St. Juliana of Lazarevo

We have a hand-written copy of this icon in our church.  It is a large panel style icon that takes up most of one of the back walls.

Today is my namesday!  It is the day that the Orthodox Church remembers St. Juliana of Lazarevo and most Orthodox treat their namesdays like a lesser birthday.  I have the great fortune to attend a parish that not only celebrates her day (our priest has a daughter named for her) but also has a large icon of her in the nave.  She isn't a major saint, and her day coincides with St. Seraphim of Sarov, a much beloved and revered saint, so in most parishes, St. Seraphim overshadows St. Juliana.

What I liked about her is that she was fairly ordinary--she married, had many children, lived her life in a pious manner in 16th century Russia.  You can read an account of her life here (is it a little long and rambling).

Tropar:

Shining forth with grace divine,/ even after death thou hast revealed the radiance of thy life;/ for thou pourest forth fragrant myrrh for healing/ upon all the sick who approach the shrine of thy relics with faith./ O righteous mother Juliana,/ entreat Christ God,// that our souls be saved.

Icon images courtesy of St. Juliana Orthodox Church in New Mexico.

Talking Tuesday: "The Long Defeat"

I will state at the outset of this post that I am not a die-hard Tolkein fan.  I really never got into the Lord of the Rings series that much.  I read The Hobbit a few times, and got about 1/2 way through the first of the trilogy, but it didn't capture me as much as it should have, given the material.  I did see the Peter Jackson movies, as well as the 1970s animated Hobbit and enjoyed them very much.   We do plan to read the books to the kids when they are old enough, and after reading the latest from Brian Kaller, I think I need to revisit the series sooner rather than later.  Please do read the whole post--it isn't very long and is worthwhile, but this passage in particular stood out to me:

National Geographic

"Lots of people are quietly heroic in every era - there are heroes all around you that you don't see -- but when life is comfortable, the stakes aren't as high. When things fall apart --- and they do for everyone, sooner or later – people face emergencies, and need to be heroic. In the Lord of the Rings world, the elves have seen that happen many times – maybe that’s why they’re so good.

“But they’re really powerful,” she said. “When terrible things happen in their world, why don’t they do more to stop them?”

Occasionally they do, I said, but generally they don’t try to control others; too much of that and they wouldn’t be good anymore. Instead, they set an example for others to follow, and they take care of their part of the world as long as they can. Remember what Galadriel said about her part of the woods? ‘…through all the ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.’ They know they’ll fade eventually, but that doesn’t matter; what matters is they maintained their part of the world and kept it wholesome. That was worth living for."

~Brian Kaller, Restoring Mayberry Blog, Reading Tolkein, January 6, 2015

Eight years...

Death is funny--it marks you forever, changes who you are irrevocably.  Sometimes the change is small, something you can carry in a corner of your mind, to examine periodically, and then tuck away again.  Sometimes the change is so tidal that you don't recognize who you were before.  

from Uncut Mountain Supply

I've been thinking about this day on and off all week.  Some years I find myself going over the events of the week, running over the timeline in my mind over and over again, wondering what we could have done differently to change the outcome (nothing).  Some years, like this year, I mark time in the week before by simply repeating his name to myself like a heartbeat.  Philip.  Two syllables, liquid on the tongue, but so full.  I no longer keep his memory book on display, and the flowers that I dried from the graveside service finally began to crumble this year.  It is okay, I realized.  You can't stay in the eye of the storm of grief forever, and at some point, you take a step forward, and then another, and then another, until you can turn around and see the hurricane behind you.  The wind still whips at your back and howls in your ears sometimes, but at least you can turn your back on it now instead of having to face it full on with your chest to the maelstrom. 

I miss him, so so much.  Rest easy upon the bosom of Abraham, our beloved sweet boy.  

Chickadee Christmas Dress

On the first day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

a dress full of chickadees

Um, no.  Anyway, my Christmas dress!  I'm pleased with how it came out, and while I was uncertain about the buttons, I like the extra little detail they add to the bodice.  I used an orphan vintage buckle I had in my stash, which coordinated well enough with the buttons.

I didn't get a close up of the pockets (because it was about 16 degrees and very windy) but when I was cutting the fabric, it suddenly declared to me that it must have round pockets.  I'm ever one to listen to talking fabric, so I dutifully got out a cereal bowl, traced a pattern on freezer paper, and round pockets it was!  They are kind of cool, with a kind of moon shape to them.  I did not do a great job of top-stitching, so I ended up adding a second line of stitching to try and conceal how badly I had attached them.  The pockets are also not quite symmetrical, but they were seriously a pain to put on, so I'm not going to fiddle with it.  I think it isn't very noticeable in any case.  

The sweater is a cotton-merino wool blend from Anthropologie that I found on ebay--it is a pretty fantastic sweater!

