Chocolate Cheesecake for a Sewing Break

No sewing post today, but I believe every sewist needs a slice or two of good chocolate cheesecake once in a while :)

If you are looking for a good chocolate cheesecake recipe, I recommend Gino Cofacci's on Williams-Sonoma's website. It works great with or without rum. I usually use 1.5 times the ingredients and bake a 9-inch cake for a party and 8 muffin-cup size ones for my family.

You can cheat this recipe a little bit: The recipe instructs you to warm the mixture over a pan of simmering water but I always skip this step and the cake comes out fine. You can also use microwave to melt chocolate.



Until next time, cheers to you all!

On my Sewing Table: Vogue 1177

Hello, everyone! It has been a while since my last post. Here is an update on what I have been up to. I have been working on Vogue 1177 Anna Sui dress. So far I cut all the pattern pieces and did my usual petite alteration.

Vogue 1177 Anna Sui Dress

Meanwhile this Milly poppy print voile was washed and ready to be cut.

Since I have been very busy keeping up with my school work, I can not spare even thirty minutes sewing time a day these days... The pattern pieces have been sitting on the table for days. It is not a good sight. Obviously somebody thought something had to be done. Yesterday I caught Leo studying the instruction!

It's so easy, a kitty can do it!

Was he trying to sew for his mommy?! Maybe:D Since this kitty scoops water with his paw from his water bowl to drink, my instruction sheets have some water marks now. He definitely should not work on silks.

I hope I can sew sometime soon. Until then, cheers to you all!

UPDATE: You can read Vogue 1177 in progress here: Vogue 1177 Pleats Please

Vogue 8182 + Vogue 1086 Part III - It's All Done!

I finished my Milly inspired dress today. :)



Front

Back

The inspiration for this project was this Delia dress by Milly.

Milly Delia Dress from nordstrom.com

Pattern: Vogue 8182 and Vogue 1086
(For pattern usage detail, click here to go to my previous post.)

If you follow Vogue 8182's instruction, you will end up with exposed zipper tape inside the dress. I did not like it when I made this pattern before, so this time I covered the zipper tape under the lining instead. To do so, I left lining unstitched about two inches from the left side, attached the zipper (kept lining free), then hand-sewed the lining to the zipper tape.  



Zipper Opening

Inside View of Zipper Opening





































Fabric: Printed silk from Gorgeous Fabrics. It looks like this fabric has an intermixed design of paint splatters and plants in vibrant colors. It is light weight and has a fluid drape. It leaves a stitch mark so make sure you know what you are doing when you sew this fabric.

Stitch mark

By the way, I have been trying a new (to me) approach to sewing this week and it worked great. It is simple. I sew just a little bit in the morning for about 30 minutes before I start a regular busy day. I was surprised to find that knowing my project is progressing (even if it is a teeny tiny little step) has a positive impact on my mind throughout the day. I love it!

Sewing in the morning sunlight

Until next time, cheers to you all!

Vogue 8182 + Vogue 1086 Part II - Bodice and Midriff

Hello, everyone! I hope you all are having a great weekend.

Today I have finished bodice and midriff. :)  Both are Vogue 8182. As I noted in my previous post, I substituted midriff pattern with  midriff lining pattern for a cleaner waist line.



Vogue 8182 Front

Vogue 8182 Back









I think the trickiest part of Vogue 8182 is attaching the midriff to the bodice. If you are making this pattern, basically you "sandwich" bodice seam allowance between midriff and midriff lining, both right sides together, then you press midriff and midriff lining down. Be sure not to stitch lining all the way to the left side opening if you want to cover zipper tape under the lining later.

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By the way, if your cat stares at you from behind your sewing machine for VERY long time, you may want to check his/her water bowl...

Mommy, I'm thirsty!

Until next time, cheers to you all!