Something New

I love learning. And researching.  And understanding.  I'm a dog with a bone.  If you ask me a question and I haven't the foggiest, I'll gnaw on that thought till I've wrapped my brain around it. I love doing things in a self-sufficient way.  If I see something I like, my first thought is, "Can I make that myself?"  Last year I learned how to make jam and took up canning.  I learned how to raise chickens.  I learned to play fiddle (a little).  I explored new gardening methods and took composting to new levels.  I learned to sew fancy flower girl dresses.  I learned to knit a rug.  I learned to slack-line. I learned how to take apart a piano.  And how to take apart a turkey.  I learned how to install lighting.

It's a problem I have. 

Unless it's math. I have as little to do with math as possible.

It's another problem I have.



So anyway, I've been gnawing on a new bone in the last couple of days.  Here's a peek:

Cheers to all my friends and family who love to learn something new!

Fall Door Hanging

I have to admit, I've been a little jealous of all the cute front door wreaths I've been seeing lately.  The crafty person inside me was quietly dying a painful death over not being able to make a Fall wreath for my house because of this:

 

 

 

* Cue ominous music... *

 

 

 

Ah, the dreaded stained glass front door.  It was there when we bought the house.  The previous owners had it installed as an homage to the family shield.  I kind of like it.  I mostly don't.  Every time the holidays spur that wreath-y feeling in me, I take one look at that bright blue family crest and shlump back inside to knit something instead.

The colors will clash, I whine to myself.  It's too busy looking for anything else up there, I complain internally while browsing solid front doors with adorable bow-topped wreaths on Pinterest.

Eventually, my crafty side shoved my whiny side out of the way like a bully on a playground and came up with an idea.  Cover that baby up!  I zipped to the sewing machine, dug in my fabric scraps, made a trip to the craft store, and by the next day, Fall had found its way to my front door.

Fresh cut leaves and berries front the front yard make great colorful accents, too.

So there you have it.  My take on the front door Fall Wreath. What's yours?



Pioneer Girls

In honor of this...

 

And the fact that we have read and loved the Little House on the Prairie books over the years...

 

And the fact that my children have begged me over the years to make them "Laura Ingalls" outfits...

 

I finally did it.

 

And then I died from an overdose of adorable-ness.




And then things got really ridiculous when Hopers asked me to make a matching outfit for Teddy. I laughed and waved her away. And then made Teddy an outfit the next day.

And Noodle wore her dress with high-top, black and white Converse shoes.  And no, I didn't take a picture of them on purpose because we all know Converses don't belong in old-timey photos.


And here's reality folks.  Crazy kids.  Full color life.

We'll just pretend for one day out of the year.

Mobile Blogging, Sewing and Fall Gardens

As I was sitting on the floor in my living room sewing aprons and bonnets for my darling daughters' costumes, I meditated on why I never have enough time to blog as much as I want to. 

Well let's see, there's the fact that I have two kids, a husband, and a part time job.  There's the fact that I have an old house that needs lots of new paint. There's also the fact that, perhaps, I have way too many hobbies.  Everyone likes to have vegetable gardens, sew, knit, refinish and reupholster furniture, run, bake, photograph, craft, read and blog in their spare time, right? Back me up here friends.

Okay maybe I do need to cut out a few things. You know that book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie? My husband says it was written about me. I try to ignore him. I just like to do a lot of things!
So, in an effort to find ways to keep up with more of my favorite diversions, I've discovered I can do some of my hobbies at the same time! (Insert your eye roll here.)

For example, did you know you can read a book and knit at the same time? Granted, it helps if it's digital.  Also, don't be trying to knit anything complicated, like a sock, or you might end up with two left feet. But still, it can be done!  And also, right now I am sewing and blogging at the same time. What??  I discovered a mobile app for my phone while I was sitting and pondering a moment ago, and voila! Found the answer!  I stitch a little while I think of what to say. I type (or swype) a little while the iron heats up.

Being able to use my phone to blog especially appeals to me for two more reasons:
1. I always have my phone near me to take a photo or jot a note.  Big cameras and desktop computers are a little hard to fit in my pocket. (However, this does not mean I will be giving up these items...I just have more options!)
2.  I'm often out sitting at appointments or waiting on my children. Blog a little? Yay! Instant productivity for me!

So, in honor of my first multitasking mobile blogger test run, I will now

(hold on, gotta finish this gather stitch)

I will now satisfy the A.D.D. in me by taking photos of my fall garden and show them to you while sewing and blogging. Thank you for continuing, those of you I didn't lose back at the eye roll.