You can kind of see the shape of the pockets on this one--it was really cold!!  But I figured, everyone has seen the basic shape of this dress before, so no need to get crazy and take sweater-less shots.

(A funny aside: at some point during the afternoon, my husband turns to me and says, "I really like that dress on you--where did you get it?" Me: "I made it." Him: "You should make more of those kinds of dresses. Wear them more often!" Me (with more than a hint of irony): "I've made about five of these dresses this fall and wear them all.the.time." *face palm*)

It was, however, a little too cold to take outside shots without a coat and gloves.  So I opted for the gloves, which helped a surprising amount.

I wore a crocheted 1920s-style cloche hat that I found on etsy last winter.  I had wet set my hair the night before, but it didn't quite turn out right, so the hat was the perfect solution (I was going to have to cover my head anyway for church).

Dem buttons.  I bought them from the same seller that I got the green buttons for my 1917 Coat Dress, because I didn't know which would match the fabric better, so I have about 14 of these lighter green ones.  I used seven on the bodice here, and have seven left to use on another project that I have lined up.

Christ is Born!  Glorify Him!

The church looked very pretty with all the (faux) pine boughs and (real) poinsettias.

In the chaos of the morning, I failed to get any Christmas photos of the kids all together, but I decided that some years, it just isn't going to happen.  This is one of those years.  

I also did not purchase any special "Christmas clothing" for the kids this year, but Birdie had this lovely off-white corduroy dress in her drawer, and put with her beloved red tights and a green hat, she looked right festive.

She insisted on wearing her boots on the wrong feet, however, and wouldn't let me fix it.

Boo just started serving in the altar with Piglet, which brings the total of little boys under age 8 in the altar to four.  It is a bit much.

As a rule, Boo takes direction from no one, but somehow, our priest's son (with the dark hair, leaning down next to Boo) has the magic touch and can pretty much get Boo to do anything, including make the sign of the Cross in the proper direction.

It was nice to have so many of the older boys back from college to help out in the altar!

Ponchik wore her Christmas hat from last year--I had thought to make her a red one from some stashed yarn, but ran out of time (and energy).

The older three went outside after coffee hour and got VERY cold, but at least they ran off some of their exuberance!

Unfortunately, Boo took a spill on the stairs at bedtime (his second serious stair accident this week!) and split his chin open, requiring four stitches at Children's Hospital.  

He took it like a champ, however, and is puttering around happily this morning.

I had a chocolate frosted donut with my breakfast (Boo asked me if he could have a chocolate bagel too) and a nice cup of coffee; now I just need to get going on laundry.

Merry Christmas to all!

Stonehill Mountain Dress ~wiws~

I managed to get some sewing time this weekend and cranked out two dresses!  The first was today's dress (that I wore to church), and the second is my Christmas dress, and I'll show that on Wednesday for the Nativity Feast.  

So let's talk 1930s.  I'm very interested in 1930s dress details lately, and scheming ways to incorporate some of them into my dressmaking.  I love the higher waist and slimmer lines of the 1930s, plus the subtle details.  I'm not as big a fan of the big floppy bows and neckline treatments, but there are plenty of 1930s styles that are interesting without being fussy. 

 My Frankenpattern dress is very similar to many 1930s house dresses I've seen, and I wanted to add in a little something extra for this iteration.  I didn't really plan it in advance--I literally thought of it as I was starting to finish the pockets in preparation for sewing on the skirt, and the next thing I knew, I was cutting fabric for tabs on the pockets and collar.  I can't find an exact sample of this type of detail, but I've seen plenty of 1930s dresses that have something similar, so I think it works.

The fabric is a quilting cotton I bought during the online Thanksgiving sales at Joann.com and it has a nice drape to it (sorry for the slightly rumply photos--I had been in the car for two hours plus 2 hours of liturgy this morning and the wind was blowing)  The color was hard to photograph--it is kind of a steely blue-green color, but the little pops of red in the center of the daisies keeps it lively. 

 

I'm pretty pleased with this iteration--I like the extra details and how easy it was to modify my design.  (I also did all the bias binding in red, which is a nice little pop of color around the hem, neckline and sleeves)  I did a proper job on the belt this time and interfaced it with waistband interfacing, which means it is nice and stiff, but also means it doesn't stretch with me during the day. 

 

 The buttons and buckle came from a vintage (probably 1930s) card and I thought they echoed the daisy design perfectly.  I've been waiting for the perfect project for this set for a while.  I still have three buttons left, so I can use them on another dress at some point too!

  

A side note: I have to replace my LLBean Wellies again.  I must say, I'm a bit put out.  The first pair developed cracks around the ankles after less than a year of wear, and this pair has done the same after less than 18 months.  I've heard of people wearing their Bean Wellies for 20 years without problems, so I'm really perplexed as to how this has happened twice in a row.

