Pleasant View Schoolhouse

Periodically I get the urge to sew tiny smocks, even though Daisy won't wear them. It's just fun to put on bias binding, I guess.


This universally flattering coral polka dot came from a dress of mine that I cut down. The full skirt afforded enough fabric for two smocks, both of which are bound in natural muslin, and button with vintage wood-tone buttons.


I'll be posting them in my etsy shop in a couple of days, but if anyone is interested now, please e-mail me and save me the trouble! ($19 including shipping).

A fun modern pattern (Butterick 5030) in a simple wrap shape.

This cotton is a little stiff to drape well for this dress, but I do love the print. I made the sash to wear with it, but it's not necessary. And if you leave it off,


then you can enjoy the fun button that closes the waist.

I did have to put major darts in the neckline to keep it from gaping enormously. I didn't realize they would be needed until after I put the facings in (hear me sighing as I rip out stitching). It's fine for messing around in, but I won't be wearing it to meet the queen.

Look at how much work these bluebirds are getting done! And how much I'm avoiding when I sit and embroider . . . .

This is worlds away from a typical American lasagna--just a little tomato, and almost no cheese. But if you have the time and inclination, this lasagna will Knock Your Socks Off. For a fact.

The recipe comes from the Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader, which is full of good things.

*Cynthia's Lasagna*

To make the tomato sauce:
Brown 6 strips of bacon, chopped.
When crisp, add 1 3/4 lb. ground round to pot and cook until browned.

Add:
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green peppers
2 finely chopped carrrots
1 c. finely chopped celery
3 cloves minced garlic
and saute for about 8 minutes.

Add:
1 c. white wine and cook until mostly evaporated.

Add:
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, and simmer for two hours. Sauce will dry up and become thick.

Stir in 1/2 c. cream,
2 t. salt and
1 t. pepper.

While all that is going on, cook:
1 pound lasagna noodles.

And make the bechamel sauce by:
melting 7 T. butter
then stirring in 7 T. flour, and stirring until mixture is smooth.
Slowly whisk in:
4 c. milk, and stir until bubbling and smooth. Don't burn it!
Take off heat and add:
1 t. salt
1 t. Cajun seasoning, and
1/2 t. nutmeg.

Okay, when you're ready to assemble the lasagna, Pam a 13 x 9 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350. Spoon 1 c. of the meat sauce into the dish, and top with a single layer fresh spinach leaves. Cover with a layer of noodles, then do a layer of bechamel, and sprinkle with part of 1 c. of Parmesan cheese. Keep repeating the layers of sauce, spinach, noodles, bechamel, cheese, until you've used up your ingredients--but make sure to end up with bechamel sauce and a last sprinkling of Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and keeping baking for 15 minutes, then let stand for 10 minutes. Serves about 12.

This is one of those wonderful recipes that takes the most ordinary ingredients, and with imagination and care, makes something really unusual and delicious.

For years I've appreciated Edith Schaeffer's rich, detailed, and practical books on homemaking (What Is a Family?, The Hidden Art of Homemaking), but it wasn't until a helpful reader commented here that I even realized that she had written a substantial autobiography called The Tapestry.

This spring I got a copy and spent a rainy weekend enjoying it--it's quite substantial. I read and read and read to the end, loving her accounts of her and Fran's childhoods, early years of marriage, family life, and Fran's death. Then I put the book back on the shelf, intending to pull it down and reread it soon.

Today I picked it back up, and when I opened it remembered that my used copy had doodles and writing inside the front cover. I'm lazy about trying to read people's handwriting, so I'd never read the inscription. Or the signature. But look at this:


Much love to you too, Edith.

Boy did I wake up on the wrong side of this bed this morning! I napped, I walked, I bought a blueberry bush at the store; but nothing soothed the savage beast except the tray of scones Bella made while I was gone (Joy of Cooking).


I felt better after I bit their heads off.

I had so much fun creating this little baby jacket and bonnet, thinking how perfect it would be for a little strawberry blonde baby, or one with striking brown eyes.


Fortune favored me with a never-used thrifted tablecloth (early 1960s?) in these fun and slightly funky oranges, golds, and browns.


