And now that you’ve been sucked in by the misleading title of this blog post, allow me to show you the fruits of my non-sewing efforts. The Selfish Seamstress has been known to bake on occasion. Ordinarily these occasions would go undocumented and unblogged, but as I am currently blogging about “whatever” during my involuntary sewing hiatus, here you go. Whatever.
From left to right we have glazed apple cake, leche flan (Filipino-style caramel custard), Ostfriesentorte (German cake with two yellow cake layers, two meringue layers, a whipped cream and cherry filling, topped with sliced almonds), flourless chocolate cake with fresh berries, Maulwurftorte (German chocolate and hazelnut cake filled with bananas and whipped cream, topped with “excavated” cake crumbs), and angel food cake with fresch blueberries.
Why all the cake? Well, in order to function in society, the Selfish Seamstress does occasionally need to curry favor with people to balance out the damage done by her unpleasant temperament and attitude problem. So she makes herself less unpopular with her colleagues and friends using the occasional cake (so much quicker than sewing things for people. Plus you can please a lot of people with just *one* project. People are so easy like that.) And so the Selfish Seamstress and Dan threw themselves a little farewell party with plenty of cake for their friends. You know, so as not to burn any bridges upon departure. You never know whose goodwill you may want to exploit down the road.
And lest you read this occasion as a gesture of unselfishness and consider chiding me for it, keep in mind who is not getting any cake… YOU. Enjoy some close-ups!
Oh yes, I’m wearing The Last Dress… for Now. At $4 for the fabric, that dress has more than earned its keep in the last week!
75 comments
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September 4, 2010 at 7:08 am
Katarina
Ostfriesentorte=Trümmertorte (the name I know it by)= sehr lecker!
September 4, 2010 at 7:12 am
Meredith P
Yet more heretofore unknown talents, missy! Kudos!
September 4, 2010 at 7:18 am
ChristineB
“The Selfish Seamstress does occasionally need to curry favor with people to balance out the damage done by her unpleasant temperament and attitude problem.”
And you can do that with just six cakes? ;-)
:::ducking:::
September 4, 2010 at 7:24 am
Reethi
You bake in nice clothes? I bake in t-shirts not meant to be seen outside the house…
September 4, 2010 at 7:34 am
Rachel
Now I’m all hungry…
September 4, 2010 at 7:37 am
apeppermintpenguin
**THAT** is your version of ‘whatever’?
Must you do *everything* perfectly? I mean really, without the in progress shots I’d have had that for a professionally catered spread.
You are a total overachiever and make the rest of the world look like utter slackers.
And now I want cake.
Thanks.
September 4, 2010 at 7:39 am
Victoria Baylor
Such fanciful cakes!!! They absolutely are delicious. Such a nice gesture, aren’t you the sweetest!!! Oops, did I slip up and call you nice . I don’t want to ruin your reputation with my honest thoughts (smile)!!! Farewells are hard, hope you had a great party!!!
September 4, 2010 at 7:54 am
Melanie
Seriously, is there ANYTHING you can’t do!?!?!
September 4, 2010 at 8:39 am
NancyDaQ
You are a woman of many talents.
And yes, baked goods help accomplish many goals…
September 4, 2010 at 8:57 am
Bernadette W
Perfectionism, thy name is Selfish.
September 4, 2010 at 9:04 am
CBH
OMG… I want a slice of each, please, with a fabric on top… oops I mean with a cherry on top. Thanks for sharing. They look beautiful and delicious.
September 4, 2010 at 9:12 am
lakaribane
I’m almost afraid of what you will post next…
September 4, 2010 at 9:22 am
carina S.
Everything seems sooo yummy!!! I want cake now!! Girl, you are so talented! We know you are a selfish seamstress, but are you a selfish pattiseur too? If not, you could share some of your recipes with us…..xoxo carina
September 4, 2010 at 10:18 am
Robin
That is Brilliant. I have a serious problem with sewing for other people and then getting a sensitive and weird about it. (I know, I know, I do it to myself and I should know better!)
Well, I shall remember what I learned from your post today. I can read a cookbook, for crying out loud! I can bake. And I bet I can make a person just as happy with a baked good.
