the last slice: zucchini bread

It came out of the bundt pan a real hot mess -the top crumbling as it was falling out of the bottom of the pan. and it was damn delicious. I'm sitting here munching on the last slice, and a girlfriend had asked for the recipe yesterday. I figured I would share it with you all. it would probably work best in a muffin pan- don't forget to grease whatever pan you use!

I can't take all the credit, this recipe actually come from one of my professors from college...and I tweaked a little more for my sweet tooth!

Chocolate & Zucchini bread:
2 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C buttermilk
1 stick of butter, softened [which is 1/2 C]
1 3/4 C sugar
2 C grated, raw zucchini
1 package of sliced almonds [or your choice of nuts]
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & grease pan generously.

Mix 1 - Flour, cinnamon
Mix 2 - med. bowl - oil, eggs, vanilla & buttermilk
Mix 3 - large bowl - blend sugar & butter until well mixed. if you have an electric beater...I don't so I just used a fork, and got a great arm workout!

Add the oil mixture [2] to the sugar mixture [3] - blend well. add the zucchini, then the dry mix [1].

now, when I decided to do a Zucchini cake in the bundt pan, I thought it would be awesome to mix the chocolate chips in - they all sunk to the bottom of the pan, which is why I had such a hot mess with it sticking to the pan - despite the fact that it had been greased!

so, whatever you decide to make - be it muffins, bundt, or just bread - you might want to consider saving the chips to sprinkle on last...

as for the almonds & the brown sugar - I poured half of the batter in the pan, then sprinkled the almonds & brown sugar as a "layer" then poured the rest of the batter. you can either sprinkle thenuts on top with the choc chips, and mix the brown sugar in with the flour or you can make a layer - up to you!

bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes [30ish if in a loaf or bundt pan] or until the tops feel firm. makes about 2 dozen muffins, or one cake or a couple of loaves...

yummers - enjoy!

ok, let me explain...

at a recent happy hour reunion, some gals expressed concern over one of my recent posts...

without saying too, too much [as i often do]:

my grandmother taught me how to sew in high school, and i made my prom dresses & graduation dress. and i became really excited about fashion.

so then i went to school for it. and then i graduated. and i learned a lot - like make a freakin muslin before you cut the real deal - why had i never thought of that?

and i enjoyed working at the fabric store during college, next to the older more experienced sewers, like Gerda - she taught me how to knit the european way [which is so much faster, but because i think too hard, it doesn't work for me]; smocking by hand; and she always had a solution to any sewing problem.

after college, i stayed here in richmond. and here's the deal richmond: i have yet to find a strong support for fashion designers. and you have a freaking fashion school in your backyard. i created a couple of spring fashion lines, along with my accessories and sold them locally. i worked in corporate for about 4 years, and it really, really was not my thing. seriously. so when i knew i was going to leave i thought - i'll make a fashion incubator here in richmond. doing more research, i don't see richmond as being an accomodating host at the moment. i feel that richmond is very much streamlined and in need of acceptance. on the whole - anything outside of the norm, or without a proper tag/name brand is ignored. if you think otherwise, i would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section...

so i'm doing the next best thing. teaching was my first passion - i always wanted to be a french teacher [or english teacher in france]...so i'm going back to school fulltime and will be out in a couple of years...

don't mistake this *break* as the end. far from it! i just need a break. and study time! - i still have designs in my head. that i know i'll love. so i'll make them for me. and i'll make them for you, if you want. i am seeking a more sustainable lifestyle across the board. and this includes making stuff you know will be used and loved.

xoxe

sewing project #1

a while back I chatted about Alabama Chanin & her sustainable fashion...when she was here for her studio class at Art:24, I even had a chance to meet her & grab her book - the alabama stitch book...there are some really awesome and great projects including an armchair sleeve pin cushion, reverse applique skirts & a tee shirt corset top.

I have been holding onto 4 vintage harley tank tops for about 5 years now. even in my wildest dreams as a freshman, i would not have been able to wear these tanks - they were tiny.

how convenient that there are projects for recycling tees in Alabama's book! my version below is a hybrid of her screen print corset & the reverse applique corset, on speed. Ie. i unfortunately do not have the patience to sew everything by hand...terribly sorry. so I pieced the harley tanks together for the corset part, pinned that to a solid piece of red jersey for the backing and basted the backing & corset part together. then i free-handed a rose-esque pattern across the side seam, and that was sewn by hand [promise!]...and blah, blah, blah 5 steps later, we have this beauty!




and best of all it fits me!

anyone else been inspired by another artist lately? what projects have you been up to?

xoxe

happy fourth, a little early

we're going to be in obx for the fourth, so i'll leave you all with early happy fourth wishes...here, have a square watermelon!

how clever.

these are for real - check out the website here on how to make your own quirky little melon.

picture courtesy of square-watermelons.com/

sustainable fashion

a while ago, at art:24, I had the pleasure of experiencing Alabama Chanin's line up close & personal, flip through swatch books, and I also had the chance to meet Natalie & grab a copy of her book- Alabama Stitch Book.

