Hi all! Long time no hear!

This is a CRAZY time we're living in, huh? One second I feel like I'm adjusting and the next I'm completely disoriented. I'm sure I'm not alone!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard there is a face mask shortage here in the US. We never would have thought hospitals would be asking home sewists to make PPE, but here we are. Now, I'm not selling masks because to be honest I don't love sewing them. But I figure, the least I can do with all my fabric, time, and sewing skills is make masks for those who really need them. As long as the folks on the frontline are asking me for masks, I will be sitting at my machine.

I'm not going to give you the full tutorial here, you'll have to skip over to my Youtube channel for that, but I'm going to add some links and notes here that will hopefully help you out. 

So while doctors and nurses need masks, sterile wrap is an amazing option. Let's keep on rallying and doing all we can! 

Here is a link to the instructions I include with my masks: 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBLHEWhxfus__FurzRis3Qwlmpq8wPKr7Nb7fpUtMvM/edit?usp=sharing

Hope this helps! Feel free to contact me with any questions, I'm here to help!
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Hi There!

Long time no post, I know! My apologies! I've been preoccupied with figuring out "adulting" as some like to call it. In reality I dislike that word a lot, but that's for another post. 

Today I'm just going to write about why I haven't written lately! Does that make sense? It's been several months since I wrote a blog post and during that time I was pondering what projects I wanted to do. I started a blog last year that eventually fell through.  It was super hard to keep up with, as my life was changing constantly. First I was living in Virginia, then the holidays, then I was studying all the time, and finally I got a job and graduated. Now my life has settled into a pattern again, and I want a project! 

Blogging is great, but can feel a bit obsolete. Few people in my age range actually follow and read blogs anymore, myself included!

I've been working on a podcast with my friend for the past six months, and I've fallen in love with that format. (Quick plug for READ IT AGAIN RADIO SHOW) I started to think about starting my own podcast, and that's when I came up against these three questions. I realized that these are the questions that have been keeping me from investing in my Instagram, my blog, a podcast, etc.
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What do I have to share? This is a hard one, because I have a lot of opinions. I think I have lots to share on a person-to-person, conversational level. But when it comes to putting myself out there I run into the big issue of "WHY?" Why should people listen to me? Am I actually doing something unique? What's the point?

What am I willing to share? This question is the hardest. Again, personally I am pretty open about my opinions. But generally, I don't love everyone knowing what I think/believe on a particular subject. I feel like in a place and time where people are judged very much on political beliefs rather than morals or character, it is vulnerable to put yourself out there. I try to live and let live, and I don't want someone to feel called out or accused because I say something publicly.

How much am I willing to invest/commit? All these projects are a lot of work, there is no way around that. None of them are fun all the time and when its something like a blog, where nobody is holding me accountable but myself, it can be very difficult to keep up with it.

So, yeah. Thats what's holding me back from keeping up with my blog, or starting a new project. Now that that's out there, I'm going to keep working on moving forward and starting that next big project. I wish you all luck in life and in all your creative endeavors!

Cheers!
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I love me some peach pie! What's more summery than a fresh peach pie with cream? Well, lots of things. Ice tea, swimming, picnics, sunshine...But if you've been craving peach pie as much as I have, this one's for you.
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-4 or 5 fresh peaches
-1/4 cup flour
-Salt
-1tsp cinnamon
-1/2tsp nutmeg
-1tsp fresh lemon zest
-1/2tsp ginger
​-1/4 cup sugar
-Heavy cream
​-Pie crust

Slice your peaches and remove the skins and pits. Prepare your bottom crust in a regular 9inch pie pan. Stir in your flour, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon, ginger, and sugar. Mix well and pour into your crust, smoothing out the top so that it is flat. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes until crust is browned and filling bubbles. Cool pie on counter and then in fridge.

​Whip 1/2 pint of cream with a 1tbs of sugar and top the pie (now cold!) with it. Chill for a few minutes before serving.

I want more already! 

If you want to be extra thrifty you can use the skins and pits to make peach ice tea, but that's a recipe for another day.

Hope your summer is sweet!

So the other day I found myself in one of those army surplus stores with some friends. I was keeping myself busy, rummaging through clearance, when I came across a pair of slacks. Think like, officer slacks but TINY. They were a super itchy polyester fabric, but they fit me perfectly! I didn't get a photo with them on, but you'll have to take my word for it.

