Hello friends, please excuse my absence, I’ve been moored in the snot filled world that is Sinusitis for the last 8 weeks or so and can I just say, DO NOT RECOMMEND.
Apologies for using the S word, but honestly, it’s been a ride. I managed my first fifty rotations of the sun with nothing more than the odd cold (touch wood, I’ve never even had Flu), then suddenly I’m waking up every morning feeling like I’d been punched in the face eating a freezing cold ice cream while my wisdom teeth come through. Miserable much. Especially when you cant even taste anything delicious to cheer yourself up, gah!
Anyhoo, I’m on my third round of antibiotics & while I don’t want to think about the state of my gut by now, at least I can smell and TASTE again, yeow! In between generally feeling rather sorry for myself I’ve not done as much sewing as I would like, BUT I have managed to finish something. Something I actually really love, so double win.
The Paint is a new pattern from The Fabric Store and friends, it’s a corker. So much on brand when I wore my new top into work a colleague immediately asked where my easel was? I’m an artist with spreadsheets kid…
I really love this top. It’s comfortable to wear, swishes in a pleasing manner, does not care if I’ve had a rather indulgent lunch, it just swings on down! I went down one size which I’m happy with, next time I would gather the neckline a wee bit more so it sits slightly higher too
The Fabric Store linen is Military Green , the rib knit I added ’cause I’m a crazy cat who doesn’t follow rules* is from Miss Maude , I loved the way the colours echoed the beautiful Walker & Bing scarf my bestie gave me for my birthday .
So in between wafting around channeling Monet and blowing my nose, what’s been occurring ?
Very lukewarm reception…
I made a couple of cushions. Apparently Tuppence isn’t wildly impressed…
I’m quite pleased, the linen backing is offcuts from a dress, the buttons from a worn out blazer of Mr D’s. I do love nice cushions, but I’m also aware anything on our couch is subjected to extreme claw action from three cats, in which case spending $100 plus on a cushion feels rather silly…
Moving on from sewing, I’ve really enjoyed this book. Maybe it’s the sinus meds but I haven’t had my usual attention span lately, so when I spied this short story collection at the library I was tempted. I don’t normally read anything vaguely horror or short stories, so trust me when I say I love this book and was deeply surprised by that! I really enjoyed her novel The Drift too.
Hope your week is fab, perhaps lean into it like this little cutie…
Miss Lemon does not like being woken unnecessarily…
Have a good one, I’m just off to find another box of tissues
Kristina
* I think we all know I’m pretty much a rule follower…sigh
Hello again, and a happy belated Easter if you celebrate. It’s actually a public holiday here in NZ for ANZAC day , so I thought it would be fun to sit down and catch up. Oh and stand around the garden smiling at hedges, obviously.
I would normally start with a sewing catch up, but in honour of the holiday I will first share my ANZAC biscuits. Oats, coconut, golden syrup , of course they taste good.
Can you spot the difference?
Mr D and I engaged in our annual “fruit no fruit” argument discussion. He is pro adding currents (the most boring of dried fruit surely?) and sultanas, I am against. If it has fruit it isn’t an Anzac biscuit babe!
This year I relented and added currents & dried apricot to half the mixture. As predicted the fruit burned but he insists that just “adds to the flavour”. Indeed. The recipe below, from my well thumbed Edmonds cookbook. My edition is pre fan-bake ovens, so I would reduce the temp to 160C if cooking on fan. So easy and so very tasty.
I made these the first year we lived in London, but the British Tate & Lyle Golden syrup seemed a lot lighter than the Chelsea variety I use here in NZ, so my biscuits were much paler and had a more mild flavour. They were perfectly delicious but not the ANZAC biscuits I remembered, I do recall there were (homesick) tears!
Fast forward twenty odd years and I can bang out a batch of biscuits and sew a new top just like that, go me.
To be fair the Cashmerette Montrose is a pretty quick easy sew, even for me. Or at least it would be if I didn’t insist on using gorgeous but slippery Liberty silk, and driving my overlocker through the fabric causing a big ole’ tear. Yes dear reader, there were indeed tears.
After a restorative glass of Chard/moan to my husband I took stock and decided , given how gloriously busy the fabric is, I could possibly get away with some machine embroidery. I could also end up with a hot mess, but worth a try yes?
Interfacing to stabilise the mess.
Machine embroidery for the win! So good it’s almost invisible, or at least very difficult to see. I’m surprised it worked so well.
I’ve made the Montrose several times times before, one of those patterns that is deceptively “basic” but actually great, I’m not sure why I’ve not made one for a while.
The silk is from The Fabric Store, with the most glorious sheen I haven’t captured in pictures. I must have had something in mind when I brought 1.5 metres, but I know not what. I did however managed to squeeze the top out of this amount. I didn’t use the larger bicep piece, and as you can see the arm is quite snug, but it’s fine to wear & works well under a cardigan or jacket
A perfect top for work or play , vive la Liberty 🙂
In between baking, sewing and a stinking cold , I did manage to read a book this month, highly recommend Killers of A Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. What a blast , four female assassins reach retirement age and think the “company” they work for has shouted them a retirement cruise. The Company has more permanent retirement ideas.
