Adventures in Sewing - Petchy Tunic

i am soooo not a seamstress. i can replace buttons, stitch up small holes in jeans, and make sock monkeys. that's about it. however, i stumbled on Petchy's blog and fell in love with her simple, yet totally adorable dress pattern! i read the comments others had left, saying that they loved the dress, and that the pattern was easy, so i decided to try to make one too.

i chose melissa averinos' "lace in cocoa" fabric from thefabricbar along with some chocolate brown bias binding, and got littlepapercuts to print off the pattern for me. last night, after the mini went to sleep, i cut out the pieces and pinned them. this morning, i put the mini in her exersaucer and went to work!

i love how it turned out, even though i made about fifty mistakes along the way - the biggest one, being impatient! the second mistake - choosing to use contrasting thread. seriously, why would i, someone who can't even draw a straight line, pick bright red thread to stitch over dark brown bias tape? yeah. i know. despite all of that, the tunic (yes, it's a tunic since i forgot to enlarge the pattern (mistake #3) as Petchy instructs - LOL! sorry, Petchy!) looks so pretty. the mini is just too cute in it! and i think that the gently meandering stitching gives it a sweet handmade feel. i just might have to make another!

thanks for posting your awesome design, Petchy! i hope i did you proud.

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August's Giveaway! My NEW Simply Skinny Earrings!

can you believe the summer is halfway over already? not that the days seem to matter to me - oh the joys of maternity leave! i seem to measure time now by whether or not the husband is going to the office or when Michaels opens later. how funny - especially since i used to be the girl with the daytimer!

anyhow - i've been trying to do some more designing in my spare time, and am launching a simply skinny earring line! in celebration, my august giveaway is the very first pair of simply skinny earrings in sterling silver and copper! you want 'em? (and of course you do!)

all you have to do is this:
- go to my etsy shop - http://muffintopdesigns.etsy.com/ - heart what you like the best, come back here and leave a comment

- become a "follower" of my blog (if you are already, that's fantastic!)

- for an extra entry, tell me what the colour scheme is for the mini's nursery! (i mention it in an earlier blog post - so go look!)

make sure you leave details (a link to your blog, an email address, etc.) so i can find you! go enter! now! i'll be picking a winner on august 20th!!! (why the 20th? i dunno. sounded like a good day to choose a winner!)

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Wild Plum Chutney Recipe

my parents have a beautiful plum tree in their backyard. the tree is very tall but a little lopsided - it actually was "sick" when it was younger and we were convinced it was going to die. but it didn't, and now, every two years or so, it makes a bumper crop of wild plums! these plums have a tart skin, but a sweet, yellow inside that is amazing! my mom and i cooked up some chutney and i just had to post the recipe because it was sooo good! if you like sweet and sour, this one's for you!

bunch of plums - i probably used about 2 pounds - seeded and cut in half
2 cups sugar, maybe more, depending on how tart your plums are
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 - 6 allspice berries, soaked in water
teaspoon of red chili flakes - more if you like a little kick in your chutney!

put all the ingredients into a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. keep stirring to prevent burning. once it has boiled for 1 - 2 minutes, lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. keep at a low simmer until thickened and reduced. pour into clean jars, put the lids on and let cool. (if you are an expert canner/preserve maker, please feel free to use proper canning technique!) it should keep in the fridge for a week or so - or longer in the freezer. we've eaten it with pork chops, roasted chicken and on toast. it's really awesome!
salt to taste

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cultural diversity... what does it mean?

my family is canadian. however, "culturally", my husband is half French-Canadian, one quarter Scottish, and one quarter German. he is fluent in both english and french, loves poutine, Montreal hardcore, and Mitsou. i am of Chinese descent, born to parents who were born in Jamaica, but although we did not speak Chinese, patois was easily spoken and understood. the husband says that it really threw him for a loop to meet my cute little Chinese grandfather who spoke with a Bob Marley inflection - while at first i barely understood my father-in-law's heavy Quebecquois accent. together, we are a cultural melting pot.

so what does this make the mini? i wonder, if like her parents, she will identify with Canadian culture? or will she gravitate towards one part of her "cultural makeup" more than another? or will she embrace all of it? i am hoping that she will speak French like her father, and that she'll be able to whip up a mean pot of oxtail and rice and peas like her mommy. i'm hoping that she won't flinch at eating chicken feet while out for dim sum, and will love going to the cabane au sucre with her nana in Montreal.

when i was at work, our organization was in the midst of cultural diversity training with all staff teams. but what does that really mean? with so many people with rich, varied backgrounds like my mini, do we really need to learn to be accepting? people should be proud that they carry such diversity within themselves - and be excited to learn about the cultural histories of others. my wonderful mother-in-law (the mini's nana) has one basic mantra that i think sums it all up - "BE KIND". and seriously, do we really need training to embrace that?

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