Foto Friday Challenge - Spring

Another week has flown by, and it's once again time for the Foto Friday Challenge hosted by Rebecca. The Challenge topic this week is SPRING. (Isn't that a glorious word?)

For our oldest, Spring meant disgarding her long, weighty, winter locks for a fresh new look! It has certainly given new life and bounce to her hair, and (in my opinion) a more mature look.

Two weeks ago this was only a bouquet of daffodils. It amazes me how quickly the hyacinths sprouted and bloomed.

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Pattern Sale at JoAnn Fabrics -- Pre - Easter 2010

During JoAnn Fabric's Pre-Easter Sale going on

Thursday to Saturday

April 1 - 3

Simplicity Patterns are on sale for 99 cents each

(MSRP is $6.95 - $17.95 each)

There is a limit of 10

&

No Special Orders.

Excluded are It's So Easy, New Look, and Burda Patterns

as well as Simplicity Books

So "hop to it" and get started on those special sewing projects for spring!!

Sewing Session - Sew Crafty Friday

I've been working on several projects this week, but I'm not far enough along on any of them to share them this week. However, I do want to share a very precious sight at my dining room table this past week.

My oldest daughter is helping a very dear friend of hers make some pretty throw pillows to accent her new bedspread. The pillow they are working on here is a square pillow with a shirred border and piping. Between the shirred border, A*** will embroider a rose bouquet. It should be beautiful when they finish. They plan to make several different styles of pillows, and I'll be sure to let you see the finished items.

I think I enjoy seeing my dining room table being used for sewing projects more than for eating. It has been the site of many a sewing lessons. I taught my daughter to sew when she was very young. Several years ago, I was able to teach her friend and her friend's sister. I guess I just love sewing so much that I want others to have the same enjoyment that I do. Teaching others to sew, knit, or crochet has, also, been a wonderful way to make some precious and lasting friendships.

I encourage you to share the abilities that God has blessed you with. You never know what it may lead to.

If you would like to see some projects others have made, or if you would like to share a project of your own, be sure to click here and join the fun at SEW CRAFTY FRIDAY!

Y Blessings,

Nanci

Nanci Sings Those Low Down Green "Blues" - Foto Friday Challenge

Have you ever obsessed over something that it made absolutely NO logical sense to obsess over? Well this past week that is exactly what has happened to me. The subject of my obsession was the color green. This has NEVER before happened to me as a result of a Foto Friday Challenge; and truthfully I have yet to determine why it did this past week. Perhaps I have just been cooped up too long this winter with everything outside my window being shades of white or grey.

We road to town last weekend using the back country roads. All along the way I kept seeing green street signs and I tried to think of how I could make them into a really interesting picture. Since we were on country roads, I saw plenty of green John Deere equipment that would make a swell subject of a photo. When we arrived at town, I saw green traffic lights that I mulled over what perspective might make them interesting. In fact, I was so lost in thought about the green things around me that my husband finally asked me if I was okay or was something bothering me. (So, you can see that this girl had a SERIOUS problem). To compound my misery, I did not have my camera with me.

Through the week it continued to be the same for me. Everywhere I seemed to see green -- green lids, green bowls, green fabric, green thread, green houses, and green water towers. I even ran across green scrubs on nurses at the hospital (I had taken my FIL for followup tests at the hospital on --you guessed it--St. Patrick's Day.) And often I was kicking myself because my camera was not is tow.

Late in the week, we once again headed off to town -- Bill at the wheel and me riding shotgun. The difference was that we didn't go the nice scenic country roads. We took the interstate, but I did take my camera this time. The problem is that great green signs fly by much too fast to get a shot. Suddenly, what goes by -- but a tractor hauling this on it's flatbed. It was BIG!! And it was GREEN!!! So the following was taking while riding down the interstate at 65 m.p.h.

The amazing thing to me is that I actually have it in focus. LOL


You can check the speedometer to verify the speed we were going, because like I had been doing all week with other things, I noticed the green-lit dash.

These pics are the wonderful green life that is popping up around me. HOORAY!! This shot is of my propagation pot that sits by our living room window. These cutting were taken last fall, and now have roots and are ready to plant outdoors when the weather permits. I keep meaning to post how to construct and use this wonderfully easy method for increasing your number of plants cheaply.



This is how my Autumn Sedum appears these days. I actually prefer to see it in the spring when it reminds me of little green rosebuds.


This pic and the following one were both taken the same day this week. One doesn't receive as much sun as the other.

You can see the difference a little sun makes. The other thing I notice is that the yellow of these Dwarf Daffodils completely overwhelms the green foliage.

This is a treasure of mine given to me by a dear, sweet lady at church who is in her eighties. She gave it to me when she downsized to go into a smaller apartment. The value for me is that she entrusted me with this vase that holds a wonderful memory from her childhood.

