I finally finished a skirt I’d cut out months ago.
Just in time for our first campfire of the season!
The fabric is a delectable avian print by Joel Dewberry.
And can I say how much I enjoy having a serger to make nice finished edges?
The pattern is one of my absolute favorites. It’s Amy Butler’s Barcelona Skirt pattern, and I’ve made many of them.
They’re comfortable, flattering and super easy to make. I don’t know why it took me so long to get this one sewn up.
Last summer or so I started an Oliver & S short set for Oona in some adorable Moda knit fabric.
Before finishing the waistline on the shorts I tried the outfit on Oona and discovered it was going to be WAY too big on her. So I stashed it.
Yesterday I pulled it back out and finished it. When we tried it on her again, it fit!
I’ve yet to use a pattern from Oliver & S that we haven’t loved.
Some people say I have too many irons in the fire.
Other people say “jack of all trades, master of none”.
I disagree with both.
True, I have waaaaaaay too much going on for most normal, rational people. Especially now that it is spring and I am working on getting gardens in, dealing with new lambs and kids, raising new ducks, clearing out brush, managing four homeschoolers and reorganizing much of the house. It makes it pretty difficult to find time to knit or sew; never mind learn how to use my spinning wheel or loom.
But I think having many varied interests and projects can be a really good thing. For one, I am never, ever bored. Not ever. There is always something that can be done, and always something that can be learned. I can also generally find something to talk about with new people.
It does, however, make it challenging to find the time to do some of the things I enjoy. Often by the time I’ve taken care of all the things that need my attention I am too tired for the things I want to do.
But it’s okay, because soon school will be done for the summer and the gardens will not need such intensive care during the day (in fact once the heat hits for real I’ll be doing outside chores early in the morning and late in the evening). The animals will be in need of more attention, but nothing that I can’t knit in between.
So I have plenty of projects lined up waiting for this magical time of less things to worry over.
This lovely Joel Dewberry fabric is waiting to be an A-line skirt for me. I have a bunch of projects waiting to sew, actually, but right now this one is my favorite.
And just what does one do when one’s best friend is a star in the yarn and fiber world?
You horde all the yarn she makes. (My craft room is looking better now that I’ve got this unit for all my yarn and fabric!)
Oh sure, I get plenty of free samples of her yarn. The problem is, once you’ve held and petted the yarn it becomes imperative to get your hands on as much of it as humanly possible. I’ve spent plenty of time trolling WEBS and buying out quantities of JMF yarn whenever I can.
SO there are plenty of yarn projects lined up.
The one I am tackling first is this lovely Honeybee Stole pattern with some luscious yellow Findley.
Such a fun, light, summery project and I CANNOT WAIT to get started on it! I have a flowy white sundress it will look perfect with. Also, this yellow Findley just cried out for it!
I am hoping to cast on tonight – barring a thousand distractions. It is lace, afterall, and as I have said many a time before, lace knitting and children JUST. DON’T. MIX.
First, I should say that internet access at our house has been spotty; the ongoing Cyber Attack that has been in the news has affected people and websites everywhere, and we are no exception. Whether or not I can access my blog host is hit or miss lately, so bear with us until this works itself out.
Onward to spring!
This past week I finally started my tomato and pepper seeds inside. I used the tutorial from By Hand Magazine, found HERE to make soil blocks.
The crazy thing is that I had sprouts the next day!
The garlic I planted in the fall is coming along nicely, and I am seeing sprouts from the arugula I planted outside about 2 weeks ago now. I planted carrots, beets, peas, and radishes as well. I’m not positive, but I think I saw the faintest hint of beet sprouts starting.
In a few weeks – once we’ve past our last frost date – I will direct – sow the squashes and cukes along with potatoes and horseradish. I plan on buying a bunch of berry plants this year as well to get them started.
Paul’s been hard at work clearing the remaining tree trunks so I have a larger spot for the squash garden and all of the wood burning we’ve been doing means we have lots of wood ash to add to the soil with the compost. Hopefully we’ll add bees in the next few weeks as well and our garden should fare much better than past years.
In the meantime we are airing out the house whenever we can and slowly putting away all of our winter clothes and boots. Everyone is happy to see the warmer weather return and I’ve got an itch to make dresses and skirts.
Summer really is just around the corner.
We’d better get a move on if we want to be ready for it!
Yesterday we hosted our annual Cookie Exchange – today we all have food hangovers. Which we are treating by eating mostly cookies.
I didn’t manage to take many pictures – too busy having fun with friends, you know – but Paul got some with his phone.
Oona had to be held back from eating the cookies I made for the party.
I think I was telling them about the mole Orzo had dug up during the party. I had run out there after people were telling me they saw him playing with something (I was afraid that despite the colder temps it might be a snake) and found him grabbing at a very fat mole. My first instinct was to grab it and chuck it outside the field, but then Orzo grabbed it in his mouth and flung it – right into my face. It shrieked and I was caught off guard. So I held Orzo back while it burrowed away.
Emily took advantage of our internet – it has not been working properly at Juniper Moon Farm.
