sewing lessons – Fluffyland Craft & Sewing Blog

July 30, 2009

blackberry custard pie

some pie for breakfast,
some pie for lunch, pie for snack,
and pie for dinner.

blackberry custard pie

Yesterday, after finally summoning the strength to get out of bed, I actually managed to be quite productive. I started the morning by picking blackberries – lots of blackberries. We’ve hit mid-summer now, so gone are the days of finding ten ripe berries when you’re lucky… now it’s, if you’re going out to pick blackberries, Take a Bucket.

blackberry custard pie So, armed with my bucket of blackberries, I googled for a good berry custard pie recipe. Especially since I know there will be plenty more opportunities to test a variety of pies, I was feeling very brave. So I went with this one, and got to work.

This was my first all-by-myself from scratch pie, and I am quite happy with the results! It is not at all a sweet pie… but if you’re looking for a sweet pie, don’t use blackberries, silly! I followed the recipe closely, but used more blackberries than they called for (covering the entire bottom layer of the pie) and sprinkled some sugar on the berries before adding the custard.

This custard pie is more flavorful than some of the custard pies I’ve tasted in the past because of the cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s not bad for you, but doesn’t even taste like it’s “low-fat” or anything, it’s just not sweet. Which, to me, seemed to be the perfect excuse to have multiple pieces yesterday.

I’m sure next week I’ll have another chance to do some blackberry baking.. so if you know any yummy berry recipes, please send them my way!

student whales My sewing pupil returned yesterday, with a friend, and they made whales! The whales are actually surprisingly tricky, but we went slow and it all worked out. The poor girls had to sew in a house glowing with the smell of pie… But we had fun and their whales are super cute. We used fleece for the bodies in place of my typical lycra or velour (not beginner fabrics!) and they have cotton bellies as per usual.

student whales

I also updated wordpress! While there aren’t many differences on the reader end, I have a much prettier admin panel now. And it was super easy! If only the shopping cart software I use for Fluffyland could figure out a way to make their updates as simple…

big kid shoes

to master an art
is one thing; to teach it well
takes much greater skill.

rick rack display (paris shop - montmartre)

Tomorrow I am teaching my first official sewing lesson! A cousin of the kids I’ve been watching this summer is potentially interested in fashion design, but obviously needs to have some sewing knowledge. She’s in seventh grade, which is in the perfect age range. I’m excited, and a bit nervous… sewing just pours right out of me, it’s a wordless communion between myself and my machine. I think explaining it all to someone else will be a delightful challenge.

I’ve been tidying up the house for a good portion of the day: unearthing the living room from the mess of yard sale + college shopping goodies, stripping tons of WIPs from the dining room table, and making sure my sewing table is clear. And, of course, when I can’t make any new messes, I get the urge to try all sorts of crazy projects.

But my Gocco is in my room on a little table, so it’s safe. I have to think of some things that would look nice and that I can draw (a rather large limitation), and hopefully soon I can start printing. I also have to research more on how to clean screens, etc… I’ve read that it’s best to print as many as you can in the first run because it can be hard to save the screens. With their large price tag that is growing larger as supply diminishes, I’m hoping I can hold on to them.

It’s a lovely Sunday: good songs at Church, one of which I knew the alto part to (so much fun!); a cloudy but nice day with some wind, and I saw a cardinal right outside my window! Hope you are having a lovely day as well!