As a young girl in her parent's home she remembers her mother always kept it full of pansies. I planted some pansies at my house so that I could keep up the tradition. However, it is too early for pansies so my Dwarf Daffodils grace it in the spring.

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Be sure to scoot on over to Rebecca's place and join her for Foto Friday Challenge. There's always a great assortment of photos echoing the week's category. A wonderful way to start thinking of how things look through a camera lens. Participants are always welcome.

The Grand Reveal

Rebecca asked when the "grand reveal" to last week's teaser would be (thus the title of this post). Several of you hazzarded a guess. My teaser was either extremely transparent, or perhaps you just know me too well, because your guesses were all very close and some were spot on correct. So here's is my finished project.

I had planned on making this a knot jumper, but didn't make the straps long enough. Since I didn't have a pattern for the top, I simply took the measurement for the bodice from another pattern I had. I love traditional children's clothing, so I've been learning to mix the elements that I love in the old with some more trendy elements of today's children's clothing. Here the old elements are the muted colors of the skirt and bodice, the applique, and the eyelet lace.

This is the back of the dress. Here it's easy to see the main fabric of the skirt. My daughters said the print reminded them of a fairy garden.

For the trendy elements, I added the ruffle-pants that are so popular now in a more contemporary fabric print and color.


I'm too much of a traditionalist, so I just had to add a pair of bloomers.



The waist of the ruffle-pants and bloomers both have elastic waists, but I added a drawstring to the waist so they could be adjusted. Hopefully, that will allow this little one to wear the outfit a little longer.


This is the entire ensemble and also shows the headband that is so in vogue these days. I finished the entire outfit only a few hours before the baby shower on Tuesday evening (typical of me).


This was a labor of love for a young woman and her husband who are expecting their first baby. From the time they began coming to the church I attend, I could tell she loved babies and children. She was always holding or cooing over someone else's little one. When I heard they were expecting, I was just so thrilled for them.


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On a different trend of thought, momtofur commented that the apron of the dress would make a pretty pillow case. I chuckled at how close our thoughts were, because I had been thinking that it would make a wonderful dresser scarf.

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Click Here to see all the projects that others are working on this week at SEW CRAFTY FRIDAY.

Why not join the fun and show us what YOU are working on!!!

Pattern Sale - First Half of March 2010

Our oldest daughter is on spring break this week. Since her courses began in August, she has had a full schedule (between classes and working). That leaves precious little for us to spend time together. She needed to head to town today, and I went along. We had a wonderful day talking and laughing. It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with her. Since we both love to sew, we had to stop at JoAnn's. (Simplicity Patterns are on sale this week, and I needed one.)

Patterns are not on sale everyday, but for a few days each month JoAnn usually has certain manufacturer's sewing patterns on sale. Buy your patterns when they are on sale, and you save a bundle.

The pattern sale dates for the first part of March 2010 are:

THIS WEEK ONLY!

SUNDAY - SATURDAY

MARCH 7 - 13, 2010

Simplicity Patterns - $1.99 each

MSRP $6.95 - 17.95 each

Limit of 10

No Special Orders

Excludes "It's So Easy", New Look, Burda

& Simplicity Books

THURSDAY - SATURDAY

MARCH 18 - 20

McCall Patterns - $1.99 each

MSRP $6.95 - $19.95 each

Limit of 10

No Special Orders

Excludes "Easy Stitch 'N Save"

Vogue Patterns - $3.99 each

MSRP $8.95 - $30.00 each

Limit of 10

No Special Orders

Be sure to check their in-store flyer this week. The one at our local store had coupons inside.

THE SEWING CIRCLE

Laziness or Efficiency?

I leave the answer to this question for you to decide. Presently, I am only participating in 2 blog links. One is Foto Friday; the other is Sew Crafty Friday. Now the observant reader will notice that there is a common thread in these two. For those of you who are a little slower on the uptake - They both occur on FRIDAY.

It's been a busy week for me. When my sewing project just happened to have the elements of the Foto Challenge, I seized the opportunity to combine two posts in one.

My sewing project is only partially completed, so for those here from Sew Crafty Friday this post is more of a teaser for you. I am excited with how it has been progressing, and next week I will show the completed items. Any quesses as to what it is?

For my Foto Friday buddies, these are the circles that have been haunting my thoughts and imaginings this week.

Now. . . if you are completely befuddled and confused by the mixed topics and are wondering how to get back to where you came from, I give you these directions:

If you came here from Foto Friday Challenge, click HERE to return and enjoy all the lovely pics that others have contributed.

or

If you came here from Sew Crafty Friday, click HERE to return and see the wonderful crafty ideas that others have been working on.