Quick Casual Top

I wanted to try my hand at making a top. I went to Joanns and nine dollars and three days later I have... Simplicity 1938 view B. This top has a banded V neck, 3/4 length raglan sleeves, and a loose fit.
I wanted to practice with stretch so got a cheap black fabric (literally and figuratively). I think a better choice would have been something silkier or something rayon.
The pattern was fairly easy to execute. There seemed to be some missing information which is unusual. The neckband was a little fiddly so I do recommend hand basting each step of the neck band. However I think it went well - and this is the fastest garment I've ever put together!
I would recommend this top if you like loosely fitted garments with a modest shape... especially if you like prints which would look much better than this solid color. There's a lot of "silky" prints at Joanns, often on sale. You could pair this top with basic trousers, jeans, and slim skirts and it would be work/school appropriate for just about everyone.
I am thinking about remaking this top in a very lightweight cotton for summer. It would be a little more time consuming in a woven due to seam finishing but I think the pattern would need no modifications. Looking at the pictures, however, it may need to have shorter sleeves and something is going on with the back bunching and wrinkling.
Overall though, I'm happy :)

Simplicity 1938 B, front

Simplicity 1938 B, back

Choc Chip Muffins

Today I'm cooking up a second batch of chocolate chip muffins as they were such an epic hit. I don't need to tell you that muffins are great because they're portable. Choc Chip is pretty decadent but with a nice white coffee it will really hit the spot one cold morning! One further great thing about these is they freeze up and microwave really well.
I've taken Felicia's basic muffin recipe and made it choc chippier. This time I've used a blend of milk chocolate and mini bittersweet choc chips but you can use whatever you want, including chunks and jumbo chips.

Standard: 12 muffins / 15 minutes

Jumbo: 6 muffins / 19 minutes

Baking Temperature: 400°F

Ingredients

2 C AP flour

1 TB baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 C milk or cream

2/3 C packed brown, or white sugar

8 TB melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

10 oz chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In secondary bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet but do not overmix.
4. Fold in chips reserving an ounce or two for the tops
5. Pour into greased muffin tins (or lined with paper cups)
6. Sprinkle with a few extra chips.
7. Bake at 400°, 15 mins for regular size or 19 minutes for jumbo, until stick comes out clean.

Tips

• You can use white sugar and a dash of molasses together for brown sugar.
• Muffin by Felicia Bock.

Night Nurse

I recently rented and enjoyed the 1931 Barbara Stanwyck film "Night Nurse." It's a "pre-code" film, so is dirty and silly with prohibition-era drinking, implied lesbianism, gangsters and child murderers. Good times!

Barbara Stanwyck

There's the lovely heroine standing up to the bad guy. What has inspired me is the great lingerie looks from this movie. Just as an excuse to show undressed ladies, our heroine and her nurse companion are always changing into and out of their clothes.

bralette

This silky, lace embellished bralette is totally fab, right? If I were smaller busted I'd be making myself one of these right now. This is just a taste of the lingerie looks I will feature (more to come).
One important thing to note is that the fastener/ stretch fabric situation back then was vastly different.  Modern underwear was just beginning development. For starters, no zippers! And sparing use of elastic and stretch fabric. The bloomers in the movie are fastened with a button. Bra fastenings appear to be modern but the nurse uniform in the movie is fastened with buttons at the back.
Meanwhile, here are some patterns that I could totally see in a bedroom scene on the silver screen.

Butterick 5152

Vogue 7837

Kwik Sew has a variety of lingerie patterns

pattern repro