Sew Busy!

A few posts back I showcased my "new" 1940 something Domestic Rotary Series 153 sewing machine.  Once I finally found and printed out a manual I realized I didn't have a bobbin case.  So I started doing some research and I found one online for $59.95 which really hurt my feelings since I paid $50.00 for the whole machine!  Across the highway from me is Jim's Sewing and Vacuum so I went over there and he had two bobbin cases and would have sold them to me for $5.00 but neither one had a tension spring and he couldn't find one that fit.  So out of the kindness of his heart he gave me one and wished me luck in finding a tension spring.  I didn't have any luck but I did call Vickery's Sewing in Marianna and first me mailed me the wrong case and then I sent that one back with my correct one and he found a tension spring that worked!!!  So tonight I started my first sewing project I found it on the Blog Me Sew Crazy.  It's a Knot Tote!  Here is a link to the tutorial http://www.mesewcrazy.com/2011/06/knot-tote-tutorial.html

First I printed the pattern Jessica provided and taped it together.  I folded the fabric over and traced the pattern onto the fabric.

Then I cut out the interior and exterior fabric

I even went a step further and added pockets!

 

I pined the pieces together and ran it through the sewing machine.  I'm really slow so you can only see one half tonight.  Plus my back is killing me, I'm too old to be bending over a sewing machine all night!

It took me 4 hours to get to this point!  Daphne and the new foster dog Doogie Bowser, D.O.G. are crashed on the couch.  Doogie is currently crashed in my lap helping me update this!  I think we are going to go to bed!

Foster Doogie and my old girl Daphne in the back!

Bye Y'all!

Sew Busy!

A few posts back I showcased my "new" 1940 something Domestic Rotary Series 153 sewing machine.  Once I finally found and printed out a manual I realized I didn't have a bobbin case.  So I started doing some research and I found one online for $59.95 which really hurt my feelings since I paid $50.00 for the whole machine!  Across the highway from me is Jim's Sewing and Vacuum so I went over there and he had two bobbin cases and would have sold them to me for $5.00 but neither one had a tension spring and he couldn't find one that fit.  So out of the kindness of his heart he gave me one and wished me luck in finding a tension spring.  I didn't have any luck but I did call Vickery's Sewing in Marianna and first me mailed me the wrong case and then I sent that one back with my correct one and he found a tension spring that worked!!!  So tonight I started my first sewing project I found it on the Blog Me Sew Crazy.  It's a Knot Tote!  Here is a link to the tutorial http://www.mesewcrazy.com/2011/06/knot-tote-tutorial.html

First I printed the pattern Jessica provided and taped it together.  I folded the fabric over and traced the pattern onto the fabric.

Then I cut out the interior and exterior fabric

I even went a step further and added pockets!

 

I pined the pieces together and ran it through the sewing machine.  I'm really slow so you can only see one half tonight.  Plus my back is killing me, I'm too old to be bending over a sewing machine all night!

It took me 4 hours to get to this point!  Daphne and the new foster dog Doogie Bowser, D.O.G. are crashed on the couch.  Doogie is currently crashed in my lap helping me update this!  I think we are going to go to bed!

Foster Doogie and my old girl Daphne in the back!

Bye Y'all!

Two down one to go!

Tonight was the final class in the second Wilton Method class.  I started off kinda fond of royal icing over buttercream but now fondant is my favorite!  Last week we made fondant flowers and I can do that all day!  This weeks "final exam" was to bring a two tiered cake iced with a crumb coat on the sides and normal on the top, your ready to go on your cake royal icing flowers, and 2 batches of buttercream to put basket weave on the side of the cake.

I started on Sunday making some new fondant flowers.  Then on Monday night I had to make my royal icing flowers over again because the first batch of daffodils from 2 weeks ago had turned to liquid and the others were just ugly.  I worked pretty much all night but I got 4 of each (rose, rose bud, primrose, apple blossom, daffodil, violet, lilly) to put on my cake.

Last night after working my second job I got home about 10 I had to make the icing to ice the cake and the 2 batches for the basket weave.  I had one little problem I needed 4 batches of icing and I had 3 cups of shortening and I was not going to the store.  I made due and got everything done and had everything I needed for class.

