Sewing Project: Penny Lane Coat

I've decided I would love to make a Winter Coat, but not just any winter coat, Penny Lane's (Kate Hudson) Coat from "Almost Famous". Also a good idea for Halloween.

ScreenCaps from ScreenMusings

Coat Pattern: Butterick Pattern 5255 Chetta B Wrap Coat Belt 16-22 $8

Link
Dark Tan Alpaca Wool
$11/yard

Avocado Dye
ProChem #707 Wash fast Acid Dye (for animal fibers, including wool)

Link
$4.50

Faux Lamb Fur

Link
$25/yard

Penny Lane Costume Study

"All the fabrics were overdyed to look older.
The coat is 3/4 length. The center back stops right at the bum. There are two flounces after
that and the last flounce ends behind the knees. Long straight sleeves, with a wide fur collar
and big cuffs of fur at the wrists. The fur collar stops at the waist. The fur collar is probably
stitched on top of a wool collar under layer, you can see that the back side of the collar is the
wool fabric, the entire collar is not just made up of fur. The fur cuffs are also stitched on top of
the wool sleeve at the hems, I can see the hem of the wool peeking out under the fur. The
color is an over dyed avocado green.
The fabric is wool, I'd say a wool knit with a rib to it. Almost like a corduroy or a chenille. The
coat is either embossed or embroidered on the back panel, side panels, and sleeves with a tone
on tone color or slightly lighter color of thread used. The design has an ethnic feel to it, Asian
or Indian. My sketch of the embroidery design can be seen here. The pattern pieces are cut so that the design flows from the neck to the hem. Continuations of the design overlap on the flounces. The sleeves have a simplified version or a middle section only of the design. It looks like the repeat on the design is diagonal (?). The coat has a closure to it, a silvery button
hidden under the end of the collar near the waist. The coat is lined with dyed to match cotton
or linen. I've asked around in groups and no one has a definitive answer as to what type of
fabric this is, or how it's made. It's possible that it is one of a kind fabric made for this film,
never to be found anywhere else.

Embroidery Avocado Slight Sheen Thread

LINING

Cream Yellow/Brown Floral Stretch Velvet

Link
$8/yard

*ALWAYS HAND BASTE VELVET WHEN SEWING WITH IT* Save yourself the headache
and go ahead and get that basting thread and needle out and go to it. Ah, sewing on
velvet--like sewing on a bar of soap!
*Fusing knit backed faux fur to light weight fusible interfacing before cutting out
pieces will equal less edge fur loss. You'll still loose some, but not as much.

Link: How to Sew Fur

http://www.naturallycaron.com/projects/avalon/avalon_1.html

Embroidery ideas

Okay, that's all for now :) Thoughts anyone?

Gwyneth Paltrow's Mango-Avocado Salsa Recipe (Adapted)

Tonight I made dinner! I borrowed Gwyneth Paltrow's Mango & Avocado salsa, and made it with baked chicken instead of the fish the recipe called for. It's rather good timing for finding this recipe because I was looking for something that had a Mexican flair like the Chili's Margarita Chicken, but had a nice fresh, sweet flavor, and this salsa with the mango certainly did the trick. It has a certain Italian/Mexican flavor to it as well.

Here is the original recipe:

Gwyneth Paltrow's Grilled Halibut with Mango-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
• 1 medium ripe mango, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 4 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 6-ounce halibut or mahi-mahi fillets (substitute 1 lb chicken)
• 4 lime wedges

Preparation

• Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Gently combine the avocado, mango, tomatoes, basil, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature, gently tossing occasionally.
• Place fish fillets in a 13x9x2" glass baking dish. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoon lime juice over. Season fish with salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes, turning fish occasionally.
• Brush grill rack with oil. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Spoon mango-avocado salsa over fish. Squeeze a lime wedge over each and serve.

Simple and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly, aside from substituting the fish for chicken.

I was going to take a picture of the final product, and low and behold, my camera wasn't charged :/ Oh well, you can use your imagination and pretend the original recipe photo is a nice piece of crispy poultry (We cooked it a a little long since we adapted from the fried chicken recipe, still good and tasty, though kinda hilarious when you tried to cut it with the steak knife since it wasn't all that cooperative).

My Mom and I also made some rice, and used up the left over spinach leaves from the Florentine Lasagna I made last week for a salad with the remaining tomatoes and two cheeses (Cheddar and Parmesan). I also made Jayma Mays' Peanut Butter Cookies. Super easy and super tasty, peanut butter and chocolate, my two favorite flavors. I'll post that recipe later, tomorrow perhaps.

I'd love to make some more of her recipes sometime in the future. Enjoy!

Chili's Margarita Grilled Chicken and Rice & Baked Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese

The idea for this recipe came from having it's namesake at Chili's when Steph and I went out for our half sister Carrie's birthday...last month sometime, a few weeks ago. I thought it would be a fun, easy, tasty recipe for home. So I looked it up online, and tried to remember things that I ate that I enjoyed in the meal (like for instance,I had them add the avocados on top).

This afternoon I was craving some chicken for dinner, so on a whim, I decided to make this tonight, and went out to the store to get my supplies.

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Chili's Margarita Grilled Chicken and Rice

-2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
-Rice (amount depending on serving size)
-1 Can Black Beans (drained)
-1 Avocado (sliced)
-1 Cup of Corn
-1/2 Chopped Green Pepper
-1-2 Lime(s)
-1/2 Tomato (chopped) or Pico de Gallo


Grill the chicken breasts, or braise in an iron skillet. Cook the rice, veggies (when needed) or chop, combine in dish, drizzle with lime juice. It's really that simple.

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I also made Baked Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, arrange asparagus, drizzled olive oil, and shredded Parmesan cheese in dish, bake until tender, 12-15 minutes.

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I forgot to take a picture before we ate :P It looked prettier earlier, but you get the idea.







Very good, very tasty. Very easy, smells awesome. I smell like lime. Next time I won't be shy with the lime, I only used one, I could have easily used two. Also, I just had my Dad grill some frozen chicken breasts he had on his BBQ; next time, when I actually have some time, I might marinate the chicken in some kind of lime concoction. It would make the chicken a little more flavorful. Still really good though.

Nice and fresh and healthy. Fills you up without filling you out :) Great for Spring/Summer. Did I mention I smell like lime?

Oh, and also, two things. One, while looking though the memory card on my camera, I found the pictures I took of the Peppermint Bark I made in December, and a cake I made a few months ago. Is it unseasonal to post a recipe of Peppermint Bark on April? Or should I just post them anyways?

And number two, I was beyond thrilled when "The King's Speech" was released in theaters as PG-13 (and absolutely loved it like I thought I would). I only wish they'd release a PG-13 version on DVD because I would buy a copy in a second, no hesitation. *sigh*

And hi, long time no post. I'm doing well. I think tomorrow I'll work on my shirt again, and work past the facing (I've never sewn facing, so it just seems incredibly difficult). I have work to do if I want to get the rose outfit done by Easter Sunday.