Chewy Gingersnaps

I want to share a few of my favorite things about Christmas.  Some of them do not even have to do with sewing...

And one of them is my favorite gingersnap cookie.  I got this recipe from my dear high school/ college/ forever friend whose mother fed me and taught me quite a lot.  We used to make these all the time and she may not even know how many times I have made them since being able to regularly see her.  I think of her every time.  Love you Lynette and Myrna!  

As the recipe card says:  "Chewy, the very best".  It is truly the best chewy gingersnap recipe on the planet.   For reals. 

I beat the softened butter and sugar first.
Then throw in the eggs, keep beating, then the molasses, keep beating.
Then I scrape the bowl.
Next, add the dry ingredients and beat until a nice sticky dough forms.
But not too sticky that I cannot roll balls without a gooey mess.
If it is too sticky, I add a little flour.

Then I put it in the fridge for a good hour or longer (overnight is good).

Then I roll it onto balls with my hand palms.  Or if I am feeling lazy or in a hurry, I use my small Pampered Chef scoop (with the spring release) and just make balls that way.  Either way, the balls go into granulated sugar.  They are covered and placed on my Silpat/ cookie sheet.

Bake exactly 10 minutes in 350* convection oven.  The flatten a little and crackle just right.  And they stay soft for a good week.  If they stick around that long...

Try the recipe, hope you love it!

Also, try another of my favorite recipes for Eggnog Cookies.  Ooh, I need to make those this year, too...

Hope you are enjoying the season, take a break from your holiday sewing and bake up a bit of love!

OH!  Here's a sneak peek at another favorite thing I made last year and finished this year:

How did I make this Mickey Mouse wreath?  Stay tuned for an upcoming post...

I link up to these parties. ~If you are interested in receiving updates and future posts from this blog, please sign up to "FOLLOW" on the top right of this page. Let's keep in touch!~

STUDENT SHOWCASE ~ October - November 2013

We had fun these last few months making some beautiful projects.   

This is my Zippy Pouch that I teach.  My students can easily customize the size to their liking.

One of my adult students made this for her niece attending Duke University - isn't it cool?  You could obvs do this with other college prints and send them to your favorite college students.  She also made a tote bag to match.

It is fully lined (sorry no picture of that - but it is solid blue).  But I really wanted to show off her BE-YOO-TIFUL zipper ends!  These are very hard to do to make them look nice and I have finally mastered the technique to teach it!  She nailed it!  And there are even little "D"s, on purpose, at each zipper end.  Awesome or what?  And the bottom boxed corners are perfect as well!  Great job!!

This little student was making her first Basic Skirt.  She chose this cute print just in time for Halloween.  Elastic waistband casing.  She could hem it right here and be done.  Simple.  Basic. Easy.

Here she is proud to show it to her mother.

BUT she needed to learn gathers and what better way than as a ruffle at the bottom of the skirt?

What an accomplishment!  Great job, sweetie!  It is so exciting to complete a project and have skills for future projects!

Now, these two sweet girls are (were - one of them had to move away) in a group sewing class together.  They are best friends.  So when we started our apron project, they wanted to make something to remember their friendship.  Best Friend aprons!  They chose an embroidery design and chose their fabrics and colors.  After the embroidery was done, they sewed them up.  They are reversible, too, and have ribbons for ties.

I did the embroidery, just as requested, on the apron piece before they sewed it.

Here is a better close-up.

Then, they also made matching doll aprons, for their "best friend" dolls!  (These doll aprons are also reversible, sharing their fabrics.  As best friends do).  Great job girls!

Would you like to learn to sew?

I link up to these parties. ~If you are interested in receiving updates and future posts from this blog, please sign up to "FOLLOW" on the top right of this page. Let's keep in touch!~

VIRTUAL PAMPERED CHEF PARTY!

Hey everyone!

I am having a virtual Pampered Chef party tonight at 8pm MST!  If you are interested at all on Pampered Chef products, they make great Christmas gifts (or for yourself)!!  You are invited to join us!

It just dawned on me to invite my bloggy friends, too!

And no, there will be food served through your computers (the one downside) BUT more on the upside is that more of you can join me!  I guess this is new thing they are doing and they would really like feedback too. So even if you don't want to order a darn thing, just watch the party and give your feedback.  My sweet consultant Kiley would really appreciate it :)

So click on the 1st link below and get to my party facebook page, and the direct link will be at the top of the page OR click the 2nd link below and go straight to the party!

Remember it's at 8pm tonight MST!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1377667862481940/

https://meet.fm/kileyferons

Hope many of you can join me there!

~ Julie 



I link up to these parties. ~If you are interested in receiving updates and future posts from this blog, please sign up to "FOLLOW" on the top right of this page. Let's keep in touch!~

SWEENEY TODD is coming...