 

The company has been really great about replacing them, but they no longer carry this solid green style, so I had to get a pair that is kind of a brick red with a pattern on them.  I guess it is better than electric blue, which was the other option in my size.  At least the red ones will go with most of my wardrobe.  Unfortunately, rain boots are not really optional here, given the sort of rain we get (hello swamp-monsoon).

I'd do the FLAP thing, except it looks like they aren't hosting a linky regularly any longer.

Foodie Friday: Some Wins for the Nativity Fast

I've made a few things this fasting season that I thought turned out rather well, and thought I would share them here.  I normally try to share one recipe per post, but I'm feeling a bit lazy, so you get two today.  The first is a vegan take on white chili and the second is my iteration of winter cobbler.

Vegan White Chili

serves 6

1 package Gardein Teriyaki Chick'n Strips (remove sauce packet and save for another day); could also use cubed tofu or seitan

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can shoepeg corn, drained

1 small can diced green chilis

2 cups no-chicken broth (I like Better Than Boullion's No Chicken base)

(optional: 1/3 cup quick cooking barley)

Saute gardein slightly in a saucepan or thaw completely in order to chop into bite size pieces.  Add all ingredients to a sauce pan or slow cooker.  Heat completely in the saucepan for about 20 minutes or put on high in the slow cooker for about 2 hours (longer if using the barley).

Winter Cobbler

serves 4-6

 I forgot to get a picture of the pie before we dug into it.  Bad blogger.  Oops.

1 vegan pie crust*

2 packages Gardein Teriyaki Chick'n Strips, thawed or flash sauteed in a pan, reserve the sauce packets.  If using seitan, have about 1/4-1/3 cup teriyaki sauce on hand (this recipe is good)

Matchstick carrots (a good handful)

Frozen sweet corn (a good handful)

2 potatoes, skinned and cubed

1 bell pepper, diced small

Scallion, sliced, green parts only

1 small apple, sliced very thinly into slices

Olive oil, salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  In a large skillet, add 1-2 T. olive oil, and saute peppers and potatoes with 1/2 tsp. salt and a good sprinkling of black pepper until potatoes are fork tender (about 15 minutes on medium-high).  Cut the Gardein into bite size pieces.  In a glass pie dish, layer the carrots, corn, gardein, potatoes, peppers, apples, and scallions.  Top with teriyaki sauce packets, drizzled evenly over the top.  Do not stir.  Place pie crust over the top and slice vents into the top.  Bake for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  I recommend placing the pie plate on top of a baking sheet in case of a bubble-over.

*I've been in the habit of making this dish with two pie crusts, one on top and one on the bottom, but the bottom one tends to get mushy and doughy because of the sauce, so I think I will omit it in the future.  I've made this with just a top crust in the past and it works just as well.  

All the Big Kids are Doing It (2014 Wrap Post)

Happy New Year!

I wasn't going to do one of these round up posts, because finding all the pics and making all the links made my head hurt, but I realized I can go all Oonaballoona here and just make a little collage and summary and call it a day.

I also realized as I was putting these collages together that I made a lot of stuff this year!  Admittedly, not a lot of it made the cut, so to speak, but I learned a ton about what does and does not work for me, my personal style, and my sewing limitations right now.  I also knit a few things, although I'm still trying to find that sweet spot of making something I really want to wear a lot.

(Starting top row, left to right) 

Smooth Sailing Trousers: altered--see second pic in top row--then made into shorts, then donated after they shrunk in the wash 

White voile long sleeve blouse:  this was poor fabric choice for a winter blouse--much too thin, plus the fit wasn't great; I shortened the sleeves, tried to love the style, sold it on

Red twill skirt

Red floral New England Dress: Wore it for Pascha, but later made into two pieces (see second pic, same row)

 Tossed Flowers New England dress: modified to be a two-piece outfit (see fourth pic, same row)

Hello Birdie dress: I ended up not being happy with how big it was on me--I just felt frumpy in it.  Tried making into separates (see second pic in third row), but ultimately donated them at the end of the summer.  I really never want to see that fabric again.  

Clam Diggers and blue plaid poly blouse: modified the clam diggers by making the waistband less wide and binned the blouse because it was hot and ill-fitting (but saved the buttons for a future project)

Navy Twill Skirt and Simplicity 1590 Pattern Hack Muslin: The skirt is fab, and this blouse gave me the confidence to tackle hand-bound buttonholes.  The blouse was a real workhorse this summer. 

1940s Swing Trousers and wrap blouse: sold both 

Green Twill New England Skirt hack: I loved this skirt initially, but after several washings, the waistband shrank quite a bit and suddenly the skirt fit badly.  I also attempted to shorten it but botched it and it ended up too short for my taste.  I donated it at the end of the summer.

