1950s Cobbler Apron

My Grandma gave me a few of her aprons last month. Today I am posting the first one. I love the cheerful red with the blue gingham binding. It is a mid 50s cobbler style apron. Cobbler style meaning it has a full front and back. I am not sure how that name came to be, doesn't make to much sense to me. I have also been playing around with how to photograph my aprons better, as you probably noticed!

 I thought at first this was a homemade apron, possibly made from this pattern. It is very much the same....ties at back neck...tuck darts in front for the sash...large roomy pockets on front.

 But once washed and ironed, I noticed a LABEL! Unfortunately it is a bit frayed and not completely decipherable. But very exciting as you don't find many aprons with labels!

 Don't you think it is says Party Perfect? And of all places-Milwaukee!! I guess it never wandered far from home.

Homemade Bread

This weekend I made Cinnamon Raisin Bread. I have been craving it for weeks! I could just taste it, a lightly toasted slice of cinnamon rich bread, dripping with real butter for breakfast! Of course life being life, I didn't have the bread done until about 8pm Saturday night. But I thought, no problem! I will have it tomorrow for breakfast. As is was cooling, I kept hearing comments.... about how good it smelled ....and how nice it looked ....and were we going to have some tonight?
Before I knew what was happening the whole family was in the kitchen drooling!! Needless to say one loaf disappeared that night. My brother told me that is what I got for making a small batch! I didn't think two loaves was a small batch!?!
This recipe is the best bread I have ever had. I love the texture, perfect for toast or sandwiches. If it lasts that long! It sticks together nicely, doesn't crumble too much and can be used for anything. Cinnamon rolls, cinnamon bread, dinner rolls, wheat bread, oatmeal bread. 



Homemade Bread

from Family Meals by Maria Helm Sinskey

2 3/4 cups flour

4 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons dry yeast

2 1/2 cups milk, warmed to 105 degrees

1/2 cup honey or sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
A little tip we just discovered. Use a thermometer to test how warm your milk it. We have been cooking our yeast!
In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the milk, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the honey and salt, let stand for 5 minutes and whisk again. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the 2 3/4 cups flour. Add the butter. Stir in the rest of the flour by cupful until a smooth dough is formed. (Either by hand or with a stand mixer.) Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly. Return to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm place and let rise until doubled. About 2-2 1/2 hours. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter two 8 x 4 loaf pans. Punch down dough, cut in half* and shape into loaves. Place in pans and let rise until dough is 1 inch above rim, about 45 minutes. Bake until the tops are golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped, 35-40 minutes.
*For Cinnamon Raisin Bread: After dough is divided, flatten each pieces out into a rectangle and sprinkle cinnamon, sugar and raisins on it. Roll up and pinch ends. Place in pans and let rise.

Enjoy!

Winter Wonderland

Well, we ended up with about 6 inches. It is very pretty out today, but last night it was not fun driving!

Here are a few pictures from this morning.

 A walk in the Park!

It's Snowing!!

There is something very cozy about looking out your window and watching the snow swirl. I know....I am a good Wisconsin girl....I love snow!! Admitedly, we do get tired of it come March, but we definatly miss it in Devember and January. It is so weird to think that this is really our first good snow (we don't count the few fluffs we had in December).

So what to do on a cozy snowy day?

Isn't she cute? Just a random picture found on the web.

Well, considering I am at work and really can't curl up and knit while I watch a movie. I am going to do some end of year file cleaning!! Sounds somewhat cozy.....with the music cranked up...... 

What do you like to do on snowy/bad weather days?

P.S. Sneak peak for next week! A new apron I have been working on! Using Wearing History's new pattern. Can't wait to show you!

Photos!

I am so excited to be sharing with you today old photos of aprons, not just aprons but my relations wearing aprons! I love old pictures, especially when they are of relatives. My sister is the unofficial family historian. She had taken it upon herself to digitize and catalog the family photos. At least once a year she goes to grandma's and gets another batch of photos. So these are freshly discovered!

First of all, here is Great-Grandma Anna. As you can see she has one of her trademark aprons on! She is holding two of her grandchildren. This is only the second picture I have of her is color. It was a very exciting find!

Aunt Margy (wearing a cute half apron with stripes!) with her son and an unknown lady. She is a great aunt on my Dad's father's side or something like that!

My grandma and her sister playing with their new dishes and wearing aprons!

I love this one, too cute.

Great-great Grandparents Andrew and Alma with their son. They were Finnish.

This week has been a little crazy as my car died on Saturday. Not just broke down, laid down and died dead!  So I am in the midst of car shopping, not the most enjoyable thing. I hope everyone's week is going well!

Clean the New Year in Right!

 Last weekend with my time off I gave my room and closet/sewing room a good cleaning and re-organization. The best way to bring in a new year, don't you think?

I live in an old house that has wonderful walk-in closets that you can get lost in! My closet is both a closet and my sewing nook. I am now able to move my sewing space out to a bigger place, but for now I love coziness of it! I can tuck myself away from the everthing and not get disturbed. mostly because I am hard to find!

 Come right in!

Part of my milk bottle collection I try to make useful and a pattern for inspiration.

 My little 50s Kennmore sewing machine. I love her. We have been through so much together! I think this is the first sewing machine that was mine, as I learned on my Mom's. Not so crazy about the color, but love the size. It is a half size machine.

 A little inspiration on the walls!

 My new organizer boxes! So everything is just not a heap on the table.

 Of course there is one for aprons! And one for fabric waiting to be made into aprons.

More vintage ads on the other wall.

It was really hard to get good pictures as it is such a small space! Well, small with a sewing table in it! I am quite proud of my little space as for years and years I just had to sew on the dining room table. I love tucking myself in and losing myself in a project.

Do you have a sewing space or crafting room?

Mice!!

 Aren't they cute?! A friend pass this recipe on to me and I just couldn't resist. They can be a little time consuming to make, but are not hard. I got a little carried away on taking pictures of them! Lol

To make Chocolate Mice

You will need:

1 package Hugs Kisses (the white chocolate and regular chocolate kisses)

16 oz. chocolate to melt, i.e. chocolate chips or candy making chocolate

1 jar of maraschino cherries, with stems

1 oz. bag of sliced almonds

 Melt chocolate in double boiler, dip cherries in chocolate being careful not to loose stems, place on parchment or waxed paper. Depending on how hot your chocolate is, wait a few seconds for it to cool, then place one unwrapped Hug next to cherry making sure it sticks. After you have finished dipping your cherries and placing hugs, stick sliced almonds on for ears, dipping ends in chocolate to adhere.(You might have to re-heat your chocolate at some point, I just leave the water on the stove simmering.) I broke the almonds in half as to me the looked to big on the mice. After ears are finished you can add eyes and noses by dipping the tip of a toothpick in chocolate and dotting it on. I forgot to count how many I made, I just kept going until I ran out. It made two baking sheets full.

An army of Mice!