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Take-A-Look Tuesday with Sugar Bee Crafts

Hi everyone!

If you're a regular follower here, on Tuesdays, I usually like to share something sewing-related like a finished project, a Stitch Once, Rip Twice update, or how I organize my stash of fabrics, buttons, sewing basket, etc.  Wednesdays are the time for my weekly wrap-ups, with lots of food and adventures!


Well, I'm pushing those posts a bit later, so I can...

Co-host Take-A-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts!

So today's post is the link party below!  Tomorrow, I'll be able to pick a few projects for my Reader Feature!  Make sure to link up, and you may be featured...


Want to join in on the fun?  Link up your awesome crafty projects below!

Anything linked up on my blog will also show up on Sugar Bee Crafts as well, and vice versa.  You only need to link up once.

I can't wait to see what everyone's been up to -  - and who will be the most viewed link - maybe you?

- - Just a run down- -

• Link to a specific post, not your blog's main page.
• No more than a couple of posts please.
• Please don't link up anything you've already linked before from a previous week.
• Try to visit a few other people at the party  - everyone loves visits and encouraging comments!  

If you're new to link-ups and have questions, let me know and I'll do my best to help!

Here's a button for you, or you can pick another one from the blog button page: Sugar Bee Craft Blog Buttons.

Now that you've read all the particulars, link away!!!

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Saturday Synopsis!

Happy weekend everyone!

I'm in Las Vegas right now, trying to beat the heat in cool pools and air-conditioned casinos.  Next week is my birthday week, so I have a few parties on my blog set up for next week to celebrate!  Not sure what that means?  Stay tuned to find out!

Here are last week's posts for you, in case you missed any.  :)

Saturday Synopsis!

Monday:  Delish raspberry & coconut macaroons.  Enough said, right?  They're really easy to make and look super fancy!

Tuesday:  My International Craft Swap project.  I included links on how to recreate these cute nautical-inspired "odds & ends" jars

Wednesday:  The awesome Patchwork Festival in Santa Ana and a few delish meals out, of course!

Thursday:  Sponsored Tip: Use Proprly for your rental property needs!

Friday:  Going over the vintage patterns I got for $0 at the swap meet!  Did I find any treasures?  Click to find out...

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Vintage Pattern Jackpot?

Hi there!

Well, remember when I went to the swap meet and got all of those patterns for free?  Well, I thought that I would share the goods with you all, in case any of you were curious.  There are a lot more duds in this collection than treasures, for sure!  :)  The fabric finds were much more successful!

By the way, these are my first vintage patterns ever!  Then again, I suppose in 20 years, the patterns that I've been buying will be considered vintage.  :)  Also, I was hoping to find a little bit of history, like Tasia found in her patterns!


Let's start off with the favorites!

McCall's 6003, McCall's 2407, McCall's 7259, McCall's 6749

M6003: Rompers intrigue me since mimi g. showed her own pattern that looks cute and modern!
M2407: The only pattern I was going to initially buy was this apron pattern.  I love the envelope!  One day, if I ever have a sewing room, I think I'll frame it on the wall.  :)
M7259: This envelope is cute too, so it's hard for me to focus on the actual garments.  :)
M6749: Maybe view D or E would cute in the right fabric?


On the flip side, here are possibly the worst patterns of the bunch.

McCall's 8012, McCall's 7715, McCall's 8896, Simplicity 9052, McCall's 8028

M8012: What adult needs overalls?  Assuming you're not a farmer, of course.
M7715: Not only is the shirt a boxy shape, it seems to be a strange midriff length too...
M8896: The styling and fabrics are HORRENDOUS!  I lived through the 1980s (although I was little) and I probably had an outfit similar to the girl doing the "I'm a Little Teapot" pose in the front.
S9052: I can't get past the fact that these look like cheesy boxers.
M8028: Not even a professional model can look good in this one.


Here are some children's patterns, which I won't need anytime soon, but I'll hold on to.  Look how cute some of the vintage envelopes are!