Ok, I have finally figured out and am prepared to state what has become the obvious: the two weeks before Halloween are by far my busiest of the year!  Usually it is just Halloween costumes that I am working on, but for the past few years, I have added costuming for a musical to my busy October playlist.  This year, the high school I work for bravely decided to do "Sweeney Todd, High School Edition", and open on Halloween weekend!!!  It has been a blast.  I love these students and parents and directors I get to collaborate with.  It was an awesome experience.  

This musical came out in 1979 on Broadway, and the 2007 movie starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter (directed by Tim Burton) has made it the cult classic it is today.  Did you know Johnny Depp took singing lessons to do this film?  

This musical stretched everyone's skillset and I believe it was done quite well!  I wish all of you could see it.  And if revenge and barbershop murders are not your cup of tea, then just to appreciate the set, the music, the choreography and the costumes.

My latest show - we are opening tomorrow night (Halloween weekend) and will show for two weekends!!

This wonderful piece of art was created by one of the cast members, Peyton Fleming, (who was also one of my costume crew for Singin' In The Rain) and I really feel like she captured all of my designs quite nicely. The talent in these kids is so amazing.  

One of the Ponderosa Theatre students and cast member as well (Joe Zahorik), has put together this trailer for our production of Sweeney Todd, High School Edition.

After opening night (sometime, after I recover from dress rehearsals and get a few winks of sleep), I will share pictures!!!!!   Here's a small taste...

Here is a sneak peek of one of Mrs. Lovett's costumes.  The is the back of a skirt.

Mrs. Lovett (Emily Marrs), Sweeney Todd (Jackson Winn)  and I.

More students (designed by another costume crew girl) created these sweet "locker tags" for every cast member, crew member and all the directors.  Aren't they awesome?  I will keep it forever!  It is currently hanging on my studio door at home.

Stay tuned for more pictures!  And if you are in the area - please come see our show!



I link up to these parties. ~If you are interested in receiving updates and future posts from this blog, please sign up to "FOLLOW" on the top right of this page. Let's keep in touch!~

STUDENT SHOWCASE August 2013

These are projects done by my amazing students - as taught in my sewing classes!  (See my "Student Showcase" photo album on my Facebook page for more)

Remember this post?  Here is the finished project!!!  This is the front of her YW Camp Flag.

And the back of the flag.  

Their value was "Good Works" and she did those letters with stretchy sequin trim.  Pretty creative eh?  They curved nicely.  She stitched around the edges with straight stitch.

She embroidered each girl's name on a butterfly fabric, then gave dimension to them by adding a small wire between another layer of butterfly.  Aren't they cute?

Here is a student's finished pillowcase!  This is usually the first project we complete in beginner sewing lessons - it teaches 5 basic skills!

This is a dress a student made in class, for a vacation - cute huh?  Front and back.

Single Ruffle skirt with elastic waist (and if you look real close you can see the ruffle is a double layer).  Still only one ruffle, though.

Single Ruffle skirt with elastic waist.  Cute prints together, right?

She is my newest student and this was her first completed project - I think a good owl print is perfect for a pillowcase!  And yes, sewing barefoot is allowed in my studio!

I link up to these parties. ~If you are interested in receiving updates and future posts from this blog, please sign up to "FOLLOW" on the top right of this page. Let's keep in touch!~

STUDENT SHOWCASE ~ UPDATE ~ July 2013

STUDENT SHOWCASE ~ UPDATE ~ July 2013

These are projects done by my amazing students - as taught in my sewing classes!  (See my "Student Showcase" photo album on my Facebook page for more)

Sun "Applique"

Sun "Applique"

A Doll-size Tote Bag (made for American Girl dolls, or the like)

Window Valance - before mounting to the window wall.  It is a free-hanging board mount.

A sweet outfit for a doll - Summer Top and Basic Skirt



Would you like to learn to sew?

I link up to these parties. ~If you are interested in receiving updates and future posts from this blog, please sign up to "FOLLOW" on the top right of this page. Let's keep in touch!~

MISS TEEN COLORADO PAGEANT 2013

In March, I was lucky enough to do 2 dresses for a contestant in the Miss Teen Colorado Pageant.  The "locals" portion of the pageant was in April, and she WON the title of "Miss Parker Outstanding Teen"!  How very exciting for her (and for me)!

There were 2 dresses that needed me.  Dress #1 was for her Talent competition.  She danced!  And she wanted something flow-y and retro-looking.

Her mother found this original dress at this source, but they had none in stock to purchase - so of course I got the call to custom-make it for her daughter.

Note the ruching details and underbust/ shoulder strap.  

And the beautiful chiffon ruching.

We got to work taking measurements and ordering fabric.

I always make custom garments in a muslin first.  I just use extra random fabric for this - this was 80s home decor fabric - ugly I know! - but it didn't matter because it's just the pattern lines and fit that I need to get right - BEFORE  I cut into the real fabric!

When fit and design lines are correct, I cut into the black satin underskirt, lining, and chiffon overskirt.  This skirt was definitely not gathered - to keep the waist nice and slim - I made circular skirt pieces - 6 of each layer.  Nice and full for dancing!