NY 1290 Daisy dress: just couldn't love it; sold it on to another reenactor

Olives and Feathers Skirt/Blouse: There were significant fit issues with the blouse, and the skirt really only went with my black top, which was not a good fit for summer. I wore this outfit for Pentecost, and then wore the skirt a few more times this summer, and donated both at the end of the season.

Joel Dewberry Penetcost Outfits: I really don't like sewing for others

Cranberry gingham Portrait blouse: I loved the look of this blouse, but I just can't wear poly-cotton in the summer.

Strawberry Fields Forever dress: Total unmitigated disaster.  Took it apart to salvage the vintage fabric.

Burgundy poly-linen skirt: I bought this fabric locally, and the vendor told me it was 100% linen, but when I got it home and worked with it, I realized it had a high poly content.  I was disappointed but willing to forge ahead, except I made a cutting error and the skirt fit poorly in the waist.  I tried to make it work, but it was just too tight. I donated it this fall.

Green button feedsack blouse: I love this blouse!  I wore it a ton this summer and am very pleased with it.

Little Bunny Foo-Foo blouse: I love this blouse too!  It is comfortable, fun, and perfect for summer.

Florence and the Frankendress: the first iteration of my TNT dress pattern

Union Station Calling dress

Ruby Mae dress

Mustang Daisy dress

Blue button Feedsack blouse: I love this blouse so much.  I wore it a lot at the end of summer/beginning of fall when the weather was changing.

Anne Adams Mail Order dress: This dress suffered from poor fabric choice.  It was a tissue thin 100% cotton gingham that was a total pain to work with.  I wore it twice at the end of the summer and the fabric was already pilling and the seams pulling and doing odd things.  It is still in with my summer clothing, but I suspect I'll deconstruct it before next summer to salvage the buttons and zipper.  The pattern is good, however, and I might revisit it with better fabric.

Simplicity Celtic Knot dress: Total win.  I've added pockets since the photos were taken.

Autumn flowers blouse: I really like this one, but haven't worn it as much as I thought I would.

McCall's brown flannel jumper: I tried to love this, and wore it a bunch of times, but I just couldn't get over the fit issues--the waist was too high, the top was at least two sizes too big, and the shoulders too wide.  I took the top part off and finished the waistband of the skirt, but it is too big in the waist, so I'm thinking about what to do with it now.

Out of Africa 1917 Coat Dress: pajamas in a dress form=win

Green Butterick blouse/Rust Cord Skirt: the blouse was a total disaster and I deconstructed it almost immediately; the skirt has been a real workhorse this fall and early winter.

Green mitts

Cinnamon Shetland Flannel Anne Adams skirt: probably the best skirt I made all year.

Golden hat: my first attempt at an adult hat; Boo likes to wear it

Claire capelet: a total win

Katniss Cowl for my sister

V for Victory scarf: stash busting and pattern testing.  It is a little short for me but works for the kids

Blue vintage cardigan: a commission that I finished just before Easter

Knit for Victory pullover: frogged due to poor fit

Brown mitts: my faves so far!

Apricot Femme blouse: my first blouse with Art Gallery fabric, and it turned out great.

Miette wrap skirt: I pretty much hated this skirt from the get-go.  I wore it during a weekend trip in August and was completely frustrated with it.  The waist was too big, it needed to be retied every single time I went to the restroom or moved around in any way, and I wasn't happy with how the fabric wore  (another weird poly blend from Fashion Fabrics Club; I've since decided I'm not purchasing fabric there any more)

Cropped mushroom cardigan: Ended up selling this to another reenactor because the color washed me out.

1940s Twisted Rib Jumper: I wore this one time and gave it away.  I'm going to make the pattern again with different yarn.

And finally, a skirt I made in September that I never showed on the blog: the Peppermint Patty Hollyburn.  I'm still undecided about both the skirt and the pattern, as I'm not happy with this one.  It fits okay, but the pockets are strange and the pattern is really quite a fabric hog (3 yards!  I can get a whole Frankendress out of that!)  I'm also not in love with this fabric--the peppermints looked more red on the website where I bought it, but is kind of between red and cranberry and doesn't match anything I own.  The fabric was also quite a bit thinner than I expected and not really an appropriate weight to wear in cold weather (I had intended to wear this for Christmas).  At this point, I'm strongly inclined to donate it to someone who will love it more than me.

  

Even though the Strawberry Fields Forever Dress bit the dust, I'm still rather proud of my embroidery on the skirt pockets.  I may do more of that this year as it was fun to work on.

I'm happy with the progress I've made in my sewing and knitting in 2014, and look forward to more learning in 2015!  I feel like I have a good sense of the sorts of garments I prefer to wear, what sorts of silhouettes look best on me, and what level of tolerance I have for learning new things on a project. I'm enjoying the creative energy that sewing and knitting give me, and the outlet for my historical research passions.

Cheers to 2015!