Class Picnic in the park

A look back...

Margot's First Day of School in September

Margot's Last Day of School in May

(I tried to get these photos side by side but I couldn't figure it out!  Blogger is annoying that way!)  

I made Margot a special outfit for her last day of school. I chose the Class Picnic pattern by Oliver + S. And appropriately her last day of school was her class picnic.  But on that day it was freezing cold so she wore her After School Pants and a sweatshirt.  

So today it was warm and sunny and she wore her Class Picnic to the park.  

(Warning:  there are a ridiculous amount of photos to follow but since it's my blog, I don't care if they are repetitive)

I've made this pattern many, many times and I do love it.  It ranks up there as a classic and one of my all time favorites.   The fabrics I used were both leftovers.  The top is a lawn or voile (can't remember)  left over from a dress I just made Grace.  And the shorts are made from linen I had leftover from the Thanksgiving Day outfits.   The design and construction of the shorts is just so well thought out.  It makes them a pleasure to sew.  

The blouse is simple.  It's perfect as is or with a little embellishment.  

I chose to put some flat piping on the shirt as a way to tie the two pieces together.  I think it really works.  

I made the little flower hair clip as well.  I made another one using the pink fabric.  I think a little fabric flower on the corner of the bodice would be adorable too.  

Isn't she lovely?

She was getting annoyed at me taking so many photos.  

In this one she's saying "Mooo-ooom".  As in, "Mom, that's enough!  You got enough pictures already!"

I love this one even though it's out of focus because it caches the smile in her eyes perfectly.  

Now she posed herself for this one and then instructed me to take the picture.  And this ended our photo shoot for the day. 

Next up is a Class Picnic for Grace.  

Giving my kids a swing gave them the whole world

 When we moved to Pittsburgh we really only knew about the East End of Pittsburgh.  That's where we lived, went to school and worked.  Brent's graduate program organized a clean up day in the city's Manchester section of the Northside.  We volunteered to pick up trash along route 65 early one Saturday morning.  It was this experience that brought us to the Northside for the first time.  Instantly I fell in love with look of the Northside with the big beautiful brick homes.  I love the uniformity of the streets.  Brick homes, streets with sidewalks,  old, arching trees.  It was in stark contrast to where I grew up but I loved it.

I remember when we first looked out our house we loved the house and street and then we drove around to the back to see the "yard".  I remember the deep disappointment I felt when I gazed upon the space.  My heart literally sunk.   The above photo is not of my yard but it is a picture of two of the homes at the end of my row.  Our yard looked much like this though we did have rickety steps from the back door.   This space, our yard, is small.  You can fit two cars side by side in that space.  It's tight but you can do it.  I grew up on an acre of land with a big driveway.  Like I said, very different.

But we did indeed buy this house with this tiny, very ugly yard.  We had plans for the yard and the park is within a 10 minute walk from our house.  So we thought it would be fine.   This photo was taken when Grace was a baby.  At this point, we had already skimmed a layer of dirt and garbage (think nails, broken glass, bottle caps, bits of linoleum) off of the original brick patio that we didn't even know was there.   We fenced in the space and built a landing and steps.  My brother and Dad helped us lot.  When this picture was taken Brent and I decided to rip up the original brick patio.  It was so damaged-lots of broken and missing bricks and very uneven and sunken.  Plus we wanted to plant trees and flowers.  So Brent and I dug up each brick by hand.   A few of us neighbors all pitched in to get a dumpster and the majority of the broken bricks went in there.  We saved the rest of the good bricks.  We would put Grace to bed around 7 and then we would go outside and work on digging up the bricks.

Once we removed all the bricks, we bought dirt so that our yard was level with the alley.  Then we made flower beds using the old bricks to define the space.   We bought the crab apple tree first not long after Grace was born and then the almond tree when Grace was about 3.  In this next photo Grace is 3.  The almond tree has been planted and I am standing in front of a lilac bush and a miniature weeping willow tree.  The soil must be very rich here and there must be an amazing source of water because all of these trees and shrubs exploded in the next few years.  

I have loved living here in this house on the Northside but it hasn't been without challenges.  The tiny yard being one of those challenges.  With two growing kids and a love of being and staying home, we often felt our outdoor space was lacking.  The kids use the alley and nearby parking lot for playing games and riding bikes.  

For the last couple of years, Grace has loved climbing the almond tree.  Although she is using a rope ladder in this picture she doesn't need it to get up.  The beauty of the almond tree is that even the smallest kid can climb it.  