I just loved this, great characters, pacey plot & honestly, woman of a certain age absolutely kicking ar8e. If a bit of swearing and violence isn’t your bag then avoid, but if not, I highly recommend.
Probably timely reading for me, as I approach with speed my big five oh. Actually turning 50 is pretty ok for me. It’s exponentially better than NOT getting to turn 50, and I guess I was already on the “old?” spectrum when I stopped dying my hair. Its something I’m thinking about a lot though , wont lie.
I’ve been married for almost 25 years (I’m honestly checking those figures as we speak) , my approach to aging must be coloured by that? I haven’t been on the pull in nearly 30 years . What does that even feel like now?
My husband is seven years older than me so he is mid 5o’s, we talked about what it would be like to even think about meeting someone new now (its ok kids, were not planning to kill each other, this is hypothetical! )
Aging is a gift. I’m watching the ceremony from Melbourne , the NZ Warriors rugby league team (yay!) in the annual Anzac day game vs Melbourne. We are blessed .So many young men and and woman who had no choices.
Waiting. Waiting. Waiting some more. It’s been a weird old weekend, with Cyclone Gabrielle bearing down on Aotearoa. I felt like I was in holding mode, restless, and unable to concentrate. Like Covid lockdown but with more candles and crappier weather. Well, Gabby’s well & truly arrived, its raining, grey as heck & the wind is REALLY picking up. I normally love all the trees on my little street, not so much when you worry they might be coming to join you on the sofa. I try not to bang on too much about the weather, but suffice to say this summer has been pants!
A lot of the area is still getting over the flooding from a few weeks ago, so not best pleased about more rain, plus storm force winds to boot. We have moved all the outdoor furniture to safety , stocked up on food, candles, water and wine (priorities people!) , not much to do now but drink tea (then wine when the non existent sun makes it over the yard arm…) and wait.
Tea & Jaffa Cakes , very soothing
So to divert my mind from the precarious state of my neighbours gazebo (which I very much hope does not end up in my garden later this evening) lets talk sewing, much less stressful.
Some sleeve action…
This is The Assembly Line Cuff Top pattern . Now you may be noticing the lack of a cuff? Well yes, several choices there. One, I didn’t actually have any appropriate elastic (kind of a game changer on this one) but also, the width and structure of the fabric. I brought this beautiful Japanese linen cotton blend from Miss Maude without paying much attention to the width , a measly 109 cm. Hmmm, what could inattentive, and lets be honest not teeny tiny Kristina make using 1.6 m of not terribly wide fabric?
My Not Paying Attention Face…
I have made the Cuff Top before, but obviously had to make a few adjustments for my lack of elastic/ability to measure fabric so we ditched about 10 cm of sleeve length and the cuff. As you can see, due to not having to encase the elastic the sleeves are still a totally acceptable length. I actually like the heft the linen cotton provides, giving more of a structural shape to the sleeve. A win in my book.
It’s also been a useful exercise in thinking a bit more laterally, I have some lovely vintage fabrics and silk in my stash that are quite narrow widths, I need to think about how I can use them with my existing patterns.
As you know I do love a good brooch, this is one I found in Melbourne back in 2009 , I remember because we were on hols for a long weekend and it was the day Michael Jackson died . Mr D had gone to watch the first half on an AFL game at the MCG* and I stayed behind in our hotel watching endless media coverage of Michaels death and remembering how much I loved the genius of Thriller and how sad his life had become. I’ve never had a TV in our bedroom so watching anything sitting in/on a bed is such a novelty! Yes, I should get out more 🙂
Anyway, at half time we had organised to meet at Greg Malouf’s fabulous Lebanese restaurant Momo for dinner. I remember being so pleased wearing my lovely new brooch, brought at a little antiques shop near the Hill of Content bookshop, where we spent a very happy hour browsing. I brought a book on French embroidery which I still have. I’m not a huge shopper, but I do love when I’m on hols buying something I know will last, and remind me of the place I’m in every time I use/look/smell it. Every time I wear my little Bakelite flower brooch I think of that lovely day, and the amazing meal we sheared. Ok and Michael Jackson. Can’t win them all.
Speaking of amazing meals (did you like that seamless segue?) , here is one I prepared earlier. Ok amazing is pushing it, but comfort food par excellence and healthy to boot .
This is a Rick Stein recipe, from his wonderful India cookbook. Obviously I can’t speak to authenticity, but it’s flippin tasty and just the ticket for my Mum and three sisters who all had Covid, boo! Lentils are a great source of protein, and I know if I’m feeling a bit rubbish, soup seems easier to manage than a full meal. A tarka is just a garnish that is fried at the last minute then topped/stirred into a dish, I stirred mine in as I was delivering this to eat at a later date.
