Hooray!!! Sew Crafty Friday is Back

Here's what I've been working on lately -- A Depression Era ensemble for an 18" doll. I crocheted a cloche and envelope purse that were so popular at that time. In the 1930's the lines of dresses became much more simple. The expense of the added material needed for gathered skirts, or lace and other such embellishments made them out of reach for most people. Yet, some very lovely styles were created in those hard days.

This ensemble is for sale in my Etsy Shop

I love using the reproduction prints that are being manufactured now. I repeated the fabric of the bodice in the hatband, and the jacket binding repeats the skirt fabric. Since I love textures, the waffle textured fabric of the jacket suited me just fine.

So, that is my latest project. . . Would you like to see some projects that others have been working on? Stop over and visit Shereen's Sew Crafty Friday and join in the fun.

Foto Friday Challenge - Squares (sort of)

It's Foto Friday again; it's been a while since I participated. This Week's challenge is "Squares". I only have one entry. All I could think of was a mantra from homeschooling my kids -- a geometry concept -- "ALL squares are rectangles, BUT. . . Not ALL rectangles are squares".

So while these are not EXACTLY all squares, this was the best I could come up with. (Don't tell my kids, please.)

I have to tell you that I would rather be photographing blocks that spell the word SPRING with colorful FLOWERS in the background!

See all the great photos by clicking the Foto Friday button above.

Pattern Sale at JoAnn Fabrics - First Half of February 2010

I APOLOGIZE that I did not have the pattern sale dates listed for January and the first half of February. My dear FIL was hospitalized for over four weeks and was quite ill. I really didn’t give a lot of thought to other things such as my blog.

But if you are interested in knowing the dates for the last half of February there is a

3-Day Pattern Sale at Joann Fabric & Craft Stores . .


FRIDAY - SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 26 - 28, 2010

McCall's Patterns $1.99 each
(MSRP $6.95- $19.95 ea.)(Limit of 10)
No special orders -- Excludes "Easy Stitch ‘N Save”"

&

Vogue Patterns $3.99 each
(MSRP $8.95 - $30.00 ea. (Limit 10)
No Special Orders

Fresh As a Daisy

Matching Easter Outfits for Bitty Twins or Similar 15" dolls.

This is the latest addition to my Etsy Shoppe. I had such a good time making this set -- it reminded me of the matching outfits that I used to make my kids when they were little. I love the Little Guy's cap.

The dress collar is fashioned from a cut-work embroidered, vintage handerchief that I found last summer at the flea market. The blue in the collar is an excellent match for the blue stripes in the seersucker fabric. I thought the flower headband was a great way to update this otherwise traditional outfit.

I needed to chase away my winter doldrums by sewing something that was fresh and airy like the spring I am soooooooooooooo longing for. ;D

ACCORDING TO MOLLY

Hi! I'm Molly. I'm the very special pup in this family. It's hard for me to believe that it's been nearly three months since I came to live here. I heard my pets saying that it has been about nineteen years since they last had a dog in this household. Pssst... don't let them know I said this, BUT they really are a bit out of practice.

Still, they do their best by me, and I'm not complaining. In fact, I really like them!

It's really boring around here during the school day. All I hear is, "Molly, we can't play now. We're trying to get our schoolwork done!" or "Molly lie down and be quiet!" And they won't let me out of their sight. It's almost as if they think I might get into something or piddle on the floor. I mean ... not that I haven't had an occasional accident, but I think I'm pretty good at "going" outside. So other than Piddle Breaks during school, it's not much fun during the day.

BUT once, school's over and the BIG GUY gets home, then it's wonderful around here. I chase balls and sneak things and run so they have to chase me to get their stuff back. I'm telling you it doesn't get any better than that. UNLESS...

It's being outside in the WHITE STUFF that's been falling from the sky. It just showed up one day, and it keeps getting deeper and deeper. It's higher than my shoulders, so I must (mostly) confine my wanderings and play to areas that have been already shoveled. My boy has created a maze for me in the snow, and I get plenty of exercise and fun racing through it. They tried to catch some snapshots of me running the maze, but the results were nothing but a BLURRRRR! My friends call me "Speed"!

But I let them get a few shots of me.

Here I am on SURVEILLANCE. . . are there any other animals or birds invading My Territory? Sometimes I have to climb up on the snowbank to get a better view.

Sometimes, I have to do a little SUN-BATHING. This white stuff is cold.

Whoa, wait a minute. . . I smell something. What is that?

Gotta get to it!!!!


Gotta dig

deeper

and deeper, still. What's down there?

Oh, yeah . . .I remember this green stuff. Yummm

Well, I'm kinda busy, so I'm gonna sign out for now. See ya around later.

MOLLY

The Unearthing

I'm not sure that "The Unearthing" is the appropriate title for this post. . . We really weren't moving earth, but rather that fluffy white stuff. Maybe I should have called this the "Excavation" or "The Archaeological Dig" for DIG WE DID!

A few of you might have noticed that I have been missing from the blog neighborhood for over a month. My precious father-in-law was hospitalized on the 18th of December. Since that time he underwent five procedures including a cardiac valve replacement and bypass. This left Bill's mom lonely at home. #1 Daughter stayed over several nights during that time to help ease her loneliness. Last Friday night was one of those nights. This is was greeted her at 5:30 Saturday morning. Fortunately, she was within walking distance of work.

After digging ourselves out at home, we decided to surprise #1 by going into town and digging out her car. We weren't quite expecting what we saw. It was only a large (VERY LARGE) bump in the snow.

Ahhh. . . it's not a wooly mammoth -- it's a little car.

Bill had to exchange his snowblower for a shovel.

The last few shovelfuls, and we were done at last (We thought)! Oh yeah, we then realized that we needed to dig out Gram's car, too. And then the Man-child got an offer he couldn't refuse. A man at Gram's apartment building offered him $25 to shovel his car out as well.

Believe me, we were ready to sit down when we FINALLY finished.

Y Blessings,

Nanci

Snow Happy To Be Back

On Saturday, this is the view to which we awoke here at Brambleberry Cottage.

See the little speck in the snow on the picnic table. Let's take a closer look. . .

This was our measurement at about 9:00 a.m. We had a couple more inches before it stopped snowing in late morning.

This pic might not look like anything spectacular, but when you know the history to this picture, you understand why we are praising the Lord for such a simple thing as snowblowing . My guy has come a long way in the past year and a half, although his man-child sure liked playing with Dad's toy last year.

Y Blessings,

Nanci