Steve Alan knock off

One of the last sewing projects I finished before we left India was a skirt. I wanted to make a cute, high-waisted skirt, and Steven Alan's ikat Ella Skirt proved to be good inspiration. I used my usual pattern drafting sources, and came up with a very basic pattern - waist band for the back and front, plus a couple of carefully measured rectangles for the skirt body.

The pockets turned out to be the most challenging part! I didn't know how to make kangaroo pockets, so I had to wing it three times with an old curtain before I was satisfied.

The fabric is a 100-percent hand loom cotton ikat, similar in colour as the Ella Skirt.

I painstakingly finished the raw edges with bias tape that I made, and hand hemmed the fully lined skirt. It took a while to finish but it made for a very neatly finished skirt.

I finally got to wear it a weekend ago, when the sun was shining, and all of Paris came out to enjoy the fine weather. I like the gathers between the pockets, the pockets work, and it is very comfortable to wear. All in all, a success!

Mixing it up

It isn't very surprising that my carbohydrate intake has gone up significantly in the last two weeks. Good thing I'm not counting. We are in Paris after all, and as cliché as it might sound, I have been stopping by a boulangerie every single day since we got here.

My lack of a sizable French vocabulary, and the pressure of people queuing up behind me waiting to order, had me a little stuck. Stuck ordering baguette traditionnelle, pain au chocolat, and croissant. Not that I haven't been enjoying these; I just didn't know how to ask for anything else.

So last week when a friend suggested that I try a new bread each week, I set off to a new-to-me boulangerie with a definite goal. From my carfeul homework, I knew that Poilâne didn't sell baguettes, so it was a good place to start since I couldn't chicken out, and I had to order something new.

I came away with a few slices of their famous levain, feeling rather pleased with my little victory, and for venturing out of my comfort zone and mixing it up.

I might have picked up a familiar treat as well!

The bread was delicious, smeared with butter and a sprinkle of sel de mer. I'm not sure what I'm going to try to order at the boulangerie this week, but I'm looking forward it.

Five things

1. We've moved to Paris temporarily and I hope to continue blogging from here.
2. I brought my sewing machine and knitting needles across the ocean, so there should be some crafting chez moi.
3. I brought every garment I owned that was black and I still don't have enough black clothes.
4. I need to clean my camera's lens filter.
5. I am in Paris! Did I mention that already?

Stay tuned.

Gateau au Citron

I usually bake a carrot cake for my husband on his birthday but this year he felt like something lighter and more tart. In the past, I have made this delicious Meyer Lemon Cake with Lavender Cream from epicurious but this year I was aiming for something simpler but equally delicious. This Gateau au Citron fit the bill perfectly!

I used Orangette's recipe but replaced the canola oil with olive oil for a more fruity flavour. I've used it in cakes before and have been surprised by the lightness of the crumb and the mild, delicious flavour. Since I only had self-raising flour at hand, I only used 1/2-3/4 tsp of baking powder. And since I only have an OTG (oven, toaster, grill), that's what I used! Despite of the non-exactness of my methods, it turned out very well. It was such a hit, we promptly baked a second one!

Ingredients

1/2 cup yogurt (I used homemade yogurt)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1/2 cup olive oil

For glaze:

Juice from 2 lemons (I used 1 1/2 this time)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine yogurt, sugar and eggs and mix well. Add sifted flour, baking powder and zest. Stir till just combine. Add oil, mix.

Butter and line 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Bake for 30-35 minutes. When cake is completely cool, mix lemon juice and powdered sugar and spoon over cake.

Enjoy!

Anna Tunic

I had attempted this pattern some time back, well before I had a blog, and had to resize it after cutting into the fabric. I had cut out the XS but it turned out too large for me. I was able to salvage the tunic by taking in the sides significantly but had to fidget a lot before the armholes fit nicely.

So this time, I resized it before cutting into my fabric. I took in about 1/2" on either side from the back and front pieces, and dropped the armholes accordingly; I'm glad I did.

It fits well. It's a simply constructed garment, with a yoke and two large pieces of fabric. No darts or zippers. But there are buttons...

... an attractive detail but I couldn't find the perfect ones. I like these well enough for now. The pattern calls for cloth, shank style buttons but they don't sell kits here. How do other tailors in India do it? They either make them without a kit or give it out to the sewing supplies shop and someone there makes it for them! I didn't have patience for either, so these will have to do for now.

I made it using a mul mul, a very finely spun cotton, and lined it with a thicker cotton. The dress is very comfortable and cool, and perhaps versatile enough to wear it as a jumper on cooler days. The pattern is straightforward and easy, and like all of Amy Butler's patterns, the directions are well spelt out.

After taking photos of the dress, we found puppies! All huddled together by the parking area. We let them be since mama dog was lurking suspiciously in the distance, but they were hard to resist. As always, thanks to my husband for taking photos of me in my new dress.

Travel wallet

Before we set off on our long trip in February, I made my husband a travel wallet. He wanted something that could be concealed but also be easily accessed. There are several sturdy ones that can be purchased (he owns one) but he wanted something smaller, less bulky, and more comfortable to wear on the road.

I used some sturdy fabric to make a couple of loops that fit over his belt, and attached them to a basic, lined zippered pouch that I made using scrap fabric. It's just large enough to hold his passport and other travel documents. It flips over easily and is almost completely concealed!

He wore it every single day for four months, after which it began to look pretty weary and tired!

The next time I make one, I'm going to try and incorporate a water resistant lining or perhaps use some sort of water resistant fabric. Nothing that will make it too bulky but something to help keep travel documents and money dry-er, the next time we are caught in a heavy downpour again!

A week of rain

I almost skipped yoga class last Wednesday because of the downpour, and here I am, feeling lazy to go to class this evening because it's still raining. I haven't seen the sun for a full week! I am thoroughly enjoying the cool temperatures and the steaming cups of chai with fresh mint that go with.

All this rain has mostly kept us indoors and I have been crafting a fair bit. I finished knitting a knee-high sock and cast on for the second one, and I finished sewing a couple of tops and a skirt. Quite productive but they still have to be photographed.

I do, however, have photos of some of the things I cooked over the weekend. You may have noticed that a lot of the photos that I have been posting here lately (especially of dinner) are rather dark. I have been playing around with the settings on my camera in an effort to take better pictures in low light conditions without the flash. Seems like I am now able to shoot dark photos with less of a blur!

I'll try and take some photos of my sewing this week. In the meanwhile, here are a few from the weekend.

Tamarind rice with vaal

Aloo saag

Tea time snack: spicy sweet potato chips

Chilli paneer in-progress