Pillow Book II, day 5

My sewing skills are a little rusty. I can still use the sewing machine, and do a nice job, but I forget things like the need for interfacing, or shrinkage.

This first photo was from a couple of days ago. I was trying out different arrangements, and decided I didn't like having the most 'readable' page in the middle. So this was what I ended up with:



I finished making the pillow case this afternoon. And after much thinking about Rachel's comment about things looking so 'new', I decided I'd wash the pillow case. Yes, I knew it would shrink some, but I figured it was extra big enough that that was ok. Here's the tulle pinned to the finished pillow case:



Well, two things --

1. I forgot that things shrink in the direction of the grain A LOT MORE than the other direction.
2. I forgot how MUCH things shrank.

So after washing and drying (in very low heat), well, the pillow case didn't quite work any more. It still fit, but I didn't have the border, which I wanted for this pillow. So two options:

a. Trim the pillow down and forget about the border.
b. Make another.

I went with b. I still had enough fabric left, and this time, I washed and dried it first! I'm not quite finished with the 2nd attempt yet, but should be finished tomorrow. In the mean time, I have an idea for what I'd do with the extra pillow case. See this entry for day 4.

I have the smell of the hot iron stuck in my nose, or maybe it's my head. I can still smell it. I smelled it while we were at the movies, which as promised, was the Chipmunks movie. It had me at the talking animals, what can I say. Although I was expecting that it would be a wee bit more sophisticated. But I think the Chipmunks should do a belly dancing album! That's what I think.

The persimmon 'custard' came out ok. I still think a bit of ginger would add a lot. The Good Prince suggested making a ginger sauce to drizzle on top...sounds like a fine idea.

Speaking of food, we tried a new restaurant today—Zeppo Italian Restaurant in Lake Oswego. I have to give it the highest ratings for the antipasto plate (that was my dinner), beautifully presented, a nice variety, and they took out the roasted garlic cloves and put them in a little side dish—very nice touch—so you don't have to struggle with them.