Hitting the Presses

I did something today that I haven't in years-- I purchased a fashion magazine. It was a nice, thick special issue that promised to provide more inspiration per dollar than anything else I could find. Every now and again I realize that I haven't checked in with the rest of the world enough to know how the things I'm pursuing would compare to popular opinion. Also, the truth is, I work best with magazines. I'll find a piece of a picture that will spark my imagination, pair it with something else that's been floating around in my brain, and suddenly I've got something new and fun that I'm pretty sure will be fashionable.

But! I certainly wouldn't consider taking out a subscription. I guess I consider myself creatively independent enough to be able to check in a few times a year to find out the prominent palettes and silhouettes, and make it from there on my own. I think I would feel weighted down and overwhelmed if I succumbed to the need to follow everything that's happening every minute with everyone else. Because if I started, I know I'd be that way. This keeps my mind free for new things.

I also caved because fall is coming! After years of school shopping, August is the time that I crave new clothes--and ballpoint pens and bedsets. So in the next few posts, I'll try to finish out my run of summer thoughts, and move into the more luxurious flavors of autumn. I'm thinking maybe harlequin prints, if you want to learn to make them.

liv-cate

Creative Salsa! On Tomatoes, Tunics, and anything else I can think of

Today is for making salsa! I'm currently searching for some recipes with peaches, mango, and pineapple, as well as the normal tomato variety. I wanted to do some canning, but for simplicity's sake, I think it's going to end up in the freezer.

But before I go, I'm going to include the pattern for the medieval tunic I am wearing, which I have decided makes a cute and comfortable nightshirt you can wear alone or with lounge pants.

Medieval Tunic

You will need 2-2 1/2 yards of a light to medium weight woven fabric, matching thread, and an optional yard of ribbon. 45 inches should be a good fabric width, any other will simply lengthen or shorten your sleeves. The softer the fabric, the better it will look, since this design is very loosely fitted. For a pretty neckline, just search the net to learn more about medieval embroidery methods.

A yard of fabric should give you plenty of length, or you can choose the place on your thigh where you want the tunic hem to fall and measure down to it from your shoulder. Add 3 inches and/or round up to the nearest 1/4 yard. You can always shorten it later.

1: Right sides together, fold your fabric in half widthwise, with the selvage edges running down both sides. The foldline will be your neckhole and the center of your sleeves.

2: Measure around your hips, adding 3 inches or more. (3 in. will give you a rather slim fit around the hips. If you're nervous about it, add 5 or even 7 in. for a looser fit and cut it in as needed later.) Divide this measurement in half, and center it on the bottom of your fabric, drawing lines straight up toward the top fold.

3: Measure around the widest part of your upper arm, adding 2-3 inches. Divide this number in half and measure down from the fold at both sides, drawing a line straight in towards the sides.

4: On one side of the excess fabric, mark a 5 in. x 5 in. square (gusset).

5: Cut out your pieces!

6: Attach gusset squares to shirt at underarm corner, connecting front and back. Pin front to back at gusset corners, sleeve edge and bottom edge. Stitch arm and side seams from gusset corner to end. Trim sleeves to desired length. Turn raw edges of sleeves 1/4 in. and bottom hem 1/2 inch.

Front view gusset

Side view gusset

7: Lay shirt out flat again, still inside out. Mark a half-circle app. 8 in. diameter (depending on the size of your neck, I use a small salad plate as a template, hehe) around the center point of the top fold. Cut through both layers. On front side, make a vertical slit about 6 in. long, or until the shirt slips easily over your head when putting it on. Turn raw edge of circle under 1/4 in. and top of slit 1/2 in., tapering down to nothing at the end of the cut. Stitch.


OR: Fold your ribbon in half and use to encase fabric edges, starting and ending at bottom front of opening. Stitch down near ribbon edge. Use a small, decorative stitch to cover ribbon ends at front.


For a bolder look:

A: Leave bottom hem unfinished. Wearing your shirt, mark where it hits your waist, sew side seams only from underarm to that point, and measure from there to the bottom edge. Take the 2 layers you cut your gussets from, laid out just as they were before, one over the other, measure and cut a rectangle 10 in. wide x the measurement you just made. Pin the sides of the rectangles together. Cut diagonally from one corner to another. Stitch sides where pinned, creating 2 triangular gores 19 in. wide at the bottom. Attach each gore to front and back at side edges. This version look best when worn with a belt.

