Burda 7804 View A - Top

The rather frumpy-looking pattern photo of Burda 7804 View A top deserves a second look!

I didn't add any to the length, so if you are petite...you may want to shorten or pass.

Also, the pattern calls for a separating zipper for left side seam. I didn't discover this until after cutting out and getting ready to sew. Separating zipper? Screw that! Before I ran back out to Jo-Ann's, burning 1/2 gallon of $3.49 gasoline, I basted the shoulder and side seams and tried to pull it over my head - no problem, no need for a zipper! If you look at the drawing, you'll see one dart, but the crossover seam on the right side is actually a princess seam! That takes care of the balance act! When you are at the basting stage to see if you need that zipper, also baste that dart first to make sure it is pointing in the right direction. I had to redo and adjust upwards.

The fabric I used was a beige on beige floral embroidered, hemstitched stripe rayon/linen blend from Jo-Ann's on sale - 50% off of $12.99/yard. A head start for warm weather cute top for less than $11! I plan to make the View C skirt, too.

Burda 8517 Young Fashion Teen View C - Dress

Burda 8517 View C dress!

Surprisingly, it runs longer than you would think, you can't really tell from the envelope photo. I added 4" in length (3" at the alteration line below the waist and 1" at the hem edge) and ended up trimming 2 1/2" with a 1" hem allowance. It looks cute belted or unbelted (with a jeans jacket or short sweater to bring it in slightly above the waist). Cotton print on sale from Jo-Ann's - total cost less than $10! L loved the subtle (serged rolled edge) ruffle 6" above the bottom edge. You can't really see it - despite taking 8 photos trying, but when sitting you do. This ruffle is not on the bias like 7797. Burda seems to be really into self fabric trim this season!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Warren Zevon, "Numb As A Statue" 4:08
The Wind

Burda 7779 - View B Top - In a Woven!

Burda 7779 again, View B -- Truly I do read the suggested fabrics list, but this seemed easy and loose-fitting enough to go either way...knit or woven... successfully. This is a sheer ribbon silky from Jo-Ann's. I think I'll need to adjust the ties so it doesn't look too 80's (and I do not intend to wear with an orange/brown/tan skirt -- too tired to change.) I made the same length adjustments and side slits as I did for View A to wear belted or unbelted. I'll definitely make it one more time, in a knit, one of those sheer ones would be perfect.

Carrier (Is it PBS pledge time again?)

Now this is reality TV!

Carrier/USS Nimitz -- it's so good, I'm waiting for a begathon cut in. And Mel Gibson is one of the Executive Producers! Check the website to see when it is being broadcast on your local PBS station.

Chow Mein Chicken Salad

From the April/May 2008 Taste of Home Magazine, page 43 - Field Editor Favorites (Betsy Hedeman). We'll definitely add it to our collection. Perfect for leftover chicken, and the recipe says you can also use tuna. I added the tomatoes. Loved the toasted almonds, we'll add more next time and decrease the sugar a little in the vinaigrette.

CHOW MEIN CHICKEN SALAD

Shredded lettuce...chow mein noodles...cooked chicken breast...4 teaspoons sliced almonds, toasted...4 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted...Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup olive oil...4 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar...1 tablespoon sugar...salt and pepper

Teavana Time!

L and I headed over to The Galleria yesterday trying to find shoes. Alas no successful Cinderella story, but anyways we stopped by Teavana. It's in Galleria II, bottom floor. Not an easy get in, get out parking wise, so when we are there, we make a stop. I ended up buying three combination packages of the four samples they had. (The fourth had strawberries-allergic). Here's what I got:

• Mate Vana and Rooibos Chai
• Queen of Babylon and Rooibos Rose Garden
• Blueberry Bliss and Rooibos Peach

This morning, using my new ice tea maker, I used two teaspoonfuls of the Mate Vana and Rooibos Chai with two Kirkland Green Tea bags and set on "2 leaf" strength. It smelled and tasted so good!