200g yellow tur dal, soaked in cold water for 1 hour, then drained 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 4 green chillies, slit lengthways (I used one as Mum isn’t a chilli fan) 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole small handful fresh curry leaves (or from the freezer…) 1 tsp salt ½ tsp ground turmeric
For the tarka
2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tsp black mustard seeds 2 shallots, finely chopped (could also use a small red or white onion) 4 dried Kashmiri chillies, each broken into 3 pieces (or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes) about 15 fresh curry leaves (again, from the freezer) handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped, to garnish Method
Put the dal into a large saucepan and add water to cover by about 4cm. Add all the remaining dal ingredients, bring to the boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 45–60 minutes. The dal should be soft but still with a little bite. Use a potato masher to break up about half of the lentils, being sure to leave plenty of texture.
For the tarka, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the mustard seeds and fry for 30 seconds until they pop. Stir in the shallots, Kashmiri chillies and curry leaves and fry for 2–3 minutes until the shallots are softened and golden.
Spoon the tarka on top of the dal, sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves and serve.
I know, presentation is lacking!
I packed up the soup for the whanau, I had mine over rice with a boiled egg, a dollop of yogurt and some pickle for lunch, really tasty and sustaining. Vege soup and Butter Chicken completed the trio .
Tommy has all the feels…
I hope where ever you are its safe and dry, we shall ride out a bumpy night and see you on the other side friends x
Kristina x
P.S. AFL is Australian Rules Football, a descendant of Gaelic football, played on a huge field by impossibly fit blokes with impressive biceps (just an observation) . The MCG is the Melbourne Cricket Ground, one of the worlds great stadiums, highly recommend the tour.
Well its been quite the weekend here in Tamaki Makaurau, a summers worth of rain fell in approx. 15 hours on Friday, roads were flooded, houses inundated and my husband and sister still thought it would be a grand idea to attend the Elton John concert. Seriously.
I dropped them off as close as possible to Mt Smart stadium , complete with plastic ponchos* and already wet feet in rain I would describe as biblical. The three km ride home was hair raising to say the least , only to discover five minutes after walking in the door the concert was cancelled. Gah! In hindsight it was a blessing, walking home after several more hours of deluge would have been a disaster, and emergency services were already well pushed. Tragically four people have lost their lives, which rather puts things into perspective.
I’ll admit I moaned like a champ when we put the fence in down the side of the section and the volcanic rock our part of Auckland sits on meant a digger we booked for half a day took three (at eye watering expense) But what may be hard is also porous and we have been very lucky not to experience any flooding. So what to do when it just won’t stop raining? Sew of course.
I made the Factory dress a few years back, and have worn it to bits, so was very keen when Merchant & Mills released a digital addition to the pattern, a top version I knew would get plenty of wear.
Hurry up before it starts raining again…
It’s a simple shape, but Merchant & Mills patterns are all in the detail. The front split hem, rolled sleeves and lovely collar all make it feel a bit more special.
Hmmm…
It’s a fairly simple sew, I only come a cropper slightly when I realised Lazy Kristina had not changed the thread on her overlocker and it was not a great look on the turned back sleeve!
So instead, I turned the hem inwards and then folded it back on itself, stiching around the cuff to secure.
I don’t think it looks quite as good as the original cuff, but does have the benefit of a) not unfolding, b) not requiring me to unpick overlocking, which is always a good thing for my blood pressure and marriage.
Can you tell from my hair its rather humid?
I’m really pleased with the finished top, I really like the utility look with pants and sneakers or jeans. The linen is Sea Green from The Fabric Store and yes I do look a tad crumpled. We went out for a family lunch to celebrate my sister & Mr PK’s birthdays, a long leisurely Sunday lunch is so much fun, and not something we tend to do at a restaurant, so this was a treat.
Ibis
I also got to wear a Xmas pressy, a new brooch from Erstwilder !
This is an Ibis, part of the Egyptian revival range, resin with lovely gold detailing. Ibis were under the protection of the deity Thoth, responsible for among other things writing, mathematics, measurement and time. Rather appropriate for a sewist accountant who likes to blog yes? I love wearing brooches, and have a collection, including some fabulous Erstwilder numbers I shall post in coming weeks. Old skool, like watching an episode of your favorite show then wait a whole week for the next one. Does anyone remember that?
Porn Star Martini baby
I have to share the most amazing cocktail I had at lunch today. We went to Oyster & Chop , after a Crayfish Bisque and some banging steak I was rather too full for pud (I don’t have much of a sweet tooth anyway) but on tasting my sisters Porn Star Martini (yes…) I had to have one. Vanilla Vodka, Passionfruit liquor, sugar syrup , lime and a little shot of sparkling wine, OMG seriously yummy. I shall be making these at home, although I will be changing the name…
I received a lovely Xmas gift from my sister in law, a subscription to Dish magazine. I’ve tried to limit my magazine purchasing in the last few years, they had built up and I realised I would never look through all of them , let along read/cook everything. But Dish is so beautifully photographed, and I never fail to find several, if not many recipes in every issue I want to make. The food is a good mix of quick and easy and more complicated dishes, plus drinks and places to visit. Its also bi monthly, so each issue feels like a real treat.
Helpfully the new issue has several yummy tomato recipes, look at that haul, not bad for one plant I put in myself (called Tommy Toe because how could I resist??) , and one which self seeded from last year.