B: When laying out fabric, make original marks as directed. Leave out gusset squares. Then measure out from underarm corner 2 in. at a 45 degree angle, mark. Shorten sleeve measurement at side by an inch or more. Redraw lines from new sleeve mark to new underarm mark, and down to original bottom edge. Round out underarm corner with the lip of a small plastic cup as a template. Cut, sew side seams, trim sleeves, hem edges, and cut neck as directed.

Hurray!

My Youthful Hope...Jeune Esperanza's!

Here at R&C, we LOVE international food. I don't know what it is. Something about living life and doing things the way they do in far away times and places is very exciting, and makes us feel more enriched as people.

Near our sister's workplace, there is a man with a little taco stand. Suddenly the idea seemed so fun to me. Just a little trailer that's a couple decades old, and small and clean and mobile, maybe with a few tables set up under an awning, a string of lightbulbs, and funny foreign music crackling out from a nearby radio. A place not many know about, but secretly has really great food for a ridiculously good price. In this little world of dreams there is a place called...

Every night of the week has a menu from another country, as well as classic American fare! Gourmet this isn't, but you'll find cherished favorites and everyday flavors from all over the world. It's dinner on vacation, any night of the week. So come chat, laugh, dance, sing, and of course eat with us at Jeune Esperanza's!

With local musicians as special guests, dancing space, silly games and prizes, I don't know what all... Plus, with all the international students from the nearby university, and an extremely high number of missionaries here who've served all over the world, we'd have a great resource for ideas and feedback. And it might be a way to bring everyone together. Practicalities aside, of course, as always, it sounds so delightful. Sigh...


liv-cate

Infinite Arrangements

We've been working on a special post for the past few days (I'll give you a hint: we're formulating sewing patterns), but it's proving a bit more involved than originally suspected. We'll keep working. In the meantime, brainstorming continues on home and lifestyle books that approach the desired subject in a new way.

Rosewilde and Canderley's Infinite Arrangements

At many family weddings, we'll all gather around a few days before, gathering items and decorating the venue for the reception and so forth. My favorite part, aside from centerpieces, were the large floral arrangements made to stand at the entrance. My aunt has quite a talent for this. It's something I've always wanted to learn. She buys her flowers wholesale and sprays/cuts/wires them into the desired color and shape. Do you want to learn, too? Well here it is:

For the new floral student or hobbyist, Rosewilde and Canderley's Infinite Arrangements breaks down the process into everything you need to know about color, size, texture, balance and presentation. You will gain the know-how you need to create your own beautiful and unique arrangements for a variety of settings and occasions. Fill your life with scent and color in ways you never thought you could!

Random Recipes--Making not-so-healthy foods better

Because I'm sure ramen and salad dressing are not on the winners list of what to eat.

Honey Ginger Vegetable Ramen
I know that there’s really no way to get past the fact that those noodles can be extremely bad for you, but at the end of the shopping week, or pay period, you work with what you can. This is of course how I had the opportunity to try this combination.

Add your noodles to the boiling water. Add a cup or so of vegetables (I usually use a frozen broccoli-cauliflower-carrot mix. This is a great way to get rid of what’s in your freezer/fridge/cupboards), boil until they are thawed or softening. Drain. Crack in an egg, returning to a low or medium heat if needed for thorough cooking. Stir in 1/3 of included spice packet, a tsp. of honey, and a small slice of fresh grated gingerroot. Or add what seasonings you will.

Sweet Summer Salad Dressing:
I was surprised to discover how well this one worked. I had a bottle of raspberry vinaigrette that I loved, but it was just a bit too flavorful. Also I was going through something of an applesauce phase, trying it with everything. This one was a winner! And it’s so light, too.

Mix 1 tsp raspberry vinaigrette into ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce. Measurements are approximate; you may alter to taste. Works well served over dark lettuce types with firm, red grapes and plain or honey-coated walnuts.