Simplicity 7661, Simplicity 7463, Simplicity 5681, Simplicity 8597, Simplicity 9530, McCall's 6268

S7661: This is adorable!  I think the envelope is probably cuter than the garment.
S7643: Uh, not my favorite, but if my future kid asked for it, I wouldn't say no.  :)
S5681: This is going to be made one day, even if she doesn't ask for it!
S8597: Cute!
S9530: Also cute!
M6268: The smallest pattern out there.  It looks like I'll be covered for a range of ages!


Now for the quilting patterns.  I'm not a quilter, but maybe I'll hang onto them for the future.

McCall's 7816, Butterick 4423, Simplicity 5950, Quilt World Magazine 567 and 659

Apparently back in 1978, this lady from California requested a couple of patterns to be mailed to her.  I love the U.S. Postage stamp, and it cost only $.13 back then!

I might sew these next patterns one day?  I suppose if someone wants to be a chef for Halloween, I'd have the pattern ready to go.  Children's room accessories, why not?  An 1980's style maternity dress?  We'll have to wait on that too!

McCall's 7931, McCall's 8917, McCall's 8122

Okay, more women's dresses that fall into the "Eh, Take It Or Leave It" category.  They could be cute with maybe the right styling, fabrics, and changing around the skirt lengths.

Simplicity 7535, Butterick 3356, McCall's 7191, McCall's 7757, McCall's 7878, McCall's 8763

Some not so favorites...

McCall's 4393, McCall's 2125, Butterick 4296, McCall's 9441, Butterick 3985

Yep, that first pattern calls for shoulder pads.  Yuck!  I already have shoulders like a linebacker, so I don't need any help!

Now, a few non-pattern extras: some good, some not so good.

1) Pretty Christmas ribbon

2) A free pattern for a bag dispenser

3) Christmas decor needlework patterns, I think.

4) A single shoe insert, stuck on the back of a pattern.  Um, gross.

Well, after sorting through my patterns, I realized a few things.
* I adore pattern envelopes from the 1960s and earlier.
* Almost every 1980's pattern has terrible fabric choices.  They seem sooo dated!
* I love a bargain!  Even better than that, I love free things!

All in all "money" well spent!

Do you have any favorite vintage patterns in your collection?  I'd love to see!

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Weekly Wrap-Up!

This weekend was a fun one, with a couple of yummy meals and the Patchwork Festival, like I mentioned on Saturday.  Lots of things to share!

Precap: Sights: Patchwork Festival, Eats: Blackmarket Bakery, Taco Asylum, Schooner or Later, Tavern


Friday

There was lots of work to be done, so by the time I finished, it was really late!  Luckily, everyone was still out and I met them at Blackmarket Bakery.

Don't you love the light fixtures?  The whisk one is my fave.  :)

Then, we went to Taco Asylum for a little bit of food.  Or at least I thought it was going to be a little!  First, a steak & potato taco.

And nachos with potato chips for the table.  Mmm!!!

Saturday

I planned to do some sewing, and I finally did!  I'll share soon.  :)

But first, we went to breakfast at Schooner or Later.  We hadn't been here before, even though it's relatively nearby.  It's been on the Food Network, and we ended up ordering all of the featured dishes: Crab & Avocado Benedict, the Belgian Waffle, "The Mess," and a couple of others too!

Sunday

I went to the Patchwork Festival with my guy, where there was TONS of food, creative inspiration, and gifts.  We sampled lots of food, took lots of pictures, and I even bought a unique graduation gift!

It was held in downtown Santa Ana, on a pretty street with lots of awesome restaurants and shops.

I fell in love with these hanging terrariums right away!

Here are a few of the pictures I snapped: 1) Pretty coasters, 2) A crate of books (on photography & home sewing), 3) The awesome crowd, and 4) Jewelry displays.

I love this display of jams & jellies on a ladder!

Lastly, I LOVED this lady's wares.  The simple bottles drew me in.

I thought they resembled the Starbucks Frappuccino bottles, and then I found out that I was right!  Check out the blue teapot to the right in the picture below...

The body of the teapot is cast from a Jello mold, the spout and handle are from an old coffeepot, the elephant is a plastic child's toy, and the feet are cast from perfume bottles.  Stunning!