Carrots

Fava Beans

Bell Peppers.  They're feeling much happier
with those 90's outta here.

Radish.  Almost ready!

A few okra plants still going strong.
The rest, I pulled up to make room
for onions and garlic.

Kale

Lettuce

Eggplant, uh, tree?

A happy eggplant indeed!

Butternut squash 



Red cabbage

Collards

As you can see, my garden is also pretty busy, but I swear it's not my fault! My brother-in-law gave me way too many seeds! They were all just begging to be planted.  And really, who doesn't love to eat food they grew themselves? (Did I mention this is only a part of my garden?)

Well I think that this post has gone on long enough.  I have better things to do than sit around and show you vegetables. 

I'm thinking of taking up basketweaving, anyway.

Under...water.

Noodle's First Dress

(Warning:  This post contains a large dose of Mommy-Daughter Pride.  Viewer side effects may include but are not limited to: joy, smiles, jealousy, boredom, nausea, and enlarged heart.)

This is Noodle.  She's nine.  She's awesome.  One small thing that makes her awesome is that she made this dress.  She MADE this dress. 

When I was a kid, I knew of parents who did their kid's science project for them so the kid could get a good grade, or even an award.  I vowed never to be like that because it was just lame and really unfair for the rest of the kids who actually tried.  So when I say that my daughter made this dress, I really mean it.

Of course, I had to teach her how to make the dress (and how to sew, for that matter), so I was very involved.  I said lots of things like, "Slow down!" and "Hurry up!"  Very Mom-like.  Noodle had to be pretty patient with me.  She learned how to thread the sewing machine, how to make a seam, how to finish an edge, how to make an elastic casing, and how to use bias tape.  If she had asked me to show her how to do these things just a few months ago, I would have had her submitted to psychiatric evaluation.  (Bias wha??)  But since I've become a ravenous seamstress in the last few months, I actually have something to teach her.

The best part about Noodle's dress is that she didn't even make it for herself.  You see, a friend of ours is traveling to Ethiopia in a few weeks where she will adopt a little boy.  The dress, along with a collection of more handmade dresses and shorts from others, will be given to the children at the orphanage where the little boy is from.  Noodle is so excited to think about a little girl across the world receiving her pretty new dress to wear.  I am excited that my little girl gets to learn a useful and creative skill while showing others the love of Jesus.

The Shower Gift

I was recently invited to a baby shower in honor of my dear friend, Mrs. Fox. I immediately knew I wanted to make something for her baby because I love making things, and dear friends need a few handmade things once in a while. Because Baby Fox is expected to be Baby Girl Fox, I also immediately thought of making a dress for her.

Hey! I thought, I know how to make a dress for little girls already! I've already practiced twice. This will be perfect! Then, my next thought was, Wait a minute. This is a baby. Those dresses I've made would swallow her up, they're so big. How can I figure out the right size for a baby...?

The brilliant idea came to me to dig out the small box of treasured baby clothes that I'd kept from my girls' baby days. Surely there was something in there to compare size with. I pulled out a little dress that had first been Noodle's and then had become Hopers'. It was one of my favorites--blue with pink and yellow roses. Made by Ralph Lauren, given to my by another dear friend, the dress had been well loved.

As I sat and reminisced, another thought washed over me. I could make this dress! It would be so adorable! Mrs. Fox would love it!

Many of you sewing people are probably thinking, UH OH.... She doesn't even know what she's getting into. And you're right. You are SO right. But I did it anyway. I couldn't bear to cut the dress apart for a pattern, of course, so I had to measure. And draw. And re-measure. And erase. And draw. And I made my own pattern from the dress. Then I used that pattern to cut out the fabric. Looking back, I was probably out of my mind. I just learned how to sew like, last week? Now I'm making my own patterns? Stop me before I hurt myself!

Okay, just kidding. I'm fine. Really. Though I may need to see a counselor about my obsession with bias tape. It's my new best friend.

Here's the result.

The front. I could just die over the bloomers. Baby girls should wear bloomers every day.

I made a ruffle just like the original dress, but added a little bow.

The back.

Buttons! I did buttons!

This picture also showcases how much of a not perfect seamstress I am, ie. the horizontal seam doesn't quite line up, and the gathers on the left sleeve don't match the gathers on the right.

Mrs. Fox did love her hand made gift.

I did spend way more time making it than I originally intended to.

I am totally obsessed with sewing now.

I may need intervention.