Progress in the Bathroom

I haven't even touched my sewing machines this week (sorry if I got your hopes up!). Letter writing, gardening & weeding have been taking place and now some bathroom renovation is taking place this weekend!

We've had this wallpaper up for 10 years and it's time to see it go. We learned that it isn't wise to have wallpaper and a border in a bathroom that gets used by seven children taking steaming showers and hot baths.

We have our friend Abigail over (her mom was the one that put it up) to show us what to do and so we're all working together.

A family favorite soup is now on the stove: Garden Pottage served with Potato Dill bread. Don't let the last word of the soup turn you off; it is so good you can serve it to guests. The recipe says so, and we're doing it tonight.

We're thinking of paint colors now and some say blue, or a light sea foam blue/green, or gray. Seaside colors, anyone? :) We haven't come to any conclusions, and we're open to any other ideas or links you'd like to send our way!

Weekend in Pictures

What a busy weekend!

It started Friday night with a fabulous "Reclaiming Hope" rally at my church with a historian who spoke on America's history and politics to a crowd of over 1200 people. Excellent lectures, great music, and some honored WWII veterans.

That evening I dressed up as I would for church or any other special occasion and came up with a "formal" hairstyle that is EASY PEASY. I have thick waist length hair, so I'm not sure how it would work for shorter hair, but you could give it a try. It literally took a couple minutes.

You'll want to have curled hair to start off with. If you're like me who does not have natural ringlets, use a curling iron, flat iron, or (shh, this is what I use: sponge rollers on damp hair and sleep with them in, letting them dry overnight) hot rollers, or what you do to achieve curls. You'll also want some long hair pins, and long bobby pins.

 

Gather hair over to the side of your head and start wrapping your hair as if you were doing a side bun. Once the ends of your hair are pointing downward and you have a bun look, start adding your hair pins to keep the bun up and making sure to place several where the hair is "just hanging" to achieve that roundish bun look. Add bobby pins to finish off and adjust any stray hair or curls. The extra pins will help support heavy hair, too.

WaLa! A fancy hair-do. :)

Sunday and Monday were both wonderful days of rest and relaxation. Daddy let me use his SLR, and I had fun snapping the following pictures:

Jonny Jump Up's

Water droplets on 'Camelot Lavender' Foxglove's

The last blooming peonies

Catnip growing on the deck

Anyone know what this is? It started growing in one of my gardens a couple of years ago without my permission. But now I don't mind it in there. It's delicate and feminine, not to mention the butterflies love the color.

I never planted the Yarrow either. It came without permission and still doesn't have it. Unfortunately it has nearly overtaken a bed and I can't keep it under control and the roots are quite stubborn. I've been tempted to dump gallons of weed killer on the entire bed, but my lavender patch and shasta daises are in the bed too. Any ideas or suggestions what to do with it?

Have I ever introduced Charity to you all? She is one of my purebred Persian cats. She is only allowed outside when she's in this particular garden and under close supervision. She has a tendany to want to explore the area since we have five different bird feeders in that area and she is certain that she wants to catch one of the flying critters. Just to play with, of course.

Bird watching

This afternoon I was able to get three aprons cut out, so hopefully they will be available sometime this week. One is from a vintage pattern that I've never sewn with before. It should be fun, and sure, I'll post pictures.

How Hydrangea's and a Sewing Machine Go Together

Last year I planted my first ever Hydrangea bush. I was so excited. Unfortunately it did not do well for some reason and I treated it with great care. The sad feeling that it died was not just my imagination but a reality.

This spring I was determined to give it another try. Last week I spotted some healthy looking bushes (only 2' but still bushy) for $5.98 over at Lowe's, and saved my reciept in the possiblity of it dying on me. I picked the best one to be found, and while it has no blossoms on it yet, it's supposed to yield pink flora.

I've always liked hydrangeas. Isn't this necklace beautiful?

