Embroidery progress, a bread review and a dress-to-be

Back in July, Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching released a free robot (or "Hug-Bot") pattern on her site.  As soon as I had printed it out, Sparky claimed it for a pillow.  We went to the store together to select the perfect shade of embroidery floss, and finally decided on a variegated green (officially: "DMC Color Variations #4045").

 
I love the way the colors shift so subtly as I stitch.  (Sorry for the sub-par pic -- I was working quickly yesterday.)

While we were on our summertime road trip, I finished stitching the four embroidery designs to hang in the children's playroom.  I've put off showing them to you, because I wanted to have them all framed and hung up, but sadly I chose ONE WRONG frame last time that I was at the store, and now have to go back and get a different one (what are the chances that ONE OUT OF FOUR has no wall hanger?!  AGGHH!!)  So anyway, here they are (all patterns are available at Aimee Ray's Etsy shop, "little dear"):


Man Hill
 
 


 Happy Garden

 


Bird Hill

 


Grandfather Mushroom (this one is free and available here, as well as instructions for crayon tinting your fabric)

 


I plan to pick up the correct 4th frame later on this week, so I should be able to show you the Final Display soon after.

Completely unrelated: I have fallen hopelessly in love with Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bread.

 

It's freaking fantastic, and stays beautifully delicious for days, thanks to all of the butter, eggs and milk.  I've tinkered around with the recipe, substituting half White Whole Wheat for the White All Purpose, swapping out the sugar for honey, and finally came to switching out all of the All Purpose for White Bread Flour (along with 1 Tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten), and OH!  The texture of that bread is the lux, soft, nearly elastic texture that I was looking for.  (Subbing in half White Whole Wheat would be great too, as long as the White Bread Flour is used for the other half -- and the Vital Wheat Gluten.)


 

So to recap: DO NOT USE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR.  Your loaf will be crazy dry, and you'll find yourself using insane amounts of butter on your toast.  Use Bread Flour.  It's Slap Yo Mamma Good.

Oh, and broiling a slice with butter and cinnamon sugar on top?  It'll change your life.

This weekend I did some clearance shopping at Old Navy and scored this cute little dress for about $5.

 

Today's project: use this dress to make a knock-off version sans ruffles, and possibly with a gored skirt and elastic below the bustline.