As alternatives to dressing, there are some fruit/veggie combinations which are so good, I can personally eat them without anything, and that's saying something. Or, of course, everything goes great with cottage cheese. Working with this idea, once for a church event, I wrapped these combinations in romaine lettuce leaves, with a little bit of creamy poppyseed or raspberry vinaigrette. You can do what you will. I used:

Broccoli florets and quartered red grapes
Carrot slivers and sliced strawberries
Chopped gala apples and walnut pieces

Any of these are also amazing thrown into a tortilla with spinach and mozzarella.

Eat up!
liv-cate

Infinite Cookbook!

Idea of the day:

Rosewilde and Canderley’s Infinite Cookbook:
We’ve been given to an obsession with foreign cooking styles. Also, as the eldest children, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to help prepare meals for our large family. We’ve realized that food in any culture falls into a variety of patterns of cooking methods and ingredients. Based on these patterns, comes Rosewilde and Canderley’s Infinite Cookbook, which allows you to take a set list of common ingredients and methods, for any listed type or nationality, and use them to formulate your own recipe. Of course, included you’ll find classic recipes, thorough directions for preparations, and lists of combinations known to work well together. But after that, the world is yours!

Something about this concept strongly appealed. And it also seemed to apply itself well to another love of ours. Which brings us to:

Rosewilde and Canderley’s Infinite Gift-finder:
We've been talking about this one for a long time. Since that autumn we went to five weddings and three baby showers. We realized--we REALLY like putting together gifts. Unusual ones. Ta-dah! Rosewilde and Canderley’s Infinite Gift Finder! Use your knowledge of your intended recipient along with a list of both common and original items for any occasion to formulate unique and meaningful ideas to help direct your shopping. Find thoughts on appropriate handmade items, how to personalize your gift, and how to package it in delightfully unexpected ways! Honor memorable moments with something perfect to the people and location. The options are infinite and easy-to-use!


Now to get this written and--self publish?

Hello!

This is beth-claire, the detail-oriented voice of reason for R&C. Liv is the gem and I am the polish. We've been dreaming about the things we write here for a long time, and they are what keeps us going. Hope you enjoy!

beth-claire

A New Start

Beth and I began Rosewilde and Canderley a number of years ago; we were 20 and always dreaming about new things. Life took us in different directions for awhile. We went to separate colleges. Circumstances taught us that we had lots to learn about our goals. I served a religious mission MI, she in GA. We tried to grow up and develop better life skills, have practical jobs, etc. There were lots of great and wonderful changes! But we couldn't give up on that desire to create and imagine. So we're coming back.

The truth is, all these years, we’ve been piling up ideas, and never seeing them accomplished, due to their being too expensive, or because we don’t know who to turn to for help or knowhow. Through this, I’ve developed a sense of self-doubt that is often crippling. But I’m letting them sit and waste no longer! I’m posting them here. And if it benefits your creative pursuits, or if I can point to this and say ‘HERE is what I can really do’, or if I can break out of my private world by sharing it with someone, then so much the better. So it’s all going up! From clothing, costumes, interiors, to whimsy, stories, poetry, anything.

And we’re coming back even better prepared for the fun. We’ve picked up a few things along the way, such as an ever growing international music collection, a bad case of Hinduphilia (is that a word?), and a host of how-to, historical, and inspirational reference books—Thank you Sister, for getting that job in a bookstore! We’ll be wracking our brains for things to study, and ideas for unique DIY projects. And if we can’t put them into practice, maybe you can! Let us know!

On we go!

liv-cate

A Little More Fancy In The Everyday

Greetings from liv-cate and beth-claire!

Hello and welcome to Rosewilde & Canderley! We are here looking for a place to discover and share projects relating to our ideas and tastes, in a wide variety of subjects. We wish to encourage a reach into the fantastical, in a way more refined than one generally sees of late, based more upon the elements of classical education. Everyone these days knows how to dirty up the classics, to "make it REAL...", from Clueless to Wicked to The Tudors--what about the other way around?

This blog, in future, shall contain designs, various notes, and whimsy concerning decor, hospitality, and fashion, both contemporary and historical. Our hope is to inspire others to fill their lives, not with just the new, but rather with what is thoroughly their own taste, well-informed.We look forward to providing, as is our motto, a little more FANCY in the everyday...

Educated informality. Energetic gentility. Creative practicality. This is Rosewilde and Canderley! We hope you can find a place with us.