Whew!!!

I have been madly knitting and sewing for the past two weeks getting some surprises ready for my new neice.  I can't post pictures here yet as her Mommy does look in occasionally and I want her to be surprised too.  I can see the light at the end of tunnel now and am excited to pop the items in the mail.  I also need to finish off my brother's frock coat - still in pieces, and I would like to have some semblance of a kit for my husband for a reenactment in three weeks.   I can't think about this all at once or I will get overwhelmed and never get finished.  I do appreciate have lots of things to do to keep me out of trouble.

I hope all of you are enjoying your summer as I am.

New Dress

I am thrilled to finally be able to post some pictures of the dress I finished.  It has been a little while as I was waiting for photos from friends to get back to me.  Here is my pink sheer silk.  The ruching at the edge of the sleeves has hand-rolled hems and is hand gathered.  The bodice is gathered at the shoulders and waist.  Please excuse the bag, it was a last minute grab and certainly looks a little better than my modern purse.  The photos were taken at Van Dusen Gardens on June 23.

How does your garden grow?

We are finally getting some bettter weather and the garden is starting to catch up.  Things that normally bloom in May are in full blossom now.   One of my lilac bushes is planted under my window, put there on purpose, and the scent of lilacs and sweet iris has been drifing into our bedroom at night.  Only sweet dreams can come from falling asleep kissed by a sweetly scented night breeze.  This has to be my favorite time of the year.  The roses are just starting to bloom, and the first peony opened today.  There is such a happy hum in the garden as the bees wander from blossom to blossom.  It brings to mind a poem I memorized in high school:

To make a prairie takes a clover and one bee,
one clover and a bee,
and revery,
Revery alone will do, if bees are few.      - Emily Dickinson

Here are a few shots of spring in my garden.



I appologize for the problems with the spinning video in the last post.  I didn't insert it correctly into the blog so you couldn't access it.  I have fixed the problem and you should be able to go back and watch it now.  Enjoy!

Spinning

I am still here and quite busy.  We've had a lot going on for a month or so, including a wonderful visit from family.  I have also picked up a new hobby.  Thanks to a wonderful friend, and enabler I have my own spinning wheel now and am learning to spin.  I started with a drop spindle last year:

A spindle works for creating yarn, but I find the process rather slow.  I have dreamed of owning a spinning wheel for quite a while and never really thought that I'd get one.  Enter wonderful friend who happened to find a wheel for me at a garage sale - and I wasn't really thinking of getting one at the time.  I picked it up on a Monday afternoon and took it with us as we went out of town.  It's a Lendrum wheel (made here in Canada) and she spins like a dream, she's been named Lizzy.  Here's a brief spinning demonstration that was done at my quilting group on a Thursday morning.

My Favorite Dress.....

I know some of you have a favorite dress or item of clothing that, it seems, you wear all the time.  It fits better than anything else, it feels fabulous, and it's one of those items that looks great on you too.  All in all, it fits the description of a perfect piece of clothing, and we wish that all our clothing was just like the said item.  Like you, I have said dress.  It was a gift from my mom several years ago and it's perfect.   I knew it when I tried it on that first day.  There was some discussion as it was rather expensive, but my dad ( aren't dads the best) said don't worry about it!  I left the store that day with one of the few few perfect garments in my life.  This dress has seen quite a few years of duty and I'm relatively sure that it is coming to the end of its natural life.  With some TLC I'm sure I can make it last a little longer, but what will I do when it's gone?

I can only say, Thank you MOM  (aren't moms the best).  She taught me to sew many years ago, so I had the solution to the problem.  I would make another dress just like the one I have.  After several days spent in my sewing room with pencils, pattern paper, pins, and yards of lining I had it almost completed.  Now it was time to actually cut out the fabric that was waiting.  (It had actually been waiting in my stash for several years for a dress that I decided I really didn't like.)  When I had finished with the last bit of hand finishing and I tried on the dress, it was magical.  I knew it right away, I had succeeded.  This was perfect, the color the lines, the fit, the feel, oooohhh!  I did a little dance and spin, this was just in time for Easter Sunday.  I even had the perfect sweater waiting, made just for this dress.

Now that I have a pattern, I see many happy years ahead, and I am starting to envision ways that the pattern can be altered for new garments.  Happy sewing!

Missing in Action....

I appologize for seeming to drop of the screen, but I am still here.  We have had quite the past few months and I just haven't felt able to post about it yet.  Shortly after the last post, hubby and I found out that we were pregnant, however, things did not go well.  About a month ago now, after an early ultrasound, we learned that there was no heartbeat.  I have since been in the hospital for a D&C and spending some time recuperating.  This, along with some other stresses has really cut me off this spring.  I am feeling better now, though there are many days where the grief is still overwhelming. 

Miscarriage is a very misunderstood death as most times there is no outward proof.  However, you still grieve for that child just as you would for anyone else and time is the only way to heal the wound.  One of the things that has helped me the most through the past few months, is being able to talk about it to friends and family.  Being able to vocalize the fear and pain allows you to grieve more effectively.  If you know of anyone who has lost a child, or another loved one, be available for them to talk to.  Many times, it's what they want, but are too afraid that no one else cares how they are feeling.  Grief is a process and doesn't end quickly, but the love of friends and family is definitely one of the keys to healing.

I will post again in a day or two and share with you some of the things that have helped to pass the time, as well as a new hobby I have picked up.

All the best

Angela

Nightdress, Godeys 1861

I thought I'd share with you my most recent endeavor. I have decided to try recreating a nightdress from Godey's 1861 vol. 62. I am making this out of white flannel that I purchased at Joanns. This is not a correct fabric for midcentury, but it will suit my purposes perfectly. I have ripped out the two lengths for the body and drafted a yoke from the 1838 Workwoman's Guide Plate 8 Fig 7.

I am just about ready to start working on the sleeves.  I will also add some handmade lace trim along the placket.  For the lace, I have a couple of ideas from a midcentury publication that I'd like to try to knit.