Maker's Market Holiday Edition



I'm excited to announce that I'll be a vendor at the Holiday Edition of the Maker's Market this year! There are two dates and locations — I'll be at the December 1st event at Christ's Church Cathedral. I attended last year as a shopper and really enjoyed the cosy atmosphere, friendly community and beautiful items for sale. I've been thinking about it all year and am so happy to have been given the opportunity to be a part of it. Mark your calendars!

Extra Crispy Apple Crisp


Now that our kitchen renovation is mostly finished, we've decided to take the vacation we've been delaying all summer and are heading to New York City for a week, starting tomorrow! Another great thing about having my kitchen back is that I can bake again and share the yummy recipes with you. So here's a little homework for you for while I'm gone.

There are lots of apple crisp recipes out there, none of them very different from each other, but all of them missing one key ingredient — the crisp! Most recipes could stand to at least double the topping, or use less apples, one or the other. I've decided to buck the tradition and give you a recipe with just the right amount of crisp. It requires you to get your hands dirty, so this is a fun one to share with the kiddies too. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
4-5 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut butter into flour until mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Add oats, and use your hands to toss and squeeze mixture until large, moist clumps form.

In another large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Transfer to a shallow baking dish, and sprinkle with topping mixture. Bake until golden and bubbling, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Tiny Tote




I haven't actually been sewing at all this week. Gasp! I've had pretty bad neck pain ever since the weekend and Dr. Mikey J has forbid any and all activities that would further aggravate it. Almost 2 months until Christmas, this is not what I want in the least, but better to rest for a week now than suffer for 2 months later, right? That's what I've been telling myself over and over all week, anyways. Before the sewing ban was enforced,  I did manage to finish up this cute custom order for my littlest customer ever, who is starting dance class soon and obviously needed a very special bag for it. I included an inside pocket and a reinforced flat bottom, it's fully lined and I am totally in love with the new font I found for her embroidery.  What do you think? Are many more tiny dancing queens in my future? :)

It's A Wrap


Now that Thanksgiving is over, do I have permission to use the "C" word? It's been on my mind since August, but I understand that most people get pretty touchy about anything Christmas-related this time of year — not before Halloween, not before the first snow fall, not until there are sugarplums dancing in my head, etc, etc. But some of us need to be prepared before all of that. So do whatever you have to do to get in the spirit for a moment, drop some cinnamon and cloves in your coffee if you have to, because I have a favour to ask. I like to change up my packaging for the holidays (last year was red gingham) and it's about time I placed my order again. Would you mind helping me choose this year's wrap? I've narrowed it down to four. All are made from recycled material and are roughly the same price (#3 is on sale). Merry Christmas! Haha!

New Hire


I'm pleased to introduce you to the newest member of the Dear Edna team, Judy. This year didn't go completely as planned (do they ever?), so I wasn't able to hire an employee like I would've liked, but Judy here is a nice compromise. Baby steps. If she saves me having to pin fabric to my bra straps in the bathroom mirror, she's a worthy investment. Haha!

For the sewers in the room, she's a Singer DF150. I've only used her as a display mannequin so far, and the hard shell definitely takes getting used to, but I'm pleased with the pinnable fabric and how easy it is to adjust. I'll give you a full review once we work together a little more.

I hope Ronny and Liz (the felt bird and lemon tree also occupying my office) make her feel at home. Oh dear, I need to get out more. Please tell me I'm not the only one who names inanimate objects around the house.

Happy October!




I have no idea how it is October 1st today and Thanksgiving this weekend, but nevertheless here we are. Here's an idea of what the month holds for me... taking advantage of my new kitchen, experimenting with looseleaf teas, vacationing in New York City, pulling out the crochet hooks again, and lots and lots of sewing of course. It's no wonder it's my favourite time of year. What do you have planned for Fall?