Making my own chicken stock (broth)

This is the project that's been on my stove since mid-afternoon, and when I mentioned it in chat, Maggie commented that she hasn't "quite gotten a handle on the whole stock-making thing".  So I offered to blog it ... although I don't have pictures of every step since this is quite impromptu.

Start with whole fryers (or roasters or broilers ... a whole chicken that's been dressed out) and cut off the frying pieces (wings, legs) and fillet off the breasts, saving the skin, neck, giblets, and the carcass after you're done cutting off the pieces.  Put into a stock pot and just cover all the parts with water, then simmer for an hour to an hour-and-half.  I've noticed it turns out better doing an hour-and-half on a low simmer.

3 chickens, 2 stock pots

After it's simmered enough to cook the meat tender but NOT falling off the bones by itself, pull out all the chicken pieces, and (AFTER it's cool enough to handle!) pull the meat off the bones, then dice up the giblets.  Toss out the bones and skin.  Set the meat in the fridge, then break out season-stuff that you will be straining out.  In my case, that is onion, celery, and minced garlic.  Slow-simmer another hour.

After the second hour, pour the shtuff through first a wire strainer to catch all the solid pieces, then through cheesecloth (or in my case tonight, cheap cotton muslin because I can't find my cheesecloth).  At this point you can let it cool and put it up in containers, or if like me you made way more than you realized you can simmer it down to concentrate it.  Don't skim the fat out until you are ready to cook with it, as the fat will form a seal over the top.

Here is where I am at right now, simmering it down to concentrate it.  I've managed to get it all in my largest stock pot.

chicken stock simmering down

Just a note: the cheap cotton muslin makes a decent substitute for cheesecloth, so this qualifies as a way to use scraps!

You can also boil down ham bones or do a straight vegetable stock using this method - although straight veggie stock won't form a fat seal on top.

Hope that helps ya, Maggie!

Useful things for the kitchen

So the dreaded oven/hot mitt is finally finished ... I was stalling because I have learned I truly detest sewing together the fabric-batting-muslin sandwiches.  Now I understand why people pay the asking price for prequilted fabrics!  (Note: If you enjoy diagonal machine-quilting layers of batting and fabric together, all the power to y'all and I wish you bliss .. this just is NOT my thing.)

It won't win any awards, and I will definitely be buying my next hot pad and oven mitt at the store rather than make another, but this one does match my apron perfectly:

Hot/oven mitt done

Oh yes, for a certain chat regular: hot mitt = oven mitt.  Ovens tend to be hot.  This project also has ruined my sense of humor temporarily.

Logistical note on construction: make the inside layer smaller than the outside one.  (Should I make that a Sgt Obvious tip as well?)  Have an extra sewing needle on hand - the batting dulls a needle faster than topstitching canvas and buckram do!

While procrastinating on sewing the hot mitt, I have also been using my crochet hooks to make useful kitchen items:

Lumpy (textured) dishcloths

Bobble/Pop scrubbers

Swiffer pad with textured bottom

Swiffer pad, top

These crochet up fast, are a great way to practice the new stitches I had to learn to make them ... and hubby says we need multiples (the second scrubber and dishcloth are already given away) not just for our house but to give to family as gifts.  I also made a ridged textured dishcloth that ended up being tested in my son's bathroom.  He says it works "very good" and sounded a little surprised about it.

Kitchen hot mitt: Return of the sewing mojo!

For a few weeks now, I have been saying I need to replace my hot mitt and hot pads since they come out of the wash looking bedraggled ... I am sure hubby was beginning to think I was just talking, but the sewing mojo has returned this morning alongside that proverbial wild hair!  I'm classifying this as a knockoff like my pillowcases since I literally grabbed the old hot mitt, set it on some wrap-paper from Hobby Lobby (they wrapped my glass candle in it), and traced around it with an ink pen.

Hot mitt pattern

I suppose it might be possible to achieve "easier" another way, but for me this was the most convenient.  I added about a 1/4 inch seam allowance around all but the wrist area since I intend to simply use binding to cover that up.

For those who find my handwriting difficult to read: I cut two for the outside fabric, two for the inside fabric, 4 layers of cotton batting, and four layers of thin cheapy cotton muslin to keep the batting out of my feed dogs.  I even cut it out immediately:

Hot mitt layers cut

Now ... which machine to pull out and stitch the fabric and batting layer sandwiches?  I did think of having hubby or son man-handle the Anchor onto the table for me, since Anchor had no problem ripping through linen and buckram ... but I still have black thread in the bobbin and really prefer a drop-in bobbin over wrestling with getting a metal vertical in properly.  Same issue with Timex - vertical bobbin.  So I'll probably grab another low-priced workhorse of mine: my Brother CE5500-PRW computerized that has gone through 8 layers of canvas (and is another one where I don't sew delicate fabrics with).  I've reviewed it over at PatternReview, but haven't posted a pic here on the blog.  I'll try to remember to snap a pic while quilting together the layers before assembly.

