Peach Pie!

Hello, I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend!  With cherry season behind us, the local farmer’s market is overflowing with peaches!  A few friends have told me that Colorado peaches can’t compare with Georgia peaches, but it is hard to imagine anything better than these…they are so ripe, juicy and flavorful!

The first thing on my list to make was peach pie.  Preserves, chutneys, and the like can wait!  I modified Martha Stewart’s Peach Raspberry Pie Recipe by omitting the raspberries, and using a water wash with sugar sprinkled on top instead of the egg wash.  I didn’t add any other flavors because I wanted to be able to taste the fresh peaches.  The results were amazing!  The peaches were still somewhat firm, not all mushy, which often happens with peach pies.  I love that the pie is not overly sweet too.  It really just tasted like fresh peaches and flaky, buttery crust…delicious!

I am really excited to tell you that my flower headband tutorial has been nominated for Top Tutorial over at luvinthemommyhood!  You can take a look at all the wonderful tutorials that have been featured on luvinthemommyhood, and vote for your favorite!  I have added the badge to the right of the blog, so you can click on it anytime and go straight to the poll!

And for a final bit of business…Mike and I are moving to a new place this week…I will not have as much access to the computer as I would like, so posting will be a little sporatic.  Please bear with me everyone!  I will be back and crafting on Monday!

Thinkin’ Outside the Box Winner

And the winner is PinkTulipZA with a super cute Belle Bag!  As a challenge, she used mismatching fabrics, and lots of red! 

Photo Courtesy of PinkTulipZA

“I survived working with RED. I survived mixing bright colours that don’t match (according to me). I managed to follow Nikki’s Belle bag pattern without any major problems. Whew! So, here she is! The brightest bag in town!” -PinkTulipZA

I was going to put all the contestants to a vote, but seeing as we only had one entry, the $30 gift card to Super Buzzy goes to her!  Congratulations!

Crocheted Flower Necklace

I struggled with naming this necklace the “Crocheted Flower Necklace”.  Really, it took a few different crafting skills…sewing, and of course some light metal work.  I am really loving the hand-made feel of jewelry these days, so I though I would have a go at it myself.

The flower was made with red embroidery thread on a 2.5mm crochet hook,  and I kinda just made up the pattern for it as I went along.  The three leaves are made from striped seersucker fabric…one black and one yellow.  I think what I love most about the necklace are the primary colors…they are playful without being too childish when paired with the delicate silver chains.

Just a quick reminder for anyone interested in the Thinkin’ Outside the Box Challenge…Entries are due tomorrow evening, and on Friday I will be posting them for a vote…if there is more than one!  Have a good Wednesday everyone!

Magnolia Pillowcase Top

I went camping again this weekend and those things I made really came in handy!  My water bottle holder became a pouch for all the little pieces of rose quartz that I collected throughout the trip.  We got back yesterday, and I had just enough time to put together this little top.

The main body of the top is made from an old pillowcase that I had pre-marriage.  I have been saving it because I love the pattern on the fabric.  It is hard to see in the pictures, but it is a white on off white floral pattern…perfectly subtle (as you all know…my favorite!).  The straps are made of 1/2″ bias tape that I had left over from this blanket.  The flowers are made from some cream colored cotton.  I cut out petals in the rough shape of figure-8s and sewed two on top of each other.  I then took four of these figure-8 petals, folded them in half and stitched them together in a random order.  I made five of these “petal bunches” and then stitched them along the right side of the top.  I really love the size of these flowers.  At first they seemed a bit too big for me, but they make me feel so feminine!

Last night I also altered a pair of trousers that I have been meaning to do for a long time…I put them on inside out and placed the pins along the outer edges where I wanted the seam to be…very easy with great results.  I will definately be doing this with all my jeans and trousers that don’t fit me.

And finally, I couldn’t resist posting this picture from our camping trip.  This was a farm that we saw on our way up into the mountains.  The sky was so clear with these massive fluffy clouds.  Absolutely beautiful!

Cherry Season

Cherry season is going strong out here, so I have been spending lots of time, waiting in line at the farmer’s market, canning and drying, and of course, eating cherries!  This summer I am trying to be a bit more conscientious about eating with the seasons, so I am getting all the cherries I can before the Colorado season is up.

I used to think the idea of a cherry pitter was kinda dumb…one of those one use kitchen items that you can get by just as easily without.  Now I know why people get those things…I was using a paperclip to pit the cherries and it took me about an hour to do 4 pounds.  Yikes!  Have any of you used a cherry pitter?  Does it save any time?

Probably the most sucessful of my cherry recipes was a cherry compote, made of cherries, sugar, and a bit of lemon juice (unfortunately I don’t have a picture).  The cool thing about cherries is you don’t really need to add extra pectin to get a good jam…after cooking the compote for about 10-15 min, I did a test on a cold plate and it had set just as well as any store-bought jam, and it tastes a hundred times better!  Even Mike, who has never been a cherry cheerleader, absolutely loved this!  The recipe I used: Cherry Preserves via Martha Stewart.  I only made half of the recipe, and it turned out well.  Also, watch the timing for the preserves…the recipe says it will gel after 30-40 minutes, but it only took me about 10 minutes.

