Best Dress Ever. I mean it.

This adorably wonderful dress was finished about a month ago.   I cannot say enough about this dress.  I LOVE IT!!!

Why I love this dress:

~It sports two amazing, roomy, convenient pockets (which I lined with a cheery red kona cotton)

~The front pleats are cute and flattering

~It is very comfortable and fits like a dream

~Can be worn with or without a belt

~I can wear my boots with it

~The sleeves have an underarm lining that

 I find particularly cute and nifty

~The pattern dates back to the mid-forties---my favorite time period (as far as fashions go)

The picture was taken in Texas in early April at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Texas Baptist Men's disaster relief program.   Here we are standing with some cowboys from the Cowboy Church ministry.  L-R:  a cowboy's wife, my uncle Bob Dixon (one of the founders of the Texas Baptist Men), cowboy, my Aunt Jean Dixon, my brother Ben, Me, my sister Sarah 

I made this dress up in a pinstriped linen-look fabric with embroidered white flower bunches scattered allover.  Linen-look fabrics are just about the best thing since sliced bread---the beautiful, light-weight, organic look of linen fabric without the horrid wrinkles!  Yes, please!

It is difficult to see the details of this dress in the above photo.  I'll try and take some close-ups soon. :)

Biscotti

Ah, biscotti.  One of my favorite treats.  This tasty Italian cookie is my best friend on lazy days, rainy days and chilly days---days when the only thing to do is cozy up in your favorite chair with a steamy mug of coffee and some fantastic literature.  Biscotti is the cherry on top of such a day.  

I am a quarter Italian on my mom's side, and as such have 

been privileged to inherit my Bis Nona's recipe f

or Biscotti, which has been passed down in m

y family for generations.  Let m

e tell you (I'm going to be a cookie snob here), you have no

t tasted biscotti until you have tasted Bis Nona's biscotti!  

I usually make a batch of biscotti on Sundays.  Today I decided to take some pictures and share the art with you (my 2 or 3 blog readers).  Don't 

get y

our hopes up, though---this recipe is TOP SECRET INFORMATION, so I won't be sharing any ingredients with you, just pictures.

Biscotti dough, kneaded and formed into a smooth ball.  Biscotti dough should be the consistency of play-dough.  Yum!

The next step is to divide the dough into two equal parts.

Roll each ball into a "worm."

Squash the "worms" flat and transfer to the baking sheet!

Take the biscotti out of the oven and slice.  Some people will serve their biscotti at this point, but it is BEST to turn the cookies over (see picture), stick back in the oven and toast for another 5 minutes or so.  Voila!

That said, I must tear myself away to make a french press.

Pictures!

Alright, I finally took a few pictures (well, Sarah took a few pictures...).  

Here is the fabulous Marian Martin/Robert Kaufman dress:

I have gotten so many compliments on this dress!  I had to shorten the waist an inch and a half or so (I am a very short waisted girl) but other than that the pattern fit wonderfully.  I think it looks best with a belt and a cute cardigan. :D  This is the pattern I used: 

I will be putting this up on eBay soon! 

The second project I've been working on is a skirt.  I was inspired by this adorable skirt from Boden: 

Mine's a little shorter than the original.  Obviosly it needs to be pressed. ;)  I also need to put in the zipper and take in the hips about 1", but it does look cute, doesn't it? 

So, there you have it.  I still need to post pics of my 30's dress, but, honestly, I have lost my inspiration for it at the moment.  I still need to finish a few things on it, but I just can't get into the project.  Alas.  

Well, that's all for today.  Enjoy the pics!

~Bess 

(Sp?)

Uh-oh, it's late again.  Tonight I am having spelling issues.  I was looking through my last post and the word sheer caught my attention.  I immediately thought, "Did I spell that right?"  and then, "Of course I did.  Well, wait...sheer...shear...sheer...which one is it?!"  Well, I am excited to inform you that mental clarity has come at last (thank you dictionary.com), and I can now say with confidence that the Robert Kaufman "Sofia" cotton lawn is, in fact, sheer heaven. 

 What about shear heaven, though?  What could you describe as shear heaven?  Hm.  Imagine a quilter walking into a store that sold scissors exclusively ("Wow, I'll take one of each!  This certainly is shear heaven!").  Or perhaps a sheep getting a hair cut in the summertime ("Yeah, man, this summer 'do is shear heaven.  That wool coat was killing me in this heat!  I must have lost 15 pounds in that sauna!").   Certainly a farmer would think it shear heaven harvesting his crops with a sharp new sickle.  Now that I think about it, I could actually call my Robert Kaufman "Sofia" cotton lawn shear heaven as well, as it was very light and easy to cut!

I could go on and on, but, as I mentioned before, it is late and I really must go to bed.  I don't think anyone reads this blog anyway, and I have an inkling that, if you have been reading it, you might not venture over any more after being subjected to such nonsense.  Sorry.  However, I will cling to the hope that my reader(s?) are also up way past their bedtime, and that my nonsense may appear at least a little sensical in light of the late hour.  :D  

Good night!

~Bess

It is so late.

Oh my goodness.  I just glanced at the clock and realized that it is 3:15am.  NOOO!  I really didn't mean to stay up so late!  Blast!

Well, on the cheery side...

I am almost finished with a new dress!  It's from an old Marian Martin pattern from the late 40's/early 50's.  Sweetheart neckline.  Robert Kaufman "Sofia" cotton lawn.  Sheer heaven. ;)  Need I say more?  

I am almost finished with my 30's rayon dress, too.  I need to hem it, finish the sleeves and finish the side opening.  I'll try and post some pictures asap.  :D

Ok, I must must must get to bed.  This is ridiculous.  

~Bess

Aprons

A couple years ago I started a handmade apron business called "Bessie's Aprons".  I sold a few, but ended up giving most of them away (hey, that's more fun anyway).  Below is an apron I made for a friend of mine's birthday last year.  Check out the appliqued flowers and pintucks!  I'm crazy about pin tucks.  They're so delicate and feminine. :D

                                             Please excuse the mess behind...my studio. :p

                                             Aw, pin tucks. :)

Aprons are simply wonderful.  They are so handy around the house!  They keep your clothes clean (this is a biggie for me---I tend to be messy)!  There's just something about wearing an apron that makes you feel like you are getting things done.   I dunno, maybe it's just me.  ;)  I love anything domestic.

Cherio! 

~Bess

It's been a long while!

I'm not much of a computer person.  I tend to forget about the computer completely, to tell you the truth.  Whoopsie.

I am very excited to be working on a few...*cough*... I mean a lot of projects for the spring/summer.  I hit the jackpot at a local antique store and found a ton of patterns from the 1930's for next to nothing.  Needless to say, I am going to be sewing up a storm!  I've already begun work on a dress from 1937 with a cute crossover top and a flowy, many-gored skirt.  I'm using a beautiful crinkle rayon.  

                                                                             Dress!

                                                                            Rayon!

I made a muslin and cut out the pieces today.  Hopefully start sewing over the weekend.  

I'll do my best to remember to post again soon...:p

~Bess