I love this picture of Keith and daughter Katie.
Everyone wore their poinsettia pins we made for them!
Even blurry, Jessie looks great. I tell ya.
You can focus on it being a terribly unflattering picture, or you can focus on the fact that I finished my dress in time to wear it for the party.
Good lord my friend Theresa makes cute babies. I just wanted to grab little Teddy here and snuggle him all day.
A rare picture of Emily in the wild. She has decided the only pictures of her that she will allow are during JMF photoshoots. You know, when you’ve had a personal stylist and professional photographer working with you, I guess it would be hard to go back to “normal” pictures. Or she is just pulling the “surly teenager” card.
Maddie and Gully spent plenty of quality relaxing time after the party.
We were worn out from all that fun! And food! (And just maybe the wine and the delicious hard cider that Theresa brought).
In between working on my new plaid dress I have been working on finishing up flannel pj’s for the girls.
You know, because it is so cold out (insert crazy sarcasm here).
I used the “Little Nighty Night” pattern from Favorite Things for the pants (it’s actually a pattern for shorts – I just lengthened it). The shirt was a random white tee shirt I sewed a matching pocket onto. And voila! Jammies!
Perfect for her favorite activity: laying in front of the fireplace, reading (even when it is 70 degrees outside. Clearly these kids are not mine).
Celebration season has officially started.
Last night was my book club’s Christmas meeting, where we all go a little more overboard with good food and wine than normal, and we exchange books (I gifted Jenny Lawson’s “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened”) and ornaments.
It’s always the second Sunday in December, and for me, it is generally the first “event” of the holiday season.
We read “See You In A Hundred Years” by Logan Ward, and, though we started discussing it pretty late into the evening, it looks like everyone enjoyed it.
Or, it could have been all the wine we had by then.
Maddie and I made everyone felt poinsettia pins using Heather Bailey’s Fleur Debris pattern.
My friend Gabi brought latkes – I had so been looking forward to them.
Every year that we continue on with our traditions seems to make it become more exciting, more fun, more full of fond memories. Every year we are more determined to still be doing this when we’re old and gray.
Building a lifetime of traditions with friends and family is the best gift you can give or receive – and I challenge each of you to keep with your beloved traditions or start new ones. It’s well worth it!
That’s right. I am in the midst of making everyone warm winter jammies in the midst of a freaking warm spell. It’s been in the mid seventies for days now, and it isn’t going to get much cooler for awhile. See what I meant about how you can’t predict the winter based on fall’s weather? A week or so ago we were getting hard frost.
This is probably due to the fact that we just had a gigantic propane tank installed for the fireplace so we could be all cozy for school and for reading and knitting in the mornings and evenings. Now we’re just sweating in there, and the propane hasn’t been turned on once yet.
Of course, if I had my way the fireplace would be wood – burning……but you can’t win ‘em all.
Oona gets a flannel nightgown, courtesy of this picture I found on Pinterest.
I pretty much just fudged my way through it. The fabric is “Nordica” flannel by Robert Kaufman.
She’s been pretty much living in it non – stop since I made it. I think I may have to make her a whole week’s worth of them. Especially as it goes rather well with a snappy pair of red cowboy boots when you’re sweepin’ the front porch.
Halloween is already over, can you believe it? I swear time goes faster and faster every year.
I didn’t manage to get many pictures once we got out with our friends but I did get a few of the kids to show off.
The star costume this year was Emily’s – she went as a Weeping Angel from Doctor Who.
Oona went as a witch (after changing her mind thousands of times) and Neve went as Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride.
The only disappointment of the evening was the lack of houses giving out candy. It seemed no one really wanted to participate in Halloween this year. Of course, less candy in Oona’s bag is not necessarily a bad thing for my sanity.
We are all pretty proud of how Emily’s costume turned out. It was a collective DIY effort, and at times I thought it was going to thoroughly kick my butt. Props to Maddie and Emily for sculpting the face. I am especially proud of the wig (chunky black yarn sewn onto panty hose and sprayed with faux-stone paint from Lowe’s).
There were a few things we didn’t quite finish on it (her eyes should have been covered over to look like a statue’s) but for a few hours of fun, I’d say it was rather amazing.
Creepy, right?
As luck (and awesomeness) would have it, my friend Jessie’s daughter Katie went as a Weeping Angel as well. The two of them together was pretty neat.
It’s too bad they wanted to trick or treat – it would have been quite scary for them to stay on the porch to hand out candy.
So far what we’ve seen of October puts us in the mood for flannels and woolens and comfort foods. Perhaps hot cups of tea with our afternoon knitting by the fire.
It’s chilly and damp and foggy, and I had to put my boots on just to go out and get the mail.
The mums are showing off their autumn shades.
So are the trees.
Furble likes to follow me to the mailbox and back – today she only came out from her warm and dry spot in the garage because there was a break from the rain.
Inside I finished the October – inspired pillows for the couch. It was a good place to curl up and watch a scary movie after school.
It’s time to start preparing for the cozy months.
