five course meal, and we eat it. Yum.

The D.U.K. became a reality thanks to my dinner club compadre and fellow food nerd Lauren. Lauren is good with social media, and she astutely harnessed the power of the interweb to secure a private dinner, cooked by San Antonio chef Jason Dady, via Twitter a few weeks ago. Now, to understand the magnitude of this experience, you must understand that Lauren, her husband John, me, and my husband Sam have an above average infatuation with food. This includes of course home cooking, but extends much farther into the culinary adventures of fine dining out, as well as into the current events of our city's culinary activity. We are the kind of friends that get together and gossip about new restaurant openings. We eagerly share in detailed descriptions of meals we've recently eaten. We take cooking classes at the local school. We plan our weekends around eating out at new restaurants. And of course we know who San Antonio's big chefs are, and we follow their work (some of us even stalk them at Costco on occasion...).

And that is how we knew about Chef Jason Dady. John, Lauren, Sam and I have eaten at several of his restaurants together. He has a fancy and romantic restaurant, The Lodge, in a 1929 mansion in the Castle Hills neighborhood. He operates my favorite Italian restaurant in town (and conveniently near my house), Tre Trattoria. He has a great wine and tapas place up north, Bin 555. And he has a smokin' BBQ joint not to far away, Two Bros BBQ. And, rumor has it straight from his mouth (in which case I guess it is not really a rumor) that he is opening another restaurant soon in the Fairmount Hotel in downtown San Antonio. So when Dady offered to cook for us and an intimate group of friends, we freakin' jumped at the chance. That's just what food nerds do.

And it was delicious. And really relaxed. Chef Dady didn't just cook for us, he spent the whole night interacting with us too. He was such a nice guy. He let us watch his every move without making us feel like we were creepy stalkers. He indulged all of our questions and encouraged us to interact while he cooked. He even conversed eagerly about our favorite reality television show "Top Chef" and different Food Network stars. Usually when I try to talk to chef-like people about food TV, they get all hoity toity and judgmental and tell me they are too busy being "real" cooks to indulge in television. But not Chef Dady. He is cool enough to understand that us food nerds take our culinary entertainment where we can get it, and he was happy to bond over the TV shows. Totally cool.

Dinner was amazing. The food was delicious and creative. Our 3rd course was a rabbit, head to tail, and it involved the loin and a combo of the offal meats encased in cured meat, poached, then pan seared. As he was plating he said to me "I can guarantee you there is not a better dish being served in all of San Antonio tonight." It was really cool to see his pride and confidence in his work, and after tasting it, I seriously believe him. It was amazing. And the coolest part is that his inspiration for the dish was eggplant, and he built the rest of the amazing plate around its flavors. His inspiration was not the rabbit, not the sauce, but the vegetable. Neat.

The dessert was a special treat for me, because I am the Dady Crostada's #1 fan in San Antonio. Seriously, I think about it more than any other dessert. And for those of you that know me, you know I love dessert. I think about dessert about as often as men are accused of thinking about sex. That is to say, I think about dessert about ever six seconds or so, and I most certainly think about it morning, noon, and night. Anyway, once long long ago at Tre Trattoria I had a pear crostada served with cinnamon marscapone, and it was damn near the best thing I have ever tasted. The next time I went to Tre, I saved room for dessert, but alas the crostada was no longer on the menu. So I wrote a comment card, and I have written a comment card every visit since. I have even channeled my longing for crostada through Sam and his Twitter account. And so imagine my delight when I arrived to our D.U.K. dinner and saw "Samwar's Crostada" on the menu. My heart did a little skip. I had been waiting for that dessert, longing for that dessert, and at last I had the dessert. I enjoyed every D.U.K. course, but especially dessert.

Below is the menu, and photos, to commemorate the meal.