I was really into how simple they were. I'd been searching all the stores for the past two months for a pair of slacks with no luck. Old Navy, Marshalls, Target, Salvation Army, Goodwill, NOTHING FIT!!!! I considered making some but I was dreading buying a pattern and having to make a mockup. Then in a stroke of luck, I walked into the army surplus store and found slacks that felt like they were made for me. 

The other amazing thing about these pants is how adjustable they are. They were made to be altered!

The more people I talk to people the more I realize that department store clothes really don't fit anyone. They are poorly made and nobody ever seems to be comfortable in them. These pants were anything but that. I was intrigued by the construction of them, so I decided to tear them apart to find out more and create a pattern out of them. 

I started by taking the crotch seam apart. I'd never made slacks before, but any time I've made pants I sew them like this:
- Side seam
-Crotch seam
-Inseam
-Fastenings/buttons

The slacks were sewn in this order:
-Left pant leg inseam/outseam
-Right pant leg inseam/outseam
-Zipper
-Waistband
-Crotch seam

All the seams were left open and raw edges were serged. The construction was so simple I could probably whip up a pair of these in two hours. 

Once I took them apart, I ironed all the pieces flat. Now I can use them any time I want to make new pants. I'm super excited to make a new pair of slacks! Do you think more clothes should be made simply, like these? I know I'm a big fan!

Last Saturday I spent five hours in the kitchen. 

It was a warm day and I'd been promising my boyfriend sticky buns for several weeks. It was a warm day, everyone in the house was busy, the sun shone, and I felt very peaceful. Whenever I am baking or cooking for other people I always feel happy. With an apron on, wrist deep in soft, warm dough. The smell of cinnamon and yeast was in the air, mixed with the scent of the mint my little brother was picking and stuffing into his pockets for later. It was a lovely picture.

Recently I've been getting into cookbooks. I don't really enjoy following recipes, but I love stories about food. They are such vivid memories that paint bright, colorful pictures. The stories are relatable, mouth-watering, and inspiring. I like to read them and think about all the things I am going to bake in the future.
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But anyway, the real reason I decided to sit down and write a blog post is because I love memories and I love sharing memories. So today I have a short memory for you.

Until next time!
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A lot has happened recently and I figured since I've been getting more traffic on this blog I'd better give an update!

First of all, many of you will be disappointed to hear that I've put an indefinite pause on my Laura Ingalls Wilder project. Being able to work on this project was a huge blessing and I've enjoyed every moment. But after putting on several performances I found I didn't really want to put my energy into it anymore. It took me a little while to admit because I worked so hard on it, but my heart wasn't really in it anymore. 
Who knows, maybe I'll come back to this project someday! But for now, my Laura Ingalls obsession will just be a hobby. However, I want to thank everyone who was so incredibly excited and supportive of me during the process. I was overwhelmed with the positive response I received along the way. Thank you!

Now, onto new business! I'm so excited to share that I will be interning at Old Sturbridge Village next summer AND doing seamstress work professionally. Between both of these things, I should be sufficiently busy! I will try to keep my blog updated with history, sewing, and other random moments, but I encourage you to follow my Instagram (@what.rosalie.sews) if you are looking for more frequent updates. 

Until next time,
​Rosalie

After several weeks of online discussion, I've decided to address this here on my blog. It is hotly debated in the Laura Ingalls Wilder (LIW) communities and I have remained teetering on the edge since I first heard about it. As a long time Laura fan, her books bring a lot of nostalgia for me. I felt conflicted because I wouldn't want to see parents and teachers banning these books. They are beautiful books and they truly are a product of the time they were written in. Stories about self-reliance, hard work, the importance of family, and yes, unfortunately, colonization. But we can love and adore the Little House books while addressing the many problematic parts of them. 

Taking LIW's name off of the award does not erase the history. This is the slippery slope argument: "If we take LIW's name off of a literary award are we blemishing her legacy and erasing her work from history? What's next?" LIW is a beloved author of many, many Americans. Taking her name off of one award isn't banning us from reading them. It isn't banning us from loving them just as we always do. It's reminding us that those are dated ideas and we should not be turning a blind eye to the fact that they existed and continued to exist. If we ignore them it allows for them to be perpetuated.