The dried cherries went pretty well too.  The only problem is they have to be dried more than store-bought dried cherries because there are no additives to keep them from going bad.  This is kind of a double edged sword…its nice to have dried fruit without the preservatives, but they are a little more tough.

Just a reminder: Projects for the contest are due next Thursday!  Also, I should probably clarify…you can pick any color/color combo that you don’t normally use for the contest.  I picked hot pink, but you don’t have to.

Grill Tools Carrier

I realize the timing on this one is horrible…it probably would have been better if I had gotten this one out before Father’s Day so that those who were facing the impossible decision of “what to get for dad that isn’t a tie” could whip this up.  Unfortunately, the idea came up last night instead of last week. 

I think this carrier falls into the category of helpful items for camping.  When we go camping (not backpacking, mind you) it is nice to bring some grill tools along.  We usually end up using a grate attached to the fire pit to cook our food, and it is always good to have something to turn burgers and the like.  Last time we went camping, we didn’t bring grilling tools and realized how useful they really were.

The carrier is made of heavy duty canvas, flexible plastic for easy cleaning, and elastic to keep all the tools in place.  If you are interested I can put together some detailed instructions so you can make one of these too!

Thinkin’ Outside the Box

As a follow up to last Friday, I have put together a little thumbnail that you can use if you are participating in the challenge. 

In keeping with the theme, I decided to use hot pink for the thumbnail image…my self-proclaimed “scary color I avoid”!  Feel free to grab it and put it on your blog or in your blog post.

Also, I have decided on a prize for the winner…a $30.00 gift certificate to Super Buzzy!  I have bought fabric from this store a few times…they have a wonderful selection!

I have also created a Flickr Group for you to add your projects to.  So to all who participate, I look forward to seeing your projects…good luck!

Repurposed Dress Shirt

I have had this dress shirt for a few years now.  I originally bought it because I loved the fabric, but it was a bit to big for me, so I never really wore it.  I have been admiring all the summer tunics that have been in style this summer, so I decided to make the top into a tunic.

What you will need:

• dress shirt that is two sizes too big for you
• seam ripper
• matching thread
• scissors
• pencil
• straight pins
• iron

1. Remove the collar with the seam ripper.  Re-stitch the along the top where the collar once was.

2. Remove all the buttons from the top.

3. Measure 6″ down the front and mark with a pencil or a straight pin.

4. Turn shirt inside out.  Align the front button panel with right sides facing.  Secure with pins.

5. Stitch just on the inside of these button panels, starting at the bottom and ending at the mark you made in step 3.  Iron seam open.  At the top, the button panels will be folded in half.

6. Stitch the top of the folded button panels at 1/4″ (or smaller if the button panels are smaller).

7. With the shirt inside out, measure 6″ (more or less for shorter or longer sleeves) up each sleeve and mark with a pencil or straight pin.  Cut sleeves at this mark.

8.  Fold cut sleeve over at 1/2″ and iron.  Stitch along sleeve edge at 1/4″.

A Challenge!

Hello everyone!  As a follow up to Wednesday’s post, PinkTulip had the great idea to start a challenge to help all of us step outside our crafting comfort zones.  So here it is!

Think of your least favorite color, or at least, the color you try to stay away from when you are crafting.  I think mine would have to be hot pink.  I am definately not a fan!  My challenge to you is to use this as your main color in a project in the next two weeks!

When you complete your project, you can notify me through email (katherine.a.schuster@gmail.com) in one of three ways:

1. A link to your blog post
2. A link to your Flickr picture with a description of what you did
3. Your picture and a description of what you did

Please submit your project by 12:00 pm EST on Thursday, July 2nd.  On Friday, July 3rd I will post all the contestants and let you all vote for a winner.  The winner will recieve a prize (not sure what that will be yet, but I will let you know!)

In keeping with stepping outside my comfort zone, I purchased this Nani Iro fabric:

It is very colorful, and has a larger pattern than I am used to.  I think I might make a dress with this one, to show off the pattern.

Bold Fabric and Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

As many of you have likely noticed, I tend to be drawn to simple fabrics (hmm and I say this right after making that bold apron…I think that was fairly out of character for me).  Often I pick fabrics that have an appealing texture, but not as much going on in the color or pattern department.  I have been thinking lately that it might be interesting to try and step outside my comfort zone a bit.  I have been inspired by some recent posts to the Build Your Wardrobe Flickr Group.

Ginny Rae crafted this bold skirt from a dress shirt.  I absolutely love the bold colors and graphic pattern.  It reminds me of this skirt from that famed store we all know and love.

Photo Courtesy of Ginney Rae

 And take a look at this beauty from Wendy of West 38th.

Photo Courtesy of Wendy Knox

Finally, this top is by Shear Delight.  I love the feminine style of this top, paired with the modern fabric.

Photo Courtesy of Shear Delight

 It seems to me that the next step for me is to get some bold, colorful fabric and do some experimenting.  I am admiring Nani Iro’s new collection, maybe one of her fabrics will be just the ticket!

As a crafter, what materials and patterns do you tend to gravitate towards?  Have you ever stepped outside your comfort zone…what was your experience like?