I fiddled around with the pattern layout, wanting to catch the best designs on the best part of the jacket.


Or course, because this is a 1940's pattern, there's a pointed yoke overlay over a deep inverted pleat (sigh). The jacket ties closed with brown velvet ribbon.


There was plenty of fabric for a little matching bonnet, which ties under the chin with the same ribbon, and is lined with the softest white cotton voile.

If you know the young lady who needs this ensemble, you can visit the shop.

Attempted English muffins for the first time today--what a thrill to see them coming off the griddle looking just like store-bought! I used all white flour for this first try, but if we like them enough to make them again, I'll do part white/part white next time.

Bella has promised to toast these, and fry ham to go in them, while I run intervals in the morning. Yum!

I almost love my hydrangeas best when they're shabby and rusty . . . .

Felix spent part of last week building a cardboard boat. Eschewing frills and fancies, he stuck to a streamlined form meant to function like a kayak.


The squirt gun of super-adhesive made him feel powerful, he said.


The "Shearwater", ready for action.


Except for an unfortunate tendency to fold up in the middle, the Shearwater did fine. Felix made it all the way to the end of the course, despite being accidentally rammed by . . .


the S. S. Minnow, complete with the entire cast of Gilligan's Island, plus two headhunters.


And here's a fantastic cardboard boat built to look like a dragon, that I'm throwing in because it was so cool!

This is a boy I like to cook for, since he appreciates everything I put on the table. He's here for the weekend, and he likes apple pie, so we baked him one.

I've just stuffed my etsy shop with clothes that I loved making, but loved making right before I started running. Guess what? They don't fit now! Apparently all that running has made my shoulders smaller. Or something.

I hope these dresses, blouses, and aprons will find good homes where they are loved for their own vintage-styled selves. Happy looking!

A perfect morning for Daisy because it involves her blankie, her markers, and her princess coloring book. And staying in her onesie.

Just red enough to be a good match for a vintage dresser scarf.

The beginnings of Bella's set of vintage china, all gifts from her grandmother. The china is stamped "Eggshell Nautilus".


A most beautiful sugar bowl resting on a square salad plate. Not shown, at least forty other pieces. And more on the way!

It's not a busy Saturday when there's time to sort out the vintage buttons by color, and mess around with the camera.

. . . a bird


. . . with acrylics.

Bella asked for a wrap skirt of some stone-colored denim sitting in the stash. I started with a plain rectangle and darted the front and back to fit her figure.


After turning down a waistband, I sewed a velvet ribbon over it both to hide my messy top-stitching and to reinforce it for the buttons and snaps. And because it looks cute.


But the fun really started when I looked on my shelves for something to embellish the hem. I picked out a tablecloth that shares the same neutral color, but is sprigged with soft daisies. I cut out squares, pinned them across the bottom of the skirt, and zigzagged them on, leaving about an eight of an inch for a raw edge which is fraying nicely in the wash.


If it's good enough for Boden, it's good enough for me!

Three aprons, a housedress, and some Grace Livingston Hill in the shop tonight.

I've tucked several items into my shop, and most of them are yellow.

I was amazed to find this much detail in what is basically a glorified tee. The back and sleeves pleat into a rounded back yoke.


The front neckline gathers under a cotton lace overlay.


Blouse from Banana Republic.

A full day of tooling around Savannah? I'll head straight to the Paris Market and Brocante, thanks!


Daisy chose a long violet-scented marshmallow,


and I thought the violet and lemon French candies would look good in my purse.


Delicious infused water--this was strawberry and pineapple. I've been making it myself since we got home, with everything from lemon balm to apples and rosemary. Beautiful!


Off to a picnic in one of the many squares, with French sodas stashed in the lunch bag.


On to the paper store, where I loaded up on little brown paper notebooks to embellish, and Clara splurged on scarlet hummingbird stationery.


Then Giles had to get down to business (imagine!)


so we left him to it, and went to the Gryphon Tea Room which is run by SCAD. Lusciously beautiful inside, of course, with high ceilings, white light reflected off marble, and a tiled floor.


The milk pitcher was just Daisy's size, and she poured for everyone.


She also claimed the prettiest tart,


but there were plenty to go around.


