More Roadside Botany

Yesterday I was very excited to find two wild orchids in the forest. We're off in the Shasta! Will be home tomorrow.

Roadside Botany

Here is a lovely pink Trillium we spotted while out driving today.

In Progress- Reversible Vintage Style Bathing Suit

I have been working on this suit slowly but surely for the last couple weeks. It uses the bottoms from McCall's 8331, which I was delighted to find fit me rather well straight from the pattern. I tightened up the leg holes a little and made a few other tweaks to make them more beach appropriate, but the chances are good that I'll be sewing a few pair straight from the pattern just to wear as shorts.

Both the top and the bottom have a blue side and a striped side- I only flipped the top for these photos because getting the bottoms on the dressform was a pain.

I still need to attach straps, hem the shorts, and sew in the closures, but it's coming along! I am a slow seamstress anyway, so throw in a holiday, some family fun, and a trip to the Biltmore, and I'm just moseying along.... no rush, just when we thought it was already summer we'll be having lows in the thirties for the next few days! Brrrrrrrr!

Finished Bra, Spring Purging, and Ice Cream

I finished the bra I was sewing as part of the Ooh La La Sew Along. My fit isn't perfection, to say the least. I made the band too tight, and am going to pick it apart and re-sew it tonight. But, in the tradition of not focusing on my flubs, I'm going to bask in the glory of my rather tidy elastic application.

I sewed in a small tag with my initials and the date. Though it looks rather utilitarian in these admittedly awful iPhone photos, I think the silk makes it pretty in person.

I have a reversible vintage style bikini in the works that uses this bra for the top. I hope to finish it up within the next few days, but the closure for the shorts has been a slight hiccup. Any suggestions on how to make them so the closure can be worked from both sides? I am leaning toward snaps.

Other goings on at the homestead involve a major purge. I got tired of the clutter, and I loaded up 3 full garbage bags of baby toys and clothes, my clothes, linens, etc. and took them to a local charity based thrift store for donation. I had to move fast, as I have been known to root around in the bags and pull stuff back out if they sit too long. Getting rid of this crap felt great, and though the house is still a cluttered mess, I lightened the load a little.

It was really neat to look into my closet and see that I had 9 dresses hanging that I sewed myself!

On a totally unrelated subject, does anyone make their own ice cream? I found a very nice ice cream maker at the thrift store recently, and tried my hand at a homemade frozen concoction. I made banana pudding with soy, and then I churned it in the ice cream maker. It was a big hit at my house- we ate it with chocolate chips on top.

What I really like though is salty sweet nutty ice cream flavors, like pecan praline and butter pecan. And I have an itch to try out this recipe for Guinness ice cream soon too. What can I say? I love Guinness. And ice cream. If I decide it's too much of a pain, we have a local creamery that makes fabulous ice cream using their own milk. Things are good here in rural America!

How about you? Any bathing suit sewing going on? Any advice on closures for reversible garments? Any tips on making ice cream? Recipes? Do tell!

All Caught Up

I am all caught up on my bra for the Ooh La La sew along, and I am pretty darn pleased.
My ma and I found tons of silk in a Goodwill when I went to visit her, and I used a fawn silk that I bought for this bra. Why stash it?

I cut the cups on the bias, and underlined them with sew in tricot interfacing. I basted the heck out of it. 

I was going to line the bra, but it didn't work out. It seemed like the lining was going to make it lumpy, although it worked out fine in the cotton version I made. It's ok. I just pinked all of my seams, but it is tidy enough for a second ever bra.

For me, the tricky part was sewing elastic on neatly, but I got a few great tips from Sarah, one of the ladies leading the sew along, and it went on nicely!

Now for straps and closure! Is it sad that this is already the prettiest bra I own? I have really let my underwear drawer go. Ah, no worries though- I already bought some pretty navy lace at the thrift today for a third go with this pattern!

I have been remiss ...

I know. But this weather- how can I sit and type when it is so lovely outside? I keep thinking about stopping for a minute to write about what goes on, but then I get distracted by just doing, and another day gets away.
A quick list:
1. We are approaching camper completion and looking forward to a fun summer.

In the first shot, hubby is sitting where the cabinets are now. We have really worked hard on this little old Shasta!

2. I planted lettuce, spinach, and kale in the garden, and my herbs have come back from previous years.
3. We adopted six new chicks.
4. The baby turned 2!

Her hospital photo & the morning of her second birthday. Love. Love. Love.

5. I am sewing bra #2 as part of the Ooh La La Lingerie Sew Along

I added straps. This is my reversible muslin in cotton. It turned out like a vintage bikini top, so I think I will make a few in fun cotton prints for summer. 

Ignore the spot (you know where!) I was trying to wash away marking pen. :) Now I am sewing a fan-dancy one in silk.

6. I got a ukulele, and my amazingly talented musician sister gave me my first lesson from NYC via Skype. Technology can be a p.i.t.a., but it's pretty cool when sisters can plot their ukulele based Heart cover band via video conference. I don't know why my sis wants me though- she is Anne and Nancy all rolled up into one!

 So, that's what goes on around here. Can you tell I delight in the little things? Life is good, and I am thankful!

How is spring in your neck of the woods? Are you a Heart fan? Would you rather have Anne's voice, or Nancy's rockin' acoustic skills?

Somewhere in Rural Virginia

We're on a road trip visiting family, and we spotted these amazing bottle trees roadside.