It was also good news to discover Houston has two more Teavanas at Baybrook and Willowbrook Malls. We first learned about Teavana when in Boston with Camber -- While the Houston and Boston have a tea bar to get drinks to go, the Shops at Prudential Center actually has an area to sit and enjoy a cuppa! In Houston you grab your tea and wander about. Right now The Galleria has their Primavera exhibit. I like how they have free samples and combinations I never would have put together. Though if you like a particular tea, the sales staff seems very knowledgeable about what it would go with nicely. Last year's suggested favorite was Pina Colada and Rooibos Peach.

Here are the combo descriptions from their catalog --
Mate' - Cardiovascular aid, hunger suppressant, mental and physcial stimulant. Mate' contains several different Xanthines, besides caffeine, which when blended create a different kind of energy, one that will not cause jitters.
Mate' Vana - a combinated of Yerba Mate', almond bits, cactus blossoms, cornflower and sunflower petals, crushed cocoa beans, chocolate bits and Rooibos tea
Rooibos Chai - cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and lemongrass. Blend with Mate' Vana for an extraordinary uplifting chocolate Chai latte

Queen of Babylon -whimsical white tea blended with immunity boosting pomegrante seeds, sour cherries, sweet carrot bits, apple, pineapple pieces and rosebuds
Rooibos Rose Garden - green Rooibos, rhubarb pieces, red currants, citrus peel and red rose petals

Blueberry Bliss - blueberries and green Rooibos
Rooibos Peach - green Rooibos, peach pieces and safflower petals

Check out their website for more teas and combinations - http://www.teavana.com/

Where's the Love?

At Hancock Fabrics! For four days only, April 24/27, they are having their "I Love Mom" sale which includes Vogue patterns for $3.99 and McCall's patterns for 99c. (Butterick goes on sale for 99 cents May 1/4). Another thing to note, Hancock's changed their ASG discount policy. You can still get 10% off, only now on non-sale items only. (Thirty-nine cents was nothing to quibble about when I got the $27.50 new Issey Miyake 1052 (I love the pants for summer, the jacket is making me sweat just looking at it) for only $3.99; and the clerk was so apologetic. I guess others must have been giving her grief. Truly, everyone needs to work retail at one point to see what life is like on the other side of the counter.) I also got two of the new Sandra Betzina Today's Fit patterns -- 1045 and 1049. Her new 1050 pants must be a big hit, the slot was empty.

Tea Time!

I'm such a gadget girl! I found this Back to Basics iced tea maker at Target for $39, marked down from $69.99! (Back to Basics is in the West Bend family)

What I like -

• The container pitcher is glass, no more plastic cracking, a la the Mr. Coffee and others. (What I do - just use the pitcher for brewing and then transfer to a plastic tuppermaid container for the fridge)
• Plus the hot water comes down the center like a coffee maker so there's no missing and spilling
• You can use tea bags or loose tea without having to buy special filters. (Teavana, here I come! Camber! Take note!)
• You can adjust the brew strength
• There's a special place to put sweetener for sweet tea.
• It's easy to clean and doesn't take up much space
• It works great!

Want to know what I've been drinking?! Three bags of Kirkland Costco Green Tea plus a tich of sugar. Perfect! This baby will pay for itself in about two weeks compared to the $$$ store-bought and dang-they-get-funky-if-you-leave-them-in-the-garage-because-there's-not-enough-room-in-the-refrigerator bottled teas.

Burda 7779 View A - Top (in a woven!)

Even though it said "For Knits Only" you can make Burda 7779 View A work in a woven, especially a medium weight silky leopard print! Burda's finished measurements were definitely intended for a knit fabric, so I added 5/8" to the side seams...along with 2" in length at the adjust line and another 1" at the hem. I wanted it long enough to belt, so I also made 4" side seam slits for a little more ease. You'll need to cut pattern piece 3 on the bias, as it is used to finish the neckline. Sewing was also made easier using Steam-A-Seam Light before topstitching the shoulder seams and hems.

It was easy enough to make in this morning to wear in the afternoon. Though I did notice wearing a leopard print is not for the shy, you do attract attention. L and I thought the print was very similar to "The Real Housewives of New York City" Alex's opera gown.