Off to the beach for a little wading . . .


and bird photography.


Sunday we did our last meal together for a little while,


and had one last hug,


and said our goodbyes. We know Giles will be happy in this wonderful place.

Congratulations to Sian Draycott, comment #82, and winner of the flamingo apron! Thank you to everyone who participated. Sian, email me with your address at pleasantviewschoolhouse-at-gmail dot com.

Amazingly, everything fit into the back of the van, and everyone still had a seat.


We headed back into some heat and humidity.


Dropped off the dorm stuff, met the roommate, drove around town just a little: Savannah is just as enchanting as everyone says.


Went out to dinner. It was delicious and no one was wanting to argue with the constant cool ocean breeze.


But we all felt a little, what shall I say, funny?


A little bit of heartbreak when I took Daisy to the potty, and while washing her hands she asked trustfully, "Is this Felix's Christmas trip?" When I explained that we were here so that Giles could start living in his new room she said, "You mean he isn't going to live at home anymore at all?" Oh dear, I don't think she has been listening the last few months.


At least, she won't be bothered by him loving on her *all the time*.

More Savannah tomorrow.

Tomorrow we carry Giles off to college. The week has been filled with lasts: last evening of cards with Grandpa, last golf game with the Composer, last set of photos for me, last dinner at home . . . .


Tomorrow the firsts begin as we drive this gorgeous, talented, helpful, obnoxious, mature baby off to a new home . . . and drive home without him . . . and become, for ten weeks at a time, a family with four children, not five. I can't imagine how that will feel.


Good thing Giles has a lovely set of thrifted gray and white dishes! And that I machine-embroidered his white towels to match. Because goodness how things would go for him without these goodies in hand.

I have been playing around with the patterns and ideas in A Is for Apron by Nathalie Mornu. Lots of good inspiration in there! So much so that I was inspired to create this Charming Flamingo Apron, which I am now going to give away in honor of my 1000th post. The flamingo fabric is a rayon/linen blend, the polka dot pockets are cotton, and best of all, there is a sterling silver flamingo charm tucked into one of those dotty pockets.


This should fit a wide range of sizes--in fact, it's tied its tightest on Lucille's 28" waist. So lots of room through the middle! The neck straps button with a vintage pink button.

Dear readers, I am grateful for each of you! Leave your name in the comment hat to win a delicious package. I'll draw on Tuesday, September 16, at noon Central time.

[edited for better photos--from Giles]

Yesterday we loaded up the bikes and dropped eleven riders, kids and adults, on a back road, then drove around to meet them at the lake.


The Composer and I brought along a huge spaghetti dinner. A meal together, some readings from John, a dip in the lake at sunset.


Carol and I have been watching our kids swim together for seventeen years.

So this is Felix's china. Is it perfect or what? These Homer Laughlin budgies are absolutely adorable.


I love how the blue sings right out of the quiet cream and gold setting.


And here's a teapot with a china bird on the lid: charming.


And there are several pieces, all beautifully shaped, with these wonderfully fat bluebirds on them. Lucky, lucky Felix.

Remember this project? I started it in January and knitted hard through the first part of the winter, much of it while caring for my grandmother.

After her death I put it away for a while, but I pulled it back out and finished it just in time for fall.

The pattern calls for embroidered embellishments, and I've tried three different colorways and textures, but find that I like it best without. The lovely dimensional texture is all the interest the sweater needs.

My mother, a dish addict, recently realized that each of my children needed a set of dishes against the day when they set up housekeeping. Not letting the grass grow under her feet, she has amassed an entire set of these charming "Priscilla" dishes for Clara.


We gave them a test run today, with a black chocolate cake on the platter and P.G. Tips in the teapot. Very nice. (To make a black chocolate cake, substitute Dutch process cocoa for the regular in the cake and the frosting. Delicious and messy.)

Vintage sewing patterns for baby layettes are irresistible--I just can't get enough of the sweet cover drawings. Of course, the patterns are useful too! This little jacket was only three pieces plus the bias binding. And if only I had made raglan sleeves more recently than years ago (or if the pattern instructions were in the envelope), it would have taken only a few minutes to put together.

It'll be in the shop with lots of other goodies later in the week, I hope.