She uses ordinary items like cracker trays, plastic cups, and toys to make incredible molds!  It turns out that the candy dishes near the bottom of the picture were plastic trays from snack cake packaging.  I'm definitely in love with her items, and I'm going to purchase a few of them soon!

Tuesday

The reason that I'm up late with this post, is because of the dinner I had at Tavern last night with my family and some old family friends.  Unfortunately, photos by candlelight can only be enhanced so much.  :(

I didn't want to be the weirdo who was taking pictures all night, so I only have a few:

1) Soft shell crab with succotash
2) Crisp duck with a black rice and rhubarb pilaf
3) The "Snickers" bar
4) Five more desserts, including Cherry Pie in a glass, Strawberry Rhubarb Buckle, Lemon meringue tart, milk & cookies, and another one I forgot...


Anyways, this weekend I'm headed to Vegas and I'm anticipating being a good girl.  I swear!

Anyone else have any fun plans coming up?

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Nautical-Inspired "Odds & Ends" Jars

Remember back at the beginning of March, I mentioned that I would participate in the International Craft Swap?  Well, I never shared my finished project!

Basically, the rules stated that I would have to make the craft myself.  I could sew, crochet, knit, cross stitch, embroider, make jewelry, etc.  The second main rule is that it had to have a nautical theme.  I figured that I would sew a pincushion cuff or something cute.

Then, I found out I was paired up with Erin from Miss Crayola Creepy!  I already followed her blog after I found her on Map the Sewintists.  Also, I realized that I saw her from afar at Gertie's book event at Sew L.A. because she had blogged about it and I recognized her coat & dress right away.  Yay!

But then I knew there was no way I could sew anything for her!  I'd be way too intimidated.  So, I came up with the Nautical-Inspired Odds & Ends Jars.  :)

My first thoughts were that I should etch a couple of glass jars to hold different sewing odds & ends.  I definitely love my mason jars, as you know!  Still sewing-related, but I wouldn't have to have my work scrutinized by a pro!  So I ended up searching for images of nautical themed glass etchings.  Immediately, I saw lots of blue-tinted seaglass, which wasn't what I was looking for.  However, it gave me the idea to tint some jars!

Step #1: Make Rope Balls

But first up, I wanted to create a few rope balls to place in the jars.  I didn't want to send them empty!  I only needed rope and a styrofoam ball according to the tutorial.  Instead, I used a ball made out of foil, so I attacked these right away!

I ended up with three really cute balls (after having a bit of trouble with the first one).

Step 2: Tint Mason Jars

Next, I found this tutorial to tint jars.  Her favorite color was mint green, so I scrapped the blue jar idea.  I happened to have green food coloring on hand.  Perfect!  Here is my version of the jar tinting tutorial.  :)

What You Will Need

Baking sheet

Aluminum foil

Waxed paper or parchment paper

A disposable bowl

Measuring spoon
Spoon/stick for stirring

1 teaspoon water

2 teaspoons Mod Podge in gloss

Food coloring (5 - 10 drops, depending on how dark you want your jar)

1 jar (pint-sized)

Jar Tinting "Ingredients"

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper on top of a sheet of aluminum foil. 

3. Mix the water, Mod Podge, and food coloring in a small bowl.

* Add more food coloring, if desired.  The jar will be substantially lighter than the mixture.

Steps 2 & 3.  I initially added only 4 drops and ended up with a very pale jar.

5. Pour mixture into the jar.

6. Carefully turn the on its side jar to evenly cover the entire inside.

7. Slowly pour the mixture back into the bowl while turning the jar, in order to coat the mouth of the jar.

8. Place the jar upside down on the cookie sheet and bake for three minutes.

9. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven.

Steps 5 - 9

10. Carefully wipe the rim of the jar with a paper towel to remove the excess glue.

11. Turn the jar upright and bake until the color is clear.

* You may replace the waxed/parchment paper with a clean one if you like.

12. If the jar is too pale, you can repeat the process once the jar has cooled.

* I repeated the process, so I ended up with the darker green in my final project pictures.  My first attempt resulted in the very pale green just above.  Next time, I'll just add more food coloring!

