meringue skirt pt 2: finished!

so this skirt has been done for a couple weeks now and i finally get to show it off! despite the fact that i'm not totally in love with the fabric color, i do love how the skirt turned out. if you've been following along, i made a couple changes to the pattern. first i eliminated the hem facing and fully lined the skirt instead, then i replaced the waistband facing of the pattern with my own elastic band version.

this really works out great and provides a little movement. i find non-waistbanded skirts to be very hard to fit. if it's too tight it digs in uncomfortably. too loose and there's just no way to keep it in place.

according to the size chart i was in between a size 4 and size 6. just to be on the safe side i cut a 6, but in hindsight a size 4 would have fit better. not a big deal, the elastic waistband facing still keeps everything snug and comfortable. plus, my addition of belt loops and a belt give my waist the proper definition it needs.

you can see i have a bit of extra room causing minor bunching around the waist to hip area. for some reason i have it in my head that my hips are super wide. hmm... maybe they're not. i could probably add an inch or two in length. i have a freakishly mis-proportioned dimensions.

even though this skirt isn't something i would ordinarily want more than one of, it is so cute i just might have to make a more summery version as well! i love the classic shape, the unique hem detail and (done my way...) the total comfort! plus, it's a fast, instant-gratification project. and who doesn't love that?


—lisa g

meringue skirt pt. 1: you call this grey?

i'm very excited about the two colette pattern pieces i'm working on! first up: the meringue skirt.




okay, this skirt is just darling. initially the idea of a scallop hem seemed a little too cutesy for me but it totally grew on me and it's really the perfect detail for a no frills skirt. i decided to make it in wool for a classic look. now, to be honest when i ordered my "grey wool" i kinda expected it to be "grey." not decidedly "brown."

i guess my brain went straight to grey and overlooked the fact that indeed the online picture does look brown... sigh. 


cue disappointment upon reviewing online purchase... 


it's not that i have a problem with brown. brown is perfectly fine, i just thought black/white grey would transition me into spring a little better and not scream "autum!" okay, i'll live.


for this skirt i digressed from the instructions just a little. first i feel like i need some sort of waist definition. usually i'd just modify a pattern and add a waistband, but i decided instead to just add belt loops so i could belt it. it worked out great, though can i just tell you how much i HATE making and sewing on beltloops? it ranks very high on my list of things that i do not enjoy doing. fortunately, in this case it was well worth the effort, because they turned out perfectly. whew!


another change i made was fully lining the skirt instead of using the scalloped facing. two reasons: one—this is wool, wool is itchy for me. two—i really don't like doing a blind hem. not out of laziness or anything, but i don't like seeing the distortions from a mediocre blind hem job. it can cause the skirt to hang funny and i just wanted to avoid that. plus, adding a lining was very easy to do! i simply cut my lining identical to my wool. 

i did take the time to chalk out my stitching line which made this so much easier!

i stitched the hem with the wool and lining together, then trimmed the seam allowance and pulled the lining to the inside and pressed the edge.

on a side note, i highly recommend  trimming the seam allowance very narrowly and notching in between the scallops only rather than notching the entire edge of the curve. since most of the curve is along the bias of the material, it will easily press into place. notching around the curve tends to give a lumpier edge.

okay, so to further make sure the scallop edge is perfect, i top stitched the entire hem, which sounds much more tedious than it actually was. i simply followed the edge of my pressor foot and traded out my regular thread for a heavier topstitching thread so it shows up better.

it keeps the lining from trying to peek out the bottom and gives nice definition to the scallop. i also basted the skirt fabric and lining together at the waist just to keep them from shifting around as i finished the waist.

the other change i made to the pattern was swapping out the waistband facing for some of that fat belting elastic. now, this was pure genius on my part, if i do say so myself. i cut the skirt a sz 6 because i was kind of in between the 4 and 6. but, to make sure i got a snug fit, i cut a piece of elastic about 1/2" smaller than my actual waist. i pinned the elastic to the skirt, evenly distributing it.

 then using a zig-zag stitch i stitched the elastic to the top of the skirt.

then i turned the elastic to the inside and hand stitched the elastic edge to the zip.

then i stitched in the ditch at the right side seam through both the skirt fabric and the elastic. 


wool (i have read) tends to stretch out as it's worn, so the elastic makes sure this doesn't happen! i love this elastic thing because it keeps the skirt comfortable and the elastic undetectable from the outside when you wear it. how nifty is that? this is perfect for any non-waistbanded skirt. seriously, i hope you try this!!!


okay, so that's it for the construction... pics of me wearing it to come!


—lisa g

meringue cookies

you probably have your christmas/holiday whatnots all put together, baked and packaged. but if you don't and you just need one quick (but impressive) treat to throw together, consider the meringue cookie.


in case you read the word "meringue" and immediately tuned me out in fear of beating egg whites  and sugar syrups and gasp using a candy thermometer! trust me. nothing could be more simple. plus, you most likely have everything you need on hand anyway!

meringue cookies


2 egg whites, preferably at room temperature
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tb corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-or-
1/4 tsp vanilla extract plus 1/4 tsp peppermint extract


add the egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer. beat the egg whites on medium until they begin to appear frothy, add the salt and cream of tartar.

continue to beat until the egg whites form soft peaks. once you have soft peaks, turn off the mixer.

meanwhile... add the granulated sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 c water to a small saucepan. stir to combine. put a lid on the saucepan and set it over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble.

remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium to medium-high. clip on your candy thermometer and let the syrup cook until it reaches 236 F (soft ball stage).

remove the pan from the heat, turn on your mixer to medium and carefully add your syrup to the beaten egg whites. be careful not to pour directly on to your mixer beater or you could find yourself in the very uncomfortable position of having melted sugar all over you. that would be bad.

once all the syrup has been added turn up the mixer to medium-high and beat for about 5 minutes or until the egg whites are thick and shiny and have cooled to room temperature. add the vanilla and peppermint extract. if you wish to color your meringue, now would be a good time to do that.


to get the swirl, scoop half of the meringue into a piping bag. color the other half then scoop it into a second piping bag.

then, place both bags inside a third bag fitted with a big star tip. squeeze it all together for perfect swirls! 

heat the oven to a low 200 F. on parchment lined baking sheets, scoop or pipe your meringue into little shapes.

bite sized is best, i got carried away and made these too big! once you have them shaped, put them in the oven for 1-2 hours (depending on their size). shut off the oven and crack the door open to let them continue to dry and harden, about 30 minutes to an hour.

these are melt in your mouth delicious and basically not bad for you! it's definitely a treat you don't have to feel bad about eating or giving away.


merry christmas to all!