Joy to the World

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus..."

~Matthew 1:21~

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you all have a beautiful day as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and may you enjoy many blessings in the coming year.

~Annie

Long-overdue Update

Well, sorry for being so absent, dear readers, but life has been very busy these past few months. I was out of town helping my brother and sister-in-law with their adorable baby (Yep, I'm an Aunt. It's grand!:-D) for two months, home for a week and then back east for a week. It was terribly busy but incredibly fun and something I wouldn't have missed for the world.:-)

I have finished several projects but they are still not photographed so I will try to get that done soon and get back into the swing of blogging regularly. (I hope!;-))

I've been going through all my fabric and sewing supplies and I am weeding out and getting rid of a lot. At least, I am trying to get rid of stuff but it is rather hard I'm afraid and I know it will be a bit of a battle to part with some of the things I've collected. It's all so nice.*sigh* :-)

Christmas is just around the corner and I've got several projects planned. I was hoping to make a nice Christmassy shirt or something but I think I'm going to do some hand project instead. With snow on the ground it just seems right to curl up on the couch with a cup (or two!:-D) of tea and crochet while watching a Christmas movie. Which reminds me that I should talk to my sisters so we can figure out what to watch this year. There are so many choices it’s hard to decide, Holiday Inn, Christmas in Connecticut, White Christmas........and the list goes on and on.:-) Anyone have any suggestions?

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Six Random Things Tag

I've been tagged! Now let's see, this'll be fun!

The Rules of the game are as follows:

~Link to the person who tagged you.
~Post the rules on your blog.
~Write Six Random Things about yourself.
~“Tag” six-or-so other people at the bottom of your post…
~…And leave comments on their blogs, letting them know they’ve been tagged.
~Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve written the post.

Janna over at The Joy of Home tagged me. She has a beautiful blog and I've enjoyed reading it. Some of the things she writes about make me really want to try them myself. Maple syruping? Now that would be an adventure!:-) Thanks, Janna!

Six Random Things About Me (Annie)

1. It is two miles to our mailbox and I love to walk down but the walk back up makes it time consuming so I can't go as often as I would like. :-D

2. If it was still doable, I’d ride horseback everywhere. (Of course, I’d have to get a horse first.:-) )

3. I make up stories about people in my head, sometimes I tell them to my little siblings.

4. When I was really little, I rode a goat sitting backwards. My, was that a wild ride!

5. I should be working on a ballgown instead of doing this.:-O

6. I used to do Irish Jigging with my sisters.

All of these aren’t too exciting but I decided they were pretty safe to post on my blog. :-D


Now I tag:

Kyna, at CheeringOn.

T.W, at In My Fathers House.

Fogwood214, at Culinary Wending.

And anyone else that wants to be tagged! :-)

Excuse the mess, please!

After watching Kyna play around with a bunch of neat backgrounds I decided I needed to do something with my blog. It'll be a while before I've got it all figured out so bear with me and understand I've never done this type of thing before. Sounds promising, doesn't it?:-D

~Annie

Canning

After canning 30 quarts of pears for the first time, at least the first time I wasn't just helping my Mum or sister, I have a lot more appreciation for what my sister does each year making all those pints and quarts of jams, jellies, fruits, mincemeat.... It was quite a task but I enjoyed it very much! The satisfaction of having completed a project makes it well worth the effort. I shall now attempt to can more than six jars of applesauce, it was seven but number seven bit the dust and is now no more. *sigh* I was rather hoping for a nice explosion while canning but alas, only a tiny clink as the bottom of one of the jars broke because I turned the heat up too fast. Disappointing to say the least!

Now off to pick apples to start those other pints of applesauce........:-D

A little bundle of joy......

Introducing my adorable nephew~~~~~

A is for Apple, P is for Pie.

It was good!:-D

Vintage Nightgown

This is the nightgown I made to go with my housecoat. It is the same pattern my sister used for hers and she very kindly allowed me to use it as well. Thanks, sis! :)

I made it in 100% cotton I bought on clearance at Jo-Ann’s and cut it on the bias. It was a fairly easy pattern to make but I did have a little trouble with the gathers around the neckline but thanks to my sister, T.W, I got them figured out. They still aren't perfect but hey, it's only a nightgown! :) I also added small cap sleeves but I haven't decided if I like them or not. I may end up taking them off. Again, my sister is modeling so I could take pictures and it isn't as short on me by far since there is a four inch difference in height between us. I should've taken pictures of the housecoat and nightgown together but the wind kept coming up and making it difficult to get good shots. Oh, well!

Vintage Inspired Apron

This was a fun project to make and so incredibly simple! All I did was draft a yoke pattern and then cut the skirt to fit the yoke, leaving enough excess to make some nice full gathers. Adding the vintage-looking lace I've had in my sewing box for ages gives it a nice touch, I think. :-)

I don't really have a use for this apron so for now it sits in my completed pile till I decide what to do with it.*sigh*

Here are a few detailed photos:

This was my first time doing an apron and I've decided they're wonderful to make.:-D

Eucalyptus Vintage Housecoat

Yes, that is what this color is called and even though it isn't the prettiest name, I like saying it. :-) So, I finally finished this project and now have pictures to share, not only of the housecoat but I will also post pictures (later) of the nightgown I made to go with it. :-)

Housecoat is made from this pattern:

Now, the actual finished pictures...