And tell me – did you bake with a grudge? I bet you did not!! Because you get to eat it, too!
September 4, 2010 at 11:15 am
Annemarie
SS, is there no end to your talents?
September 4, 2010 at 11:40 am
Venus de Hilo
Okay, the bowl of breakfast oatmeal I am eating now seems really boring. Can I have some Ostfriesentorte, please?
September 4, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Affienia
They all look amazing. Don’t suppose you would like to share recipes so you can see us all fail miserably as clearly we are not as great in the kitchen as you?
September 4, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Carol
Hello, Elaine, I have to say, you are one funny girl! I think, however, that underneath your “tough, selfish demeanor” that you portray so humourously on your website, that you no doubt have a heart of gold. You are a good sewer and must certainly be driven, when I see what you achieve in a short amount of time. Apart from Erica B, whom we all know, you are the next best!!! Now, don’t get bent out of shape cause you’re not number one!!! Keep working on it, maybe you can outdo her!!!
September 4, 2010 at 1:21 pm
fitz
lordy, elaine, if i’m this bored *reading* about not-sewing, you must be extra extra bored by *doing* not-sewing. sigh.
that Last Dress looks great. i pray for the speedy arrival of your machine.
September 4, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Toby Wollin
Excavated cake crumbs? Who knew? OMG – every one of those dishes (especially the flan, which is an DH fav) is going on my list of learning how to do, but the ‘excavated cake crumbs’ just makes me giggle so hard..it’s like the cake version of that cocktail thing with the big round rye bred filled with dill dip and topped with the chunked up ‘excavated’ rye bread!!!! Genius.
September 4, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Claudia
ha! german cake! :) i think you need to translate maulwurf-torte. and i like that you wrote “fresch” blueberries, makes them look german, too ;-)
September 4, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Janine
Ugh, you bake, too? You make it so hard to like you :D
The flourless chocolate cake looks divine.
Now I want cake.
September 4, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Fourth Daughter
You bake, you sew, you knit, you do sciencey stuff… can you please put up a post about things that you are REALLY REALLY BAD at to remind us that you are human!?
September 4, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Marybeth
You’re so talented!!!! What a beautiful spread – yum!
September 4, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Tammy
ok, the “mole cake” sounded really good so I googled for the recipe and they are all in german. Could you PLEASE, PLEASE share your recipe?
September 4, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Karen
But where are the recipes???????????!!!!!!!
September 4, 2010 at 9:19 pm
sisters4saymoreismore
thanks for rubbing it in… now i want cake… or maybe flan….
~selina
September 4, 2010 at 9:48 pm
jimena
DEar Selfish: I hope your selfishness will allow you to share the recipes??? Those cakes look like killers.
Have a nice day
J
September 4, 2010 at 10:41 pm
magdamagda
a perfectionist in everything!:) I’m afraid I was never guilty of quite such a feast… and my poor stomach, I’m having my coffee before breakfast looking at your pictures… well let’s say at least it’s pretty amazing knitting and cooking like that!
September 5, 2010 at 12:08 am
Susannah (the other one, from Australia)
I want cake too! And flan! And I notice that I wasn’t the only one to pick up on the “fresch” blueberries (although I have no idea if it is correct german, it sounds good!).
Fantastic cakes, Ms Selfish, and inspiration for all your acolytes as a way to curry favour without having to sew something for someone else. (plus the secret delight that, if others eat the cakes, they won’t fit into the clothes that you might otherwise have sewn for them. Schadenfreude???)
September 5, 2010 at 1:57 am
The Sew Convert
You sew, I drool. You bake, I drool. I showed my husband the first image and he said, ” a new bakery you wanna try?”
September 5, 2010 at 6:29 am
Susannah(the other one from Canada)
Am truly in awe of your talents… Usually just salivate over the sewing!
September 5, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Susannah (the other one - from Australia)
Hi Susannah – Canada, eh? I’ve just come back from a trip to western Canada – Jasper, Quadra Island and Vancouver (with a side trip to Seattle, but the SS beat me too it and bought all the fabric!)