A few fittings later, the bodice (minus the long underbust shoulder strap) and all ruching layers are pinned in place.  Hem is tentatively marked and relaxing so the  bias grain can do it's thing.  

Final fitting:  making sure everything is in place, securing last-minute ruching, she even did some practice dance moves - it's great - just what she wanted!

On pickup day, we try on more time and check one  more detail - I want to  make sure she  is 100% happy before she takes this baby home - and we adjust the strap one more tiny time.

Perfection?  Good enough for Miss Teen Colorado, I would say  :)


(Note: Her mother told me she was too nervous to take pictures during her dance, but she will send me the photographer's pics, so I will hopefully get those up and posted soon!)

Dress #2 was her evening gown.  Her mother had ordered it online and it came too big (better than too small!) so I altered it to fit perfectly.

The neck strap was too long, so it needed to be shortened, that was easy enough.  Also, it needed a good hem.  I did a narrow rolled hem and left a slight train in the back, evening gown style.  But the bodice was also too large in the bust area so that would require me taking it in, BUT do you see the back?  Cool details but tricky to access the side seams with all those horizontal strap pieces.  Luckily it was a side-zip, so most was taken care of by bringing that seam in.  The rest was done by hand.  

Here is the zipper side seam taken apart - more ruching details on this dress, too.  

Here she is, in all her pageant glory!  Congrats!

She will next compete at the state level of the pageant, at the end of June, in downtown Denver.  I am sure she will do wonderfully!  (Stay tuned...)



I link up to these parties. ~If you are interested in receiving updates and future posts from this blog, please sign up to "FOLLOW" on the top right of this page. Let's keep in touch!~

PROM: Bodice Redo & "Yule Ball" Sleeves

Ready for prom?  Ohhhh yeeeaaaahhh...!

This dress was the 4th of this particular group I got to fix up and get ready for the big night!  Would you like to hear it's story?

Here was my client's inspiration.  Hermione's dress at the Yule Ball - sleeves in particular.    She liked the pieced bodice , too.  But the sleeves - oh my!  Very dramatic and breathtaking - this is what we are going for!

This dress has an amazing story actually...she found it at a thrift store.  It was the perfect length for this tall, lovely girl.  She knew it had great potential and she trusted me to bring it out.  It was a simple princess-lined bodice that just needed to fit properly.  And, the straps.  Just skinny, boring straps.  (But - the beading there is pretty).   She just wanted something with much more excitement and flare to suit her, and a little more coverage, too.

First, we needed to address the fit.  The bodice needed taken in a bit and the center front was not left out in this operation.  (Refer to the inspiration above).  

And that beading detail was not just a trim that was laid on, by the way.  It was all hand-stitched individually, so it could not just be removed as one piece of trim and re-laid.  It had a running stitch through all of it, so the beads could not just be cut out, they had to be cracked at the new seams, so they would lay flat.  (Sorry for the details, but you should know it was not as easy as it may look ;)

Now, I need to prepare you for the next picture.  I already explained how this dress needed sleeves.  I am going to add them underneath the straps and make them look like they were "born there".  But one needs matching fabric to do this!  So...

This dress had 3 layers to it!  One lining of course and 2 skirt layers!  2!  No, this is not unheard of, but, not that common.   It was probably to create more fullness and drape, or to act like a second "lining".  But most of these types of dresses have a lining and a skirt layer - that's it!  So she bought this dress with the thought that somehow that extra layer of fabric could be used for the sleeves - which is exactly what I did!

Here I am, cutting out the middle layer of the skirt.  (And holding my breath just a bit ;)  So the lining stays and the main skirt layer stays!  And you won't even be able to tell...

Ta-da!  Now I have fabric to work with! 

So I measured the straps, and determined how long the sleeve should be.  Then I made a pattern draft for a circular sleeve.  This will make that ruffly flowy shape we wanted. The inside circle of the sleeve will go along the length of the strap.  We can press later ;)  

Here she is at our first fitting.  One strap and one sleeve being fitted.  Do you recognize this beautiful girl?

A couple views of the work in progress - yes it photographed two different reds. The left is most accurate.

Do you love how it's laying so far?  Don't look at the wrinkles - those will steam out later ;)  I  shifted the sleeve angle slightly to raise it up in the front a bit more.  All pinned and ready to go.

So the shape of the pattern changed slightly.  I adjusted everything to be pretty again and mirrored the second sleeve.  Pressed.   Serged where it will attach under the strap.

I finished the sleeve edges with a perfect narrow rolled hem.  

Hem close up.  Don't be shy now.

Final fitting.  It is just what she wanted!  All fluttery and covers just right!

Back view.  I could faint, it's so pretty the way it hangs and flows down all ripply like that.  It's crazy how one piece can transform the dress's personality!

I think we nailed it, don't you?  How fun was this alteration?!

I link up to these parties. ~If you are interested in receiving updates and future posts from this blog, please sign up to "FOLLOW" on the top right of this page. Let's keep in touch!~