Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Rain Predicted, Sun Shining

Rain was predicted, we received sun. This afternoon I took a walk. A delightful time out of doors!  Spring flowers are popping up. Crocus and daffodils. I can see some buds on early blooming trees. The raspberry canes have soft green leaves starting to appear. Soon! Soon! Spring is starting to bloom! To celebrate, I picked some daffodils from the back yard, and brought their sunny smiles inside to enjoy. Mmmm, I love basking in the afternoon spring sunshine.
Hope Spring is making her appearance for you too.
Debbie

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Severe Storm Warnings Given

The view from the dinning room window early this morning.
I know.......you guys in the mid west and the east are sick of this white stuff, and the cold.
Other than a very light dusting , this is our snow of the season.
Barely over 2".

As the day dawned, the clouds broke apart. We still had patches of snow gently falling, while the sun glistened.

Today, the kids stay home and play. Many businesses are closed. It's the severe  storm of the season. We must stop and enjoy it before the rain starts tomorrow.  (lol)
Mean while........I think I'll work on a sewing project.
Thanks for visiting.
Blessings,
Debbie

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Dedication Gown

Another niece to arrive soon.
The mother and her family are 3000 miles away.
No problem having a baby shower.
We had a SKYPE shower.
Family gathered on the west coast.

Each one bringing a gift.
One by one we sat in front of the camera and showed our gift.

I made a dedication gown.

My great grandmother was a frugal lady.
She also love beautiful things.
She made fabulous laces.
When something wore out, she would save  buttons and trim to reuse.

Some of that lace has been passed on to me.
Now I'm passing it on to the next generation.

Pin tucks on the bodice with vintage buttons.
Lace edge puff sleeves.
Large tucks at the bottom with lace and ruffle.
Underslip hemmed with more vintage lace.
Vintage button closer in back
Wrapped and tied with a hand made silk ribbon.
It's a joy to pass it on.

This is one of my favorite things to make.
Debbie




Friday, February 18, 2011

Mindy's Penny Arrived!

WooHoo! It came today! I've been waiting for this all week. Last week Mindy, at Ranmond Homestead had a give away. She was giving away this very cute and primitive penny mat that she made, when she reached 100 followers.


Surpriseingly, I won! Waiting........I was excited for the mat to come. It looked so perfect in Mindy's pictures. The colors would look great in my home.   I opened the package...... On top was an envelope with this card. A picture of the mat she was giving away. I opened the tissue slowly, enjoying every moment, drawing the suspence out......


It is so lovely! It is perfect for my home! Mindy's work is lovely. The muted colors in the over dyed wool, adds depth and texture to the piece.


I'm just lovin' looking at it as I write letters and work at my desk.
Thank you so much Mindy! It is a lovely piece of folk art. Be sure to visit Mindy at Raymond Homestead to see what else she is up to.
Thank you for visiting,
Debbie

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I Pad Cover Solution

My Children gave me a wonderful "little toy" for Christmas. An I Pad. I love it! I use it much more than I thought I would. I'm getting on line all the time now, just looking things up. Before it would have been inconvenient to go upstairs, just to look something up on a whim. Now I just grab the handy I Pad, with a few touches, I have the info, and I'm back doing whatever. My fear it is that I might drop it and kill it. What to do??  I went to the Apple store to look at covers. I was rather uninspired. Nothing looked right. Nothing was really in my budget. So I thought about it.... and....  bought this piece of leather, and made this case.  I like the rough organic look of it. The wavy, natural edge of the flap. I used heavy pearled cotton to whip stitch the sides together.

 I made a removable padded pocket also. I mostly stays in the case, but can side out.

Something so very simple, but so right for me.  
Thank you Dear Children!
Now, I need to figure out how to load my pictures from my camera to the pad so I can use it for blogging too. lol

Thank you for visiting. Blessings,
Debbie

Monday, February 7, 2011

Stop the Draft!

Something I wanted and needed to do for years! Stop the draft! This old house is NOT well insulated. The way it was constructed, we cannot blow in insulation. Then the issues of a old settling house, causing the doors to not fit tightly. I can see light around the doors.
I had some large pieces of upholstery fabric and purchased some more from the 50% off sale table, along with some quilt batting and made "quilts" for the doors. They are rather heavy, but they are stopping the drafts.
I sewed tabs at the top to easily slide along the rod, so the door can be opened without catching on the "quilt". This one is in the living room, and adds some life to a dark area.

This one is in the dining room. I made them long enough to "puddle" on the floor to stop the drafts. They add a cozy feel to the rooms. Hopefully they will cut down on the electric bill too.
Finally! I finally made them now that winter is soon to be gone. That's OK. I'm ready for next year.
Hope you are staying warm.
Debbie

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Snowdrops

The first day of February. Snowdrops abound. The crocus will be showing their colors soon, as well as the daffodils.
It's still chilly here, really cold at night. I brought some snowdrops inside to cheer things up. Spring will be here soon.

I need to quickly finish projects inside, the garden will be demanding all my time soon.
My prayers are with you in the east. May you stay safe and warm during this storm.
Blessings
Debbie