Toys for Maggie

I have a new project idea . . . what a surprise!!! I've decided to try to make Maggie some baby toys. I have been looking to find some patterns, but couldn't find much that I liked. Here is a link to one toy I think is so neat, I want to try to make:
http://kimberlychapman.com/crafts/knit-patterns-caterpillar.html

Look at these other really neat ideas:
http://kimberlychapman.com/crafts/knit-littledudes.html

Here is another idea for a baby block:
http://knituition.blogspot.com/2007/02/bright-baby-block.html


I think I am actually addicted to knitting! Shhhhhh . . . don't tell anyone. I'm now searching for any excuse to knit. I'm afraid I've passed this addiction on to one of my children. I'm not suppose to tell anyone, but, they have been sneaking and knitting with me. I'm sure it will spread to the others soon. There will be no hope for us.

Botany: the light hut goes large

We made a little light hut for our botany class, but now that we realize what we can do with it, we needed to make a much larger one. So, I found an old wardrobe box, that we had when we moved and we hadn't used it. It is now our light hut.

Caleb and Noah are really getting into the seeds, they love checking to see if they have made progress. Caleb just started his, and he keeps telling me that he thinks the plant is trying to break out of the seed. He's so smart. I love his simple logic sometimes.

We've decided to propagate some houseplants, Sarah's thinking of selling them. It's a good idea. I'm willing to help her if she's willing to try it.

It did take some time to make, but the kids are learning a lot. It's worth it!

Getting things together . . . finally finding the time.

I am so happy to announce that I am on track with getting my house more organized!!! After all of the recent projects and running here, there and everywhere, I can finally stay home, dig in and get it done. This session of Co-Op is over, soccer is over and I'm not volunteering for one extra thing for the next few months.

I want to focus on finding a place for everything in the house and if it doesn't have one, then it's not staying here! This makes the second round of this, for this year. So now it's getting down to the nitty gritty. The things to tackle are my craft stuff, school stuff and the stuff that doesn't really belong anywhere.

The kids are willing to pitch in, because I had my husband bring up the Christmas Tree. It's going to stay in the box until we get the house "ready" This may seem cruel, but, it works.

I want to really enjoy this holiday season. I don't want the primary focus to be on presents, but to be about spending time with family, going to shows, festivals, ice skating, baking cookies, the fun stuff. I won't be stuck in the stores, trying to find the perfect gifts, and I don't want a bunch of gifts either. We're going to make things for grandparents, and each other and try to celebrate what Christmas is all about. Make some memories, not debt and stress.

Stress starts to set in . . .

Usually when I get into a project of course the house suffers. This time was not an exception. We had so many other things going on, plus the dress making project, school, etc. For almost two solid weeks we had some scheduled thing to attend. I can push the declining house off for a while, but then all of a sudden it jumps up and smacks me in the face . . . I start seeing not only the large every day messes, but every single little detail that is out of place. Then I start being a very difficult person to be around (to put it nicely) so, tonight I was trying my best to not say anything and I had just planned to dig in and start the major clean up and laundry service, but my poor husband, who had just gotten home the previous night from working 2 or 3 16hr days, had to ask me what was wrong. Big mistake! You'd think he'd learn by now. The fact that you could loose a shoe, and definately a sock on our kitchen floor seemed to escape him, and the 4 baskets of laundry that I personally folded two weeks ago which had never made it to their drawers was running low, we had science co-op tommorrow, I had a Bible Study I needed to study for, a hand towel seemed to be the only clean thing left in the bathroom closet . . . and he had to ask if something was wrong. Mmmmmm. . . . .

So, I decided that he should go to bed to get a good nights sleep, and I would just have to stay up all night to get caught up on everything, because I was the only one I could count on . . . and a few other not very nice things probably came spouting out.

Anyway, I ended up finaling getting to watch an awesome show Jon and Kate plus eight . This is such a great show. It really gives one some perspective. I will elaborate on it more at a later date, but, it is a show worth watching.

Maggie just woke up crying, so I've got to go now.

Finished Sarah's Dress and Bonnet

Voiala! Sarah's dress is finally complete. I used homespun cotton, which would be period correct for the era the dress was designed for. I was trying to go with the 1830's-1840's. Most all the photos I found were very basic and plain, or so complicated I was afraid to attempt it. I didn't use a pattern, I just looked at some images from google images with a search of 1830's children's clothing and looked into some of the fabrics that would have been available then. Everything is fastened with hooks and eyes. I machined stitched everything I could. All the gathers on the bonnet were hand stitched. The cuffs were almost too small to machine stitich, but, I made it work.

I used about two yards on the dress, almost a half yard on the bonnet and trim. I could add some more trim to the bottom of it possibly, but that can wait till later. I added in some growth seams, so she could wear this dress for the next 3 yrs and not grow out of it.
A view of the front and back of the outfit. I made some modifications to the bonnet, so it's not exactly period correct per the historic pros, I've been reading about. But, I bet the mom's back then made some changes as the were sewing too.

A side profile, my most favorite pose.

Don't the Ugg boots add the right touch? I bet they wish they had those back then!

It took much longer than I had anticipated. But I am very pleased with how it turned out. The petty coat is a bit heavy and perhaps a little too long, I will probably go back and make some changes, in my spare time.

Maggie's bonnet is finished, it looks like Sarah's, I am just getting ready to start her dress, after my hands stop hurting. I actually have blisters!!

It was all for a good cause, she looks addorable, even if I do say so myself. :)

I love sewing. As soon as cold weather hits, I start looking for fabric. There's not a safe sheet or curtain in my house!

Sarah was studying the Civil War in a co-op class, so I felt it was time for her to watch Gone with The Wind. Not that it's very accurate exactly, but it's a great movie to make you fall in love with the gowns.

The next night we were still working on her dress when a late night channel had a special on Carol Burnnette, Sarah cracked up when she saw her do the scene from Gone with The Wind and Ms. Ellen's Portiers, with the curtain rod sticking out of her back. For those of you who watched the Carol Burnnette Show you know what I mean.

I love to sew. I tried knitting a blanket for Maggie while I was pregnant with her and it was a painfully slow process. Sewing is so much faster. I am now looking at doing a small quilt out of some quilting squares I have had for almost 2yrs. I just couldn't find the right design I wanted. I think I may do a sampling of squares. I am a very novice sewer, so I don't know a lot of terminology, or really how the details work. A wonderful lady at our church, Ellie, has given me tons of advice and answers all my silly questions. I know that you piece the top together, you add some soft fluffy stuff in the middle, and a backing. Stitch it together with a neat design and its a quilt. I'll post some pictures of this quilt from beginning to end. We'll see how it turns out!

Historical Clothing

Here is my daughter Sarah wearing the outfit I made for her last year. I am trying to make another dress for this year. She is studying around the 1800's just before the civil war. It has been difficult trying to find the appropriate pattern for the date.

I will add a photo of the dress for this year. It needs to be finished before friday, so I will have it done soon!