I picked this up from the Library during the week, you know when a book just speaks to you. I’ve only just delved in but already it’s just glorious, wonderful writing and delicious recipes. Chicken Kiev oozing garlic butter, Creamy Mashed Potato ( I had a fairly frank exchange of views with a colleague on this one, unless vegan of course, why would you add olive oil to mash when you could add butter???) , Cacio e pepe with butter, heck yes please!
In other news I shall be starting back on my exercise routine next week. I promise.
I hope wherever you are it’s safe, warm and dry, take care friends
Kristina x
* My sister Dette & I were stuck in a mighty rainstorm in Venice, we swallowed our inner fashionista and brought plastic ponchos, which was great until Dette discovered hers had a hood…it was filled with water which she promptly tipped all over herself. I would have helped with the dry off but I was laughing to hard too stand upright..
Well hello again, thought I’d start the new year with an actual honest to goodness no frills proper blog post. Apparently Instagram is dead, Twitter has sh*t itself & blogs are coming back.* While I’m not sure this is quite the case (although the Instagram algorithms are enough to make a girl drink) I do miss the more detailed form of a blog post. I’m long winded that way…
So what’s been occurring here at Plum Towers ? Rain. Lotta rain. Almost Biblical rain. I may or may not be sending the cats for swimming lessons. But since the weather is rather a tedious topic of conversation (have I mentioned it’s wet?) lets talk sewing instead .
Elastic for the win…
First up is an Assembly Line Cuff Dress. Since I made this Easter off the Cuff top I’ve wanted to make the longer dress version. The key is to use the correct elastic for the cuff (soft) and a firmer elastic for the waistband. I also made sure the elastic sat at the correct spot on my waist. I have a short waist, so I raised the bodice approx. 5 cm, which looks way less frumpy than having it lower down. Despite my measurements putting me in the XL range I actually made a Large (nothing to do with me being a tit & buying the wrong size pattern of course…) I’m actually really happy with the fit, comfortable without being ridiculously oversized.
I have an audience!
The fabric is a soft yet slightly structured Japanese seersucker from Miss Maude, I love it and willfully made absolutely no attempt to pattern match the squares.
Always with the hemming…
My next project is a combo of sale finds and reusing fabric from a doomed make. It pains me to discuss but suffice to say if you spend ages hand sewing the neck & sleeve binding of an (expensive) linen top, don’t then machine embroider the front and back together. Also don’t compound the issue by attempting to unpick it. Instead have a nice comforting swear, pour a bucket of Chardonnay and put the offending item in the corner. A few months later pull out said item & cut it up!
Ok it was starting to rain at this point…
This is the College Gather Top by the Matchy Matchy Sewing Club. Terrible name, great pattern. I’d seen some lovely versions on Dead Insta, and thought it a perfect pattern to use fabric leftovers (which I always seem to have) . The combo here is linen from The Fabric Store in Maple, Sea Green and from the Top of Doom mentioned above, Antique Cream, which I’m not sure they do anymore.
Shake shake shake…
The pattern comes with a cute little drawing to use deciding which fabrics to place where (and individual cut out labels for each piece which is actually super helpful when dealing with different front and back pieces)
Who could resist?
As you can see from above I also added length to the pattern, as I found the front quite short. Fair cop to Millennials but this Gen X gals crop top days have well sailed.
Who doesn’t love a fresh new diary !
I did manage to spend a sunny (yes!) morning out on the deck planning my year. Well, drinking coffee & thinking about planning my year. Mostly just drinking coffee and reminding Mr D he needs to stain the outdoor furniture.
Sixth member of the Band, Organised Spice!
I like to spend at least one day of the Twilight Zone between Xmas & New Year organising my kitchen. Cleaning out the pantry, throwing out anything out of date, reorganising. It sounds terribly Rock n Roll (not!) , but I love heading into a new year with a tidy inspiring space. I can’t control much in life but hell yes I know where the Chai Masala is when I need it!
Xmas haul, yeow!
Speaking of inspiring, check out my Xmas book swag! We have a family tradition started by my English teacher sister of giving each other a book on Xmas Eve (some interesting info on the inspiration for this here ) But of course one is never enough, so I always have a book or five on my Xmas list also.
The Language of Food is right up my alley, history, food , recipes, ELIZA ACTON, what is not to love? Review to come.
I’m aiming to up my hand sewing skills this year , so Make Sew and Mend is the perfect choice to help with that.
I will admit I didn’t get into the Seven Sisters series, but Lucinda Riley’s first and only murder mystery, The Murder at Fleet House certainly has me intrigued. I’m a sucker for anything set in Norfolk, see also the wonderful Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffith.
Ottolenghi needs no introduction, this book is another corker, I’ve already cooked several recipes, and there will be more. Over the last six months or so we’ve slowly changed our eating habits to include a bit less meat and a bit more vege, having inspiring recipes really makes that easier. I just wish eating more beans and cauliflower were easier on the digestion, Wind from the South ain’t just for Mahjong kids…
Regula Ysewijn (aka Miss Foodwise) first came on my radar years ago when I was blogging about food, she takes wonderful photos and really enjoys talking all things food and history. Her book about British puddings , both sweet and savoury is a joy, I may well make every single one. Ok maybe not the kidney one but everything else…
Simple Fancy is the latest from The Two Raw Sisters, to be honest I think the name does them a slight disservice, this is a not a “raw” cookbook, but another lovely collection of delicious fresh recipes that are heavy on the plants. I have made loads from their earlier book Salad, so anticipate lots of lovely goodness from this one too.
