Quick thrift skirt and Linky Party Giveaway - extended!

It is now after 6:00 on Sunday night, 18 visitors away from my 10,000th.  Looks like the linky party might go to midnight, so stop back here tomorrow to see who won!  With only 13 links so far, your chances are pretty good!  Thank you to all who have linked and linked to me for this giveaway.  I appreciate it!!!! Winner to be announced...

In honor of my almost 10,000th visitor to my site, (since I started it in 2008) , I am starting a linky party!  Simply post a link of something you have made recently, follow directions on the linky, and add my "Reap What You Sew Sundays" badge to your side bar or post if you can. (not mandatory)  Please add yourself as a follower too!  That's it!  (Party closes by Sunday April 3rd at 6 pm) But even better, I have a giveaway for the winner I will select randomly from the links posted under this linky party.  A great new to you craft book, either crocheting, quilting, embroidery, how to shop vintage, painted wooden furniture ideas or general crafting, that I will mail to the winner.  Please help me celebrate by sharing your creativity!
Stop back each Sunday evening to see if you have won.  Each Wednesday the linky party will open up again, provided I get to posting and keeping up!  I am new at this, so bear with me!  Here is a sneak peak of the book choices I will offer the winner.

Thrift Silk Dress to a Flirty Skirt 

You will need a thrifted dress, thread, sewing machine, waistband elastic and safetypin.

If you are a sewer, you probably won't need these instructions, this skirt is simply an elastic waist squared design, cut away from the bodice.

 I scored this silk faux wrap dress for $4.00 last fall at Good Will.  I knew it probably wouldn't fit me, but planned to cut it in half for a skirt for myself or daughter.  The border print on it is just charming, and it is a good color with the thrifted cardigan I found on another day. 

 Notice the wrap front, that is stitched down, so it won't leave you exposed.

The hardest part is the surgery, but once you cut the dress in half you can begin trying to measure to be sure it is the right length.  Because the skirt was narrow, I chose to size it down to my daughter's tiny waist size. (26 inches lucky her!)  After you measure carefully to get the right proportions, simply turn under the top edge, I finger press, but you can use an iron if it helps you.

 Once the edge is turned under, turn your top edge over the width of elastic plush a tiny bit more. This makes a "casing" for the elastic to move freely through. Be sure to leave a small opening for the elastic to be threaded through.

After the casing is done, simply pin one edge of the elastic, work it through the opening you left, pushing it all the way around, till it comes out the other side.  Pin, and try it on, adjust the pin to where it fits the most comfortable. Take safety pin out, and sew the edges of the elastic together securely, then, stitch the casing closed.

 Daughter wouldn't model this for me, but I made sure it fits!  She will need some "dress up" clothes for her class trip to Washington, D.C. end of May. I refuse to pay $30.00 for something so simple to make.

Buttermilk Fruit Snacking Cake - revised slightly from a recipe on allrecipes.com

I had a surplus of buttermilk to use up, and we were hungry for something warm out of the oven. This recipe is so luscious, and the two families I shared it with, wanted the recipe!  I adapted it from the allrecipes.com recipe and I wrote it below with my changes.

Ingredients

Crumb Topping:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cake:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups white sugar

2  eggs

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-3/4 cups buttermilk

Any fruit can be added here, original called for 1-1/2 cups mango - peeled, seeded and diced and 1-1/2 cups raspberries  I used a handful of Black Raspberries,

Directions

1.Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). I used a 9x13 pan, since I made enough for 18 servings, not 12.

2.Crumb Topping:  Mix flour, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon together in a bowl until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Set the topping aside.

3.Beat remaining butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.

4.Mix the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, stirring just to combine. After the last of the flour mixture is incorporated, gently fold in the black raspberries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan (the batter will be thick). Sprinkle with crumb topping.

5.Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

I am always generous with my use of nutmeg and cinnamon, you might try using more or less. :)

This picture doesn't do the cake justice, it was so rich and the texture divine!  Keep Buttermilk around, it always makes your baking richer and more tender!

Another breath of spring, here below, daughter got a sunny flower bouquet, out of the blue, from her Auntie Donna and Uncle Bill in North Carolina!  She was so tickled, she whisked it away to her bedroom where she spends alot of her free time.  I convinced her to bring it down after a few days for the rest of us to enjoy!  Thank you Donna, you are sweet to think of her (and us)