When you make stuff, there are going to be duds.  It's inevitable.  But this week I've been on a winning streak.

On the weekend I finally got my act together and finished up another one of Gertie's dirndl skirts.  "Dirndl" is a great word, and this is a great tutorial.  My skirt looks a little flat in the photo, but it's fuller and pouf-ier when on. 
I bought this yellow/grey fabric for a pleated skirt and didn't have enough, but I'm glad it became an incarnation of a skirt after all, and one I'll get lots of wear out of. 

And stoveside this week, I've had a string of Smitten Kitchen successes.  (Sometimes I think that I should call a spade a spade and just rename this website the "Smitten Test Kitchen".)  Anyhow, I'm trying to work my way through recipes that I've bookmarked, especially as so many of them have been languishing in my favourites folder for months, or even years.  (The oldest of them all?  Chocolate babka.  What am I waiting for?  Seriously?). 
So on Sunday, upon returning from a matinee, I was able to crank out both Red Kidney Bean Curry (a perfect combination of easy, delicious and healthy) with jasmine rice, and Pepita Granola (my best granola effort yet; despite the combination of honey/brown sugar/sweetened coconut, this wasn't overly sweet.  I found that it needed a mere 15 minutes of baking time and it will now be my new go-to granola recipe).
Then yesterday afternoon there were hand pies.  This pastry is just fantastic; it's easy to make, easy to work with, can be used for savoury or sweet, and is flaky and delicious like you wouldn't believe.  For my variation on the recipe, I halved the quantity of dough, and made 8 hand pies to get the dough/filling ratio that I was looking for.  Instead of peaches (obviously not in season), I sauteed apples with butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and Calvados.  My photos of them were really crappy, but rest assured that I died and went to apple-hand-pie heaven. 
Next up?  Not babka, but indian-spiced vegetable fritters.  And dealing with the mess that is my kitchen.

I seem to be struck with a new and sudden interest in jewelry.  After years of failing to accessorize, I'm now in the market for rings and necklaces, and have ordered supplies for making cameos.

Two rings to rule them all, two rings to find them
Two rings to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

Gold and crystal ring from Banana Republic; green ring from Aldo.

(That's all for now - I was going to post about a finished skirt, but it's been hard to tear myself away from the audiobook of "Rebecca".  The exciting conclusion awaits, and then it will be time to revisit the Hitchcock film!)

My iphone arrived last week, and I was testing out the camera by taking a few pictures in my living room.  While these were random pictures of nothing in particular, it turns out that this non-composed photo actually captures my domestic situation quite well.

See?  Nothing much to look at. 

But on closer inspection, we have all the ingredients of my home life:
1. Fake flowers.
2. Fairy lights.
3. A ridiculous lamp (difficult to see, but it's Peter Pumpkin Eater).  4. An interesting cotton print (in this case, a pillow in Marimekko fabric).
5. Another ridiculous lamp (unfortunately, not on).  Also, drapes from Restoration Hardware.  I loathe blinds and think that RH has the ultimate selection of drapery.
6. A skirt in progress.
7. The Rebar cookbook, hiding.
8. Bathrobe.
9. Something from Nancy (in this case a Casablanca coaster).
10. Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns, Vol 1.  (See swatch, below).

Here's a new toque, finished just in time for spring; you can find the pattern here.  While I really liked the colours the designer used in her toque, I decided to use up yarn that I already had; therefore it is brown. 

This is a swatch for what will probably be a short-sleeved cardigan (to go over dresses or to be paired with a skirt).  However, so far I can't think of exactly what to do with the design that isn't completely yawn-inducing.

Last night's dinner was vegetarian cassoulet and what's awesome about this recipe is the minimal prep time.  There's no dicing of carrot/leek/celery; vegetables are left in chunks, making it a perfect weeknight dinner.  The stew followed on my first trip to Faubourg, where I plan on going back to do more pastry reconnaissance.  Yesterday was also my first time in Southlands, a strange rural-ish pocket of Vancouver, where people actually ride horses in the streets.  