September 5, 2010 at 8:50 am
Michele
My ! I love you blogging about “whatever.” I think I must be addicted to all the selfishness in its many forms. I want cake!
Thanks so much for your lovely blog and inspiration!
September 5, 2010 at 1:25 pm
lorrwill
I got fatter just reading this post.
September 5, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Shalyn
Those cakes look Deeeeeeeelicious! What a talented baker you are. I love baking for social gatherings and would love to try my hand at some of those. I think your baking skills make excellent fodder for the ‘whatever’ blogging category. If you ever feel like boasting further about other baked goods I’d say go for it. I would love to find out the recipes you used for these…especially the awesomely named German ones…
September 6, 2010 at 2:53 am
Kaith
The leche flan looks amazing! Just looking at it made my mouth water. Are you also as selfish with your leche flan recipe as with your sewing? LOL! You are one of my idols!
September 7, 2010 at 10:17 am
No Sew So « Tanit-Isis Sews
[…] the risk of starting a tradition of cakes on sewing blogs (I am not a foodie and don’t read cooking blogs for a REASON), here is the cake my […]
September 7, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Marie
Yummy! Your cakes look so great! I got my Vogue magazine in the mail today and was so pleasantly shocked to see you in there! Of course you giving your wonderful advice on how to be selfish and to sew only for yourself! Yay what a great way to reach more people! You rock!
September 7, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Susannah (the other one - from Australia)
Is our SS appearing in the print media? Vogue Patterns? Which issue?
Doesn’t she know we are so selfish we don’t want to share her with the hoi polloi?
September 8, 2010 at 6:40 am
Marie
SS is in the Oct./Nov 2010 Vogue pattern magazine. You can subscribe at their website and I have seen these magazines in some fabric stores.
September 7, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Tasia
Yummm! You’re making me hungry :)
September 7, 2010 at 11:18 pm
lorrwill
SQEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am on page 21 of the latest Vogue Patterns magazine and guess who is also there?
The Great Selfish One!
Did I miss the post when you told us that you were going to in in there???? You selfish little !#$@!$@#!#@!!!!
September 8, 2010 at 6:45 am
Rosie
Yum! Congrats on the feature in Vogue magazine!
September 8, 2010 at 11:46 am
The Slapdash Sewist
Mmmm, cake. I am almost glad you didn’t invite me to your party because I would have a hard time deciding which one to have and I really couldn’t eat six slices of cake. Or could I?
September 9, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Christine Corbin
Wow, those cakes look awesome!
Just wanted to tell you I really like your blog, the stuff you sew is amazing and so professional- looking. I’m a highschooler who sews and i was wondering if you’d like to exchange links?
September 10, 2010 at 9:54 am
Dei
Yum buckets! Girlfriend, you have skills.
September 12, 2010 at 9:10 am
Tamara
I still love your blog….no matter what you talking about. Sewing, Knitting, Baking…you’re just funny!!!
September 14, 2010 at 9:17 am
jayayceeblog
Oh, dear God, I just gained 15 pounds looking at all that fresh baked goodness! Very impressive!!!
September 14, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Henriette
If you were model-like tall I’d have to hate you!
September 20, 2010 at 10:57 am
Sali Olson
Get settled in Europe already! Surely you (of all people) can find toadys to do the heavy lifting and arranging. Your minions are in need of your leadership and guidance!
September 21, 2010 at 9:04 am
lap
I miss your posts! Can you really have gone this long without sewing something inspiring and fabulous? Perish the thought!
September 21, 2010 at 11:49 am
PetitePear
I’m going through TSS withdrawal. I’ve had to resorted to reading your Nemeses’ blogs. Please come back soon!
September 22, 2010 at 7:31 am
amy barthel
Delish!
I realized that i haven’t seen any Selfish seamstress updates on my RSS reader when i saw my email from VOGUE sewing mag. and YOU are featured!
CONGRATS! I love that your article is under sewing therapy. i guess they couldnt have a comic relief category :) cant wait to read it– in line at Joanns :)
September 22, 2010 at 9:50 am
Jan
c’mon Selfish – get yourself back here real fast – withdrawal symptoms are setting in – I can only look at a picture of cakes for SO long.