D.U.K. #2
"ohmypuddin"
September 3rd, 2009

Chef Jason Dady presents:

Hors de oeuvres:
"Smoked" Popcorn
Nutella, Chorizo and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Filet Mignon Meatballs with Horseradish Crema
"What's in Your Fridge" Challenge - aka Peach, Leak, and Cheese Bruschetta

1st Course:
Fresh Seasonal Figs with Local Chevre Goat Cheese, Honey, Marcona Almonds, Balsamic and Proscuitto de Parma

2nd Course:
Forbidden Rice Crusted Scallop with House-cured Guanciale, Heirloom Tomato, Sweet Corn, Fresh Texas Peas, White Polenta, and Lemon Beurre Blanc

3rd Course:
Rabbit "Head-to-Fluffy-Tail" with Celery Root Puree, Summer Bulb Onion, Japanese Eggplant and Vanduvan

4th Course:
Samwar's Crostada with Organic Nectarines and Made to Order Chantilly

When the meal was over, Chef Dady teased us about our impressive wine consumption (9 bottles of wine and one bottle of Port were already dry) and helped us celebrate our achievement by opening a second bottle of port. It was not necessary, but was very well received. As Dady said himself, "DUK was a smashing success (and I mean smashed)!" So we cheersed, and we drank, and we even whoo-ed a little bit (we were, after all, smashed at that point). All in all it was a delicious, libatious, one-of-a-kind dinner that goes down in my book as one of my best ever.

p.s. Do you see that look of adoration in Lauren's eyes? Looks like ohmypuddin has found a new hero.

Return to the scene of the crime.

Happily married couples have been known to return to the scene of their crime on their anniversary, usually for hot coffee and giant cinnamon buns. This morning Sam and I sat in the dining room at the Guenther House and ate breakfast where exactly two years and a few hours ago we cut our wedding cake, toasted each other, and attended our first party as husband and wife.

We marveled that it has been two year. I mean, two years sounds like a long time. It is 731 days (there was a leap year). But in reality, time has flown by, and I think that is a good sign. It must mean that we like each other, that we live busy and fulfilling lives, and that most of all our marriage has enhanced our lives. Otherwise the time wouldn't fly by, would it?

I feel a bit conceited posting so many photos, but my nostalgic, romantic side can't help it. I wanted to thumb through the photos today, but sadly I have yet to finish the wedding album (I know!) so instead I had to pop in the CD. And you know, since the images were in easy access to the blog, well, I just couldn't help myself. The talented Jill Torrance did our photos, and beautifully I might add.

This fall I vow to put our wedding photos in an album, so next year I will have a tangible book to pull out and gush over. Last year I had the pictures all printed (finally!) in honor of our one-year anniversary. So this year I should put them into the binder in honor of our two year anniversary. It will certainly make it easier to pull them out and reminisce on our three year anniversary and beyond.

I don't think it will ever get old to say this, so to my dear Sam, Happy Anniversary. Here's to many more!

Summer Doldrums.

I feel like I am floating amiss in the grips of the late summer Doldrums. If you don't know about the Doldrums, well, the Doldrums are the area around the equator (also known as the equatorial calms) that have a light and varied wind due to the heat at the equator. During the peaks of summer, the Doldrums wind dies down to almost nothing. Back in the cool old days of pirates and sailing, the Doldrums became notorious with sailors because of their periods of deadly calm. The area could trap ships for days or weeks on end. Boats would have to sit and just wait for enough wind to power their sails. They were powerless to move until enough wind came to fill there sails and propel them forward again. Thus, in colloquial usage, "being in the doldrums" refers to being in a state of listlessness, despondency, inactivity, stagnation, or a slump.

I am definitely in the summer doldrums.

It could be the heat. It is hot here in San Antonio right now. So, so hot. We are on our 58th day of temperatures over 100 degrees. There is no sign of it letting up, and I am tired of being sweaty. So while my inbox if full of emails hailing the "The Warm-up to Autumn" (Anthropology) and "Fall Shopping Lists" (Lucky Magazine) and "Our Fall Preview Event" (Gap), I still feel like I am melting in an inferno.

It could be work. This summer my office turned over 67% of our labor force. We are a five person staff and we saw three of the five leave. We hired two new people to serve in the management position. We also hired a fresh-from-college kid into one of the vacancies. So now I am the veteran employee, and essentially the only person with any historical memory in the organnization. Transitions in the work place are always tough. They are even tougher when multiplied by three. I find coping with the day to day frustrations of an all new team to be an all-consuming, and not in a good way. I know that time and patience will turn the situation around, but for right now, work is a bummer.

