Brazilian lemonade

This is one of our favorite summertime drinks! It's a perfect mix of tart citrus, with a hint of bitterness, but deliciously balanced by the creamy sweetness. Douglas and I first tasted Brazilian lemonade at La Parilla restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas. We were driving through on our way to Colorado and stopped there for lunch, since I lived in Lawrence for six months when I was in college. A former housemate that I'd lost touch with happened to be working there when we stopped by, and she kindly brought us some Brazilian lemonade as a treat. Douglas and I were both raving about it and so I looked up a recipe online as soon as we got home. I like this one from Our Best Bites (condensed here, but step-by-step instructions at the link):

Brazilian Lemonade

• 4 juicy limes with thin, smooth skins
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 cups water
• 6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Boil 1 cup water and add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining 5 cups of cold water. Chill if desired.

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut the ends off, then cut into eighths. Place 1/2 of the limes in the blender and add 1/2 of the sugar water. Pulse 5 times. Strain into a pitcher, squeezing extra liquid in with a spoon. Discard pulp and rind. Repeat with remaining limes and water. Add sweetened condensed milk. Serve immediately over ice. Serves 4. (Does not keep well; do not prepare in advance although you can prep all ingredients beforehand.)

Quietude on social media

Just a quick note to let you know that I've created a "Follow" section in the sidebar, over there on the right, where I've posted my social media links. I've finally created a Facebook page for Quietude which you can find at www.facebook.com/quietudeblog! It will be an easy way to keep up with the blog if you don't use a feed reader and prefer to keep track of your blogs through Facebook. (Even if you do use a feed reader or subscribe by e-mail, come on over -- I'm thinking about adding some fun stuff like sneak previews of projects I'm working on, quick links to recipes I'm enjoying, etc.) I also added links to my Pinterest account (mrssinger) and my Instagram account (mrs_singer), so check them out and follow along if you like! :)

Burda Style 7136: chambray shirt

Do any of you seamstresses read Sunni Standing's blog, A Fashionable Stitch? I do and I have been really inspired by her "Everyday Wardrobe" series. I first started sewing because I loved vintage-style clothing, but couldn't find the styles I liked (or I couldn't afford them if I did). I've sewn up a nice variety of vintage-style dresses since 2005, but sadly, they're getting very little use nowadays. This is partially because of the changing needs of motherhood (different figure, weight fluctuations, needed nursing access) and partially because I really do have fewer appropriate times to wear these dresses. We're part of a church where the "dress code" is decidedly casual, and besides, it's hard to walk in high heels with a baby on your hip. Douglas and I haven't had too many fancy dates (there's a dearth of "classy" restaurants in our town). My wardrobe needs have really shifted. So even though I'm drawn to beautiful fabrics and interesting vintage patterns, I want to spend my time on projects that are actually going to get worn!

This past spring, I poked around for a few patterns that would work for an everyday wardrobe and I decided to try out a classic button-down shirt. Burda Style 7136 fit the bill because it looked like it was pretty customizable and similar to some shirts I already own and like. I used a gift card to get some cotton chambray from Jo-Ann Fabrics and went to work!


I made a few changes -- I omitted the back darts for a more casual fit, lengthened the shirt and sleeves slightly, drafted some pockets with a box pleat, and drafted a front button placket. I did a lot of topstitching with white topstitching thread, which slowed down the construction a bit when I had to switch back and forth between threads. Everything was pretty smooth sailing until I got to the sleeves. I followed the Burda Style directions for making the sleeve plackets (something new to me) and they didn't turn out very well. I could have lived with that, but somehow I mis-measured the length of the sleeves when cutting out and they ended up too short -- like two inches too short. It's the first time I've had to go back to the store to buy more fabric in order to finish a project!! Before I tackled the sleeve plackets again, I watched this YouTube video and cut a separate piece for the button placket, rather than just folding it under and stitching as the BurdaStyle instructions suggest. They looked much better the second go-around. The only other problem with the pattern I noticed is that the sleeve cuff seems to be too narrow, width-wise -- I barely had 1/4" seam allowance when sewing the ends.


(I also have to mention, I recycled all the buttons I used on this shirt from an old J. Crew button-down shirt of my husband's that had been ripped beyond repair! Ladies, if your husband wears out his dress shirts, snip the buttons off and save them for future projects!))

Aside from the problems I spoke of, I do recommend this pattern! I'm pleased with the end result and I've already worn this shirt a lot. Now that I've got the fitting kinks out I'm dreaming of a second version in Liberty of London lawn -- I guess I still can't get away from my love of beautiful fabrics!