A long way from a café in Paris but rather lovely just the same…
After all this talk of vege and salad virtuousness of course there must be cake. Or in this case sweet little madeleines. In the great Kitchen Clean of 2022 I went through all my baking drawers and rediscovered my darling madeleine tins. For a not very sweet tooth like me these are such a prefect delicate little treat. Brown butter and Sea Salt madeleines, perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon or a dollop of cream and some berries after supper. Or contemplating life and memories in a Paris café obviously.
I hope wherever you are, 2023 is easing in with appropriate fabulousness. If not, I certainly hope things improve . Between work, personal stuff (for those of you approaching/in the trenches of Menopause I can’t recommend this book highly enough ) and just THE WORLD FFS I’ve found 2022 to be a bit of a slog at times, so here’s to an improved 2023. And lots more blog posts.
Kristina xxx
PS. Given I have four sisters and many misdemeanours against all I REALLY hope none of them are writing a book in 2023… 🙂
* I actually do hope blogs make a comeback. Long winded is good . Unless you’re a Prince maybe?
Hello friends! Hello little blog, I’ve missed you. It’s been Covid (both of us, boo!), several colds, a dodgy haircut , zero overseas adventures and many sewing fails long, and here we are. Nice to be back.
So to celebrate, a new top that is all business at the front…but lots of fun at the back. After seemingly endless rain and cold any party attitude is most welcome.
Some fun at the back.
The pattern I started with is the Tarlee tee by Muna and Broad , a great versatile pattern I have made before . I really like the fit of this pattern, especially the curve over the back into the neckline, perfect for my terrible posture (I blame years of desk/computer work and an aversion to yoga)
Tarlee
The fabric is a gorgeous merino from The Fabric Store , the back fabric is a lovely swishy Liberty print, the drape is perfect for the style and feels really nice to wear.
I made View A with long sleeves in size E, cutting across the back piece of the pattern approx. 3.5cm/1.5 inches below the armhole. I then cut the piece of Liberty the same length as the remaining length on the pattern, adding a seam allowance for adding to the top. The fabric is very soft and I knew it would gather well. I also knew I wanted plenty of volume at the back so the piece of fabric I cut and gathered was around 120 cm/47 inches wide. It felt way too much but once gathered up it is just right.
Just right …
Great with jeans and sneakers but I have worn this one to work with slim navy pants and my navy velvet ballet flats (only one person asked if I was wearing my slippers so that’s a win I guess…?)
So what else has been occurring at Plum Towers ? My lovely neighbour turned up with a large bag of oranges from her tree. Obviously when life gives you citrus you pour a gin. But AFTER that, you make Marmalade .
Where are you Paddington??
I use Ina Garten’s recipe , instead of lemons I used three limes from our garden, so it’s a totally homegrown fruit situation. I didn’t have quite enough white sugar so I added some demuera sugar , its made the marmalade slightly darker, but I still think it looks delicious. It certainly tastes good, even if my peel is slightly thicker than some (my mother) might prefer!
Given the season in Tamaki Makaurau, July often feels like a bit of a grind and this one is no different. But it IS perfect weather for TV/Movie/Books.
I’ve recently enjoyed two quite different reads. The first is The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand. It’s the first of her books I’ve read, I LOVE the Nantucket setting, plus a good mystery is right up my alley. Mr PK & I visited Nantucket a few years back, honestly, its like a film set! FYI they make amazing Bloody Mary’s on the ferry over from Hyannis 🙂
Completely different is The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan, set in Mumbai. This is a charming mystery, with a lovely protagonist, the setting is so well described and who wouldn’t want a baby elephant as a side kick?
For viewing, we’ve also gone a bit eclectic…
I came to Stranger Things late, but oh my goodness, what a cracking show. The characters, the brilliant story, the CLOTHES, the MUSIC! the latest series is set in 1986, and some of the characters are exactly the same age I was in 1986, I’m certainly feeling the vibe. Also, Kate Bush people (I have a very soft spot for Wuthering Heights, won’t lie)
I was so excited to find A Stitch in Time on Amazon Prime, I’ve been wanting to watch this for ages. Amber Butchart is often quoted on The Great British Sewing Bee so I was keen to see her own show. It’s a brilliant look at historic costuming and art history, plus Ambers fab outfits each week are worth a watch by themselves.
I think of mentioned this before but a new season of the Haptic & Hue podcast dropped in April, I so enjoy this one, Jo Andrews’ research is fantastic, and I always finish listening wanting to find out more.
Now before I go I must introduce you to the latest member of our whanau, friends meet Miss Lemon. She is a delicate old lady whose owners cannot take care of her anymore. So she will live out her days in some comfort with Tommy, Tuppence, and as many cuddles as she can handle. As you can see, its highly exciting…
Right, off to make Butter Chicken for dinner, Sunday night curry night, get in!