[Anyone want to buy me one? ;P]

Last week the sewing machine repair people called to say that my sewing machine was now ready to be picked up. They "fixed it" a couple of weeks ago and sadly after only sewing on it for a couple hours it was clearly evident that it was not fixed. So back in it went. Daddy picked it up this morning when he was in town, and I've been  happily sewing on it all day.

What did I sew? A skirt for a friend from church, and this lovely Gracie apron made in some of that Laura Ashley fabric, but only in pink.

The floral print? A delicate hydrangea with the last bit of the vintage lace that I used on my periwinkle apron.

This pink lovely is in the SHOP.

Gardening in 'Tasha Tudor' Style

My favorite gardening book to look though would be Tasha Tudor's Garden. Featuring what each month looks like around her home in Vermont, the landscape and flower beds are bursting with inspiration on every page and in every photograph. One late summer, I took a pen and paper and wrote down every single plant and variety of plant mentioned in the book. Since then, I've taken my four page collection to the greenhouses or sitting next to me when I'm ordering seeds online.

[We're enjoying our "late bloomer" lilac bush that is in full and fragrant bloom this week; all of our other bushes are done for the season. The "lilac season" came several weeks early as this particular bush doesn't normally bloom until June.]

This past week I've spent most of my time working in the flower beds and gardens. Thankfully the weather has been quite delightful. My flower seedlings were transplanted into larger containers several weeks ago, and now this week they've moved into their permanent dwellings until autumn.

[Yesterday I planted three new Peony bushes: one Festiva Maxima and the other two Duchess de Nemours]

[A shy bloom on one of the Duchess de Nemours]

Well, with all the gardening I've been doing, and every now and then in need of a half apron (I really think they are quite charming and useful) I purchased some green and stripe fabric with some small pink flowers that is sold in the Tasha Tudor shop, but only cheaper at another website.

I made it exactly like the ones I sell in my etsy shop, and I added some antique lace to the pockets.

[Yes, I wear those funny looking green clogs when tending to the gardens!]

 

[Folds and folds of petals on our established peony, which I can't remember the name of.]

There won't be to much gardening done today as the weather has turned a bit nippy and drizzly. I have a couple aprons and other sewing projects to work on so I shall skedaddle for the remainder of the day. Have a lovely weekend!

"The Queen of England" Apron

A few days ago some lovely periwinkle floral cotton made by Laura Ashley came in the mail. Some pink did too, but I wanted to make myself an apron out of this fabric.

Yesterday as I was cutting it out, my youngest brother walks by and asks, "Is that for the Queen of England?"I wasn't sure if he was joking or trying to pay a compliment to it's lovely color which, I'm sure, would suit the Queen quite well. :)

At any rate, I used Sense & Sensibility's Edwardian Apron Pattern. Years ago I made one for myself (it may have been before I had a blog...) and it has worn to its death so it was high time to make another one.

I shortened the length by 8" or so since having a sweeping hem isn't always practical. On my last one, I think I took some length off and then added some 1/2" tucks to the hem so I wouldn't be constantly tripping on it.

The fabric called for some antique elegance, so I found some white laces in my stash and formed them into a square design; something often found in the Edwardian era. This time around I made self-fabric bias tape. The result is quite pleasing.

A view of the back. I added maybe 1/2" to the back belt piece (if you've made this, you know what I'm referring to) but other than that, and the length, I made no changes to the pattern.

Thanks for letting me share!

Monday Morning

[Earl Grey & some favorite books]

[the peonies are emerging this morning]

More Brown Suiting

My friend for whom I sewed a skirt using drapes of brown suiting handed back to me the left over panel. "Make another skirt" she said.

I did it just like how I made her's. That skirt is now available online.

Still Moments

This afternoon I sat out in my backyard garden for a long time. Not much was said, or could be said.

My mind was spinning. My heart was full.

Ever been there? I've had a lot of those "been there" moments lately.