Speaking of quilting ... this batting ain't cheap!  And I even waited for the 50% off sale to buy mine.  Then again, neither is the quilting cotton section fabric.  It is also a pain in the (*donkey*) to lay out - the crib sheet sized piece I bought wasn't folded perfectly straight before packaging.  I'm saving every last scrap of it in a zippy baggie to stuff stuff, like maybe a cat toy or a bumroll.

Finally, my inside fabric came out of my scrap bag, which holds more canvas and duck pieces so it will most likely contribute more to the hot mitt/hot pad project as inspiration strikes.

Time for a sunhat!

I've hinted at a new sewing project, and yesterday managed to get all but one piece cut out of my most recently "wild hair" inspired adventure: I am making a sunhat out of the linen leftovers from my shorts I made in May.  After much debate about which style (fedora versus sunhat) I then had to choose a pattern ... I probably have too many hat patterns but I do love hats.  I chose Vogue 8405, view C:

Vogue 8405 view C in grey linen

So I am still one piece shy of starting to sew ... because I ran out of buckram!  So I hit Hancock's this morning ... and they are out of buckram.  To add insult to injury, they've been out for a couple weeks and the computer system still has not ordered more!  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??  Is there no manual override on this automated ordering system??

Aida cloth was suggested as a substitute (after I flatly rejected heavy craft interfacing) and they did still have some ivory-colored Aida by the yard ...that was NOT on the utility fabrics shelf last time I looked at it!  So I snagged 2 yards of the 60 inch wide Aida.  Even if it doesn't work for the hat brim, I can still cross stitch on it.

Question time: Does anyone have a decent source for hat buckram?

Another use for scraps

Nothing pretty here ... no sewing involved .... but extremely utilitarian!  In fact, I have just reduced my bag of fleece scraps by at least 75%.

Remember my (miraculously undamaged) beautiful blue glass dishes rediscovered at Mom's?  Last night I washed them up after noticing how much newspaper ink had smudged onto them, and knew I had to pack them back up today but certainly didn't want to wrap them in the inked newspapers again.  Enter the scrap bag to the rescue!

small fleece scraps between bowls

medium fleece scraps between plates, with cotton gauze scrap for wrap

fleece and cotton gauze scraps will keep newspaper print off my dishes!

Right this second, I am feeling brilliant here.  Just think:

• Extra padding for breakable glass dish set
• The newspaper ink can't get to the dishes
• I am down to just 5 large fleece scrap pieces now!

I still reserve the right to change my mind about this later ... but it does seem like a good use for those fleece scraps that are too big to throw away but leave you scratching your head when pondering just what to do with them.

Scrap thread testing - silk charmeuse

Maggie is wanting in progress pics ... fair enough, since I did bug her about progress pics when she was working on her denim corset.  LOL  I waited more than 48 hours before bugging though .... but in her defense, she does have this same silk charmeuse so I can understand her interest in this project.

I spent yesterday testing thread, stitches, and practicing french seams on scraps of the silk charmeuse ... and I am starting to run low on scraps!  I tried out different stitch lengths on my Brother CS-770 (my daily driver and delicate fabric machine) and decided 1.8 setting is too long as it starts to have a gathering effect on the finished seam (note: this may come in handy for the neckline).  The 1.6 setting looks good - little puckering, but not the too short bulletproof look that begins to resemble perforation that the 1.4 setting started to look like.

Now, about the thread itself ... I had gone out and bought Gutterman cotton thread on Nay's advice, because she has done bridal work and sewn much more silk than I have (recall this is my first time sewing silk!).  She verified in chat that I had the right thread by its color number, so that part was good ... the problem I am seeing is this thread seems too stiff for this silk charmeuse!  Honestly, it has a "light boning" effect, especially on french seams (where it is sewn twice).  So I tried what Gloria recommended: embroidery machine thread.  While it still is stiffer than unsewn silk, the effect is noticeably less ... here is my *attempt* to capture this on pixels:


Machine embroidery thread versus Gutterman cotton thread

The stiff part shows, but the curve on the machine embroidery thread sample isn't as obvious.  This is after trying to press both samples, as well.  About that ... this silk charmeuse does not like taking a press.  I should have guessed that when I laid it out and there was hardly any wrinkling even though I had to hide this fabric in a box to keep inquisitive and destructive felines away from it!  I am using a press cloth (don't want any accidental marking of the silk from my more-than-a-decade-old iron) but am just not brave enough to try increasing the heat beyond the silk setting.  I don't have enough left over to cut any new pieces.  (Go ahead and call me chicken!  LOL)

Now, for a little fun and fabric acquisition with little expenditure: here is the "to iron" pile on my ironing board, with my newest acquisition on top: the rayon floral Maggie mailed me left over after she made the very lovely classic keyhole tunic last week (that she hadn't worn as of last night!). 



