Red Cedar

The 1950s Cherry Halter. Finished (almost)

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Megan

I cleaned out my dress closet last night in order to make room for this latest sewing project – the 1950s Cherry Halter which I have been plotting all summer long. It’s pretty much finished now except for a final mod I would like to do allowing it to be worn either as a halter *or* with straight straps. Besides this photo, this dress will not be making its true debut until a party we are hosting in September. Good thing it’s fully lined!

While I was cleaning out said closet I found a number of clothing items that I really need to put back in circulation – in fact I got rid of very few things and just made sure the rest still fit – and it’s really worth acknowledging here that I probably don’t need anymore clothes. Not only do I have a fair number of skirts and dresses, they are almost all of high quality from the days when I was single and without mortgage and therefore could do thing like spend $150 on a skirt.

On the other hand, I am just learning to sew clothes which means actually doing it, and on top of that I have a hundred ideas for new dresses, shirts and accessories that I just *have* to try even while admitting that I have plenty of nice things. Somewhere in there is a balance, and I’m pretty sure I’ll find it once grad school starts in September and my free time for hobbies is severely curtailed. In the meantime I have dreams of wool, denim and heavy cotton prints for autumn. Cotton scarves backed with wool. Needlepoint embellishments on hemlines. Culottes made of suiting material. And a new pair of tall black boots with a zip up the side to set it all off. How ridiculously “girl” of me. But fun to have a new obsession for awhile – projects to work on and show off even if I don’t have room for more of them in my closet.

Some sewing notes.

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Megan

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I’m in all-day training at my computer today – wired in with a headset and online meeting software. While I’m listening along – a short post about sewing projects which I am hoping to show off later this week.

First off – I am still working on this dress which I started last week. It’s looking pretty good at the moment – the main dress is complete and hemmed – but I am working on embellishments still so it’s not showable quite yet. By the end of this week my fully-lined cherry fifties halter dress will be complete. A major accomplishment for me. This is my first dress with a full lining and pockets. Additionally, I am going to make the dress wearable as both a halter and with straps (by including buttons on the straps and buttonholes on the back bodice). I’ve had to do quite a bit of pattern modification this dress in order to get the right fit, also a first. I am getting really excited about showing it off!

With B. out of town on a father-daughter trip – I had last night to myself during which I cut out two more A-line skirts that I am hoping to sew up tonight. Both of them are experiments in technique so I decided just to go for the basic skirt that I’ve already made three of this summer in order to have greater focus on the finishing work. I’m also hoping to cut another Sorbetto top this week out of a beautiful piece of voile that arrived in the mail on Friday.

And then I’m going to start on fall and winter wear! Above is a photo of five pieces of wool I picked up at an estate sale on Saturday morning – varying from one to four yards each. I also grabbed some floral cotton and a piece of upholstery fabric and then stopped myself from going any further. I ended up with fourteen yards of fabric most of which I’m plotting winter clothing with. High-quality wool is a rare find these days and at $2 per metre, I’m not as afraid to cut into it as I otherwise might be.

Although not all my fabric purchases are on the cheap – it’s extra satisfying when they are. One of the skirts I am working on right now will cost me a total of $7 by the time it is done (I’m using a $2.50 piece of remnant linen). A coat made out of the above wool might end up costing $20 with linings and buttons. I’m thinking of splurging on some silk for a Christmas dress and even that won’t cost me more than $50 to put together. Fifty dollars for a silk dress! Which is what is most exciting – being able to own clothes made out of higher-end fabrics which normally are out of my budget off the rack.

I have so many project ideas – I am really looking forward to having Mondays off in the fall. I’m a little obsessive on both the sewing and study (in prep for grad school) these days – and more time to get everything done is very much welcome!

Sage infusions

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Megan

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I cleaned up my garden a bit today – whacked the weeds on the edges (my once a year use of the stihl), staked up some floppy tomatoes and raspberries, and hauled out a harvest basket full of produce. Very satisfying for a garden that I consider only “ok” this year due to the weather. One of the plants doing best at the moment is a sage that I planted when we moved in three summers ago. Not only does it produce for most of the year, by mid-summer it puts out an incredible amount of beautifully scented leaf. Like most herbs, I really prefer to use sage fresh, so I’m not inclined to dry too much of it – so this year I decided to get on the infusions. Late summer is the exact right time to be thinking about such things – for the late fall dinner party “wow” factor.

Today I put up a Sage-Rosemary olive oil and a Sage-Lemon Vodka. I have no idea what either of these will turn out like, but given the ingredients – and a method I know well – I’m feeling confident these are worth sharing.

Sage-Rosemary Olive Oil

Pack a clean jar tightly full of sage leaves, add some rosemary sprigs and a couple cinnamon sticks or peppercorns if desired. Fill the jar to the top with good quality extra virgin olive oil – make sure to cover everything. Cover with a cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band or jar ring. Put away in a dark place for a month or more. Strain to use.

Lemon Sage Vodka

I used this recipe from the Cap and Hare forum which is as follows:

2 – Lemon Peel
3 – 8″ Sage – Fresh
2 cups – Simple Syrup
4 cups – Vodka

Create your Simple Syrup.
Place the flavorings in the bottle.
Pour the Simple Syrup over the flavorings while the syrup is still hot.
Add Vodka to fill the bottle, usually about 4 cups.
Age for 1 month in a cool dark location, closet or cabinet is fine.
Remove Lemon Peel & Sage and filter out all of the small bits with a coffee filter to clear the Vodka.

Sweeping out the financial house

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Megan

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I am in the midst of a financial house-clean in preparation for reducing my work hours to four days a week in the fall. Despite my fears at having less in my pay packet, I’m feeling great about tightening things up and putting my spending and accounts under a microscope. As I’ve written here before, Mint.com has really opened my eyes by alerting me to monthly and annual fees, interest payments and other items that otherwise escape my notice. After using it for several months, it is clear where my money is going and what steps I need to take for financial responsibility:

No more extraneous accounts! I have a lot of accounts set up – a legacy of moving cities, having various loans and mortgages and switching banks. Of course, more accounts mean more hidden fees (even on a no-fee account like my RBC Savings which is charging me $2 per month in bankbook fees) which really add up over the course of a year.
Switching to no-fee banking and credit cards. Using Mint, I have realized that my credit cards and bank accounts charge me close to $400 a year in fees. I have since switched to the ING Direct No-Fee chequing account and applied for a no-annual-fee credit card so that I can eliminate my fee-based accounts in the fall.
Getting rid of stupidly high amounts of interest. Seeing my interest payments roll into my email account as “alerts” every month has really underscored the importance of paying off my debt – since I was paying close to $100 per month in interest alone. Fortunately a well-timed work payment allowed me to pay off the highest interest debt, and I’m working on the lower-interest portion now.
Putting savings aside first. There are short-term savings and long-term savings. Right now, our house is the long-term saving – short term savings are there to help with car repairs, house emergencies, and vacations. Just because I am working less, I can’t skimp on this (or else it means accumulating more debt).
Moving to a “cash-only” system. Which means that on payday I take out the cash I’m allowed to spend, and that’s all I get to spend. If I do use a credit card for a purchase, I immediately take the cash out of my wallet for the credit card payment and set it aside so I don’t spend it twice. Dealing with myself this way feels a bit infantile – but let’s face it, spending money in plastic form where the wallet is never empty is far too easy.

And that’s the plan I’m working with right now – really a reorientation away from plastic cards and debt and towards savings and reduced spending overall. Which is a little challenging given my somewhat lax habits and the fact I have a crap-load of school books to buy this summer. But I really think working one less day a week is worth it!