CHRISTEPHI

I wasn't going to participate in the Kids Clothing Week Challenge this time. Partially because last time it was a bit of a disaster, and partially because I have so many other projects that need finishing that I really don't need to be starting new projects. But it just so happened that I (finally) got my sewing area cleaned up and re-organized so that it's now available for immediate use. AND, we just had our first freeze of the season, which means it is time to pack away the rest of the kids summer clothes and bring out all their cool weather clothes. They've got enough hand-me-downs to suffice, except for pajamas. So I decided to make them some pj's this week and whaddya know, it's KCWC this week! I got a tiny bit of a head start Saturday night by cutting out a pair of fleece pj pants for each of them. Last night I traced the proper sizes of the Night Owl shirt and Stripy Legs pants from Ottobre 6/2009. Today I cut out three pairs of pajama...

We're finally getting some decent weather.  I couldn't be more ecstatic!  The only problem is I need to make Miss M's flower girl dress and my bridesmaid (er...bridesmatron?) dress this month...including mock-ups before cutting into the silk. Between yesterday and today, I got the pattern pieces all traced and cut out for the mock-up of the bodice of my dress.  I'm using some weird fabric my sister gave me for that purpose (unknown content, strange mauve-ish color).  It's about the same weight and hand as the silk, so hopefully it'll work well.  I plan to use a vintage sheet for Miss M's and make an actual wearable dress for her muslin. So while I need to be inside sewing every chance I get, the songbirds are enchanting me with their melodies.  Come out.  Feel the warmth of freshly liberated sunbeams.  Sing with us the songs of Spring.  Come out.  The dancing wind is waking the groggy trees.  Soon it'll be green again.  Come out.  Come out!

Today it was finally warm enough to take both kids out to play.  Miss M has been fighting a bit of a cold, so I bundled her up a lot more than was strictly necessary.  She had a blast playing in the mud.  See her expression...both fascinated and repulsed by the sticky, icky mud.  "It looks like poop , Mama!" At least the rain boots I bought her are being put to good use! At one point she was jumping up and down in her boots...they were stuck to the ground and didn't make the jump with her. Ha! It's supposed to snow again tomorrow...and the next day...and the day after that.  *sigh*

Can you believe I started these tree plaques last January?  I finally decided to whip up another batch of salt dough and finish them.  The summer and winter trees were already done, but I needed to make the spring and fall trees.  They will be a gift for my mom for Christmas this year. (Yes, I'm starting early!)  Once they are completely dry, I'll paint them and seal them with several coats of polyurethane spray.  I'm hoping the paint will help distinguish between seasons more fully (right now spring and summer seem a bit ambiguous to me).  I'm also entering them in the 2010 Holiday Handmade Crusade .

Miss M and I went on a short walk into the nearby park and took a few pictures.  We thought we'd share! According to my wildflower book, this sunny yellow fellow is Oxeye. The thistles are going to seed, see the fluffy thistledown? There were busy honey bees everywhere! Which is good because the local bee population has been suffering the past few years (or so I've been told). It took a while to identify these berries.  At first my dad thought they were hackberries, but I wasn't so sure since the arrangement on the branches didn't seem quite right.  So I kept looking and I'm pretty sure they're coralberries.  Whatever they are, aren't they pretty?! The leaves are just starting to change on the trees around here...this must have been one of the first to fall. Isn't it stunning?  I'm afraid my photography doesn't quite do it justice.  I do believe fall is my favorite season!  What's yours?