Nancy asked me to make two baby bibs for her friends.  It's hard to say no to Nancy.  She just sent me Season 6 of Dexter on DVD, and she never told me to get my act together when my baby present to her ended up being  4months late. 
This is a tomato bib for Julian.

This is obviously a bib for Ella.  (Also, stitching in cursive embroidery is one of my things.)
Apparently I made a customized bib for Ella's older sister a few years ago.  Now that I've been reminded of this, I vaguely remember it (I think), but honestly, once I finish something and give it away it's very much out of sight, out of mind.  Anyway, apparently Ella's mom liked the first bib very much and framed it, and very much wanted a bib for her second child.  When someone likes what you've made that much, it's hard to say no.  It also puts a lot of pressure on the second attempt; she could take one look at this and say "I was going to frame it, but actually, I'll just use it and let it get stained with mashed sweet potato instead".  (Speaking of which, I never ever mind when things that I make get used and spoiled.  Sweet potato stains come with bib-making territory, after all.)

A few interesting pieces of costume jewelry: 

A Tatty Devine necklace (I just learned about this jewelry designer by way of Kat's blog).
You have mail.

Another Tatty Devine design. 
I like that the fox looks either slightly startled, or like he wants to sleep but feels that he must also be alert.

Susannah also just introduced me to carrotbox rings.
Pretty green glass.

Carrotbox is all about glass and plastic rings. 
Pretty pale pink with gold flecks.  You please me.

The 21st century flea market is a good place to go to stock up on fancy cutlery, china dishes, and pyrex ovenware from the 60s.  Susannah inaugurated me yesterday, and I saw so many items that my mom has (or has had) in her kitchen.  I only picked up one place setting of nice silverware from 1947, and am now planning on replacing my very-not-special dishes with china dishes.  May as well make good use of not having a dishwasher.

When topstitching, it's really important to use a longer stitch length in order to prevent the edges of your fabric from getting all curly.  This is something that will drastically improve my sewing, and something that would have been really useful to know a long time ago. 

There is a Saint Bernard breeder on Lasqueti Island.  (Those dogs must scare the living crap out of Lasqueti's feral sheep population.)

Another tomato bib.

Tiramisu ice cream (from "The Perfect Scoop" by David Lebovitz).

Deep dish winter fruit pie (pear/apple/cranberry/dried figs/ apricots/orange zest, and topped with a pecan crumble).

Finished spindle socks.

I'm such a picky shopper; this is one reason why I don't shop much and another reason to sew more.  Here are some vintage patterns that I have my eye on:

Advance 4331.  A bathrobe for warmer weather.  I particularly like the one with the scalloped edge.

McCall 3416.  An elegant bathrobe/housedress for drinking tea and doing one's hair.

McCall 8973.  I think I would get a lot of wear out of this one.  And clearly I like fitted bodices and full skirts, it's kind of my thing.

McCall 4263.  For work.

Vogue 5767.  I already bought this pattern and have some fabric which might be appropriate (although perhaps a little bright; I'm thinking that an intense blue might not suit a 40's shirtdress.  We'll see.)  I'm planning on making the short-sleeved version with no front pocket.

In addition to sewing vintage frocks, my other plans for this year include improving my pastry skills (making pastry is not one of my strengths, but since I seem to be eating more pastry these days, I might as well make my own).  So far I've shied away from trying my hand at puff pastry, but with Michel Roux's help (a 3 star Michelin chef who wrote a book simply titled "Pastry"), I feel confident that I can, at least somewhat successfully, create rum babas with chantilly cream, apple turnovers, and proper croissants.  I'd like to cycle to Port Ludlow in April, taking a detour to La Connor to see the tulips in bloom.  I'd like to go to England in the fall.  I'd like to write up patterns to post on this website.  I'd like to start learning Spanish.  And I'd like to find a new poker group (our former poker group sadly dissolved when half our members moved away).  But a 1940s shirtdress for the summer would be a good start.