The ALSC says:
        "We acknowledge that Wilder’s books not only hold a significant place in the history of children’s literature and continue to be read today, but that they have been and continue to be deeply meaningful to many readers on a personal level. We also acknowledge that they have been deeply painful to many readers, and have been across decades alongside their popularity. Both of these things are true. Neither the option to rename the award nor the option to sunset the award and establish a new award demands that anyone change their personal relationship with or feelings about Wilder’s books."

The award itself is a stamp of recognition. It is impossible to print a disclaimer on every book which holds the stamp. While taking LIW's name off of it gives many of us a knee-jerk reaction it's also the beginning of a conversation. From here we can discuss how to present them to children going forward. The books should serve as a platform for conversation as well as a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read.

I recently found THIS clip about dealing with racism in the books we love. Grace Lin says that we should treat these books like a racist relative. They aren't right, but we still love them. She says we should be keeping an ear out so that we can address the racism when it comes up, with children and with ourselves. I encourage you to watch the video yourself. She puts it clearly and beautifully in an easily approachable way. 
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I am sad to see Laura's name removed from the award. I love her dearly and it's hard to think about the complexities of something I love so much. That being said, I don't think it is wrong. As scholars of LIW we must step back and be willing to see the big picture. An 80+ year old book is going to be dated. Just look around and see how far we've come in science, law, and technology since the 1930s. The world has changed immensely, so it makes sense that the common idea of what is right and wrong has changed as well. We can still love and appreciate LIW's stories without ignoring the fact that they are racist.

I would like to begin by saying that a corset is a garment with structural integrity, and when you take away the boning and make it from muslin, you end up with a limp rag. I have many issues with mockups, including;

1. wondering if the mockup is too big or just wrinkled
2. trying to reach behind yourself awkwardly to pin it is nearly impossible
3. you either end up stabbing yourself or pinning the whole thing to your shirt without realizing
4. frayed edges and repeatedly having to rip out seams

Luckily, I survived the ordeal with LOTS of starch (YAY FOR STARCH!). I make my own starch and it's the best thing since sliced bread. I don't use a recipe; I mix water and a little cornstarch (approximately 1tsp per cup of water. I eyeball it, so I couldn't say exactly) in a pot and cook it until the water goes from foggy to opaque. It's a very obvious shift: it bubbles sort of like a syrup, and is slightly thicker than water. If you dip a spoon into the mixture, it should coat the back. Obviously, you can always add more cornstarch if your starch isn't strong enough. But my small batch of starch is usually very strong. It's really incredible stuff. It makes the whole experience of sewing with plain weaves so much better and neater. 

Anyway, I put the muslin together. The gores were a little tricky (maybe I can do a brief tutorial in the next post). I didn't understand the pattern directions, so I just sort of made it up as I went along. Luckily, they all turned out alright.

It was a train wreck, to put it lightly. Trying to fit the limp mockup was awful! I tried to use some crappy Jo-Anne's boning to give some support but it just made it worse, curling inwards and poking me. That stuff is awful! 10/10 would not recommend. I finished my work that evening by throwing it on the floor in defeat and taking this photo for my Instagram feed:

It stayed there, crumpled in a little ball for about a week while I pondered what to do (and by ponder, I mean procrastinated by making other fun things). But I finally came back to it, this time armed with starch. Oh, magical starch! I picked up the mockup, took my stray pins and boning out, and starched and ironed the hell out of that thing! Plus, I added a zipper at the front. I did this with my last corset and it worked very well. Unfortunately, the first time I worked on the mockup I had no zipper, which was part of my downfall. This time went swimmingly! I was able to put it on and fit it without too much trouble at all. And it looked gorgeous!

Now I'm just waiting on my fabric and busk so I can get started on the real thing. Fingers crossed that with a load of starch and some hard work, it will come out alright!

Until next time, 
​Rosalie

        I started with the bodice, as that is where the directions began. I am a DD or E cup, so I cut out the D cup pattern (the largest one). My mockup fit in the ok bust, but had WAY too much room in the body. I ended up taking material from every seam, and even reshaping the side seams slightly to fit my shape. After several hours of shaping and reshaping my mockup, I decided I was satisfied. One thing I learned while making this dress was that it was important to get it tight. I knew I wouldn't be satisfied if the bodice was baggy or wrinkled, so I made my mockup as snug as possible. Also, I did add boning in the end, which the instructions do not include, but I wanted.

       Overall, I was very pleased with this pattern. I would use it again and recommend it to people in the future. The instructions were clear, I didn't have to do much tweaking, and I loved how many historic details it included. See the finished dress HERE.