Floral rayon - It's MINE now!!

 It's about 2 yards ... just enough for ME to make a classic keyhole tunic just like this one ... except in my size.  Not only did I have fabric envy when she posted this ... I had finished garment envy, and since Maggie is iffy about this project I first had to find out what size she made.  Maggie and I do not wear the same size ... I need a size 18 for my shoulders (too many push ups as a mouthy private in the army ...) so I couldn't trade for the finished tunic.  If she ever gets over her "tablecloth fabric" idea and actually wears this lovely tunic she's made ... we'll have matching garments sometime this summer!  Oh and fabric lovers ... fear not.  This rayon floral is now in a truly loving home, where its beauty and classic print will be truly appreciated.  Did I mention its even prettier in person?  It has a second floral motif in subtle white-on-cream to go along with the very pretty pink themed roses that the camera doesn't pick up too well.  Maggie is getting about 2-1/4 yards of my white handkerchief linen with a couple swatches ... the prop in the first pic.  She hasn't been bitten by the linen-love bug ... yet ... but I am intending to fix that with a sample swatch of the FM couture linen (which I now own four colors of ... they're under the rayon in the to-iron pile).

I may not make much progress today, as it is our anniversary and hubby is taking me out (to include hitting Hancock!) once my clothes dry.  I want to wear my simple skirt, a bright pink matching knit top, and my denim mid-Victorian corset.

Custom embroidered decorative trim!

Happy!  Excited!  IT WORKED!!!!!!  My custom embroidered decorative trim for the neckline and sleeve edges for my Elizabethan smock (Simplicity 2621) has turned out the way I hoped it would!  Happy dance time!


custom embroidery trim: Forget-Me-Not



Forget-Me-Not custom trim

 Sometimes ... well, often ... my experiments don't turn out as I hoped.  So when one actually does come out looking like the picture in my head, I get very very excited and happy.  This embroidered decorative trim idea is exactly what I wanted ... well, it will look much more like planned once I wash the fabric marker off the edges.  I used a very short zigzag to create the satin stitch at the edges, and the pinked ends will be inside seams, folded under, or covered by a cross piece of trim.

OK, *now* I am excited about making this smock!

M4861 first attempt: My Blue Monstrosity

OK, I will stop procrastinating now ... if only to avoid a lynching in chat tonight.  There are more folks asking to see these pics than just Val - even though Val was the one who earned these pics by completing the corset challenge.  Just so no one can say I didn't warn y'all ...
*** WARNING! *** WARNING! *** WARNING! ***
Not even my bad photog (lack of) skills can hide this ugliness!

In my defense, I made this over 14 months ago, while commuting to clinicals, in pain, tired, and desperate for something to use as a backbrace ... and it was my first stab at a "real" corset.

*sigh* I guess there is just no getting around posting these pics of what I now call the Blue Monstrosity (and mean it!).

There is no actual boning in this, just hemp craft cord.  It was actually pretty comfortable to wear ... UNDERNEATH my scrubs.  There are both antiqued brass and silver eyelet pieces, for those wondering if the camera flash is fooling with your eyes.  I used home dec scraps, which in retrospect wasn't the best idea for a pattern with a total of four bias seams on it.  I also didn't do a fit muslin ... this pattern runs large ... but perhaps I can call the Blue Monstrosity my full mockup instead?  Especially since I made another (better looking and better constructed!) backbrace this past December.  Hmmm, now there's an idea to salvage my pride and sweep the broken feet of clay back together ...

Aother way of looking at it came from the pink-hating Cat the other night in chat.  Comparing my latest denim mid-Victorian to last spring's Elizabethan, she said she can see a huge improvement.  So maybe I can show my age and spin it as "You've come a long way, baby!"

Or maybe I should just burn it ....

B 4254 zipper and boning

I actually put the zipper in yesterday afternoon, but didn't bother with taking a pic because I was pretty stoked to roll on ... I got half the corset boned last night and finished the other half this morning.  I had to knock off last night when my hands started hurting a bit from cutting and filing the cable ties (remember I had to buy tin snips for these cable ties!).  The snips leave an edge where they cut, plus there are the corners to round, so I've spent some quality time with my metal file.  Add in my cats trying to "help" every time I use my dressmaker measuring tape ("It's moving!  We'll save you from it!") and also attacking the end of the long cable ties as I file the end ("It's moving!  I'll save you!") ...

Fuzzy pic alert ... again ... here it is boned with the zipper in:

I should mention I think metal zippers are where the expression "like pulling teeth" comes from ... I had to pull 5 teeth from each side of the top before putting on new zipper stops.  And just a grumble on the side: Why do zip repair kits contain almost a dozen slides but only four zipper stops?  If you know of a source to buy *only* the stops, please post it!

