Uncategorized

I’ve added so many more things to my garden, like the strawberry plant above, which has doubled in size since I planted it.  No sign of any strawberries, and we are in the midst of strawberry season, but maybe next year.  Our crab apple tree has tons of apples growing, which is very exciting.  The are about the size of a marble right now, I am hoping they get to a decent size.

While I figure out a long-term plan for my gardens, I’ve been planting lots of annuals, especially impatiens.  My mom gave me this cute little pot, which I put a few left over plants in.  I am absolutely loving the garden – I don’t know how I lived without it.  Every day I walk through it and survey the changes.  Pretty soon we will have lettuce, tomatoes, peppers…  Next year I hope to do a real vegetable garden, but we got off to an awesome start this year!

 I sewed 6 pairs of ruffle bloomers on Sunday.  I think that must be my record.  All of my garments with ruffled lace, the lace is ruffled entirely by hand.  On each pair of ruffle bloomers, I gather a total of 6 meters of lace. Though I must admit, I sometimes enlist my husband to help me with the ruffling – four hands are better than two, and he is an excellent ruffler, if I do say so myself!  The ruffling is definitely the most labour-intensive part of making ruffle bloomers.

It’s funny how life works.  I’ve been wanting to make a doll house, after obsessing over the amazing miniatures on Etsy.  My Uncle made this Doll House years and years ago for my cousin.  My cousin lives in the city and hasn’t had room to store it, so it’s been living at my parents house.  Well… it had an unfortunate accident last week… it fell off it’s stand and is in rather rough shape.  The railing on the porch is smashed, the whole house has come off it’s stand, the dormer roof has come apart, and some of the floor boards have started lifting.  Not knowing what to do with it, the doll house was going to make it’s final trip…

I couldn’t let the doll house go.  My uncle, who passed away just a few years ago made this piece by piece for my cousin.  I always loved the doll house whenever I would go to visit… all the little bits of furniture and nicknack’s.  So, I have adopted the rather damaged doll house, and will be renovating it over the next few weeks… months… years.  My cousins are like my sisters, I couldn’t let this get away! I know it means so much to all of us, and I am excited to start a real heirloom project.  Maybe one day I will have a little girl who will enjoy it as well….

This is the attic, which has the most adorable Alice in Wonderland wall paper and two little circular windows.

 The bathroom has an amazing checker board floor and still has some tissue on the toilet paper roll, though it’s a little worse for wear after sitting in the basement for a few years…

The bedroom and the living room have bay windows and pretty flowered wall paper.  I have no idea how I want to “decorate” but I am so, so, SO excited to fix it up again!

I’m feeling a bit stressed this morning. This weekend will be a repeat of the last… getting up at 6am to answer emails then sewing until I just can’t sew any more.  I’m so grateful that I am busy, I just wish I had more hours throughout the week to devote to sewing, as opposed to all of my weekend hours.  I need a mini-vacation! I’m feeling a little worn thin… Its been a busy few weeks.

To cheer myself up, here’s my adorable little dog, being adorable.

I am also very sad because I completed a rush order last weekend and made a bra & a pair of panties too big.  Such a disappointment!  It’s so nerve racking sending someone the fruits of your labour.  I put so much of myself into each piece it’s heartbreaking for me when something doesn’t work out.  I keep reminding myself that my mistakes are few and far between, but it still sucks!  You are your own worst critic, right?

Yesterday I left work a little early and cleaned up my gardens, which were weedy and grassy… I repotted a mandevilla vine and a hanging basket that had fallen down and broken, and planted a wistera vine to grow along the lattice work under our back deck.  It’s supposed to rain all day today, which is good… I won’t feel so guilty about staying indoors all day.  My plants will appreciate it too! <3

Anyone up to anything special this weekend?  Can I live vicariously through you?

This is a top I recently made for an old friend who contacted me through facebook.  She showed me a picture of something she liked, but the original was looser fitting.  She wanted something that would fit a little closer to the body.  So, I used my favourite Burda Style Pattern (This Raglan Sleeve Tee), made the necline a little more scooped, changed the long sleeves to cap sleeves, and added a large heart cut-out to the back. The cut out is bound with navy bias binding.  Binding a heart, and getting the binding to lay flat was quite the feat of patience!

I’m seeing lots of heart cut outs around this season.  What do you think of this trend? I think it’s pretty cute, but a cutout this size might not work for someone like me who can’t easily get away without wearing a bra!