What else did I like? The neat shoulder seam slit and decorative strap insert, pulling in the neckline, though you really can't see it in the photos. When I make this again, in a knit, it might be fun to use it in a contrasting color to make it stand out more. I like that it is "almost" sleeveless, giving a little more upper arm coverage. I like the variety of styles offered in the pattern. View B is next on the agenda, again in a woven - it's a sheer, ribbon-y fabric. And View E looks like it would make a cute yoga top. Definitely grab this pattern, it's another Burda winner!

Netflix Stars - Enchanted

2/5! As L said, "it's 'High School Musical' for adults" and that's damning praise from her, she hates HSM! And we are not a Disney family. Sometimes when a movie is overhyped, we tend not to fall in lock step with the rest. Case in point with Enchanted. But I must say that Amy Adams was perfect for the role.

Slow Cooking Thursday and Crockpot Challenge - Bow Tie Mock Lasagna

This is modified from the March/April 2001 Taste of Home/Quick Cooking magazine -"Italian Bow Tie Supper" I cut back on the beef to save money and arteries. The pinked edge of the Farfalle/Bow Tie pasta makes it look like lasagna. I used 1/2 of Barilla's one pound box (4 cups) to easily serve 4 with leftovers.


BOW TIE MOCK LASAGNA


1/3 to 1/2 pound ground beef, browned
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can Italian Stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon oregano*
1 teaspoon basil*
*(or 3 teaspoons Penzeys Italian Herb Seasoning)
4 cups Bow Tie pasta, cooked to just before al dente
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


Add all ingredients together, stir, sprinkle a little of the mozzarella cheese on top and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Fits just fine in my red 4 quart Rival. Make sure pasta is covered with sauce or else it will become hard. Before serving, sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, cover for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with Garlic Basil Bread (see previous post). Enjoy!

Bread Machine Recipe - Garlic Basil Bread

I like to fix this when we are having Italian food. It's another yummer from the Betty Crocker's Bread Machine Cookbook, page 27. Recipe is for 1 pound, 1 1/2 pounds in (x).

GARLIC-BASIL BREAD

3/4 cup water (1 cup+1 tablespoon)

2 teaspoons butter or margarine, softened (1 tablespoon)

1 clove garlic, chopped (2)

2 cups bread flour (3)

1 tablespoon dry milk (2)

1 tablespoon sugar (2)

1 teaspoon salt (1 1/2)

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves (1 1/2)

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast (2 1/4)

Place in order your machine likes, select Basic/White cycle, Medium or Light crust color. Smells and tastes great!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"
(I saw her video on VH1 and she has the most gorgeous eyes!)

It's cool how names will recycle - my grandmother's name was Leona and she was born in 1900. I was supposed to be named after her, but mom shortened it to Lee. Yes, "Peggy Lee"... and then my sister's name is Sue, so we got called "Peggy Sue" hahahaha.not

Free subscription to Self magazine!

If you order $75 or more from Fresh Pair, you can get a free one year subscription to Self magazine, or if you are already a subscriber, they will extend your current subscription. Fresh Pair seems to be always including something with your order -- I've received free pairs of sports socks, lingerie bags, etc. They also accept coupon codes and offer low or free shipping. Here's two current coupon codes - 10% off $85 or more -- couponcabin and 15% off $150 or more -- couponcabin15 or fp15

(I also think the Coupon Cabin website has consistently good and updated coupon codes)

(And yes, that good-looking guy model on the Fresh Pair site is J.T. from the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency show!)

Make Netflixing easier!

I love this site -- http://videoeta.com/ It helps keep my Netflix queue up-to-date with new and upcoming DVD releases. They recently added lists of favorite rentals and current box office movies, so you can put them in your Save section now.

Reunion!

Tonight is the final episode/reunion special of the Real Housewives of New York City! I wonder if they will do a Season 2 with them or another group? It appears to me towards the end they could barely tolerate each other.

Burda 7797 - View B Top with View A Trim

This is Burda 7797, in the shorter View B tunic length, with View A's bias trim on the neckline and sleeves. I added 2 1/2 inches to the front and back pieces and almost 3 inches to the sleeves -- it's hard to tell on the model if they are supposed to fall to the wrist or are 3/4 style. Again the fabric shrunk and if you want to add the extra length and do the bias trim to View B, get an extra yard. Fortunately Jo-Ann's still had some on the bolt.