It could be I've just plain lost my mojo. My sewing mojo, my crafting mojo, and dare I say it, even my cooking mojo. Last night I attempted cappuccino creme brule for dinner club. It should have been easy, but it did not set right, and we had the hardest time melting all of the sugar with the butane lighter, so the sugar was grainy. Don't get me wrong, we all ate it anyway and the taste was good, but the overall product was just so "eh" (and it's such a shame, because I baked all the desserts in our china coffee cups and had such a cute theme of after dinner coffee going on).

Sewing is not going so well either. I have botched two projects I was really expecting to succeed with. The "Everybody's Favorite Claire McCardell" dress is going to have to change its name to the "ALMOST Everybody's Favorite Claire McCardell" dress. I just could not get the bust to fit correctly. More to come on that project. I am also working on the 1950's collar confection blouse, and experiencing the same bust fit issues. And I have a beautiful Liberty print of red poppies lined up, so I have to get my mojo back.

I know the summer Doldrums are not permanent. Like any good sailor, I just have to wait and let nature take its course. Until the winds pickup however, I will just be out here floating, waiting for the breeze to fill my sails so I can get back on my way.

A little pickling factory.

This weekend Sam and I became a little pickling factory. We pickled peppers. We pickled onions. And we pickled grapes. Yes, grapes. And they are good.

I have wanted to pickle for a long time. And Sam loves pickles. He actually loves them so much that Sunday, as we were cleaning up and jarring our pickles, he decided to drink some of the leftover brining liquid. It was a mistake which he promptly followed with several Tums and a Zantac. It turns out pickles are not the best food for a guy with stomach acid issues. However they are delicious, and therefore worth a bit of heartburn.

My kick into pickling action came last week at the bi-monthly dinner club. John and Lauren made the most delicious Potted Chicke Rillettes recipe that included no less than four sticks of butter. They served the dish with an assortment of pickles, including homemade pickled peppers. The peppers were delicious, and the perfect accompaniment to the rich chicken dish. Since Sam and I have about 4 lbs of peppers in our fridge courtesy of the summer CSA, the pickling commenced. I like to go all out when I try something, and I have been storing a few pickling recipes since last summer, so in addition to the peppers we also pickled red onions and grapes.

I found the pickled grape recipe courtesy of my favorite food bloggist, Bon Appetite columnist, and book author Molly Wizenburg (aka Orangette). Only this time the recipe was on NPR (is there any cool place that this girl isn't publishing?). It was in the archives back from 2007, and it is an editorial on pickles. Only not your normal pickles, exciting pickles like onions, prunes, and grapes.

I was further motivated, because I have actually had one, single, delicious pickled grape in my life. My sister Anne made Orangette's recipe this summer, and she fed me one succulent grape over my fourth of July trip. I was hooked. They taste like a slightly tart cinnamon treat. They are crisp, bright, and completely unique. Now Sam and I have three little jars of pickled grapes in our frige, on a shelf full of pickled produce. It is wonderful.

We have a lot of pickled produce to eat in the next few weeks, but already I am planning my next foray into pickling. Next up, pickling carrots. And Maybe okra. I have a lot of summer CSA okra in my fridge. Oh yes, and prunes. Is there anything that can't be made more delicious through pickling? Pucker up, its about to get real tangy around here.

Pickled Grapes
from Molly Wizenberg (aka Orangette) via NPR

According to Molly, "These may sound curious, but they're a real crowd-pleaser: crunchy, sweet and warmly spiced. The recipe is adapted from Susan Kaplan of Boat Street Kitchen in Seattle. I like these grapes best within the first four days after they're made, but some people like them even more after a week or two. Their pickled flavor gets stronger over time, and their skins will wrinkle slightly."

1 pound red grapes, preferably seedless
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 (2 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt

Rinse and dry the grapes, and pull them carefully from their stems. Using a small, sharp knife, trim away the "belly button" at the stem end of the grape, exposing a bit of the flesh inside. Put the grapes into a medium bowl, and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then pour the mixture immediately over the grapes. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool at room temperature.

Pour the grapes and brine into jars with tight-fitting lids (or cover the bowl with plastic wrap), and chill at least 8 hours or overnight. Serve cold. Makes about 3 cups.