Mama's favorite maxi dress

In years past, I've been kind of sneaky with my announcements, but I'm just gonna come right out and say it. I'm pregnant! So that explains why things have been quiet lately on the blog. This summer has been much less action-packed for me than I thought it would be. I didn't have any pregnancy sickness with Edmund and only a little with Lavinia, but boy, it's been rough this go around! Pregnancy sickness every day from week six. No vomiting (thankyouthankyouthankyou, Lord) but other diverse and odd symptoms that make me feel nauseous most of the time. Ironically, mornings are when I feel the best. I think things are getting ever-so-slightly better, but I'll know I'm 100% back to myself when I can brush my teeth without gagging. ;)

Necessity drove me to do some sewing, despite not "feeling like it." My summer wardrobe is really lacking and I was getting depressed from having so few options when it came to getting dressed. My cute kids (via their daddy) gave me some pretty fabrics for my birthday in June, and one was a length of medium-weight jersey knit from The Fabric Fairy. I wanted to sew it into a maxi dress, but I was hoping to extend the wearability by making it pregnancy, nursing, and post-partum friendly. Yes, it's a tall order, but I was able to come up with a design that fulfills all three criteria! The dress has an empire waist with some elastic shirring to make it comfortable for a growing baby bump. The nursing access comes from the deep V-neck and the faux camisole underneath.


So as you can see in the photos, I have hardly any bump at all at this point (13 weeks). However, there is room to grow and, since I am still nursing Lavinia three times a day, it's very convenient to be able to nurse in it. The jersey makes it soooo comfortable and because of the longer skirt length, reasonable neckline, and slight cap sleeves I can basically forget what I'm wearing while wrangling my kids throughout the day (it's nice to not have to think about bending over too much, bra straps sliding out, skirt being pulled up, etc.). Now that I've made one dress and gotten most of the tweaks out, I'm planning on making another one, and next time I'll document my steps with photos and write up a tutorial so you can make something similar, if you like. I know I will be wearing this often throughout the rest of summer and, with a jacket or cardigan, into fall!

Dots and stripes

[You can see by the scrapes on her nose she is getting more mobile,
and has finally started some tentative walking!]
Lavinia seems to have inherited Douglas' fair complexion, which means I worry a bit more about protecting her from the sun. My mom came to the rescue recently by sewing her a cute little navy and white polka-dotted hat. To make it festive for Independence Day, I handmade a little patriotic rosette for decoration, basically following this technique for the red rose (I didn't have fabric glue, so I hand-sewed it together). The striped fabric is simply a straight scrap gathered and attached to the back of the rose.


She'll at least tolerate the hat for a little while before attempting to remove it.

Nursery rhymes

I've kept a book journal since 2007, writing down all the books I read and the dates I finish them. Somehow I managed to keep up a good pace when Edmund was born, but since Lavinia entered the picture, my yearly average has plummeted - though in all fairness, it's not that I'm not reading every day, it's just that these books don't have, ahem, chapters. I've decided to embrace this stage and share more of the gems I find to read with my children.


Every child's library should have some nursery rhymes in it. I've found two beautiful but out-of-print books by famous illustrators that are a joy to look at -- A Pocket Full of Posies: A Merry Mother Goose by Marguerite de Angeli (author of The Door in the Wall, a wonderful children's book I'm looking forward to sharing with Edmund in a few years) and Kate Greenaway's Nursery Rhyme Classics.


Marguerite de Angeli's book has a variety of rhymes on one side of the page, and then a full-page illustration on the opposite side, with small pencil illustrations scattered throughout the text. Since there is not a picture for every rhyme, this one may be best for older toddlers who have a longer attention span and enjoy listening to meter and rhyme.


The Kate Greenaway book has a picture and a rhyme on every page. Babies will enjoy the shorter rhymes, even if it is being read upside down. :) If you are fond of her illustrations, I recommend seeking out this book! Then find a soft old quilt and spread out under the shade of a maple tree to enjoy reading time with your children.

Lavinia May

It's hard to imagine how unique each of your children will be. As Edmund grew and I got to know his personality, it just made sense that he is the way he is. I couldn't imagine how my future children would be different, but Lavinia is very much her own person.


She is much more cuddly and clingy to me than Edmund ever was. Sometimes I am tempted to feel tired or inconvenienced when she wants me and no one else, but then I remind myself that this is such a short time, and how wonderful it is to be loved so deeply by this little girl. Unlike her brother, she is a thumbsucker, especially when she is tired or holding something soft! Several months ago, I bought her a teddy bear "lovey" as a sleep aid, and boy does it work! As soon as she holds the bear, in pops her thumb and she's off in happy land.

Lavinia loves to eat a lot more than Edmund did at this age, too, but she is more picky about her foods. She is still not walking at nearly thirteen months, though Edmund was walking at ten months. She is strongly opinionated about her wants, but at the same time, is deeply sensitive. Douglas or I can tell her, "No, no, Lavinia" in the most gentle tones, and she will take a moment to process it, then purse up her face and burst into tears as if we had brutally wounded her feelings.

Lavinia adores Edmund, and he genuinely loves his little sister, too. Edmund likes to make Lavinia laugh; he talks to her and takes a lot of notice of her. Some of my happiest moments as a mother are seeing the two of them enjoying each other. Other happy times are when Lavinia throws her tiny, soft arms around my neck, or, out of the blue, Edmund says something sweetly thoughtful and beyond his years. Thanks and praise to my Heavenly Father for the chance to be a mama to these two precious individuals.