Square Foot Gardening: The Corn is as High as and Elephant's Eye!

Here, in the deep of summer, this garden looks so different than last February. The hot crops are moving fast. We have corn! Tall and wonderful. 

It just grew so fast that my tomatoes are having trouble getting their fair share of light. Note of next year- plant the onions in front of the tomatoes. They stay little for so long.

In between the corn, green beans are coming in and onions are slowly being picked. I threw in some more carrot and beet seeds where I pulled out other things. I also started the cucumber up the trellis where once the peas stood strong.

I've always avoided cucumbers and other vine things- I don't want them taking over precious space- but when I discovered I could trellis them?? Well... now we are on to something. Grow UP not OUT when square foot gardening is the game. 

Today's harvest had green beans, one cucumber, and an onion. Fingers crossed I time my out of town time so I can enjoy corn and tomatoes on my return. 

And, when you find yourself without a baby teething toy, any beet will do

Or green bean, as the situation calls for

Pinkies up! We are very fancy at our garden. 

Square Foot Garden: The Onion Experiment

We went for a walk this weekend, on down to check on the garden. It's growing so fast, I wish I could be there every day. 

 The tricking thing about square foot gardening is that things really do get PACKED in. The brussel sprouts are probably still 2-3 weeks from being ready for harvest (or more? I don't know) and they are shading beet seedlings and pushing over onions. The potatoes are the same, I have no idea how big they will get before they are ready to dig up, but they are pushing into peas and the spaces I set aside for green beans. I think the key is to stagger crops. Green beans will go in next week and the first potatoes will come up a week later. It's a constant rotation of the new and the old.

Onions have been my experiment. The large onions in the picture below  were planted from bulb sets in late February. It seemed silly to plant a small onion just so I can grow it into a bigger onion. All that energy already put into growing it, tending it, picking it, drying it, then shipping it so I could plant it. But I went ahead and tried it out. The small ones near the bottom of the picture were also onion sets, but they looked more like small green chives that had been picked by the root and bundled. Not quite as silly as the other onion sets. I planted them three weeks ago and they seem to be doing fine. They are about the same size as my THIRD onion experiment- just between the large onions and potatoes- which was planting from seed in late February. So far, I'm impressed. If started early enough they seem to give the same result as the sets I planted a few weeks ago.

And that's the latest garden fun. Here's hoping we can get some tomatoes and green beans in this weekend- it might be a squeeze but I want to go for it.

Late night

"Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me?"

I don't know. I just found myself in THAT situation. You know, the situation where I'm in a one week professional development class for graduate credit, homework to do, a baby to get to bed, and a sewing project that just HAD to be finished.
So, with most {some} of my homework behind me, I jumped in to the project. And, with a husband out of town I had nobody to hold me accountable to my bed time...well, except myself... and myself kept saying, "one more letter, one more letter"




 For this project I used a tutorial I found through pinterest- it led me to Chez Beeper Bebe and her tutorial. I changed her letter template- I realized (I think) that she was just using Arial black on an outline setting, and I wanted bigger letters... so I made my own templates. Also, this set does not have magnets in them, but magnets are ordered and another set will be made this weekend.

I found the "scrap busting" aspect of the project delightful. Fun to watch that pile shrink a little, while reliving memories of the original projects the scraps came from. And, since I dream of getting my craft room organized this summer, it's probably important I reduce my fabric supply to make the task easier, right? 

to the fathers!

-->

my father moved through dooms of love 

through sames of am through haves of give, 

singing each morning out of each night 

my father moved through depths of height 

-e.e. cummings 

 So, I'll admit it. I'm a groupie. An e.e. cummings groupie. Like so many before me and so many after... I just love reading his words. i carry your heart with me has long been my definition of love, my love theme of life. I once wrote a lesson plan designed to teach some of his less erotic poetry to 3-5th graders. 

So, as I planned a father's day gift, sifting through the myriad of weird stuff out there in pintrest/Internet land, I came across e.e. cumming's poem that he wrote after his father died. How have I missed this poem? Every word of it made me want to meet this man, this father, this person. 

I found one stanza that particularly made me think of my husband and combined it with hand prints- baby's first painting!- and I think the end result is perfection. I stuck it in a frame (and then took a not so great picture) and it's a treasure for always. So sweet.

The stanza I went with was:

My father moved through theys of we,

singing each new leaf out of each tree

(and every child was sure that spring

danced when she heard my father sing)

singing in spring for a very new daughter

 Getting into the paint with baby just got me excited to get some more messy arts and crafts going this summer. There is freedom in knowing I can turn on the sprinkler and get a clean baby through more "play time". 