In that quiet hour, I was able to see and hear things that probably would have gone unnoticed if I had not taken the time to sit still.

A young bird flutters its wings anxiously for food. My cat's heart fluttered, too. Late afternoon crickets call out to each other. Neither got what they wanted.

They weren't still enough.

In these moments, God quieted me.

"Lord, all my desire is before thee." Ps. 38:9

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Ps. 37:5  

"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." Prov. 16:3

It is finished (and a sneak peak)!!

As soon as I finished sewing the last button onto the belt, I ran upstairs to try it on. My youngest brother called out to me "You look like you could be on Downton Abbey!" when my sister was taking these quick shots.

Yes, I love it! And it fits with no trial fittings beforehand! The belt is a wee bit snug, so I'll probably need to make another one if I'll be wearing it for a length of time.

More pictures and details to follow when I can do a real photoshoot of wearing a hat (still trying to decide how to decorate it ... any milliners out there?) gloves, heels, and all that fun stuff. :)

Skirts, machines, tea, and other sundry things

• It was around 1:30 yesterday afternoon that I was able to call Mrs. L. up to say that her red brocade skirt was ready. Instead of the tiered skirt pattern, we used McCalls 5523. It seemed a touch dressier with all those cute options for the back of the skirt, and I'm glad she chose that because the brocade isn't a flowing fabric like a linen or suiting. We did view B, and added two inches the the hem. She also wanted it lined (does anyone else line the inside of their skirts? I never do!) so it felt like I was making two skirts. :) I prayed through the entire time of sewing it (this is for her daughter's wedding, not a Sunday School picnic!) and gratefully, it went together nicely. I can't say that I'd want to sew with brocade anytime soon though. It felt like it would easily snag, it's dense and it unravels like CRAZY, but not like a silk fabric. I and my sewing room was covered from head to toe, carpet to tables in little fibers that refused to come off even with a lint roller. But the skirt was finished in time, and Mrs. L loved it so that is what matters. :)

• Shortly after she picked it up, Daddy told me that my sewing machine and serger were ready to be picked up at the repair shop. While I've been so grateful to my sister for letting me use her machines these last two weeks (and her's a newer models with fancier buttons & things) I was so ready to have mine back again! Obviously, I got back to sewing a project as soon as we got home. Though very sadly, they didn't fix something right on my sewing machine so we're taking it back to the shop this morning.

• The sewing project I mentioned is almost finished! I just have to put the sleeves in, and make the belt. That is it! If you're a brand new blog reader (welcome!) I've been working on a 1914 dress in between sewing projects for others. I'm hoping to complete it today in between giving violin lessons, errands, and normal life.

[Molly, Leah, and I on Sunday after we went out for lunch]

• Late last night I relisted over 30 sewing patterns on ebay. There are a few vintage (30s/40s era) that I'll be listing shortly. Check them out if you need any girls or women's pattern.

• Oh yes, and in both of my etsy shops (Peasant Cottage and Tally Skirts) I'm offering FREE shipping today (5/2) when you use the code: SHIPFREE when checking out.

• So perhaps you read the title of this post and have read through the entire thing in hopes of reading about the delight of tea drinking, and have read nothing about it up until now. I wanted to save the "best for last" today, and truly, this is the best advice you'll read about tea today:

If you like french vanilla creamer in your earl grey tea like I do, and try to substitute it with almond milk (because said creamer is empty and there is no half 'n half to be found) you will be sorely disapointed.

The Little Things

Seeing little blossoms beginning to bloom, such as my forget-me-nots and johnny-jump-ups, remind me  to take a moment and appreciate the small things in life: to actually take note of and thank God for them.

Some this past week have been "Reflections on a quiet stream," "A young butterfly in its flight of new freedom" "Carrot Cake success" "Long morning Shadows."