You can get a head start on the bias ruffling by sewing with the bias curling up-evidently the bias can indicate the wrong and right side on a fabric that looks the same on both sides. (I didn't realize that until after sewing the strips on one of the sleeves and they didn't look like the others. Rip, rip, rip...do-over!)

What else did we like about 7797? The shaping. Burda did not take the easy Big 4 way out and just make a rectangle tunic. They added curves -- side seams, hems, and there's a center back seam, also curved. Also, consider using a striped fabric. The pattern photo shows solid gauzy-linen, but the stripe worked and was flattering.

Next up -- Burda 7789, View D skirt!

Everyday Food #51 - Coconut-Apricot Macaroons

Behold Coconut-Apricot Macaroons, from the April 2008 issue #51 of Everyday Food, page 144. At first I passed this over, but then when I read about Mad About Martha's good luck with it, I thought I would try it, too. They were right, this is a yummy cookie! Though the recipe fibbed about them not spreading on the cookie sheet, mine did, so you may want to leave a little more than 1/2" between. I thought the dough was a little gooey, maybe that was it.

What's on my now sagging even more Sew-Fit cutting table (which I have a new cutting table on order, but it's backordered!)?

Is it a Burda? Yes! Is it for L? Yes! Am I still drinking green iced tea which is the only explanation I can think of for this sewing streak? Yes!

Burda 7797 - View B the shorter length tunic not shown on the envelope, in a crinkle/striped cotton. I am keeping the cool ragged bias trim along the neckline and sleeves shown in the photo, which should look pretty cool in the stripe.

Netflix Stars - Dan in Real Life

3/5 stars - Steve Carell was charming and had really good chemistry with Juliette Binoche. Good casting there. But it's not what I would consider a light-hearted romantic comedy, which the trailers and previews led us to believe --there were some dark, almost sad parts interspersed with some meanness. L and I would both look at each other and say, "Jeez!" Pretty location scenery though, I think it was set in Rhode Island.

Today's Costco Find

I knew when I saw the display at Barnes and Noble last weekend that Costco would get this book, too at a price of $21.99 versus $34.95 -- Cooking Light Complete Cookbook - A Fresh New Way to Cook. And you get a 17 month subscription for $9. 99 or 6 free issues, plus 11 more. And the interactive CD of Cooking Light's Dinner Tonight Cookbook.

Upon reading the "Welcome" letter from Mary Kay Culpepper, Editor in Chief, I discovered this is the same as the 2006 "All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook", with the following differences --the In Season section and the CD. Plus the subscription offer, which I want to find out if I can add on to my current one. (Hey, it worked with the Taste of Home Baking Book). The 35 "In Season" recipes are new -- Corn Bread Shortcake with Ham and Fresh Peach Salsa, and Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce are two which popped to my attention.

So, a must buy? Your call: If you don't already have the 2006 cookbook - yes. If you like ring-bound cookbooks - yes. If you don't like Cooking Light's older cookbook's hard-to-use indices - yes. If you like the interactive CD of the Dinner Tonight Cookbook - yes. If you think you'll also be able to extend or start your Cooking Light magazine subscription for $9.99 - yes. If you are a sucker for all things Cooking Light - yes.

Giving It

Houston is lucky to have more than one animal rescue agency, and I like to support the "underdog" so to speak - the Houston Human Society Unlike the SPCA, the Houston Humane Society is a local, not national organization and supported entirely by donations -- money, food, supplies, etc. I just dropped off an armful of old towels, still nice in the middle but starting to fray a little along the edges. The Costco towels are wonderful, but that edge is so thick, my sewing machine can't zig-zag over it without protesting. For $5, I'll get new ones, keep from destroying my machine and give the old ones to the doggies and kitties... In addition to towels, they can also use dry and wet food (adult dog and cat, puppy and kitten), collars, treats, toys, rugs, pet shampoo and brushes, cleaning supplies and newspaper.