So, father's day to all. I'm so thankful that my daughter has such a sweet, caring, thoughtful, smart, interesting, loving man to be her father.

my father moved through dooms of love through sames of am through haves of give, singing each morning out of each night my father moved through depths of height - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15405#sthash.vpq1CazO.dp

my father moved through dooms of love through sames of am through haves of give, singing each morning out of each night my father moved through depths of height - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15405#sthash.vpq1CazO.dpuf

my father moved through dooms of love through sames of am through haves of give, singing each morning out of each night my father moved through depths of height - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15405#sthash.vpq1CazO.dpuf

Fiesta time!

Cinco de Mayo is holiday time,
holiday time
in Mexico!

-From some song I sang in a first grade class recital. It's never left my brain.

I had a little fun for Cinco de Mayo. I justified it by saying I would put her in this outfit again... but truly... this was a one time outfit. And it rocked.
Once I saw the tutorial for the skirt on Dana Made it I couldn't turn back. She makes it all look so easy and fun. And it was. I see more fiesta style twirly skirts in our future. It was a great way to use up some of the random trim I've had around- lace, ric rac... I actually had to hold back a little.

Of course, once I had the skirt, she needed a little shirt. Using freezer paper, I cut out the stencil, ironed it on, painted and waited for it to dry. So sweet. I've used the same technique for another outfit I made for her, it's a fun way to dress up a simple onsie or t-shirt.

This Bunny outfit was done a few weeks before the Cinco de Mayo outfit. I think it's pretty much the greatest onsie ever.

 A little burro, a little fiesta, a little skirt, a little fun.

At the zoo

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo! How about you, you, you? You can come too, too too, we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.
-Going to the Zoo by Peter, Paul and Mary.

Today we took the new jacket out for a run at the zoo. A long trip to the zoo. It was a delightful, rainy day-the bright jacket served us perfectly.

I love the bright fabric. Just love. In the past, I don't think I would have picked it- but the bright colors match baby's bright personality. And the jacket turned out beautifully. What a sweet pattern. We couldn't use the flash in with the elephants- the baby elephant was running and playing- so this one turned out a little blurry, but it shows the hood. 

Such a sweet little thing. The hood of the jacket is so sweet, but it will never get worn. Even in the rain, baby pushes that hood back and puts her face up to the sky. She's a little outside girl. 

The 2T size proved to be a little big- meaning I get to roll the sleeves back and show of the lining fabric. I love the blue lining, I think it tempers the bright jacket a bit. 

It worked well for hippo rides:

 And elephant rides:

 And camel rides:

I love seeing her ride the same statues I did as a kid. 

The process for making the jacket went well. The sleeves were the hardest part. Working with the larger pieces proved easier. Using the lighter weight fabric probably made it easier too. 

Lovely lovely. Something sweet for such a happy girl. It doesn't get better. 

For Spring, We Begin Again

"The beginning is the most important part of the work."
Plato The Republic

With my graduate class behind me, and no more classes until the summer... it's time to get my creative on again. I had to dig my machine out of the sewing room- a sign that it's been much too long since it's last use- and get her set up again. Not that I have hours to spare, but I have a few moments I can make some choice about how to spend, and I CHOOSE SEWING!

So, I find myself at the start of a project.

It's time for another School Days Jacket. How I love oliver & s. I still love the jacket I made the first time around with this pattern. So perfect. 

This time I'm going for a spring/summer jacket- so I found a light-weight, bright corduroys and I'm lining it with a quilting cotton. So, I've jumped in to it. I traced pieces (size 2T) onto Swedish Tracing paper, ironed the fabric, and pinned it all down. 

In just a short bit, I had this:

A pile of cut pieces. Now I've got all the pieces ready to go- time to fire up the machine and turn them into a jacket! As great as my graduate class was...(and it really was awesome)...it's nice to be creating again. 

sweet, soft, and oh so pretty

Three crib sheets done. Here are two of the flannel ones. Baby enjoyed checking them out. The tutorial on Dana Made It  was really wonderful. I'm sure there are many more tutorials like it, but she makes the step by step so easy.

I also did one from a knit:

I love the little flowers on it. It's such a sweet print and so SOFT.

It's fun to have another mama made touch in the nursery. The curtains, the quilt.... and now the sheet.

Goin' for it.

Long hair minimizes the need for barbers; socks can be done without; one leather jacket solves the coat problem for many years' suspenders or superfluous.
- Albert Einstein

Hopefully this endeavor will solve baby's coat problem for the winter. So help me, if it turns out not to fit her when I'm done... but then, that's always been my biggest fear with garment sewing. Working and working and then discovering it's not really what I wanted. So far sewing clothes for baby has proved rewarding. And it's all fit. 

But I digress...

So, I'm doing it. I'm staring on the Oliver+S School Days Jacket. Evidenced below:

Late night cutting session

The pattern is now only sold as a digital version, but I checked out a local fabric store called Bolt and they still had hard copies for sale. Thank goodness. Printing and taping pieces together would have probably stopped me from taking this on. 
As you can probably see in the picture, I used Swedish tracing paper. I love it. When my instructor at a sewing class offered by Modern Domestic introduced it to me, I was floored. Finally a way to preserve my pattern so I can use it for other sizes in the future. Plus, it's just easier to work with and to pin to fabric than the actual pattern pieces. It's amazing. 

