Wilton Rose Experience

I just finished the Wilton Cake Decorating Course 1. The picture is my 'final project' cake which also doubled as my youngest daughter's birthday cake (good timing!). I think I flunked the Wilton Rose (if you can actually flunk anything in these classes). They teach the WR by breaking it down into 3 different classes. I'm not sure why they do this but that is how it is.

The first problem I ran into was getting the icing consistency correct. It's supposed to be 'stiff' consistency. I guess I don't understand this concept because mine always ends up either so stiff that you can't squeeze it out of the bag or so thin that it just falls apart. I blame the humidity...that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

In your first WR class you learn how to make the center. We're told to put on the correct tip (#12) and make a 'Hershey's kiss' that is 1 1/2 times the height of the #104 tip you're going use for the next step. Not one of my 'Hershey's kiss' looked anything like a 'Hershey's kiss' but instead resembled little witches hats. I never did resolve this by the time the 3rd class came around I just went with this witch's hat base and it didn't seem to change my end results too much.

Your second WR class involves making a base and then switching tips (word to the wise, use a coupler on your bag of stiff) to the 104. So I make my little witch's hat and switch to the 104. You then start the center petal of the rose. I'd give you awesome detailed instructions on this but I never did get the hang of it. Somehow, mine always looked a little...um...phallic.

In your final class you are supposed to put the rest of the petals on. My rose didn't look horrible but it didn't look like a rose. I should have taken pictures but I was so embarassed by the little things. Our final cake was supposed to include roses. As you can see, roses were clearly absent on my final cake. It's a good thing I don't really care for roses on cakes isn't it?

For what it's worth, I thought that the Wilton classes are worth every penny. My cakes used to look like a 3rd grade art project gone wrong. Have you ever seen the episode of Food Network's Challenge where the cake decorator sets the cake on fire and everyone comments how the fire extinguisher foam improves the look of the cake? That's how my cakes used to look. Now I know how to frost a cake without crumbs and smooth as glass. I can star tip with the best of them now and I learned the secret to transferring images. And most importantly, my little girl's 4th birthday cake was very special.

Now...what to do with all that cake sitting in my freezer waiting to be frosted?

And if you haven't seen the Food Network Challenge fire cake, here you go:


Now if I could just clean up my sewing studio I'd be able to get out of the kitchen and stop eating.

Back to Etsy

I'm back to sewing. I took a long break from sewing anything to sell. I think I was just in a creative funk. I skipped the entire Christmas Craft Season. Even though I was working on projects and had things for craft fairs I opted out this year.

I have decided to focus on my Etsy shop for now. I am going to expand my shop to include more clothing. I have tons of fabulous fabric that I am itching to make into adorable skirts. And since Summer is coming up soon, I am going to include beach cover-ups in my Etsy store. I'm really excited about sewing for the store again.

At this time I have decided to no longer accept custom orders so that I can focus my energy on building up stock in my store.

So, look for new fun stuff in my Etsy store: www.31stitches.etsy.com

Sewing for a Trip

We're going back to San Diego for a 5 day cruise to Cabo and then we're staying in So. Cal for a few extra days so we can take the girls to Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo and visit some relatives. So I'm sewing up a storm for the girls. I love to dress my daughters (ages almost 3 y/o & just turned 4 y/o) in matching clothing. I also think girls should dress like girls and encourage them to wear dresses whenever possible. I know that they aren't going to be very cooperative for much longer so I'm enjoying it and taking advantage of it while it lasts.

I wish my camera was working because I'd post pictures of what I've made for them. I made them two adorable shifts out of this bright turqoise blue fabric with bumble bees on it. I have also made my youngest a really cute capri outfit that is all blinged out. The two halter dresses I made turned out better than I thought they would & I'm letting them wear them now since it's so darn hot here lately.

My mom bought some "Strawberry Shortcake" fabric for me to make dresses for the trip. Now I'm not a big fan of "character prints" to begin with. I hate advertising other people's companies with my work but since grandma bought it I'll make the dresses. I really think they'll come out looking cute. And my girls love Strawberry Shortcake so I know they will be happy.

I made myself a surplice top and I have another one cut out and waiting to be sewn (need to finish the Strawberry Shortcake dresses first). I have been looking ALL OVER the place for a decent tiered peasant skirt, and although I see people wearing them everywhere, I can't find one in a store to save my life. So I'm going to have to get my butt in gear and get some gauze fabric & sew one up for myself. I just really don't like to do gathers/ruffles, especially on that large of a scale. Oh well, I guess I better suck it up and get sewing.

At least I'm feeling better. Now it's just a matter of finding the time. It's so difficult to sew when the girls are awake because they get into my buttons and bias tape supplies and just make a big ol' mess of everything. 3 uninterrupted days is all I'm asking for.

I'm sick

Allergy season has hit me hard and struck me down with a case of Bronchitis that I can't shake. Unfortunately I have had to temporarily close my shop until I can get control over the coughing.
I really miss my sewing machines.

Bunko Apron - March

I have started to make an apron as the bunko prize every month (we each bring a prize) but I'm starting to wonder if I'll become too predictable. Anyway, I thought it might be fun to post pictures of the aprons here.

This was this months (March). I call it my tribute to Brini Maxwell. I plan to make another one or two to put in my Etsy shop. It's very retro 60's (again, made out of the seizure enducing fabric). I made it into a reversible number with giant ric rak. It's sight of retro beauty if I don't say so myself.

To Flounce or Not To Flounce, That is The Question

Every once in a great while I can find a good quality fabric at a certain big box store that I prefer not to buy fabric from. But I saw this fabric that had a good hand and I recognized the brand and it was at a KILLER price so I couldn't turn it down. I bought 4 yards of this stuff. Now this is not exactly the kind of fabric I would normally pick. Too much pink. Frankly, when I look at it for too long it gives me a headache. Really. Anyway, I finally decided to do something with this fabric because, according to Pantone, it has all the 'in' colors right now. So I get my sunglasses out and start cutting. I'm still hating this fabric. I decided to make my "Hollywood" apron out of it (Marilyn Monroe style, halter top, full skirt with a flounce). I put it on my dress form and stood back to look at it before I had pinned the flounce to it (I always do a rough pin to see if I want to make changes per the fabric). Low and behold, I liked it. It kind of reminds me of something Florence Henderson would have worn while she was cooking for the Partridge Family. Hmmmmm, I wonder what it'll look like with the flounce. Well, the flounce just ruined it. I hate the flounce. So, I'm making it like a mini skirt without the flounce and I'm going lime green ric rak crazy with it. I'm also making a reversible half apron out of it (reversible side in solid lime green with hot pink large ric rak) for my bunko group gift. I've grown kind of fond of this seizure inducing fabric. Here's the pic of the rough pin with the ric rak (yeah, I'm going to have to re-cut the halter pieces because the centers of the flowers look like nipples...ha ha).

Bluebird of Happiness

So my new thing is painting polymer clay pendants. I'm into making "bluebirds of happiness" right now and I'd like to introduce you to "Henrietta". I think she's quite lovely. She's a little uneven but that is part of her charm (to me at least). I need to have my friend Laurie come over and show me how to make them into actual pendants since I know absolutely zip about making jewelry. You'd think by now, with all the craft jumping I do, I'd know how to string necklaces. But I don't.

Anyway, this is Henrietta (I will take a better picture to upload, that is really fuzzy. She's actually quite adorable)