New Potatoes from the Garden

Lately we've been enjoying delicious new potatoes from our garden!

Stockton, Carolina and I search for potatoes...

These are our raised 'lasagna beds', and the potatoes, instead of being dug out of  the dirt, were planted earlier this spring in a bed of thick straw. We first heard of this method from the wonderful 'Homestead Blessings' DVDs taught by our Tennessee friends the West ladies....

See - I'm simply pushing the straw out of the way to see if there is a potato big enough to eat...

So easy, and they aren't even dirty!

Aren't they the prettiest shade of pink?

These potatoes, combined with fresh milk from our cow Bossy, garlic, and other goodies, made a scrumptious creamy soup. :)



Bridesmaids Dresses Complete!

Do you remember the brown linen bridesmaids dress project I mentioned last month?

Well - all 9 dresses are now finished and being shipped out to the wedding party! It was a really fun project - but I'm breathing a big sigh of relief now that it's done. I pray they will all fit the girls perfectly and the wedding will be blessed! :)

I got some pictures using my new diamond cloth backdrop! I'm really happy to have an actual photo backdrop for my Etsy pictures, and can't wait to experiment more with better lighting techniques

There are two different styles of bridesmaid dress - both have a fitted midriff and a slightly gathered knee-length skirt, then one has a 50s sweetheart neckline with wide straps, and the other has a criss-cross V neckline.

A few changes were made to style #2 to make the two styles more uniform - gathered skirt instead of a-line, no tie and slightly wider straps.

Two Princesses

Last week I had a fun little comission - making two princess dresses as a birthday surprise for a little girl!

One was in deep plum taffeta with a matching lace overlay, accented with pink satin and gold trim.  

The other (which is my personal favorite....) is in candy pink satin, overlaid with the most delicious aqua blue sparkle-sheer. Trimmed in organza and pearl rose trim and white lace.

  

Lots of dress-up fun! :)

Interview and Giveaway at Grace's Garden Walk

Hi everyone!

I encourage you to visit the lovely blog,  Grace's Garden Walk, where I have the honor to have been featured! 

In this post you can read my interview and and enter a giveaway of a Dress Designer Kit!

Thanks, Grace! :)

One Regency Dress down...

 ....lots more to go. :)

Just finished making my first ready-made dress in preparation for the Jane Austen Convention booth.

I quite like it, and almost wish I was keeping it for myself...

The fabric is a white cotton voile with a print of tiny pale blue flowers. All seams visible to the outside have been handsewn (yes, even the ruffle hems...whew!). The pattern is one I drafted myself, based off a pattern in the Janet Arnold book. Gathered bodice, drawstring closure, slight train at back, modeled with a sheer white ruffled chemisette.

So, it's now biding it's time in the closet until it shall be on display at the booth this fall. I've got so many plans for Regency wear that I want to complete for the booth, it almost makes me giddy! So many dress styles to experiment with....not to mention various styles of corsets, bodiced petticoats....spencers, pelisses....so many possibilites! :) 

Hats from the Royal Wedding

I know everyone is probably sick of hearing about the royal wedding already....but I came into it late as I was too busy most of last week to keep up with it, so I decided to go ahead with a little post. :)

I'll try not to go on about the lovliest of dresses.....or the fairytale-ish-ness of the pictures from the ceremony.

But - the hats worn by the wedding guests were simply amazing. Some cute or classy, some perfectly pretty, and some downright ridiculous. I had to keep blinking to realize these were pictures from now-a-days, and not from a movie or a wedding in the 1900s.....they were all so....well, so British I guess.  

I have no clue who most of these people are, but I thought it would be fun to have a little gallery of wedding hat pictures!

I hope the milliners in England are taking a vacation right now. They deserve one. :-)

Which are your favorites??

Isn't her whole outfit scrumptious?? Reminds me of Edwardian/20s dresses...

Then of course we have Cinderella herself, in the most gorgeous wedding dress ev-er.

*sigh*

But....wait....what would a Cinderella story be without two evil stepsisters???

Yep. They were there too. Love it.