[Is anyone familiar with Johnny-Jump-Ups? I never heard of them until I saw them in Tasha Tudor's Garden. If you're familiar with Violas (approx. half the size of a standard pansy) then just imagine these to be half the size of those. Look at a finger nail on your hand, and yes, they are about that size.]

Well, these gorgeous roses are exactly "little" but they cause me to thank the Lord that my parents have stayed together for 31 years. Last week was their anniversary and Dad bought Mom these roses for the occasion. A week later and we're still enjoying them!

What can you be thankful for today?

["I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Ps. 34:1]

Drapes to Apparel

"You mean to tell me that my children have been running around Saltzburg in nothing but some old drapes?!"

"Mmmhmm! And having a marvelous time."

I love Maria's resourcefulness in using old (and ugly in my opinion) drapes to make new (and now cute!) clothing for herself and Captain Von Trapp's seven children on The Sound of Music. I always thought that it would be fun to make something beautiful out of the old and undesirable without looking like it was made from a window treatment. :)

Yesterday I got to do just that. A dear lady and friend from church really liked the Prairie Linen skirts I've been selling over at Tally Skirts, especially the brown one, and said that eventually she wanted me to make her one. Over the weekend she told me about some ugly curtains that came with the house they moved into awhile ago. While they were not her style "the brown fabric looks like it could be high-quality suiting material" and wondered if "it might work?"

She gave me the curtains yesterday morning and I finished the skirt last night. I don't wish to sing my own praises, but it turned out beautifully. For some odd reason I wasn't sure if the fabric would "look right" in this style, but probably only because I've ever only made these skirts with linen. With being a volunteer in a Christian school office four days a week, I believe she'll love another skirt that she won't have to iron!

She still has a curtain panel that I didn't even touch, so there is enough for another skirt. :) Have any of ladies sewn clothing using old curtains?

Dress It Up - Go Vintage!

Today's post has no pictures of inspiration just because there are SO many I could post. Not only is vintage "in" right now, but it is also very dressy, classy, and fun as I've mentioned in some previous posts of this series.

It could be anything vintage you could wear (your grandmother's scarf, your mother's maxi skirt from the 70s, oxford style heels, a string of pearls), but today I'm sharing pictures of a vintage dress I found several weeks ago at one of our local thrift stores.  It looked quite wearable, too, so I snatched it up.

The seamstress left the extra seam allowance on the side seams of the bodice, which I was thankful for since I'm rather a curvy hourglass. The sides now feel big, but in bunches still around the bust area, so to achieve a better fit my guess would be that I would need to let out the shoulder seams if there are any.

It has a zipper that extends into the skirt and comes up mid-back and then fabric ties (that are connected to the back bodice, ie, apart of it instead of sewn onto it) close the neckline in the back. The whole entire bodice is unlined (no darts) and bound in white bias tape.

It has a very full skirt which makes this dress perfect for twirling in. :)

One can't go wrong with mint and mustard colors either (apparently both are popular this spring!) ...

I almost wore it for Easter Sunday but my "more-up-to-date" sister talked me out of it. ;) I certainly wouldn't be ashamed to wear it out in public or for a picnic outing. What IS odd about this dress is the DATE of this dress. Several ladies who I asked on my favorite sewing forum presumed this to be a late 50s/early 60s and for years I have deplored that fashion era with a passion.

Perhaps I'm mellowing in my old age? ;)

Sneak Peek of the 1914 dress!

Yes, ladies! Progress is being made. It has been one of those projects where it has been hard to stop working on it and do something else . . .for instance, go to bed. ;)

The lace overlay is kind of along the lines of a princess-seamed jumper, but with the curved hemline and seams going into the shoulder rather than at the bust. It is supposed to be lined, but why line it when I want to see the gold silk underneath the bodice and skirt? Since the skirt is a separate piece than the rest which you saw in my previous post, I had to lining the bodice of the lace dress with the silk and only to the length of a waistline. Since it would be worn with a belt over all, who would know?