Grace spends a lot of time just hanging out in the tree.  We have pruned the tree with this in mind.  Keeping certain branches that are her favorites or are ones that aid in climbing and sitting.  

Like I said, we use every last outdoor space available to us even our tiny little stoop leading to the garden.  

This photo is from last summer when the garden is in full bloom.  It's so different from what it was in the beginning.   

This spring when we were again pruning the almond tree I looked up and realized I could hang a rope swing from one of it's branches.  I found a swing, ordered it and it was delivered in a couple of days.  Brent hung the swing and it worked.  Though the tree top branches sway a bit while the kids swing, the trunk of the tree is strong and stable. 

The kids play on this swing for hours.  Hours.  Two kids and one swing and hours of play.  Minimal fighting and bickering.  They love this swing so much they have named it Cookie.  And the tree is named Rouge (red in French). Brent and I bought two chairs and a fire ring so we can sit outside watching the kids happily play in this tiny yard.  And everyone is happy.  I neither have the space nor the money to give my kids anything so grand as a swimming pool or a climber or even a swing set.  Sometimes I feel guilty about this.  But getting this swing has taught me something so powerful.   With this swing, I gave them so much more. 

When kids start off with having nothing, and are given few things, when you do give them something so small and so simple as a tree swing it's like you've given the kids the whole world.  Likewise, when kids start off with having everything, or are given everything, they often feel like they have nothing.   They are bored with everything they have.  They need more toys, more activities, more things to "make" them happy.   

It amazes me how one swing can entertain my kids for hours.  They have come up with games they play on the swing involving the tree stumps and running.  They take turns beautifully.  Sometimes their turn lasts only a few minutes at a time.  Sometimes, one sister will allow the other sister to be on the swing for a long time like 10 or 15 minutes.  The other sister either climbs the tree or digs in the dirt.    I am filled with pride in how my girls play with one another outside.  They share their swing with the neighbor kids too sometimes doing a four kid rotation.  

One day not long after hanging the swing I starting scheming how to hang a second swing- after all if one swing is good, two is better right?  But then I stopped myself. I was getting caught up in things again.    

If I had lots of money and lots of space I guarantee I wouldn't have learned this lesson as powerfully as I have.  Sometimes you fight against your lot in life.  You wish for a different sort of life.  More space, more money, more time.  Whatever you have so often doesn't feel quite right.   You think if I just had this ____ then I would be really happy.   But when you stop wishing for a different life and just accept the one you have, you can learn lessons that in turn fill you with such a deep satisfying peace.  Those things that you wished for don't matter anymore.  You have everything you need to be happy.  This swing and my kids showed me that.  They taught me that.  

Margot had a field trip in the Fox Chapel area last week.  Brent took off work so we could take her.  I haven't ever been in this part of Fox Chapel before.  It was eye opening and deeply unsettling.  Fox Chapel is old and beautiful and very, very rich.  Rolling hills with large homes on acres of land.   Home values are astronomical.  The "cheapest" homes in Fox Chapel ensure that no working class family could ever live there.  Though I can see the beauty of Fox Chapel I can never imagine living in a world like that or raising kids there.  Certainly in the city you can buy million dollar homes, but within blocks of that million dollar home, you will find working class and even poor families living in houses and apartments.  

It's funny how your life changes you.  Living in this city for so long has changed me.  I find the disparity of wealth in this country repulsive and sickening.  If I were ever to become rich I can't imagine ever finding Fox Chapel a comfortable place to live.   This city, this neighborhood, this home feels so right to me.  So right for raising kids.   

I am thankful that Brent and I are working class parents.  I am thankful money prevents me from giving my kids too much.  I am thankful that giving my kids a swing gave them the whole world.   I am thankful my kids are not attached to acquiring possessions.  When Grandma asks them what she can buy them, I am thankful they often say they want nothing.  I am thankful they love the things they have but can part with them when they are no longer useful or played with.   I am thankful I live among the very rich, the very poor and everyone in between.  

But most of all I am thankful for my kids for once again teaching me something so important as all of this.  

I love you Grace and Margot with all of my heart.  I will love you forever and ever and always and I will never stop loving you.  

