Giveaway Winner!

The Winner of the Regnecy Giveaway has been chosen! (by random.org)

The winner of the Design Your Own Regency Dress kit is......

...Jesus Freak! Congradulations! I'll be contacting you via your blog. :^)

Don't forget that kits are always available at Bonnyblue, Etsy, and Amazon.

Thank you to everyone who entered! A lovely day to all!

Last Chance for Regency Giveaway!

I just realized this is the 30th! That means the Regency Dress Designer giveaway ends at midnight tonight!

If you haven't entered yet - what are you waiting for!?

Let your friends know!

I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning!

Princess Bride Dress Finished!

The Princess Bride dress was finished about a week ago! Yeah! I'm pretty happy with it. Here are a few sneak peak pictures to give you the general idea.

I'll tell the entire construction story, along with lots of pictures during the Historical Costume Inspiration Festival!

Has anyone else been working on their costumes for the event? :^)

Vintage Pattern Project: 1957 Sundress

Just finished! (just in time for the end of summer....huh?)

Aqua and white cotton voile sundress.

Vintage Mail-Order pattern, postmarked 1957

Side zipper fastening, two oversized patch pockets.

A few things...

A few notes this evening!

You may have noticed that we have two new sponsors for the Historical Costume Inspiration Festival!
Both are lovely Etsy shops - Oh Kirby and My Lavalierie. Do drop over and visit. Both will be sponsoring giveaways during the festival week! (which items from their shop shall remain a secret until then....:^)
If you would like to sponsor the festival, or know someone who would, do let me know! :^)

Oh Kirby

My Lavalierie

Also my dear friend over at Country Musings is hosting a giveaway! Hop over and see all the lovely things!

Giveaway - Design Your Own Regency Dress

This Giveaway is Closed.

Time for a giveaway! This is for your very own copy of my historical fashion design kit "Design Your own Regency Dress" . Learn how to draw your very own Jane Austen era wardrobe! Also great for seamstresses who want to put their designs on paper!

To read more about the kit, click here.

The giveaway will end August 30th.

To Enter you must do at least one of the items listed below:

1. Comment on this post. (If you don't have a blog, please leave a method of contacting you) (1 entry)

2. Follow my blog (or if you already follow) and leave a comment. (1 entry)

3. Post a blurb about Design Your Own and the giveaway on your blog, twitter, or facebook. (1 entry/each)

4. Heart my Etsy shop, or the Dress Designer listing. Leave a comment. (1 entry)

5. Place the button given below on your blog sidebar, linked to this post. (1 entry)

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each item! :^)

If you don't want to enter for yourself, then enter as a surprise gift for a daughter, friend or sibling!

Recent Ranch Pictures

A few recent pictures from around the ranch this summer.

Mexican cornbread casserole for supper...

Mowing crew at the end of the summer job. Dad, brothers, and friend.

After the thunderstorm.

Unloading alfalfa hay into the barn.

Cherry tomatoes, okra, and a cucumber from the garden.

Little sister learning to sew an apron.

Sunset.

Scottish Shortbread

On Friday afternoon I attended a tea-party at a friend's apartment. It was quite lovely to see old friends and to meet new ones. For my contribution to the dainty buffet I brought my special Scottish shortbread. Scottish because that is where shortbread was supposed to originate, Scottish because that is part of my ancestry (okay, yes from a couple of centuries back, but I still like to say it!) and Scottish because of the amazing thistle-motif shortbread stone ware pan.

This was one of my special Christmas presents from a few years ago. It was meant to go into my hope chest - but it was so cute, I just had to keep it out and use it!

It' a stone pan/cookie mold, quite small decorated with the national flower of Scotland.
It's from Brown Bag Cookie Art and they have so many other cute designs...

Just look at all the darling shortbread pans!

So here is a mini-tutorial on shortbread. It's such a good dessert to whip up when one doesn't have many fancy ingredients in the house.

Classic Shortbread

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/3 cup powdered sugar (unsifted)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour (unsifted)

Using the back of a large spoon, (I use a fork) cream the butter until it is light. Cream in the powered sugar, then the vanilla. Now work in the flour.

Knead the dough on an unfloured board until nice and smooth. Spray the shortbread pan very lightly with a non-stick vegetable oil spray. Put the ball of dough in the middle of the pan, and working out from the center, firmly press the dough into the pan.

Prick the entire surface with a fork, and bake the shortbread right in the pan at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until it is lightly browned.

Let the shortbread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before you loosen the edges with a knife and flip the pan over onto a wood cutting board. If the shortbread does not come right out, hold the pan upside down over the cutting board and firmly tap one edge of the pan against the board. This should loosen the shortbread and it should drop out.

Cut the shortbread into serving pieces while it is still warm.
(Recipe found here)

Out pops the shortbread - perfectly decorated and lovely, then you already have the little lines molded in where you can cut them into perfect wedges. (I really like this as I always have a hard time cutting desserts into even shapes :^)

Do you have a favorite dessert recipe?

Vintage Patterns on Etsy

For anyone interested, I have begun putting up the vintage patterns on Etsy. I'm mostly posting the 50s and 60s first - 70s and 80s will come later. There's some real cuties! I'll be posting some each day as I go through each one and make sure they are complete.

Click here to go to the vintage pattern section.

The Most Amazing Vintage Find Ever!

Yesterday I was at a garage sale. I saw a quite large cardboard box under a table. There were a few scattered patterns laying heaped on top. I bent down to look - the box was stuffed, packed, bursting full of patterns. Vintage patterns. *gulp* I began to pull out my favorites - mostly 50s. Even crazier - they were almost all my size! I was afraid to ask how much they were. Usually vintage patterns online are too expensive for me.Then my Mom walked by and asked the lady who was running the garage sale how much she would take for the entire box. The lady casually said - "Oh, five dollars." *mouth drops open* Seriously? Oh yeah.

This morning I've gotten them all organized into decades (approximately) and counted. 

Here are the stats:

Ladies patterns;

40s - 6 patterns

50s - 35 patterns

60s - 50 patterns

70s - 83 patterns

80s - 56 patterns

Larger designer patterns - 12

Mens patterns - 14

Childrens - 17

Total = 273 patterns. Is that amazing or what?

I'm going to keep alot of them (can't wait to start sewing!!!) - however there are some duplicates, and some near duplicates that I will be selling in my shop soon. So - if you like to sew vintage I will keep you posted.

I hate to gloat - but I do want to share some individual pics.

Here are some of my favorite keepers:

Also, there was 3 darling magazines with crochet patterns for hats and bags mostly.

And  now. Prepare yourself. Possibly the ugliest hat and hair I have EVER seen. You?

(zoom in to get the whole awful effect)

If there is a particular vintage pattern you have been searching for - do let me know. I might just have it, and even if it was one of my 'keepers', patterns can be traced. :^)

Well - what do you think? Best garage sale ever?