Basket weave with a rose bud

All my flowers

My cake!

For a recap of last week Friday was the Cupcake War at work.  I made Triple Chocolate with White Chocolate pudding filling and Vanilla Buttercream icing and Martha Stewart's Roasted Banana with Honey Cinnamon Icing.  I won 2nd place in the best fruit/vegetable category for the Banana and 3rd in the best chocolate category.

Triple Chocolate with White Chocolate pudding filling and Vanilla Buttercream icing

1 Duncan Hines's Triple Chocolate cake mix prepared by the directions on the box

1 White Chocolate Instant Pudding mix, prepared by the directions on the box

1 - 12oz Cool Whip

Buttercream icing or any store bought icing

Mix the pudding and let it be setting in the fridge, bake the cupcakes and let them cool completely.  Mix about half the cool whip into the pudding to give it a little lighter consistency.  Put the pudding mixture into a pastry bag and put on Wilton tip 230 and fill the cupcakes.  Ice them and enjoy!

We have a week off and then start the next Wilton decorating class that will be the last one in the series.  We get to play with fondant and gumpaste

I Hate Flowers at Least Ones Made of Icing!

Class 2 of the second Wilton Methods class Momma, Amy, and I are in is fast approaching, actually it's tomorrow night.  This class is Flowers and Cake Design using Royal icing rather than buttercream.  I just thought I didn't like buttercream, I really don't like royal icing!  It is extremely easy to make but will crust over in a heartbeat, so you have to keep it in air tight containers and cover your icing tips when you aren't making something.

In the last class we tried or should I say I tried, Momma and Amy did good, to make Apple Blossoms, Violets, and Primrose.  I think my issue is that I can't do all the things required to make a flower at the same time.  I can {and I just checked to make sure} pat my head and rub my belly at the same time but I cannot turn the flower nail and move the icing bag and squeeze it independently of each other to make a flower.  This apparently requires an amount of coordination that I do not have, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to acquire it!  I tried to practice for just a few minutes on Saturday and I got p'd off and quit.  I think my other issue is hand strength at least I can work on that, the coordination part I might just be completely screwed on!   In order for the flowers to have the shape they need to look like real flowers, the icing has to be stiff and when it is stiff it is hard to squeeze out of the end a tiny tip.  So if anyone has some suggestions for some exercises for hand strength let me know.  If I can't figure it out I guess I can always call my bakery the "No Flower Bakery" and never decorate anything with flowers!

This weeks class we are supposed to make a Rose, Lilly, and a Daffodil we'll see what happens!

Bye y'all!

Busy busy busy!

Hey it's me again!  I've been so busy since my last post.  So I'm going to do like 3 posts so they aren't so long and drawn out!  We all know how I can drag out a story!  This actually goes with my last post I saw this in an email from Divine Caroline, I so want this bathing suit!!!  It's called Beach Blanket Bingo, so cute!



from Modcloth.com

Back to the current post...the last Wednesday in June was the last class in the Wilton Cake Decoration Basic Methods class.  As I said on the last post our mission was to bring an iced cake and make ribbon roses in class.  I already knew my buttercream wasn't of the right consistency so it wasn't going to work out.  Out of desperation and a little perfectionism I sent an email to a blogger named Amanda who blogs I Am Baker (her link is over there on the left hand side) she does some awesome cakes.  I asked her if she had any tips for making a consistent buttercream.  I felt a little better when she came back and told me that inconsistent buttercream is the norm, it never comes out the same way twice.  So that helped but it took a ton of our teacher Sandy's gel paste in my buttercream icing for it to make somewhat decent ribbon roses.

This class Amy took the show, Momma and I were having a hard time with our icing and the roses weren't coming out just right.  I will say I didn't cheat like some people {Amy} and use Hershey kisses as my roses center, just sayin'!  Amy was all excited about how her cake turned out she got all crazy with vines and leaves on the cake, well good for her.  I'll post some pictures in a little bit!  Their won't be one of Momma's cake cause she wouldn't let me take a picture.  I didn't think it looked that bad but oh well. 

Bye y'all!