wishlist : winter wardrobe

Gorgeous shearling coat from Mikkat Market.  Perfect left open and casual and for those layering days!

Marled camp socks from J Crew would look create scrunched down with booties or peeking over the tops of tall caramel riding boots.

The ideal Rachel Sweater - dolman sleeves, shorter in the front and longer in the back, deep v-neck, and mushroomy gray color.

Been dying for a pair of leopard flats for months now.

Nubar's Prism shade in "Jewel" is sparkly and warm, perfect for winter.

Craving the holidays so I can dress for them again (hello, 60 to 70 degree November weather that's been really strange).  Hmm.  Everything on this list seems to be some shade of brown! 

tailoring : waistband FINISHED!

2 movies, 5 Grey's Anatomy episodes, 2 health documentaries, and 1 New Girl episode later, it is finished.

Or on a more relevant note, 9 packs mixed 6/0 seed beads, 1 pack cream 6/0 beads, 1 pack pink 6/0 beads, and ... 864 Swarovski crystals later, it is finished!

The finished waistband dimensions are 27.25" by 2".  This will be attached to the coat in the next few days, updates coming soon!  I need a manicure, a back rub, and a new pair of eyes for tomorrow.

Excited!!

tailoring : interior coat construction

 

What's all that ugly stitching covering the front?

The first few (yes, few) steps of this thing are completed.  So far the canvas has been applied to the front and back, the taping has been done, the seams are sewn, bias edges are stay-stitched for reinforcement, and the shoulder pads have been put in.  The white stitching you see will be removed only when the whole thing is completely finished - basting stitches are used to keep all pieces together and flat, but also to make sure the wool never "droops" and maintains exactly the shape into which it has been manipulated.

 So what exactly am I looking at here, Rachel?

Here is the interior construction of the coat.  Here you can see the goat hair canvas, used for structuring the jacket at pivotal places - mainly the center front, shoulders, and center back neckline.  This creates a strong fit so the coat will not "collapse".  You will also see a white tape along the edges - traditionally used for taping lapel edges (so that the edges are crisp once turned), here I am using them to keep my lines clean and straight. 

These are the shoulder pads!  They are pad-stitched to the canvas and will eventually (well, all of this will be eventually) enclosed within the lining so it is never seen.  The beauty of tailoring is such a hidden art. 

 Close-up of the taping, canvas, and basting stitches on the front of the coat.

But I know what you really came for.  Due to ... interesting shipping situations (i.e. letting my responsible-for-my-future-and-general-well-being-for-the-next-three-weeks crystals sit in a warehouse for 7 days before actually being shipped) the waistband is still only halfway done.  But here, somewhat folded in half so you can better visualize what it will eventually look like, is what it will eventually look like, just not as good as it will actually eventually look like. 

The tricky thing about tailoring is because you don't remove those basting stitches til the end, it is very hard to accurately visualize how nice things will be once they are finished.  But those ugly white stitches are always in the way!  I know.

 At left, where I have yet to pick up again.  

And for now, there you have it!  More updates to come soon as my pant/lining fabric arrives (as well as the crystals, which should be here tomorrow).  I'm pretty much at a stand-still for the moment until the beading is done.  

Can you guess what I'll be doing for the next few days?

recipe : warm maple brussels sprouts with pecans

I have been craving brussels sprouts lately ... but why?!  The one and only time I'd ever had them, they were mushy, lacking in a bright green color, and served in some sort of gravy-type broth.  Not my favorite. 

But I'm a complete sucker for any autumnal recipe.  Brussels sprouts recipes began popping up a month or so ago (on the million recipe websites I check religiously each day) and I started to wonder about them, not because I was recalling the taste I was familiar with and wondering about all these people, but because the idea of a shaved brussels sprouts salad sounded so good.

I've had my eye on this recipe for a while now.  The maple intrigued me, as did the pecans, two flavors that are beautiful together.

Warm maple brussels sprouts with pecans
adapted from "the first mess" 
Serves 2 (as a larger salad)

1 T canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t paprika
1 lb brussels sprouts
salt and pepper to taste (I salted liberally to draw out the sweetness)
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T maple syrup
1/3 c pecans, roughly chopped

Prepare the brussels sprouts by rinsing and halving each sprout lengthwise.  Remove the core of each half using two diagonal cuts (like a wedge) and slice thinly to shred. 

Put the oil, minced garlic and paprika in a skilled over medium heat and saute until fragrant.  Add the sprouts, stirring attentively for a minute or two to allow for slight wilting (the color will become a bit brighter in green).  Season to taste, then add the vinegar and continue stirring.  After 3 minutes the sprouts should be a little limp and very bright green; at this point remove the skillet from the heat and add the syrup and pecans (I just threw in however many looked perfect - I love pecans).

Serve immediately, warm.  This salad originally serves 4-5 but I'm assuming this is as a side to a main dish - for more of an entree salad, this will likely serve 2 or 3. 

This recipe was beyond delicious.  The maple added just the right touch of sweetness, and the paprika and salt complemented all flavors perfectly.  I really enjoyed the taste of the sprouts - they weren't buried in a sauce or too much seasoning, so they were really highlighted in the dish.  The pecans were the perfect crunch.

I like brussels sprouts now.

tailoring previews

Boy have I been an awful blogger.  Tailoring is the tough quarter, so any moment I have free time to blog I feel like I should be working on something.  Now that I've nailed down a job for winter quarter the pressure has let up a little, though now I have to find somewhere to live ... the process never ends!!

Anyhow, here is what has been taking up most of my time lately:

My coat design, inspired by the 1930s (we had to pick a decade).  Features a beaded waistband and exposed gold zip.

 Swatching, left (the silk below will become wide palazzo style pants, inspired by the 1930s "beach pajamas).  At right, the beginning of the beading process - about 1/4 done with the waistband!

 At left, crystals being used.  I ordered 425 and if you'd believe it, that's ending up being HALF the amount I need!  At right, a close-up of the beading.

See why I've been busy? :)