Well hello there, it’s been a while.* After 50 some days of Lockdown here in Tamaki Makarau I’m not quite sure how long, so let’s stick with a while. September came and went in a carb fueled haze, October does appear to be shaping up to be the same but with less rain, so that’s something at least!
I’ve not been completely idle on the sewing front , if anything I’m glad to have an absorbing hobby that sees me through some rather anxious times. Even if some days it’s just folding beautiful pieces of fabric in my stash & thinking about what I might make. Stash Management is basically a hobby on its own really.
No idea what I’m doing either..
The Eleanor shirt completely passed me by on release (to be fair I was probably busy doomscrolling Twitter & wondering how to spend the Airmiles I wasn’t getting on a plane with anytime this decade). I have made several Sew Me Something patterns, including this wonderful dress , and when I first saw Jules’ fab gingham version I immediately loved the vintage feel of the shawl collar. It actually reminds me of a shirt my eldest sister had back in the day I may or may not have borrowed & never gave back…
Was this a tricky sew? Not really. Did I still manage to make some dumb mistakes? Of course dear reader, would you expect anything less? For starters, that back please detail…
Inverted, extroverted, who is to know…
Ok, that’s supposed to be an INVERTED back pleat. How I turned it into a Box pleat is one of life’s mysteries. I even remember thinking “oh yes, that looks great” when I was fiddling with the selvedge to go across the back yoke.
What I was aiming for…
After a really fun post from Wanda Brown, talking about using the fabric selvedge in interesting ways I thought I would do the same. I love it & at least it’s a distraction from my pleat error yes?
From experience the ease on Sew Me Something patterns is generous, but I sized down from a 22 to an 18, I think a 20 might have been a smarter option, I feel like the bodice is lifting at the front .
The pattern also calls for five buttons & I realised after sewing my buttonholes the top one was far too high . I think I needed to overlap the button band further but because I’d sized down the ease was more restricted across my bust than it should have been, and I ended up with a buttonhole on the road to nowhere. We live and learn.
We’re on the road to nowhere…
The fabric is a chambray linen from Spotlight I brought on sale, it has a lovely drape & was really nice to sew. The shell buttons from Miss Maude are a real pleasure. Both lovely to look at, and after six weeks in lockdown, it’s always nice to see our courier driver delivering treats & a cheery wave. Those guys & gals are doing the mahi right now!
The size range on this pattern is great , size 8-30, I’d highly recommend for a comfortable shirt with some cute vintage style. I’d like one in a pretty rayon, and I was very chuffed when my BFF 13 year old daughter decided she wanted one to!
So what else is keeping us occupied here at Plum Towers?
If you haven’t already, check out Vigil, oh my goodness, every episode I go to bed with a real sense of unease (in a good way!) And yes, we are watching old school, one episode a week on Sunday night. I can catch up with my Mum & my bestie on Monday to discuss, remember when TV was like that? I love the convenience of On Demand & Streaming but I do love that “water cooler” TV discussion that we seem to have lost now .
Just finished reading The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman, I thought I loved the Thursday Murder Club, but this one is even better, clever mystery with a cast of characters you don’t want to leave (I adore Joyce , even if her Instagram handle is a tad ropey…)
Right, off to bed here , my sister has arranged a (contactless!) drop off Eight Detectives and I’m rather excited, how good does this look?
Keep safe friends, and when in doubt…eat Carbs
Kristina xxx
*”Not much, how about you?” Thanks England Dan & John Ford Coley…
And just like that its autumn. The clocks went back over the weekend and I now have the correct time on my oven for the first time in six months, yay! Sadly we’ve just brought a new car, never mind the clock, I’ve only just located the handbrake , a button for goodness sake? We had our previous car 16 years, so technology has moved on quite a bit (goodbye CD player…) My husband picked it up from the dealership with the aircon on full, couldn’t work out how to turn it off & was slightly hypothermic by the time he got home so apparently we’re a family of Luddites. I am however hanging out for cold weather so I can turn on the heated seats (yes it’s a thing, I have located that button!)
It’s been a lovely relaxing Easter weekend here, we were in Level 4 lockdown for Easter last year, its been great to celebrate freely once again. I hope where ever you are if you celebrate the holiday you’ve managed to do so with some normality. We had our traditional whanau Good Friday lunch , my husband won the poker , not sure Mum was totally impressed…
Can’t choose your Son in Law’s Mum, sorry…
I had intended to make myself a new top for the day, but of course I wasn’t organized. My sew-jo has been a bit hit & miss lately, ridiculous as it sounds I have so many patterns & so much fabric I end up paralyzed with choice. Yes that is ENTIRELY a first world problem, I am making a conscious effort to use what I have.
I’ve admired so many of these popping up on social media, then my bestie made a version and obviously I had to have that pattern too. Happily The Assembly Line have extended their size range so you can now get this wee gem up to a 4XL. The curvier range has a dart added, which I actually really like, added fabric through the bust without being swamped in fabric around the waist & hips.