A Sweet Peasy for my sweet Margot

I've been wanting to make a Sweet Peasy (click here for my Ravelry page) for a long time and I finally decided it was time.  Though it only took me about a month to knit, it seemed like it was taking forever.  Partly because it was knit on really small needles.  Each row took ages it seemed.  But now that it's done, I can see that it was totally worth it. 

The pattern was really well written and easy to follow.  I had no issues with it.  I did add length to the sleeves as well as the body.  Not much but a bit.  I did an extra repeat of the lacy pattern in the front.   I also did 5 rows around the sleeves and bottom of the sweater as well as the button bands.  It called for only 3 rows and that seemed so slight even for a delicate sweater such as this.  

Margot chose the yarn.  I think it's perfect for her.  

I love the way it fits and I hope she gets a lot of wear from it.  

Here's Margot in her new Spring pants.  I used the Oliver + S After School Pants which are one of my all time favorite pants pattern for the kids. I just love all the little details.  I didn't get a close up (I took these pictures quickly) but I did two rows of nice topstitching using heavy thread and a topstitching needle .  I made pink ruffles around the pockets too.  And the pink ruffles match the pink ruffled t-shirt she was wearing here.  The shirt was a gift from her Aunt Jane and Uncle Joel.  They buy only the nicest clothes. 

Unfortunately I don't have another knitting project lined up! And I really hate that!  I am one of those crazy people who only have one knitting project going at a time.  I've been favoriting lots of great patterns on Ravelry trying to find what to knit next.  Brent wants a sweater but I just feel like that would take so long.  

Oliver + S Pinwheel tunic and slip dress

 I really liked the new Oliver + S pattern, Pinwheel tunic and slip dress and thought it would make a great Easter dress.  But I knew I wanted to make it fancier but couldn't figure out how.  Then my sister gave me the wonderful suggestion of using satin and organza! I loved the idea and couldn't wait to get started.

The tunic and slip dress were fairly easy to construct.  I did run into trouble at the point where the two flounces intersect.  On both pieces, the intersection is more of a gentle curve rather than a distinct "v".  The organza was so thin I didn't want to pick it out and risk fraying it.  So I left it as it.  Plus further complicating matters was that I used french seams on the entire tunic.  

I adore the back almost as much or maybe more than the front.  I am dreaming of a dress made of two backs with the key hole opening in the front.  The pattern calls for a little facing around the opening in the back.  Because of the sheerness of this fabric I had to do something else though I admit trying to make the facing.  It was so ugly!  I ended up cutting out an entire new back piece.  I used the same concept in  making the sleeve placket on the Music Class Blouse and combined it with the original instructions to to make the opening.  Basically I drew a straight line to the point of the marking on the back.  Then I measured 1/4 inch on either side of that line and drew a triangle with all lines meeting at the marking.  I staystiched the triangle and then cut on the middle (or original) line.  I then applied a very narrow piece of satin bias tape to the cut line.  I think it turned out nicely though I was sweating while making it for fear it wouldn't turn out.  

This is the slip dress portion of the dress made in all satin and bound with satin bias tape.  It's lovely and I hope to make the girls some satin nightgowns using this pattern.  Although this is hanging in the window the satin is sheerer than what I though.  I wonder if I should have fully lined the dress? I did a little better job on this one were the flounces intersect.  The "v" is more noticeable.  I did have to redo this one once and satin is more forgiving than organza.    

Here is a close up of the organza bound with the satin bias tape.  Satin bias tape is so lovely.  I am so glad I made it.  

Here is a close up of the french seams on the armhole.  French seams make for such a lovely finish and on a dress like this in which every stitch is visible.   You can't hide anything when working with this material not even the raw edges. 

I love the two fabric together. 

So pretty together!

So here are two pictures of Margot modeling the dress.  I apologize in advance for the messy house, the messy girl, and the fact that I hadn't tacked down the bias tape around the neck and armhole opening.  I wanted to try it on her before I got her ready for school.  She likely won't have this dress on again until Easter.  An important note, both my girls seem to be tall or have longer torsos.  Though this is the size Margot measures in, I really should have thought to add an inch or so to the both the tunic and the slip dress.  Because Margot tends to be more narrow through the chest and shoulders I fear she would have been swimming in the 6.  

A blouse for me!

I've made a couple of button down shirts for Brent and I've made some blouses for the girls but I've never made myself a proper button down shirt with collar and cuffs.  So after buying these jeans, I knew I needed a new shirt to go with them.  I wanted a fitted, short blouse with 3/4 sleeves.  So I used Simplicity 2447 and combined a few of the views to get exactly what I wanted.  

