Gracie and H.A.

H.A. = Halter Apron

I made my halter apron from the pattern I received from Tenth Muse Studios. Sorry for the poor photo quality - it is raining yet once again here in New England. Some nice thunderstorms today. There was no lighting to be had aside from the house lights and they just didn't cut it. My daughters and husband all liked this apron. I was a little leery about sewing the whole thing together and then turning it inside out but it worked well. I think next time I'll add an inch or so to the waist piece. I have a long torso and really wanted the tie to be down just a bit more but that is the only complaint I have about this pattern. If you want one you can go here to buy it.

This is Gracie.

She's the Gracie Handbag by Lazy Girl Designs. It was easy to put together - although I think their directions leave you with a tad of a sloppy inside. I'm sure if my thread colors matched my fabric it would not be so noticeable to me. I did not have one shade of green to match the striped fabric. Bummer. I haven't embellished it at all. I'll let the girls have at the buttons tomorrow to see if they can find the 'perfect' button to put on the flap.

See that inside fabric. That was a free yard I won from Sew Mama Sew. I finally used it. And, there is enough to make the lining of another purse. Yippee!

The only con about this pattern is that it wants you to purchase a Bag-E-Bottom. I had no idea what it was when I read the back of the pattern in the store and the employee that checked me out did not ask if I needed it. I finally figured it out once I watched the video available on the Lazy Girl Designs website - a Bag-E-Bottom it is a hard acrylic bottom for the bag. Newsflash - I'm not one to follow directions. So - I improvised and covered some Pellon Peltex with fabric and slid it into the holder and now I have a semi-hard bottom on my bag. I think if I really wanted to I could put another piece of Pellon Peltex in to make the bottom more solid. I'll test it tomorrow as is to see if another layer is really necessary.

I don't think I'll ever call her Gracie though. I've always called my purses Percival (pronounced Purse-i-val) after Percival on Little House on the Prairie. He married Nellie Olsen - for those that don't know.

New Projects

What I am going to be working on first - before I attempt my Prairie Dresses.

Patterns, Patterns, Patterns

It's like Christmas in my house! I ordered a bunch of patterns and they all came last week or this week. I ordered some patterns from Fabric Hound, Sew Mama Sew, and Pamela's Patterns.

I made one Favorite Things - Little Prairie Girl top for Lola - except for the sleeves. I'm still afraid of them. I'll finish them - today? A great pattern. Easy to follow instructions. Shirt came together so quickly. Except for my fear of sleeves...

I ordered fabric for the Prairie Girl Dresses I'm going to make me. I have fabric for the Smarty Pants for me. Just need to try the pattern out on not so nice fabric first. I have fabric for the Artisan Pants from Indygo Junction too.

I had never heard of Pamela's Patterns before I read Sew Much Fabric, Sew Little Time. She was my partner for an apron swap. I read her blog now and then and let me tell you - the woman is amazing! She made 28 shirts with The Perfect T-Shirt pattern from Pamela's Patterns. With that many shirts made the pattern has to be good! I'll be trying it soon.

AND - I actually received a free pattern from 10th Muse Studios. I subscribe to Craft Gossip. Every day in my e-mail there is an e-mail from them with crafting links. One day, there was a link to a fabulous Halter Apron Pattern and it just happened the pattern was being given away. (Not anymore - now y'all will have to buy it). I'm so excited! I have some fabric for that too that I'll try to whip up - perhaps tonight? My thought - I'm not a great cook. Really, I stick to basic recipes. So - if I make something that might not taste great one night for dinner I figure my husband won't mind as much - as long as I look good.

Whoops - I actually see the SUN outside my window. Must try to get my vitamin D for the day before the rains return! Happy sewing! Beth

Tofu the Whale

Today we ventured up to New Hampshire (okay - we live about 10 - 15 minutes from the MA/NH border) to visit Tofu the Whale. I'm a fan of the Seacoast Science Center on Facebook. We are members and donated money to help bring Tofu the Whale to the Science Center. The new exhibit just opened up and my four-year-old insisted we visit Tofu. She's been talking about it for days. So, today, we went.

Tofu's Fluke- she was named tofu for her almost all-white fluke

On-line there is a slide show that tells about Tofu and her short life and her eventual journey to the Seacoast Science Center.

Watching informational movies about Tofu and whales.
The back of this bench is a life-size model of Tofu's flipper

Inside the science center is her skeleton, a bunch of new interactive exhibits about Tofu as well as the touch tank, tanks with fish, lobsters, seahorses, and other exhibits about the area.

The touch tank.

Lucy holding a sea urchin in the touch tank.

The kids and I love visiting here. We can spend a day on the rocky beaches (not good for swimming) searching the tide pools for crabs, mussels, hermit crabs, periwinkles, and whelks. We have seen loons and ducks. We are told seals hang out here but haven't actually seen them yet.

Lola posing in a boat inside the Seacoast Science Center.

Today, the girls collected rocks. My husband also helped collect garbage that was in the ocean as well as the rocks. I usually keep a plastic grocery bag in the car to collect refuse when we visit beaches but didn't have one today. Seacoast Science Center is located within Odiorne Point State Park. Thankfully the park had garbage cans (as well as bathrooms) so our refuse collection found a home in the proper receptacle.

Lucy posing as the tide comes in.

We found a net amongst the rocks. It was the perfect thing to hold Lola's rock collection.

Birthday Twirl Skirt

I did finish the skirt before the party. I used a tutorial found HERE. My daughter found a pink gymnastics leotard (that she is wearing backwards) and decided she did not want to wear the shirt - just the skirt and the leotard. So - the sleeves will be a project for another rainy day. Let's see - we're supposed to have another one tomorrow. Sigh - then maybe off to the Museum of Science.