English Bodice Improvised

This summer was a busy time for me. I have jumped into so many projects and adventures that I forgot to keep this updated with the things I did. This is the start of making up for it. This project goes along with my Living History. In an attempt to look presentable as my first year in charge, I decided to make a finished bodice. My other attempts were only the outer layer. Unfortunately, in a gesture of good will I ripped apart my pattern for a friend. So I didn’t have a new one to go off of. So using a previous one that hadn’t turned out well enough to want to keep, I took it apart for my emergency pattern. The blue one in the picture is the pattern. The reason I chose it was for my mistake at using black thread. Other than that is was an okay bodice.

I chose a mustard colored canvas fabric for my new bodice. I have just been in a yellow mood and it is a good period color. After cutting tracing and cutting everything for an inner layer and an outer layer, I decided to start the sewing. At each piece I was going to sew, I first pinned it together to stop any stretching between the bottoms from the tops. Because I am using such a thick fabric I went with quilter’s pins. I had not used them previous, but now find that I like them a lot. I have also come up with a use in camp for them by running ribbon through the slot and making a bow.

Be careful when sewing that you do not do a seam facing the wrong way, like I did here. And for all my searching, I couldn't find my seam ripper. A sharp serrated knife will work in a pinch.

I have as of right now only created the two layers. In the next few days I will put in the boning. A friend told me of another type of boning called Ridgeline. It is a strip of mesh that is possible to sew on and is still stiff enough. After I finish my bodice I will update this blog to show the Ridgeline, wire boning, and my finished bodice. If I complete it in time I will show me wearing it in camp.

Many thanks and until the next adventure,

~ Sara

Bannocks

I did this recipe a while ago, but I thought I should pass it along. I know a lot of people on an especially cold winter morning like to eat a bowl of oatmeal. Well, I am not one of them. I love the flavor; it’s the texture that gets to me. If you are like me or just want a new way to eat it, try this recipe. Oat cakes like this originated in Scotland and England. It is easy to make and really tasty to have with breakfast or as a snack. I brought them to work one time with apple butter. These little oat cakes did not even last an hour. I hope you enjoy them as much as my roommate and I do. I suggest getting your ingredients at a health food or co-op when you first try this recipe. Then you will not have to buy a big box or bag of oat flour/oats to make a small batch. I also suggest you make a single batch your first time. It takes practice to deal with the dough when it gets sticky. The original recipe came from the Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham on page 57.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup oat flour (add a little more flour if needed to stiffen)
¼ tsp. salt
4 tablespoon butter chilled (I use Blue Bonnet margarine)
½ cup water

Preheat the oven around 375-400°F. Grease or spray your baking sheet. Mix all your dry ingredients (flour, oats, and salt) in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter and flour mixture together until coarse bits are made. Stir in water slowly. Form the dough into a coarse ball and dust the dough and a board with oat flour. Kneed it until smoothish, the book says 6 times. Divide the dough in half; roll out one half to a 1/4th inch thickness. Use a biscuit or round cookie cutter and make round little cakes. Repeat the other half of dough. Place the Bannocks on the cooking sheet about a ½ inch apart. Bake all of them for about 20 min or until lightly browned.


This is the basic recipe. You can add cheese, raisins, cinnamon, and a variety of nuts to make it more flavorful. I want to add chopped dates and walnuts next time.

The new 'do!

Hey you all! My first post in the New Year! Yeah, I know its February now. I will just have to make it up with something great. I have been working on this for a little while trying to get all the kinks out of it. Have you ever asked yourself, “Wow! Crocheting is really fun. I wonder if you can do it in someone’s hair?” I did just that. Here of some pictures I took of by best friend’s sister who volunteered to test my idea out. I found doing ribbon or two strands of yarn works the best. I just braided the hair in two strips; bobby-pined them down, and crocheted them down with the rest of the hair. When you are done you can take the pins out and it should stay. If it doesn’t you need the redo it because it will fall out during the day. Gook luck for those who try this!

Roman Apple Coffee Cake

Here is my first project and hopefully not the last. This yummy dish was found in a book that I currently cannot remember. My sister is going to look where she found it. I have made this several times and improved it each time. I have added walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg. You can make your own personal variations by adding raisins. I was talked into making it once again by my co-workers and may decide to try it with new items. I hope anyone who tries out this recipe think it is as good as my roommate, Emily. She tried a piece before she left to visit you family for the weekend. Em told me she dreamed the whole weekend about it!

I used this personal version the last time:

Ingredients:
Batter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (or soy milk and 1 extra egg)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter (or margarine)
4 medium apples
1 cup chopped walnuts
Topping
1/4 cup flour
1/4 soft or melted butter (or margarine)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Direction:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter or spray an 8 x 8 baking dish. I found glass is the best.

Stir together the all dry batter ingredients in a large bowl. In small bowl beat together egg, milk, vanilla, and melted butter. Then stir dry and wet mixtures until it is thoroughly combined.

Peel, halve, and remove the cores of your apples. Then slice into thing wedges. You can decide how thing you like them, just make sure the wedges are mostly even. Fold apples and walnuts (or your other extras) into the batter. Pour all of it into the baking dish and spread evenly.

Making you topping:
Mix all topping ingredients together well and then sprinkle evenly over the coffee cake. I find that you do not need to have that much topping. It is nice to just use only half the amount.

Now just bake for 35 to 40 min. or until top of the coffee cake springs back when gently pressed. Served when it is slightly warm.

Welcome All!

Hey, to all you busy people who use technology to do more projects. I will blog all of my fun projects that might interest you. I love to cook, sew, and create with other mediums. So if it turned out passably well or maybe not so well, I will post it if I get the chance. Please leave any good ideas or recipes. If I can fit it in my schedule, I will try it.



Here is an example of a project that went wrong then switched sides to be good. Let me say, this started out as a hat...the last one turned into a ceramic chicken cozy.