I made my shirt out of a white stretch poplin I bought at JoAnn's.  It's perfect for a blouse.  And since this is a very fitted blouse, the stretch is appreciated.  

Like I said, I wanted this to be very fitted.  And I liked this pattern because of the princess seams.  I knew I'd be able to get the perfect fit without a lot of hassle like working with darts.  I didn't even make a muslin.  I cut the size 12 which is what I usually cut in Simplicity patterns.  Then I sewed up the front and back and put those together and then basted on the front plackets.  I tried it on and figured out how much I wanted to take it.  I ended up taking it  both on the side seams and and the princess seams until I got it perfect.  

The only thing I didn't take into account was taking in the sleeve at the seam under the arm.  By taking in the side seams, I altered the size of the armscye.  So when I struggled setting the one sleeve in I realized my error but at this point I had the sleeve in.  It has some fullness at the cap where there shouldn't be.  But I didn't go back and take in the sleeve.  I got the one sleeve set in nice and the other one is not too bad.   

The other triumph of this project was that the collar is a two piece collar with a collar and the collar stand.  I've never made a collar like this and I have to say I love a two piece collar.  I love how it's sewn.  It's so easy and I was so proud of the professional finish. 

This is a close up of the cuff.  

And then I thought I'd include a really terrible picture of me that's pretty funny too.  

It's hard to be a model. 

Introducing Felix the Fox

While my Bernina was being serviced, I was feeling sorry for myself.   So when I saw this fox pattern, which is a threadfollower pattern from Cynthia Treen Studio, I immediately bought both this fox pattern as well as the girl fox pattern and all the supplies needed (wool felt and wool stuffing).    

Mr.  Felix the Fox, all dressed up.  Brent and Margot think I should make matching red pants for him. 

This was a lovely pattern to make up.  It's all hand stitched using a few simple stitches like the whip stitch and the blanket stitch.  The pattern is simple and straightforward though without all the doll making experience I have, I do believe I would have struggled making this specifically in the stuffing of the fox and attaching the head to the neck.  There are tricks I have learned along the way and one of them is to stuff the head most of the way, begin sewing the head to the neck and then continue to stuff as you sew.  So these directions are very brief with not much explanation and without tips.   Compare these directions to those of a Gail Wilson doll and these directions are lacking. When you make a Gail Wilson doll, it's like taking a class in doll making.   But that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed making Felix and will be making his wife Charlotte.  

Mr. Fox without his clothes

To make Felix posable, you insert pipe cleaners in the arms and legs before stuffing.  I thought this was very clever!

The beauty of this pattern is in the high quality material used and the stitching.  Wool felt is expensive but beautiful compared to craft felt.  It's worth the money though!  The felt is gorgeous.  And if you are going to spend all this time making this small fox, you might as well as invest in high quality materials.   I love how all of the stitching is visible.   My best advice is to stitch slowly making sure your stitches are nice and even.  Don't be afraid to take out a stitch or two if you notice one is longer than the other or one is misplaced.  It's worth the time to make them all very neat and even.  

Margot thinks he looks like a deer.  

This is nice close up where you can see the stitching.  I really love doing handwork.  

Margot posed Felix with one of our angels.  They are holding hands!

I also made two buttonholes by hand- one on his pants and one on his coat..  This was fun and on felt (which doesn't fray) it's purely decorative.  My first buttonhole was awful so I took it out and re did it.  They other two were not bad!  I made his button on his coat from green felt which  was also fun.  As suggested, I did the blanket stitch around his coat which really adds a lovely touch.  

Tools from Gail Wilson

The other thing that made the biggest difference in making this doll was using the right tools.  These tools are tools I bought when making the Gail Wilson dolls.  The hemostats (the tool in the middle that looks like scissors) are the best tool ever and if you buy one tool to help you stuff a doll, this is the one!  The great things about the hemostats is that you can grab a tuft of wool, close and lock the hemostat, and then put the wool in place in the doll and release it.  Then you can use the tool on the the right.  That is a great tool of tamping down the wool stuffing until it's firm enough for your preference.  The tool on the right has a sharper point and is used for moving or loosening up a clump of wool in the stuffed toy.  Sometimes while stuffing you might get a section that has been stuffed too firmly and this can help reposition the wool without having to start over.  

Margot is anxiously awaiting for me to start on Charlotte!