Another Liam's Adoption/Tastefully Simple Party Plug

As my readers know, my sister has agree to donate 100% of the profits of an online catalog Tastefully Simple party to Liam's adoption. What a deal - buy and enjoy gourmet food and feel good about helping save an orphan. Amy, the mother, has three other boys with Down syndrome, one of which is an adult, so she knows what people with Down syndrome are capable of. You can view her blog about her family here.

Today I made the beer bread, both regular and whole wheat (I just had to compare) and the potato cheddar soup.

I chose the Corona because it was one of the few I could just buy one of and I figured I could melt the bottle in the Kiln.

Oh, how I wish you could smell this picture.

Both beer breads are awesome. You can see in the picture that the wheat bread didn't rise as much and I was afraid it was going to be dense and awful, like wheat breads used to be in the past, but the flavors were incredibly similar, with the wheat having that nutty tastes that wheat breads are supposed to have, but still being sweet and airy. My house smelled like beer and I was thinking the whole time the bread was cooking that I should have used a soda or something other than beer, but the taste of both of the loaves was really good. I'm not really a drinker and I really dislike beer, but I heartily recommend these breads.

As for the soup, I'm not really a cheese soup fan and so this soup isn't really my thing. It IS much better than the dehydrated potato soups that I've tried from the grocery store, and I certainly like it enough to eat it, but it isn't good enough to convert me to choosing a cheese soup over something else. In short, buy the beer breads!

To order any of these or the biscuits from this post, go to Tastefully Simple and list me 'Kimberly Hughes' as the host and my sister will make sure the profits are directed to Liam's adoption. This party is going to run until August 15th. My suggestion is to order a few things you like to try now (most of it is great party food), then you will still have time to order again more of the things you really like before the donations are closed for this adoption.

As always you can skip the party food and donate directly to his adoption here, and donations are tax deductible.

Knit Skirt Copy of Ready to Wear

My sister asked me to copy a RTW skirt that she has had for a decade and a top that she has had for two. I copied the skirt last weekend while I was visiting my mom. I didn't have my serger and so I used french seams for the entire skirt which is why it is a little wavy. This also resulted in the waist seam being stretched out some, but since it has a drawstring waist, it isn't too big a deal. The RTW skirt had pockets which my sister asked me not to put in, but I liked the detail so I went ahead a put the seam on the sides without the pockets.

Here is the skirt.

It is made of mostly rectangles and trapezoids and if anyone is interested in duplicating it, here are the dimensions without seam allowances.
waist band 3" x 40"
tie 68" x 1.5"
front piece 14" x 16"
back piece 14" x 17"
top sides 6" x 8"
bottom sides (here is the trapzoid) top 6", bottom 6.5", front 8", back 9"

My sewcation is going well. I traced off Simplicity 2369 and made a top and and dress from the pattern, which I will post later. I sew and serge standing up and spending all day going from tracing on the floor to cutting and sewing standing up has been really hard on my back. I'm hoping to make the top mentioned above and some shorts for me tomorrow, but we'll see how sore I am tomorrow (and how soon Q is coming back with the girls).

Sewcation and Another Birthday

It's my birthday again (my second this year). Even though the calendar still hasn't told me it is, I know because my cousin has sent me another birthday gift! I'm going to use it on my very first sewcation this weekend. Q and I have an agreement where we spend a weekend a month apart and even though we did this this past weekend, he has agreed to take the three girls and spend the weekend with my mom so that I can have some time to sew. How many men do you know that would volunteer to take three babies and spend a weekend with their MIL? Isn't he the best?

Here are the pictures of the fabric.

This one is going to be my dress for Darth Baby's baptism next week.

Any bets as to how long until I lose a finger?

Liam's Tastefully Simple Party

Yes, here is another plug for Liam's Tastefully Simple Party, where my sister has agree to donate 100% of the profits to Liam's adoption.

I had not prior to yesterday tried anything by Tastefully Simple (though I did order some through Liam's party). Yesterday, the nerdlet and I made the Perfect Parmesan Biscuits.

