moving...

Hi Folks!

I'm moving my blog over to darciedow.posterous.com.   Blogger was having a very hard time importing my posts to facebook and posterous looks like a fun site to try so you can find me over there.  This blog will (actually is required to) remain here and the posts may show up here as well from time to time.

Hope you'll come on over!
Darcie :)

this moment

Joining SouleMama and her followers in this moment - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Summer dresses for Miss Lucy

My dear friend Jasmine bought me this book for Christmas and I have been waiting for the time, inspiration, and fabric to make some cute clothes.  True to myself, when life got busy, Darcie got crafty.  Call is escapism, if you will.  But last month I found the time and made these two adorable dresses for my wee lass.

The first I actually made twice.  The trouble with sewing after the kids are in bed is that you can't measure them. So, the first attempt turned out too tight around the chest and will go into my gift/in the event of future children pile of stuff until I decide what to do with it.  

Sorry the pictures aren't better.  Have you ever tried to take a picture of a 2 year-old who felt pretty?

I made it - well, both of them actually, from the fabric I received from Keith's late grandma.  It is so pretty and was asking to be sewn into a dress for a toddlergirl.  The straps are too long and I need to fix them but it is otherwise satisfactory and I made it in 3 hours.  I was quite proud of how this one turned out.

The second was a nightmare in some ways - but oh so simple in others.  It was my first attempt at shirring - or smocking.  The book talked about doing it like it was no big deal - like it shouldn't mess with the tension on your machine - having elastic thread on the bottom and regular thread on top.  The machine I was using kept jamming and was very ornery about the whole thing.  Since my machine was seized (until my father-in-law came to the rescue) this little dresses was side-lined for a long time.

Once I had my machine back it too me about two hours.  And since it is smocked, it fits perfectly.  Although those straps are too long on this one as well...okay..so not "perfectly" - but close enough for me.  If Lucy didn't already have a closet full of summer hand-me-down clothes, I'd make 7 of these and she would wear one every day to play in.  The fabric I bought at value village for $2.99 or something and I've made a baby blanket as well as this dress.  Not bad :)

Notes from the Garden

I thought I should post a few pictures of our garden.  Don't laugh - I'm actually quite proud of it.  Here are some things I've learned from my first season of vegetable gardening.

1) The herbs are LOVING the direct sunlight they are getting - and are uber convenient being right outside the kitchen door.

2) Don't wait too long to reseed if the seedlings are a no-show.  There is no point in restarting peas in mid-July.

3) Don't wait too long to stake your pole beans if you don't want them to wrap themselves into an enormous mess around whatever plant they can get a strangle-hold on.  Sorry raspberry bushes.

4) Do not wait too long to do the second planting of lettuce.  If you do, your lovely sweet plants will bolt before your new ones are out of the ground.

5) Peppers love big containers.  So far the bugs have done minimal damage. I even spotted a happy jalapino pepper this morning.

6) If you don't have a sandbox, keep a row or two clear for toy car expeditions and random excavations for worms.

7) You can never have too much rhubarb. ever.

Happy Herbs

Cherry Tree 

Hopefully we'll get a pumpkin out of these...

Berry Theif

First Peas

Other peoples' bountiful gardens

Matthew House really is in full bloom - with flowers, fruit and folks.

A Birthday Gift...

There hasn't been a lot of overly-productive crafting going on here lately.  Matthew House is busy and full and there is a growing garden to tend and two very busy kids to play with and all of that glorious sunshine that has caused me to put down my lovely sweater knitting and pick up sock knitting. Naturally, new socks - not the navy blue ones I was supposed to finish in time for last Christmas.

But, in spite of the slow knitting and the nightly game (or two) of Age of Empires III I've been playing with the Keither, I found time to make a little boy a birthday present.  A friend of Lucy and Isaiah had a birthday party this Saturday and instead of buying him another plastic toy I thought I'd springboard off of the wonderful gift idea my friend gave to Isaiah for his 4th birthday and do up a Fort Kit for this next birthday boy.

I didn't use a pattern for the backpack but made it out of some fabric I picked up at the thrift store.  It was very easy and I'd be happy to write out detailed instructions for any of you who would like them.

Inside the bay is a bedsheet with long fabric ties at each corner and on the sides so it can be tied to trees, decks, chairs, etc.  There is also some rope and some clothes pins.  I hope he likes it.  I know Isaiah LOVES his. (Thanks again, Diana!).  She got the idea from a blog but I didn't ask her which one, sorry.

Hope you make your own Fort Kits for the burgeoning adventurers in your life.

this moment

Joining SouleMama and her followers in this moment - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.