Only you and I. ;)

I serged the seams of the silk bodice lining to look "professional" though not a period correct-approved method, but when I came to sewing the lace, I did not want a serger finished seam to be seen. I chose to do french-seams so there would be no chance of unraveling or an untidied appearance.

I'll be doing this to the shoulder seams and side seams which I haven't sewed yet. I'll probably either turn up the hem a couple of times or do a roll hem with my serger, instead of the pattern's facing pieces for the skirt so as to not see 2" to 3" of fabric at the hem on the underside. Make sense? If not, that's okay. ;)

For the sleeves I've been going back and forth. I went ahead and cut out the long sleeves that came with the pattern using the lace fabric (and not doing the embellishments on the sleeves). Now that the majority of the dress IS sewn, I'm wondering if perhaps I should do 3/4 length sleeves? Or I even thought of doing silk cap sleeves with the lace long sleeves (seems like I saw this or something similar on Downton Abbey...) over it. What would you do? or what would you prefer to wear? or would that last idea be not period accurate?

I still have yet to sew the belt (confession: I folded the fabric, and pinned it in the back to Arabella), finish off the neckline with the facings, put in the back zipper, and then I think this dress will be finished! Can hardly wait to wear it. :)

Provision and Progress

What a sad thing it is to be separated.

On Monday Dad and I took my serger and sewing machine into the repair shop. My sewing machine is "fine" although the lever to lift up the presser foot has been tight with the occasional sprinkling of silver powder (metal?) coming down from that area. It still worked so I never said anything about it, but Dad said to say something next time.

He likened that to driving around with an engine light on in my car and me saying, "Oh but it still runs so I'll just keep driving" but ignoring the problem. That analogy could be said of our spiritual lives, too, I think. God sometimes pricks our hearts of areas that need attention and we just try to ignore those promptings when not only have have a problem that will only worsen with time, but we're also building up a wall, brick by brick, around our heart...

Well. So here is Cheri without a sewing machine and serger. While I don't always sew (surprise, surprise to some of you!), I do get into "sewing swings" of not sewing for weeks/months, but then oppositely, sometimes I DO sew for several days/weeks in a row. What does a seamstress do without her machines for 7-10 days? "What if I get really inspired to sew something NOW and can't?" I wondered. ;)

I could start sewing by hand... I could start mending my yellow purse (used for the spring and summer months). I could fix another duck of Sadie's. I could pick up a crocheting project that I started years ago. I could work on some more tatting. But one of my sisters came to my rescue and said that I could use her sewing machine and serger for as long as I needed to. Her machines are several "notches" above mine in what they do, so I'm quite delighted to use them. :D

Yesterday I finished the silk underskirt for my 1914 dress. I love how the shape and fit turned out.

The invisible zipper even went in without any ripples or curves. Zippers and I don't always like each other.

Last night I finally cut out the rest of the dress. Have I ever mentioned that THE thing I dislike about sewing would be having to cut out? It's ridiculous, I know. One can't sew unless something is cut out to sew! The other thing that I dislike in sewing is whenever I put in "hidden" side pockets. Pockets on the outside I love doing, and especially when doing all sorts of designs or using fun trim, but the other ones: no thankyou! :)

Anyone out there have anything that you don't like doing in a sewing project?

A Woe of a Seamstress

My serger, I believe, is broken.

Nothing will move and it makes an awful noise.

This, my friends, is NOT good.

(...and I was in the middle of serging the hem of the silk underskirt, too!)

Daddy is going to take a look at it. Pray with me that he'll be able to discover the problem, and fix it!

An Earl Grey kind of Day

Today I'm taking a break from the Dress It Up series to focus on other priorities around me. Trying to get errands done before the storm hits (we've heard conflicting reports from thunderstorms and tornadoes with lots of rain to three feet of snow ... we decided to ignore all weather reports and just wait until whatever it is, comes) and then get back to work on my current sewing project.

[Bringing in a bit of springtime beauty just in case we do get that snow!]