Admiring my first Feijoa tree, I feel so grown up! (it’s a NZ thing…)
Having said that I think next time I’ll add a couple of cm length, and grade out the same at the hips. The neckline is the boat neck variation, I’m all over boat necks at the moment, for some reason they feel dressier to me than a crew neck. Using the boat neck also meant I didn’t need to make the button loop or attach a button, the neckline is sufficiently roomy to just slide overhead. I whipped this top up in a day, which for a slow sewer like me is pretty good. Just bear in mind the instructions for the facing will change, and you need to fully sew up the back seam.
Animal print & gold as a look? Why yes please
I first met my husband back in the 90’s, he still refers to my “dressing as a tree” phase. I had a much loved (meaning flippin expensive so I wore it everywhere) Working Style linen shirt in the most fabulous deep forest green. I was also deeply wedded to my brown straight leg cords (corduroy is so much more comfortable than denim, seriously) , so the two combined were a fav outfit. I’m happy to recreate the glory here . The pants are the Muna & Broad Sculthorpe, in heavy linen from The Fabric Store , that top stitching brings me joy.
So what else has been occurring at Plum Towers?
Woman on a mission
Mum stayed for a couple of days over Easter so we hit the garden center on Saturday. There isn’t a plant, garden or nursery my Mother doesn’t appreciate, so after I picked various winter vege & herbs for my raised beds & plants for my hanging baskets she lasted all of 24 hours before suggesting she could plant them out . I bow down to both superior knowledge & enthusiasm! I wont pretend to be any kind of botanist, but there is something really soothing about being in a garden. And I wont lie, watching someone else make that garden is pretty satisfyingly lazy. I know, I’m terrible.
Eggcellent! Sorry…
My youngest sister has fully embraced the Jellyologist, we had the most marvelous Xmas trees in December, but she brought it next level for Easter. That’s layers of different flavors of jelly in real egg shells, the eggs themselves made their way into chocolate pavlova with crème patisserie filling. Spoilt yes?
Ok one thing I am excited about with a new car is the ease of listening to podcasts. Years after everyone else discovered them of course, but the glory of not wrestling with cords is really quite thrilling. My current fav is Shedunnit by Caroline Crampton. As an avowed aficionado of Golden Age detective fiction this is such a great listen. If you don’t like Agatha Christie, Ngaio March & the rest of the band…give yourself a talking too & have a listen. You might learn something.
Words to live by…
Lastly, super cute pencils from Miss Maude , I have been a stationery fiend from way back, the beginning of the school year was such a thrill, a new pencil case is still a thing of joy. What plans I shall make with these beauties…
Have a lovely week team, hopefully next time we meet I’ve sorted the clock in the car…wish me luck
Well, back into Level 3 lockdown here is Auckland. Three cases in the community, a family including a border worker who thankfully, as soon as she felt unwell, got tested. Fingers crossed with some pretty epic test & tracing going on it will be nipped in the bud. I spent today working at home in my “lounge wear” under the supervision of Tommy & Tuppence. Many treats & cuddles were administered, cats love lockdown!
Sadly however, I did not get the chance to wear my swanky new SILK shirt to work. Boo! Yes, you heard me, I tackled silk. There were no tears, barely any swearing (honest), I only used my unpicker twice. I know, these are indeed crazy times.
The Waikerie shirt from Muna & Broad. I made View B with short sleeves, I would probably never wear a long sleeve shirt without rolling the sleeves up, I thought the soft fabric would not stay rolled for long.
Oh hey there…
Because I have previously made this Waikerie dress (an extension of the original pattern), I already had some pattern pieces cut out, and I knew the yoke and collar was the right size for me. The fabric I picked up on sale from The Fabric Store a wee while ago, I LOVE the sequin print , but was always a little hesitant to use it, a) not being experienced sewing silk (not sure how I thought that would change NOT sewing with it?) and b) I was never sure the colour worked for me. Now I’m a foxy silver its practically camouflage yes?
Isn’t it fun
The only thing I did to compensate for sewing silk was use a finer gauge needle, and as far as I could, use French seams. The sleeve band method is the same as the Torrens top, I really like it but wish I’d finished the seams on this one with binding rather than overlocking , I can feel it slightly rubbing on my skin (Five minutes sewing silk & suddenly a delicate wee thing I am…)
Love a good box pleat
I really like the slightly sporty style of the shirt, with a slightly boxy fit, dropped back hem & shorter sleeves, combined with a really luxe fabric. I love it with my jeans & sneakers for the weekend, but it works equally well with pants & heels for the day job (well, when I’m in the office and not sitting at the dining table in my slippers covered in cat fur hey…)
Is there a ship ahoy or what?
As with other Muna & Broad patterns, the instructions are nice & clear and the drafting is great, I’m already planning a cute linen version. Or silk satin, now I’m a bit of an expert…? Yeah, nah.
Contemplating life…or trying not to put dents in the wooden floor?
So what else has been happening around these parts?
