Frontier Shirt

 Each Christmas I try to make a special gift for Adam. This year I made Adam a Cavalry/Frontier shirt. I have admired this style shirt for gentlemen for quite a while and have dreamed of sewing one for Adam.

Last winter Adam and I watched "Call of the Wild" from 1935. We both really enjoyed the movie, and Adam decided that he must have a shirt like the one Clark Gable and his friend wore in the movie. The shirts worn in the movie were sewn from a thick checked wool. The shirts looked so warm and cozy, just perfect for traveling across Alaska. It seemed the perfect time to sew Adam a square bib shirt.

I was excited to begin work on the shirt, but had a little difficulty finding a pattern, mostly because I didn't know what to call the style. I was delighted when I came across the Folkwear Frontier Shirt Pattern. After more than one failure in making garments for Adam I went forward with this project with much caution. Thankfully I found the pattern to be extremely well designed! All of the pieces went together perfectly and the construction methods recommended by the pattern were perfect.

I love all of the details in the design of this shirt. The front "bib" covers a slit in the front, so the shirt can easily be pulled over the head.

The construction method for the back yoke was terrific and went together with greater ease than I had expected. It looks a bit wrinkled in the picture due to a number of washings and it is flannel. When I make another Frontier shirt for Adam I plan to use wool or at least a wool blend.

I also liked how the v-design from the back yoke was mimicked in the cuff.

Most of all I am so pleased that Adam is enjoying his shirt! He loves to wear it on the weekends while working outside. He says that it more comfortable than wearing a t-shirt and yet keeps him nice and warm. He has even chopped wood while wearing this shirt and claims that it allows him a greater range of arm motion than a typical button up shirt.

Sally Lunn Bread

As a girl I enjoyed reading all of the American Girl book series. It is hard to say which was my favorite, but looking back I think it was Felicity. Reading her book series brought the colonial era to life in my imagination. When I was around 10 years old my family visited colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, which definitely increased my enthusiasm for the 18th century. 

Last week my mom returned my copy of Felicity's Cookbook. I had loaned the book to her a while back and forgotten all about it. It was fun to review the recipes and historical facts sprinkled throughout. When I saw the recipe for Sally Lunn bread I thought that it was a recipe I should try soon. I remember eating a turkey sandwich made with Sally Lunn bread when we visited Williamsburg. The bread was so delicious and unique.

My one setback was that the recipe suggested using a tube pan/angel food cake pan. At the time I did not have a tube pan and was not willing to purchase a new pan just to make this bread.

Much to my delight I found a tube pan over the weekend at our local thrift store! I noticed some writing and numbers on the bottom of the pan. Adam did a little on-line investigation and discovered the pan was made in the 1950's. I am convinced that vintage bake ware is often superior to new bake ware. I guess if has lasted over 50 years it must be well made. : )

 The Sally Lunn bread was a big hit with Adam and Jemimah! It really was a lovely treat on a chilly, rainy spring afternoon. Especially when enjoyed buttered with red raspberry leaf tea. I found this fact from the Felicity's Cookbook interesting: Felicity made tea from raspberry leaves to protest the high tax on tea that came from England. Over the past few years I have read so many articles about the health benefits of red raspberry leaf tea, it really is a nice alternative to black caffeinated tea.

Sally Lunn Bread

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk

1/4 warm water

 1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp.)

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. Measure the milk into a small saucepan and warm over medium heat. Turn off the heat.

2. Measure the warm water into a small bowl. Add the yeast and stir. Then stir the warm milk into the yeast and water.

3.Measure the butter and sugar into a large bowl. Stir them until they are creamy.

4. Crack 1 egg into the mixing bowl of butter/sugar and beat the mixture. Add the second egg and beat the mixture again. 

5.Stir the flour and salt together in a medium mixing bowl.

6. Stir about 1 cup of the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture. Then stir in about 1/3 of the yeast mixture.

7. Add more flour and beat the mixture. Then add more yeast and beat the mixture again. Continue adding yeast and flour in this way, beating the batter unitl it is smooth.

8. Cover the large mixing bowl with a clean towel  and let the batter rise in a warm place for 1 hour. When the batter has doubled in size, remove the towel. Stir the batter quickly to take out the air.

9.Use paper towels to grease the tube pan with shortening or butter.

10. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Cover it with the towel. Let it rise for about 30 minutes, or until it has doubled again in size. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while the batter rises.

11. Remove the towel and bake the bread on the center oven rack 40-45 minutes.

12. Remove bread from the oven. Use a butter knife to loosen the bread from the sides of the pan. Turn the pan upside down to remove the bread.

If you try this recipe I hope you will enjoy it as much a we did! It is a light, moist, delicate, bread. 

Sonnenburg Gardens

 Earlier this month Adam and I visited Sonnenburg Gardens in celebration of our anniversary. Sonnenburg is a beautiful historical mansion surrounded by incredible gardens. It is truly a treat to walk about the grounds enjoying the variety of gardens.

In the photo above Adam is standing beneath a huge beech tree. The photo is rather poor at capturing just how huge this tree is and how the branches create a canopy over the path.

As we walked about the grounds we enjoyed the unique variety of trees. It is also interesting that many of the trees at Sonnenburg were planted by notable historical figures such as Thomas Edison.

 

Here is a photo we took of the mansion from the back. Isn't it fantastic? The house was built in 1887 and named Sonnenburg which means "sunny hill" in German.

 I believe I took these photos in the "Old-Fashioned Gardens". I was so pleased to have photographed the honey bee busy at work.

 We were hoping to see all of the roses in bloom, but most of the roses are late blooming this year.

 Peonies- they smelled so pretty!

  An interesting historical fact concerning the owner of Sonnenburg, Mary Clark Thompson. In 1912 she visited Europe and was scheduled to sail back to America on the Titanic, but was prompted by a friend to extend her trip in order to visit Holland and purchase tulips. Being lover of flowers Mrs. Thompson could not resist the invitation and was spared that fateful voyage.

 The rose garden.

 Part of the rock garden.

 Lily pads in a pond.

 Here is a photo I took inside the mansion. This sewing room is off of the beautiful bedroom shown in the photo below. What a grand idea to have a sewing room off of the bedroom. : )

  I love the Victorian decor of this bedroom. There was also an exhibit of vintage dresses throughout the house that I really enjoyed having a chance to see. 

 The view from the upstairs porch that overlooks the Italian gardens.

We certainly enjoyed our visit and we were grateful for the perfectly beautiful weather we were blessed with that day!