I started sewing the silk underskirt the other day, and I forgot how regal it feels to sew with silk(::winks::) not to mention a historical inspired dress. Ahh, it's been to long! I tried it on over a skirt, tank, and sweater and it fit like a charm. I've decided to take the plunge and make an edwardian corset, which I probably should have made before sewing, but I can easily take in the back skirt seam if the skirt ends up being to big after being worn over period undergarments.

[Photo copyrighted to my talented sister]

Dark storm clouds hovering the western horizion and shutting oneself in one's sewing room calls for some Earl Grey tea. This morning I drove ... well, you don't want to know how far (!) to pick up this loose tea. I even paid a full price of $6.99 for it, but it seemed reasonable since I can't get it for less on ebay or amazon. The Twinings is my favorite kind of Earl Grey, and tastes best with some french vanilla creamer poured in the biggest mug you can find and fill.

Springtime Busyness

Over the weekend I had to do some "emergency" sewing. A long-time family friend of ours, and who we affectionately called "Grandpa" passed away Thursday morning and the funeral was to be held Monday morning. My older sister and Mother were flying out Easter morning to attend his viewing and funeral service. Mom didn't have a stitch of black to wear. Providentially some beautiful black fabric came in the mail just in time for me to sew her a dress. That's what I did over the weekend, and finished up around 9:30pm Saturday night.

[The evening light was lovely as I was out by the apple tree yesterday.]

Easter Sunday was a beautiful day. Full of sunshine, perfumed wind (the flowering trees seem especially lovely this spring!) and fullness of joy. The church service was a blessing with all of the music, one of the choir special accompanied by piano & orchestra, which I was happily apart of, and an encouraging sermon. (Yes, if you're wondering, I did wear my comb.) :)

Laundry, meals, assisting in research papers and book reports, teaching violin, and errands will fill my week, but this afternoon all of us are heading outside to do the first grass-mowing (please tell me you like the smell of freshly-cut grass, too!) yard work, and seed-transplanting from their tiny cells to larger containers where the seedlings will grow some more before put into the gardens.

Speaking personally, I think this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Dress It Up - On Your Head!

Wearing hats can be another element that will add a touch of elegance and dressiness to an outfit. With Easter this Sunday, it would be a perfect time to pull out a hat out of its box! Have you ever considered wearing one out to a special dinner or even just out doing errands?

I have several times. I have come home with hats or simply tried them on at the store, and my poor dear family does all they can do to not laugh at me. I can wear the ones that work well for when I dress up in a historical garment (like this) but in general, most modern hats look hideous on me.

Perhaps there is a reader who can empathize? There are other options, dear ladies! There are fascinators and hair combs to try! :) Some are really ridiculous, I readily agree, but then there are some that are quite charming.

I actually have yet to try one on myself, but I'm not going to shrink back from them quite yet as I have most modern hats.

If you're not quite sure about an actual fascinator, you could try a flower on clip with some netting like this one by Olive & Jane or simply wear a real flower in your hair. You can never go wrong with fresh!

If you're on a tight budget (who isn't these days?!) you could make your own hair comb like this one:

Ebay and Etsy are wonderful sources to find hair combs with reasonable prices. Now I have tried and rather like haircombs. Personally speaking, they add that touch of elegance without the WOW, WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?! factor; if that is something you concern yourself with.

This is a simple one in a tortoiseshell-like plastic.

And then I have another that is a replica of the butterfly comb on Titanic (I don't endorse the movie, though there are some fantastic costumes, hats & combs, and jewelry on there!)

Don't look on ebay for these, unless you want to pay over $100 for it. Back in 2008 or 2009, I think I payed around $25 for mine from a extraordinarily talented lady who is no longer in business, though she has a few left that she is selling here for a bit more.

I'm going to take the risk and wear one of them to church tomorrow for our Easter service, with the attempts of doing some kind of curly updo. Which comb should I wear?