RosyToes

Despite the rain - tomatoes and lots of them

Despite the weather the tomatoes are going great guns. This is today's haul, well worth the effort watering in the rain (they are in pots so they need it, but I still feel foolish :o)

Sheltering from the rain

The little ones and dh thought that I was bonkers when I mooted my idea to shelter the washing from the rain under the gazebo.
It works though even if it does look not a little odd. Soon after this photo was taken we were sat eating dinner when the wind picked up and tried to carry the gazebo away, lesson learnt, always attach those leg streamers to hold the whole structure taught. It's not living simply if I wreck the thing and have to buy another one (not that anyone really 'has to buy' one) sigh - it does give us some much needed shade in the garden when the sun peeps out - that's not happened much recently.

A quilt has begun!

For so long I've wanted to make a quilt, at long last at the grand old age of 37 I've begun. I've started a log cabin quilt with these vehicle pictures at the centre of the block. I've done three blocks so far, I'll need forty for the whole quilt, but I've run out of thread, white thread no less, how on earth did I manage that? The craft shop opens again on Friday, well I can cut some more fabric until then, it's taken this long to begin, I suppose that I should quell my impatience to be getting on.

The quilt will be for little Precious for when he moves into his big bed and cedes the toddler bed to his little sister. I'm hoping to get it finished by the end of the summer holiday in four and a half weeks, well we'll see, certainly Precious is bursting out of the toddler bed, he'll have to move quilt or no, best get on.

We visited a local museum today, and I was very happy to see an example of a log cabin quilt, I'm still not used to having the camera, so I didn't snap a picture (can one 'snap' with a digital camera?) there was also a hexagon quilt in the victorian bedroon, Posy and I are planning on starting a Grandmother Flower Garden quilt this summer, don't hold your breath!

Crafting, but not by me.

Tea towel love (and envy)

I made these on Saturday to go in a basket with some sweet treats for dh's classroom assistant as an end of term present.

Oh dear, what have a started? I can see lots of these tea towels in my future. I want one too. (Well, lots and lots actually!)

The pot holder is from Amanda Soul's book Handmade Home. It's not quite as nice as I was hoping it would be, too much brown, it would have been better with a pink or red binding, oh well, next time.  

Trying again

Now that I've finally bought myself a new camera I'm trying again to make this space a record of our crafting makes and a place to remind myself of the inspiration that I find.

For me it is so important to integrate crafting and making into my and our everyday life. I feel that it keeps me grounded and more focused on the simpler life that I'm trying to achieve. With six children though (Little Petal was born last summer) I'm not able to make it an end unto itself very often, it needs to be part of our lives, not an add on. That is what I'm trying to document here, to remind myself as much as anything how much we do achieve and how much we enjoy it.

And I thought that I was a perfectionist!

Well, my linen trousers for the Pattern Review mini wardrobe competition are finished. I had them mostly done yesterday, but still had the hems and button holes to do. I made the most of the little ones having a doze to turn up the hems, with the help of Pumpkin to let me know if they were even, they certainly are now! He took his role very seriously, bless him.

I'm too tired to say much about them tonight except that I'm very happy with them, they are flattering and I've always loved wide trousers, these are seriously wide - well for me they are. The weather has become quite hot here this week and these are deliciously cool and light.

These are really a much richer brown than this photo shows, the light was fading and the flash washes the colour out.

Now on to my wrap top, I've got the brown jersey washed and ironed, I'm thinking on doing a white one at the same time and then dyeing it a beigey - tan colour. I'll sleep on that decision.

Petunia Dress for Posy

This is the Petunia Dress from Ottobre 3/2008.

I've modified it a little (mostly intentionally). The fabric is a lightweight twill, and though not heavy, I felt that this would be to heavy as a summer dress with a lined bodice, so I omitted that and joined both over and under skirts to the bodice. The over skirt I pieced with a complementary linen and I also trimmed the underskirt and the neckline with a bias trim of the same. I didn't like the back ties, I could too clearly envisage the tantrums that would ensue when the ties became knotted, so I made a continuous placket at the back and put on buttons. I made a mistake with the sleeves and forgot to gather the sleeve heads, I'll probably correct that soon.

All in all I'm happy with the dress, it's a bit roomy in the bodice for my liking, but Posy loves how it spins (all that matters to her at the moment, her clothes must be pretty and spin - not too hard a target to hit!)

New shoes for precious

New shoes for precious, not perfect, but at least now I know that my pattern works. The suede was very easy to work with and sew on my machine and I'm all ready to make a more 'finished' pair as soon as I have a free moment. Little precious is very happy walking in them, they don't impede his balance or grip at all, yet they provide a good level or protection to those soft little tootsies.

Aprons galore

I'm so pleased to have finished these aprons, the Emmeline for me and Blessed Design's sunbonnet/apron pattern for Posy. I used the most lovely IMHO chocolate cupcake fabric by Rowan Fabrics and lined mine with chocolate cotton and Posy's with pink - what else for the pink princess. I'm very happy with how these came out, the Emmeline was a little time consuming, but well worth the effort and the sun bonnet pattern was super fast and easy. I bound the top on the pocket with purchased bias, and as I was lining it, it didn't need the edge finishing.

Enough waffling, the pictures,

The fabric looks awful against the orange, but I wanted a picture quickly before the light went for the evening. Lesson learned, less haste more speed.

Now these really are sweet, and yes, I'm totally biased.

As an apron

                            

                               and as a sun

                                bonnet.