Losing It

Sometimes you just need a little "bubblegum biography." Valerie Bertinelli's "Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time," is an easy, quick read. Lots of juicy, unknown at least to me before, tidbits (Steven Spielberg?!) Obviously it's not all about Jenny Craig!

Burda 7824 Young Fashion Teen Top - View B

This Burda 7824 top is just pretty! Pretty on the hanger, pretty to wear. The combination of styling, fabric (Jo-Ann's sheer ocean gray blue with "velvet" flocked circles and ovals -on the rounders near the store entrance and I believe still on sale 40% or 50% off- and the mother-of-pearl shell buttons made a perfect top for my Pisces girl!

However, it is short. If you are petite, this is good to go for you straight out of the envelope. Look at the model, even she is leaning to one side to make it appear longer. Same with View A. L's version is with 1-1/2" added, and the next go-round I'll add another 1-1/2 inches.

Another styling detail not obviously evident on the pattern envelope is the two-piece overlay over the front bottom. A nice surprise -- the technical drawing made us think it was another belly flasher.

Even with all the cool detailing, it went together easily in an afternoon. Surprisingly this fabric wasn't a *$%#@ to sew. It behaved nicely despite the sheerness. The only thing I didn't do was interface the front button placket. My intention was to just sew the buttons on; however, I had to sew a snap underneath the top button for ease of getting on and off. The other two buttons are sewn through.

We'll definitely make it again with the extra length, and perhaps even playing with different fabric combinations for the overlay. Another Burda winner!

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

R.E.M. "Supernatural Superserious" 3:24
Accelerate
Did you see them perform this on The Colbert Report? And their interview with Stephen was hysterical!

Dianthus Gigantus - update! and again!

"Amazon Neon Duo" is already 18 inches tall and the flowers are beginning to open - a glowing neon ultra-violet purple! Beautiful!

<--This is a shot from this morning (left).

And Sunday afternoon (right) -->

Burda 7793 View B - Tank Top

All you have to do is blink and this tank top from Burda 7793 is done!

No facings or bias trim to fiddle with, you use Steam-A-Seam to fold, fuse and stitch the edges under.

Even though it called for 2-way stretch knit, I used some of the leftover blue rose knit fabric for a trial run, which seemed to work just fine. And we were happy once again at Burda's perfect fit and style combinations -- The side seams are shaped, the shoulder straps narrow at the top shoulder, the front has a nice scoop curve without overexposing or being dowdy, and the back is lower than the front-but still covering the bra strap. L really liked that! With the pattern's wide size range--so you know it's going to look good on just about everyone--I even traced off her size, reserving the larger size for me! I know this will become a great basic tank wardrobe addition.

The only changes made were in length -- I added 1 1/2" at the alteration line above the waist and 1 1/2 inches at the hem line. The pattern photo looked a little short and it probably would have hit about the same without the adjustments. She could always trim it if necessary later after wearing a few times or it may even self-adjust after washing and drying. Us tallies hate raising our arms and having the hem ride up to the armpit!

UnHappy Meal

Not all McDonald's have free wi-fi -- depending upon the generosity of the franchise owner. You log on and pay $2.95 for 2 hours at a pop with your credit card at their online connect site. In small print it says sometimes a promotional code may be available, but when asked, they didn't know anything. . .

Burda 8517 Young Fashion Teen View A - Top...in a knit!

L loved the purple cotton version of 8517 so much, I thought I would try it in a knit. This is a silky thin knit, much nicer in real life than it photographed. We decided to forgo the ruching option again. It hung from the shoulder gathering so nicely, it didn't need any pit stops along the way.

www.tankmiche.com/signs/

Slow Cooking Thursday & Crockpot Challenge - Crocked Chicken

My recipe is based upon the one by Cathy Thomas in the Houston Chronicle on May 19, 1999. "The easiest way to cook the humble bird to use in anything that calls for cooked chicken." What is different from other recipes is that you do not add any liquid. Just plop the bird in there, breast side up.

Her recipe called for a 2.5 to 3.5 pound chicken, a wedge of 1/4 medium lemon, bay leaf, salt and pepper, 2-4 sprigs of fresh thyme. Remove giblets from interior of chicken and fat pads on either side of interior opening. Wash chicken in cold water, shake off excess. Place lemon wedge and bay leaf inside cavity. Place chicken in a 3 1/2 to 4 quart crockpot, breast side up. Season with salt and pepper, add thyme. Cook on Low 7-8 1/2 hours.