This pattern intimidates me a bit. It's a big project and there are lots of pieces. See-- it's three scissors of difficulty! My hardest pattern yet.

But if (when) I do finish it will be oh so sweet for the winter months. I'm already regretting not making it one size up, so it fits longer. Hopefully this will get us to spring. I'm using a sweet flowered corduroy I got from the sale section and Mill End (the big one on McLoughlin Blvd.).

 I'm still deciding on what to use for the lining, I have a few options. 

Here's hoping in a week (or two or three) I have a finished product to show off. Fingers crossed. 

Perfect Little Dress

I did it. I sewed the perfect little dress. From the perfect fabric. With the perfect buttons. It's perfect. Once again I turned to an Oliver and S pattern and found it to be.... perfect. The pattern was the Family Reunion dress . The directions were easy to follow and the details in the dress make it look like a much more complicated pattern that it was. See the pleating?

And it was so simple!! I actually had the cut out a month ago, but had avoided starting it because I was just sure it would be too hard. Suddenly it hit me that my daughter would not fit it for much longer, so I had reached the point of no return. I gave up a weekend of housework (darn) for sewing.
I love the buttons down the back...

Look, even the birds like it!!I saved some time by sewing in iron safe plastic snaps, then just putting the buttons on for decor. It makes getting it on and off baby a snap.
I love how it looks classic and old fashioned, without being frumpy.

And she can move in it! Here she is showing off the back buttons,

ACK! Baby legs!! I never knew I would love little legs this much. Seriously, who knew?
I love this picture because it shows off the pleats and the detail:

The detail that doesn't show in any picture is the way an Oliver and S pattern finishes each seam so nicely and really hides most of the raw edges.
And, one more picture to take it home:

FLOWERS!! She wants to eat those dandelions, that's for sure.

I would say this dress totaled about 10 hours of work. I'm still new at sewing clothes, so I know this time could be shortened significantly. I plan on making the pattern again in the next size up, so hopefully I'll find it moves along a little faster. It was so nice to slow down for a weekend and make something so sweet and perfect for a little person who fits the same description.

a nursery tour

Between the dark and the daylight,

When night is beginning to lower,

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

That is known and the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me

The patter of little feet,

The sound of a door that is opened,

And voices soft and sweet. 

-The Children's Hour

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Won't you come into our sweet nursery? All it needs now is our baby girl and it will be complete...

As you enter, you'll go through french doors we bought at a rebuilding center. My dad got them hung and Shawn carefully made repairs and painted the imperfections that come with buying used goods. 

We may as well turn on the light... oh, what's that?? An adorable light switch plate, thanks to my ebay addiction. Mama rabbit keeping her babies safe from Farmer McGregor.

Our little changing station. The changing pad is on top of an Ikea dresser (also found on the cheap... it had been returned. The best part of buying "used" Ikea goods? Even better than the discount? It's ALREADY ASSEMBLED. Priceless)
Yes, that is a stuffed bunny with a cloth diaper. I was doing some practicing. We are going with bumgenius cloth diapers. All I can say so far .... too cute to poop in. Way too cute. Sweetest little diapers EVER.

On to the closet. Built by husband. This closet had no shelves or bars or ANYTHING. Now, it's perfect. It's full of clothes and shoes and blankets and BOOKS! So many books! Thanks to the sweet shower my sister threw me- it was book themed and this baby will be surrounded with books from day one. Thanks to the shower my coworker threw me, we have clothes and shoes and wash clothes and all sorts of necessary things.

On to the crib. The curtains were made by me from some wonderful fabric from Mill End. Love that place. Also, there is another glance at the most wonderful stroller, a generous gift from my mother in law. It's perfect! And the car seat a dear friend gave us fits it perfectly. And yes, the diapered bunny from the earlier picture has ridden in both.
See that mobile? It's paper cranes, each folded by my sister.

Or course, the tour has to include this wonderful mural painted by husband. Finished and lovely. Rabbits in the garden, geese off to go a-calling, birds flying, mice scurrying. It has it all. 

The rest of the mural. Also, the rocking chair my parents bought when I was born. They have let us use it and it's the crowning touch for such a sweet nursery. Throw over it the quilt made from fabric my mother bought for me 30 years ago (thinking she would make a quilt for me) and it's all pretty darn nice. 

We have two lamps that were also gained through my ebay addiction... one it still waiting for a bookshelf to call home...

 

And that's it! The nursery! It's so full of constant reminders of all the love this baby will have, not just from us, but from family and friends. That perhaps, is the sweetest part of all.

and one final picture... husband working on one of many projects he took on during this nursery adventure:

And always with a smile, I don't know how he did it.