Note: If the jar is streaky or you want to remove the color completely, fill the jar with hot water and a few drops of dish soap.  It may need to sit overnight.  The next day, refill with more hot water and soap before completely scrubbing out.

Step 3: Make Rope Netting

I found a tutorial here to make a fish net covering for the jar.  No suggestions for improvements, it's perfect as is!  All I needed was a spool of rope and some time to figure it out.  :)

I wanted to leave an area for my "Odds & Ends" labels, so I had to play around with making a deliberate hole in the net.

My first attempt ended up too low on the jar, so I had to cut it off and try again.  Perfection the second time!

Step 4: Apply Vinyl Labels!

Instead of etching the glass directly, I decided to make vinyl labels with my Silhouette.  Initially, I wanted to use the words "Odds & Ends," "Bits & Baubles," "Buttons & Scraps," or something similar.  Then, I remembered the nautical theme and thought of the words "Flotsam & Jetsam."  Perfect!

After looking at the top of the jar, I realized that I should cover up those boring tops!

The tops of the jars are EASILY my favorite part of the whole project.  I wouldn't mind if Erin cut the net off, removed the labels, chucked the balls, and un-dyed the jars.  I actually designed all of the elements to be removable.  But, it would be a shame to remove these cute little tops!

By the way, I included a bonus vinyl seahorse with the package.  Yay!

Next week, I'll share what she gifted to me!

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Raspberry Coconut Macaroons

Last week, I shared the roasted eggplant with tomatoes and basil that I made for the holidays.  Well, today I wanted to switch it up and share the beautiful dessert I made!

Normally, I like to have more than a few desserts when company comes over, but this time I chose to make just one.  Usually, most people are stuffed at the end of the meal, and guests unexpectedly bring desserts anyways!

Let me just say first that these macaroons are AMAZING!  I made these a few years ago and because I loved them so much, it was the first recipe I added to the holiday menu.  I'll remind you that I set out to make this an all Smitten Kitchen recipe holiday, and for a good reason.  Deb did her homework on the macaroons, which you can see if you take a peek at her original recipe.  Read on for A+ macaroons!


Raspberry Coconut Macaroons
From Smitten Kitchen


14 oz. (400 g) sweetened, flaked coconut
2/3 cup (130 g) granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. table salt OR heaped 1/4 tsp. flaked sea salt
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 pint (6 oz., 170 g or 1 1/4 cups) fresh raspberries (patted VERY dry; see note at end)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  *I used a nonstick baking sheet, which worked okay.  Just a couple of the macaroons stuck a little.  No biggie!

3. In a food processor, blend the coconut for a minute.

4. Add sugar and blend for one minute.

5. Add the egg whites, salt and almond extract and blend for another minute.
  * I used the 1/4 tsp. of regular salt.

6. Add the raspberries and pulse in short bursts until the raspberries are broken down, but still with some visible flecks.

DON'T use frozen raspberries, like I show here!  See note at bottom of the post.

Note:   Leave the white and the pink parts of the batter separate, so you can swirl them later!

8. With a size #70 cookie scoop or a Tablespoon, scoop a little of the pink batter then a little of white batter.

Note: The cookies can be spaced close together since they will not spread.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly browned on top.

10. When finished, leave the macaroons to cool on the tray for at least 10 minutes.  They will firm up and be easier to transfer.

11. Enjoy!

By the way, you may have noticed that I showed frozen raspberries in my step-by-step pictures.  I decided to make a double batch, and made the silly mistake of doubling every ingredient EXCEPT the raspberries on my list!  The first batch with fresh raspberries ended up perfect.  I didn't want to run back to the store, so I baked the second batch with the frozen kind.

DO NOT use frozen raspberries!  The water content is super high, and they end up looking like this on the baking sheet.

And this when baked!

The extra juiciness made it too moist and completely pink!  However, they tasted fine once I removed the burned edges.  Still, not the most beautiful macaroons I've ever made.

I love these little beauties, and I can't wait to make them again!

What is your favorite unexpected flavor combination?  Mine is obviously raspberry and coconut!

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