The Front

The Side

The Back

Details

French seams and little gathers

I found this a very easy pattern to work with and my only regret is that I made it a tad too big but at least that will give me lots of ease. I love the wrap style and it is very easy to put on. I think next time I will make it in a cute print with little flowers and do the housedress instead. That is in the future of course! :-)

Many thanks to both of my sisters, T.W for being the patient model and Kyna for allowing me to use her vintage patterns. :-)

From the barnyard....

This year we were blessed with three adorable little goat kids. The buckling is christened Demi, (Black and white little fella) and the doeling pictured is called Lucy. I don't have pictures of the other little doe but she is pretty cute too! :-)

Life's amazing when you have....

homemade doughnuts and a hot cup of tea for breakfast. Awwwww! :-)

From my collection...

I thought it would be fun to post pictures of the china I am collecting. It is British made, Lady Carlyle and was the same china pattern my Great-Grandmother had. I love all the different colors and the pattern will make such an elegant addition to my future tea cupboard.

In the works - One Summer Green Housecoat....

Tracing a vintage forties pattern is fun, especially when the paper is in pristine shape.

Finished pictures coming soon!

White As Snow

I've been working on this crochet project every once in a while and finished it last week. My Grandmother was in town so I had lots of time to sit and crochet while visiting.

All-in-all I am pretty happy with it and since I didn't use any pattern I think it turned out pretty well. :-) Next I want to attempt a vintage pattern but I'll need help with it and I don't know when my sister will have enough time, things being pretty busy right now. :-)

Now for pictures....

Forest Green Housecoat

I made this from a vintage pattern with only minor changes. I'm not sure but vintage patterns might be easier to work with, this one at least was easy. Next time I think I'll make it in a summer weight fabric...:-)

For now this will be packed away for next winter.*sigh*

Death to Be Mourned

Today we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valued lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn’t always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies {don’t spend more than you earn} and reliable parenting strategies {adults, not kids, are in charge}. His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with harassment for kissing a classmate, teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student only worsened his condition!

Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot and spilled it in her lap, so she sued and was awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense’s wife Modesty died from a heart attack after learning of the death of her husband, they were buried side by side in the graveyard of Politeness, unfortunately no one knows where exactly in the graveyard they lay, tombstones couldn’t be afforded because the money went to save the trees on the other side of the fence. Common Sense and Modesty were preceded in death by his Dad, Trust, his Mom, Discretion: and his brothers, Responsibility and Reason are also no longer of this world.

He is survived by his two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still know him pass this on, if not you can give him a second death.

WIFD - Day Five - Thursday

My outfit today is one of my favorites. Simple collared blouse with blue-on-blue floral stitching all over it and a western skirt my sister passed on to me. It is one of my favorites and I wear it often, hence the slight fading. :-)

Shoes were borrowed from my sister for the picture. Thanks, sis! ;-) They are simple brown ballet shoes with a small 1in. heel and very cute. ;-)

Later I had to change to go to work (Outdoors and not for skirts) and I must say I missed my feminine clothes. Doing a week in feminine dress is so much fun!:-)

WIFD-Day Three-Tuesday

Tuesday I wore an Eddie Bauer polo shirt that I bought in the 70% off section with a denim skirt that I made ages ago and don't think we even own the pattern anymore.:-)

It was a cleaning day so my outfit had to be very simple and very easy to work in. I paired it with my favorite around-the-house flats that I bought at Ross.

Of puppies and toys

Introducing the newest addition to our Clann. An Irish Wolfhound puppy aged just nine weeks and always into mischief. One of her favorite things to do is chase my Aussie around the living room and bite her legs or play tug-of-war with the rope toy. She thinks it is her privilege to sleep on the couch and be with the family AT-ALL-TIMES. She howls if she doesn't get her way. :-D

So, without further ado....

WIFD - Day One - Sunday

This is the first time I've participated in the Week in Feminine Dress that the ladies on Sense and Sensibility do every once in a while. I just started a job this week so I don't think I will be able to do it every day but I will try to do it as much as possible.

Day One-


Here is a better picture of the shoes. Aren't they cute? ;-)

-Top is made from Out-of-print Simplicity 5059. It is a lightweight cotton with small woven checks in a smoky blue-gray color.

-Skirt was made by my sister, Kyna. I don't think she used a pattern and if she did she altered it to make it shorter.

-Shoes were bought on clearance at Macy’s. They have a small heel but they are incredibly comfortable and I wish I had more opportunities to wear them.:-)

Afternoon Tea.

Greenness...

A crocheted sweater that used to be a hideous green color but after two packages of dye is now a wonderful dark green. I don't have before pictures but it used to be this color:

And now....

Coming soon....

Pictures of several completed (or almost) projects in the next week or so.

For example:

-Housecoat (completed)

-Cowgirl skirt (in progress)

-Denim skirt (completed)

-Several aprons (in progress)

Samples of crochet.

I've been playing around with making lace samples without a pattern. So far I haven't come up with anything really grand but I liked these two enough to share them here. I'll keep trying and maybe I'll even succeed in making something truly beautiful.

Note: these weren't blocked and I think they would look much better if they were.

Have you seen my new shoes....

they are made out of......um, well, canvas. :-) And that is where the simularity to the famous Shirley Temple song ends!:-P

Reasons for changing...

to a new blog for my sewing projects.

1. I like the format better.

2. Several peoples I know use blogger and really like it.:-)

3. Pictures upload easier.

4. And I just like playing with a new blog. :-D

That should be enough excuses, um, I mean reasons. *sheepish smile*