Watched a fab movie on Netflix The Dig recently, not only a lovely film (based on a true story) but some really fabulous costumes too! I received the The Foldline newsletter last week, which did a wee rundown of patterns if you wanted to recreate the look. I personally adore the whole 40’s Industrial Land Girl aesthetic so this was right up my alley. I also wear silver shoes & animal print so I’m clearly also slightly confused on this point…
Actually if this is your vibe too, check out Old Town clothing and of course one of my favorite pattern designers Merchant & Mills
On a completely different tangent, Series 2 of Blown Away has just dropped on Netflix & I’m very excited. Mr D & I loved series one, a show about glassblowing doesn’t sound like everyone’s bag but trust me, it’s fab. So much artistry, so many different personalities, by the final we were really invested!
On the bedside table, The Marlow Murder Club, really enjoying this one, in the vein of The Thursday Murder Club, it’s a fun whodunnit in the classic Golden Age style, with a spunky older sleuth, lots of fun
I hope where ever you are it’s been a good start to the week, I’m currently having a G & T because from memory that’s what ones does in lockdown on a Monday night, or is that just me?
Stardate Year 2021 day 4572….no wait, what? We made it to February? Yeow, whoop whoop , kiss me a kitten! Holidays done & dusted here, back at work, although thanks to Auckland Anniversary day and Waitangi day we have two long weekends on the trot, perfect. As you can see I need to spend at least one of those days in the jungle of my garden…
So what has been occurring at Plum Towers? Well for starters please do admire my fancy new tee. This is the new Muna & Broad Tarlee tee.
Now, you might ask myself does the world need another tee pattern? Such a simple garment yes? Um no. From the perfect neckline (my sister & I have bored for England on this very topic, as only siblings can, she is V neck or die, I’m more flexible) to the perfect sleeve. I love an elbow length, which can be surprising hard to find in RTW. Fit is another can of worms altogether. I want a snug fit around my shoulders & bust, so it doesn’t look sloppy. I want a less snug fit around my waist & hips…
I love this pattern. I know not what drafting wizardry was involved, but I have a great fit through my shoulders & bust, with just the right “loose but not sloppy” fit through my lower torso. The curved hem is a cute finish, elevating this from a basic tee. I made the Size C, grading out to Size D at the waist & hips.
The pattern comes with notches for applying the neckline finish. This seems a much more sensible application than the quartering method, works much better for me anyway. Sadly my twin needle & I had a parting of ways, so the neckline isn’t finished perfectly…I need to get another needle, but I think I can zigzag this one to finish . My photographer was getting rather impatient so perfectly imperfect it is.
There is an option of a turtleneck , in various sizes, which when it cools down here, I shall definitely be making. Actually when I was growing up a turtleneck was called a skivvy, “it’s cold , put your skivvy on under your jumper”! Unlike the pattern, a turtleneck then came in one size only , tight! Many a neck was slightly strangled in the name of warmth (given the terrible heating most homes had it was probably a good thing!)
I was gifted some beautiful merino from A & R Fabrics , the colour is Whiskey , appropriate for a Douglas. The softness (& lack of scratch) combined with a good “drape but not cling” are great for this tee. I thought the Whiskey would match perfectly with the mustard dots on my Willandra pants. If I’m standing around in the garden grinning inanely at the fence I want to be colour coordinated ok. Actually this is a perfect weekend outfit, comfy but smart enough for a casual lunch or BBQ (elastic waist for the win too)
So other than tee shirt fun, what’s been going on?
My tomato plants have gone into high gear, as have the passionfruit. The limes are not far off either . I have “fond” memories of mid summer when I was a kid. I grew up in the burbs , Dad was a nurse & Mum looked after five of us & did a bit of cleaning work. As you can imagine money was tight, but we had the classic Kiwi Quarter acre section, and both my parents grew up knowing how to stretch a buck. Despite Mums best efforts to cover the whole section in flowers, Dad did carve out a vege garden, and we had prolific fruit trees. Which meant acres of Beef Steak tomatoes & Golden Queen peaches in summer. If there is a more thankless task than canning peaches or making tomato sauce in Auckland in January even now, I know not what it is, but back then?? Humidity in the high 90’s, no air con & ingrate children who wanted Watties like everyone else, I’m surprised Mum didn’t lose it completely. I do remember some frayed nerves…
I took the easy route & roasted my tomatoes with basil, oregano & thyme from the garden, a good splash of Olive oil, a few cloves of garlic & plenty of salt & pepper. 180C for about an hour
Push the whole lot through a mouli (or a sieve) & you have the most delicious roasted tomato passata, I popped mine in the freezer in small pottles, perfect for pizza sauce, pasta, and tomorrow nights patatas bravas, using potato’s I didn’t realize had actually survived the Auckland hose pipe ban!
I hope January has been kind, or at least not too crappy My nephew and his lovely girlfriend in the UK contracted Covid over Xmas but have thankfully recovered. We are enjoying enormous freedom here in NZ, but I’m very aware we don’t have real freedom until everyone can be vaccinated & we can rid ourselves of this horrible disease. So I’ll leave you with this. It was a joy to see President Biden and Vice President Harris enter the White House, but oh golly we were excited to see Major Biden , the first rescue dog to live at the White House! Here is his Indoguration, it’s all lovely, but especially at 15 mins in, Josh Grobin singing a lovely wee song. The best breed? Rescue every day (Tommy & Tuppence insist!)
Plum Kitchen 