Previously, I had likened my reverse applique fabric to Project Alabama. After researching better, reading the book, and speaking with Natalie- the only true connect is the actual sewing process of reverse applique. All of Alabama Chanin is made locally to sustain local economy - the cotton is grown in TX, combed and spun in SC, dyed in NC, etc, etc...

My fashion and my thoughts on the business have changed significantly since I started Erin Taylor Designs....originally I was buying retail fabrics, cutting and sewing like crazy. Creating a small line of garments, sizing, and cutting & sewing...

Then, Ono showed me the way of the recyclers + upcyclers. I have slowly been using recycled textiles in my lines- be it old sofa fabric which turns into a clutch; old wool skirts turn into scarves; old jersey into tops or dresses.

Natalie is a force with regard to the sustainable fashion - because it's not just fashion - it's a lifestyle - minimal to zero waste; make to order [which makes so much more sense]; and practical, comfortable, enduring fashion which will last your lifetime and the lifetime of your daughter...oh, if I had the money - I spied a really great 20's silhouette dress which was beautifully sewn with reverse applique, and heavy beading at the bottom. freaking gorgeous.

I am trying to slow down, and be more conscious of sustainability across the board - fashion, food, life....thoughts?

for more on Natalie, read an interview between BurdaStyle & her - here + here.

wedding season: officially in full swing.

our "opening day" was over a month ago, with a friend getting hitched in the beautiful Shenandoah. bring on the suits, the showers, the flowers, and looove.

I myself have had the pleasure of being a maid of honor for a dear friend, who was just married at beautiful Bay Shore in upstate NY.

Being stubborn and creative - I wanted to make sure she had a rockin' bouquet for her rehearsal. I ditched the paper plate idea and sprung for a $2 "nosegay" which I really like to refer to as the "green floral foam bouquet do-dad"

Two bridal showers later, with a bag full of tulle, ribbons, and bows, we have completely stuffed the nosegay, and have a wonderful bouquet which she'll be able to keep...

Ono's rehearsal bouquet

while we're talking about weddings, some shameless plugs for some friends:

David launched his new website just recently and he is the only photographer I have ever needed to depend on.

Casey just launched a new rsvp service website [still in beta - patience!] I can't wait until that is up and running - it will be a very efficient way for people to rsvp and for organizers to keep track of attendees.

check 'em out - they're both great sites! and feel the loooove in the air.....

xoxe

happy father's day

daddy with his girls

Happy Father's Day! I just wanted to take a little time to reflect on a recent interaction with my father...

Actually I bought a recycled leather watchband from Fisticuffs. I had no watch face to put on the band. I knew exactly where I wanted to go ask for one, though....so a few weeks after procuring my lovely recycled band, I was over at my parents, and was wearing my naked band, and asked Dad if he happened to have a watch which he no longer needed. I felt like it would add to the vintage look, plus be more meaningful, and save me money and energy looking around for a watch...

So we moseyed into this room where he has what I like to refer to as his "treasure chest." Lord knows what all's in it. I knew there would be a couple of watches, easy...first he pulled out the mickey mouse watch with a red band. I wore that all through high school...then he stumbled across a digital watch [which is more his signature style watch nowadays] and then found this old looking vintagey Timex watch which looked like it could have maybe been grandaddy's?

Well, I decided I wanted that watch face, and we were both sitting down at the table, attacking this poor watch with straight pins and paperclips trying to separate the band from the watch...well, as we were trying to do that, dad mentioned this was the watch he wore while we live in Charlotte, when I had just been born, and that it was his last "mechanical" watch before he went digital. so that meant even more to me.

After we finally switched watchbands, he explained that it was a wind-up watch, and wound it for me, fixing it to the accurate day and time...it was in those 20 minutes or so, talking about a simple watch and working with him to switch watchbands, that I feel like I really bonded to Dad. I know he is nostalgic about things, like I am - and so I know it meant a lot for him to give one of his watches to me. and it means a lot to me to be wearing it, especially since it is as old as me, from when we lived in NC. Plus we got to bond, and I enjoy when he gives me tidbits of his "back in the day" days...

beautiful fisticuffs band with daddy's watch.