Next step after boning is flossing the cable ties in.  Of course I have a link to a corset flossing tutorial ... and of course it is once again from Sidney Eileen's site.  I thought I had bought green embroidery floss, but in sunlight it is actually grey ... so I am flossing all in pink.  I am still planning to put my pink lace into the top binding, although I am still waffling to-and-fro on whether to use lace on the bottom.  Pic with lace and floss:

Now ... I have half a dozen short pieces of cable ties left over ... pretty much too short to actually use in a corset ... but the perfect size to stitch into some scraps to practice flossing designs!  Errr ... to practice flossing, period ... I've never done it before today.  However, in between fussing at the camera and waiting for my computer to install updates, I think I got the idea I want:

I had to turn the flash off, then lighten the pic in gimp due to the very pretty shiny-ness of my rayon embroidery floss ... but the shiny is why I bought the rayon kind.  This will definitely be the flossing design on the bottom of the boning channels.  Right this second I am thinking flossed flowers on the bottom, then use the jeans thread on top under the lace.

Anyone have opinions or suggestions on my current bit of lunacy?

B4254 view D fitting round 2

First of all, hubby says he likes the shape of this one (go figure, LOL).  I lengthened the pattern pieces half inch a little above the marked waistline and another half inch at the bottom,  made the bust gussets a bit larger, and as y'all can see I tweaked the boning scheme - in addition to cutting a size 14 this time (last time I cut a 16, and the measurement chart puts me in a 20!).  The pics:

I still have the horizontal wrinkles at the waist, but instead of one noticeable crease they are distributed.   The CF still sticks out, but I am thinking that enlarging the bust gussets more may fix this.  This boning scheme is more comfortable than the last one, and the biggest surprise is there is still no gap in back, although it no longer feels loose.  The wonderful curves hubby likes still give me fits both sewing and pressing ... but I am liking the results!  This fitting muslin is an improvement over the first one, in my opinion.  Feel free to leave your observations and opinions ...

Final note, I used up some scraps making this.  Continuing the "scrap use" theme of the past week, maggiedoll shows off her scrap quilt and JillyBe finally devotes a post to her scrap scarf.  If you have a blog and a use for scraps not already highlighted, feel free to jump in on the fun!

Scrap fun and function

Last week, Rebecca at WannabeSeamstress asked "What to do with fabric scraps?" and I promised her a post about all the things I do with them ... because I only throw away the pieces too small to do anything with at all.  I just got finished putting a second denim scrap to use for today repairing/patching the pocket of hubby's jeans, after doing the same to a pair of son's jeans this afternoon.  For both, I had to use my denim scraps wrong-side-out due to the fading of the jeans' denim, and with both being lower section of the back pockets that meant handsewing since I am not inclined to take the pockets off then reattach exactly plus topstitching.  If you and your family wear jeans, save denim scraps for patching.

The past couple days you probably noticed the cotton duck from my friend's doublet showing back up as boning casings for my corset fitting muslin.  I briefly thought of using the canvas scraps from mine and hubby's KwikSew barn coats I made in December to do the actual fitting muslin, but opted to use my unbleached canvas because it is heavier.  I might still use those scraps for fitting muslin #2 ...

But what about the nicer scraps?  This is where I need that smiling devil emoticon here .... I have an embroidery machine that I paid more for than my three sewing machines combined ... and I ain't afraid to use it!  A decent-sized scrap from hubby's linen/cotton longsleeved shirt became an embroidered monogrammed handkerchief for my grandmother-in-law, who declared it "too good to use!" and tucked it away to keep it nice.  Here it is:

It's all good ... I have another scrap the same size to make another hankie ... I also have embroidery designs for small gift bags!  And tissue holders, and eyeglass cases ... if you have an embroidery machine, that opens up a whole lot of uses for the nicer fabric scraps.  Leftover pieces of fabric from projects (like my brown linen pants) can also become nice kitchen towels to hang next to the coffeemaker.

Printed and solid color cotton scraps get saved for quilters ... and they don't need to be huge either.  I have a bag I need to pass on to a local lady who makes charity quilts that I met at Hancock's cutting table.

Home dec scraps?  I of course have some of those ... and intend to whip up drawstring bags for my gaming guys to use as dice bags.  I think the rayon challis scraps will make nice linings for those ... especially the scraps from hubby's beloved parrot shirt.  At some point, I will have faux fur scraps ... and if they are too small for anything else, I will just make stuffed "mice" for my cats to play with.

Have I covered the offbeat uses for scraps?  I think I shall tag JillyBe for her to post about what she's done with her very nice scraps ... she needs to do a blog post about it anyway!