I've wanted to make a simple A-line dress for my niece for some time now. Actually, I've dreamed of a knit dress (I'm in love with Coco's bobble dress http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2008/8/29/whits-knits-cocos-bobble-dress.html), but I recently opted for the more economical amazing floral corduroy material that I found. (I also purchased a corduroy paisley print, but I haven't started that project yet!) Although I picked out a simple pattern my sewing expertise was put to the test! I've sewn pillows and curtains before (interpret: straight lines), but this was my first experience with interfacing, curves and button holes. I'm happy to announce that the process only required countless Internet searches, 3 trips to Hancock fabrics, 2 bandaids and one plea for help via Facebook. Happy Fall Maddie! I hope you love your dress!
For Mother's Day I gave my mom a copy of Jan Karon's Kitchen Reader that accompanies the Mitford Series. I've never read the books, but Momma is a huge fan of Father Tim and his parishioners. So this summer we're cooking our way through some of the yummy recipes. Yesterday our first attempt was the Orange Marmalade cake. I have to admit I had my doubts - I'm not a huge fan of any cake and putting orange marmalade on a cake didn't sound appetizing - but I was happy to be proved wrong! It was wonderful! Even more enjoyable than the cake was the time we were able to spend together. We followed the recipe without any deviation and the end result was a light fluffy cake with the perfect sour cream icing (not too sweet/not too sour). It's a really pretty cake although I could use a tutorial in icing. Come have a piece! 