These were so easy, you start with three ingredients, mix them together (about 15 stirs), and pop them in the oven.

My sister likens these to the cheese biscuits at Red Lobster and while I can see the reason she does that, these are much better. They are light and airy and full of cheese flavor. Also, they are not overly salty like the ones at Red Lobster but still full of flavor. Both the nerdlet and the bear cub enjoyed them, too.

To order, go to Tastefully Simple and list me 'Kimberly Hughes' as the host and my sister will make sure the profits are directed to Liam's adoption. This party is going to run until August 15th. My suggestion is to order a few things you like to try now (most of it is great party food), then you will still have time to order again more of the things you really like before the donations are closed for this adoption.

As always you can skip the party food and donate directly to his adoption here, and donations are tax deductible.

Bon appetit.

BurdaStyle Magazine 06-2011-111B

I made another pattern from the Burda Style Magazine, this time a pair of shorts, and I love them. I think I'm going to make a lot more pairs. The largest size of the pattern was a 44 so I graded up to about a 48.

front

side

back

I also did my first review on pattern review, where you can get more information. Here is the link.

Simplicity 4076

Remember my making this before? I had cut the right side (or left) out twice instead of one of each and so half the shirt is always inside out. Most people would consider it a wadder and toss it, but the knit is super comfy and so I've been wearing it as pajamas...a lot.

After making this first shirt, I had cut out another, this time correctly, but only got around to sewing it yesterday.

(I'm not angry. I'm not sure why I look that way.)

Unfortunately, I have stopped breastfeeding since then and so have lost four inches off my chest. I was going to make this smaller, but laying it out there was no way that those giant circles were not going to be in an inconvenient place. So it was made as is and it still works, but it reveals more cleavage than even normally and hangs funny a bit under the arms, but it is still better than almost all RTW and I am a little short on clothing that fits better (note the skirt in the picture which I made while pregnant with the nerdlet but am still wearing due to a shortage of summer skirts and shorts - note that but try to ignore Darth Baby's gift on the skirt).

I think reading Australian sewing blogs is adversely affecting me as I have traced out a (BS) Burda Style jacket. I probably won't be making it for a while, but I'm really happy with the tissue paper fitting. I do wonder if I need a new way of making an FBA, since all the ones I've seen lower the bust point and usually that is too low to begin with (due to being extremely short torsoed not from being overly perky). I use the Palmer and Pletsch method mostly for my FBAs.

What I want to make are the jacket or matching dresses for my girls, but after a finishing a few more pillowcases, I will definitely be working on more me clothing.

Save Ivan/Liam!

Anyone that has been reading my blog for any period of time knows that I always have one or more adoption of a child with Down syndrome through Reece's Rainbow that I am watching. Melanie/Lucy's mom is at the orphanage getting her right now. Lera's adoption is fully funded and they are completing the final steps before they can go get her. Alexander's adoption is almost fully funded, and they are gung ho about going to get him even if no more money is donated, but they are having to wait for some issues with the political system in the country of Alexander's orphanage. So now I am advocating for Liam.

My sister is a consultant for Tastefully Simple. It is a company that sells gourmet food products that I had never heard of before she started selling it, but apparently is extremely popular because as soon as I start talking about it, everyone cuts me off having heard of it and obviously knowing more about it than I do. She has agree to do a fundraiser donating 100% of the profits of an online catalog party to Liam, who is still $9K away from being fully funded. Go to Tastefully Simple, pick out your products, and list me 'Kimberly Hughes' as the host and my sister will make sure the profits are directed to Liam's adoption. Liam's mom, Amy, has adopted multiple times before and if you go to her blog, you can see pictures of her three handsome sons that have Down syndrome.

Of course, if you don't eat or know anyone who eats, and therefore cannot fathom buying delicious food, then you can, of course, donate directly to Liam's adoption here.

Finally, a giant thank you to all those that have donated to this adoption or any of the others or who have already purchased. Every small amount counts.