September 23, 2010 at 8:43 am
amber
You have no idea how much I’m drooling over these right now. Le sigh.
Hope the move is going well! Miss you out here in the blogosphere.
September 24, 2010 at 10:12 am
lorrwill
need.more.selfishness…
September 24, 2010 at 1:29 pm
flowerschi
Oh man! now I have to make a cake!
September 24, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Katherine
Please come back to blogging, we don’t mind whether it’s about baking, knitting or sewing. We would just be thrilled at your return.
Or maybe just a haiku? Please
September 26, 2010 at 5:51 am
Karen
I would love it if you could force yourself to “share” the source/s of the recipes for those fabulous looking cakes!
I echo the others reader’s remarks by also noting that your talents seem to know no bounds. But what is really impressive is your industriousness. It takes work to make things happen, and that is the most impressive part of your (ad)ventures to me.
Have I flattered enough to warrant a proper nudge in the right recipe seeking direction.
September 26, 2010 at 9:54 am
queentanya
Okay, I know you are moving across the world, but we are officially in withdrawal! I have had to log onto other blogs to fill the void. Being the SS, I know you have better things to do than please your minions, but I blog post would go a long way right now….
Yes, knitting is slow.
September 27, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Germania Solorzano
Hey Selfish Seamstress,
I miss you. What’s up with the blog? Come back.
September 28, 2010 at 7:21 am
Henriette
This is too selfish…come back. Get that da.. sewing machine unpacked and get to work!
September 29, 2010 at 9:25 am
Diane Wagner
Hi Selfish Seamstress,
I just discovered your blog through your awesome article in VOGUE PATTERNS. I love your name, attitude, clothes, everything! I also love Burda patterns and German. I only sew for dolls right now, and have become a huge fabric whore-der. You are inspiring me to try sewing for myself again, which I haven’t done since I had my children (the bod is just not the same!). Have you ever made anything from the Marfy patterns? I love their style.
I have many stories of people who took advantage of me because I love to sew. I now tell them, “I only sew for dolls.”
September 29, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Debra
It is time to come back and blog!How long could it really take to move across the world????
September 29, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Debra
It is time to come back and blog! How long could it really take to move across the world????
October 1, 2010 at 5:21 am
Tory
My turn to be selfish. I miss your blog. Come back! Immediately! I miss you!
October 1, 2010 at 10:44 am
juebejue
poke poke. POKE!
come back!
October 1, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Kyleigh Perkins
The only possible explanation for Selfish’s absence from her blog is that she is too embarrassed to admit that she has been lured into non-selfish behaviors in her new European home for some crazy reason. Don’t try to hide it, Selfish, we see past your thin attempt to play it off as mere busyness. Moving halfway across the world, puh! I dare you to prove me wrong!
In all seriousness, majorly miss your witty, inspiring chatter, sewing-related or otherwise.
October 1, 2010 at 9:03 pm
flickettysplits
where are you? did you expire in transit from sewing withdrawal?
October 2, 2010 at 5:38 am
KJ
I think we should question Peter regarding the whereabouts of the SS… after all he was the last person to see her. Someone should check that he isn’t holding her hostage and forcing her to sew various garments to wear to special events…
October 2, 2010 at 7:11 am
Another Elaine
Dear selfish, I hope your taking a hiatus to be truely selfish. I hope your indulging in some well earned sloth and food other people made for you. Seriously miss your blog and hope all is well.
June 29, 2011 at 11:25 am
KuchenBacken
Ein wirklich toller Maulwurfkuchen! Du kannsz bei mir auch mal reinschauen, habe viele Maulwurfkuchen und Maulwurftorten zur auswahl! Kannste alles nachbacken!
June 29, 2011 at 11:35 am
Maulwurfkuchen und Maulwurftorte
Da bin ich schon wieder auf deiner seite gelandet! Schaut doch einfach mal bei mir rein: Maulwurfkuchen und Maulwurftorte Rezepte
July 13, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Diane
Might you share what the pattern number is for the red roses tango top? I love the sleeves!