---

Through the years, I have modified it. I place halved onions on the bottom and then put the chicken on top, season it with poultry seasoning or my new favorite - Penzeys Ozark Style Seasoning. I also like to use Penzeys Old World Seasoning - the wonderful smell has you practically clawing the crockpot. This is one of the few times I leave the skin on chicken as it cooks. It transports the flavor to the chicken and helps keep it from drying out. I also hurry it along by cooking it on High for 1-2 hours and then Low for 2 hours or until the thermometer reads 180. It fits perfectly in my 4 quart crockpot.

(Finally I crocked on a Thursday so I could participate in Slow Cooking Thursday!)

One of my favorite bread machine recipes

This is my go-to recipe when I need a regular, no-fuss loaf of bread. It is sized for a 1 pound machine. Put in the order your bread machine prefers.

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup bread flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dry milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon yeast

Netflix Stars - Keeping Mum

3/5...only because of Hometown Hunk Patrick Swayze. A nice surprise to find him in this movie, and his role is hysterical!

Today's Costco Find

But on the other hand, we did find this rose - "Pink Knockout" - for $11.59. They also had "Rainbow Knockout" with yellow and apricot pink colors. For $5 more I get flowers instead of a cooked chicken. Sounds like a deal to me!

Et tu Costco?

Even Costco isn't immune from higher prices -- the rotissierie chicken, which used to be $4.99; then $5.99 is now $6.59! T balked at that price and instead we bought a two-pack of whole chickens for the same price to crock at home.

Burda 8134 View B - Tank Top - & Update

Update 4-10-08 -- Here's the pink version I made this morning, posted not for the applause, but to show the Burda details...how the front is narrower than the back. And to make your eyes buggy with the bias on bias action!

Make it today, wear it tonight!

We take a slight detour from sewing for L for something for me! I got these cute Nick and Nora PJ bottoms from Target as a gift, but unlike their other PJ's, they didn't have matching tops. Somehow a USMC t-shirt did not go with them. I was going to drag out Kwik Sew 2811, but didn't want to spend that much time, fabric and money, so I looked at the Burdas and found a tank top for woven fabric in Burda 8134 and "Tonal Stripe" 100% cotton seersucker in Crocus and Hyacinth on sale 40% off ($4.19/yard before the ASG discount) at Jo-Ann's. Be forewarned, it's a shrinker. I lost almost 4" in a 2 yard cut.

The envelope drawing looked like one was made on the bias and the other on the straight grain. Perhaps that plaid fabric was on the bias and putting it on the bias made it look straight grain? Then the matching pants wouldn't make sense. Confusing. Note and move on. I didn't see any yardage specifics for the View B, so figured bias/straight grain was an either/or option. Turns out not! The yardage amount is for the bias. Good thing I pinned the front and back before cutting and seeing that I would not have enough fabric for the bias armhole and neckline pieces if I laid out on grain. Whew! Usually I just pin and cut when fabric is hanging off the table. Also, be sure you follow the layout instructions - there is just enough room to get all the pieces on. The pieces are that close to each other. Unless you are a pattern layout genius (and Burda is tough to beat), don't lose this tissue bit...I'm glad a took a photo!

I'm pleased how this turned out and will make it again - in Crocus or Hyacinth, whichever the pink one is...probably Hyacinth. I liked the bust darts, which are not shown on the drawings. And they are appropriately placed, given this is lingerie. The bias is fun, especially the hem finish. It's the perfect length and style to go with the Nick and Nora capris. I would note that you may want to get a little extra - 1/8 to 1/4 yard in case of shrinkage. The pattern layout uses every last bit of fabric. Also it runs a little big. I don't know if that is because of the bias or my bias in making my old size. If you are in between sizes, go down and just baste the side seams if you are unsure. The side seams are 5/8" so all would not be lost if you needed to adjust the other way. Now back to sewing for L before this manic sewing phase ends!