And Ekie's

This past week I started on Ekie's Easter skirt.

I did not get a chance to take a picture of the finished skirt yet but it turned out very cute!

I decided to use a pattern from this book.



Ekie's skirt will not be as fancy as the skirt pictured but it will be just as cute!




Here are the three fabrics we chose for the skirt.



The pattern is actually rather easy. Each pattern in the book is multi sized so I made a copy of the pattern in Ekie's size on to sew-in interfacing. The only bothersome part was I had to add my own seam allowances. I did not enjoy that part. Good thing this pattern only has three pieces.



I am not a fan of sergers. I have one and I used it for years but I find I enjoy the regular sewing machine much better. A serger has it's purpose,great on knits and such but I feel more one with the fabric using a regular machine. Silly, I know. I usually use a mock french seam to make my seams neat-ish looking. Funny thing was I never actually knew how to do a real French seam! I thought it must be hard for there is a mock version of it. Well, I learned how and isn't it beautiful! Not very hard at all.



Tomorrow is Easter!


Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

A Few More

to add to my button jar.



Silly as it is, there is something about a jar of buttons that is mesmerising.

No actually, I take that back.

I don't take back the jar of buttons being mesmerising part but the 'silly as it is' part.

There is nothing silly about it at all!

A jar full of buttons is mesmerising!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

He Did It Again!

My Monday flowers from my sweet husband!



Thank you, my knight in shining armor.

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

The Time?

When and how do I ever find the time to sew? Well, in truth, it is pretty hard. I do most sewing at night if I can.

I love to sew in quiet, with no distractions.

I think best when I am sewing.

It clears my mind.

I feel like life makes sense and I can see life clearly when I am at my sewing machine. I have a notebook and pen close by so I can jot down thoughts, to do lists, prayers, goals, concerns, dreams, or whatever comes to my mind that I want to remember. Sounds very odd,doesn't it!?

When there are toddlers running around, teens wrestling right next to my sewing space, or our 'middles' running in and out with seemingly endless questions and bathroom visits, I get a little (ok very) stressed. It is hard to find those peaceful type of moments around here. I am not ashamed to say (but maybe a little humbled) that I sometimes beg, bribe, fuss, and even pop in a dvd if I am very desperate to get a bit of sewing done.

Well, this evening,( Monday evening actually, my blog lags behind a few days most of the time.) I was wanting to finish up with Odell's dress. Most of the kids were in bed but since my two youngest took a late nap they were still up. Daddy was at the store and I was getting a little stressed.

SO while I was adding the ruffle to the bottom of Odell's dress



I had Joel and Lily playing 'laundry' with fabric scraps.



I made it up on the fly but it entertained them for at least an hour.




Thanks to the laundry game I was able to finish Odell's dress.

Here it was before I finished it. I had her try it on in it's not quite finished state and it looked great!



Odell thought it should have a tie in the back so I added one for her.



and added the ruffle.



Here is just a close up of the ribbon I chose for the front to break up the main fabric a little.I thought the dress needed a place to rest the eyes because the floral pattern is pretty bold.



I can not wait until she tries it on all finished. I think she will look very pretty.

Ekie's is next!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Here Comes Odell's Dress

As of this post,I am almost finished with
Odell's dress.



I just need to put some of this polka-dot fabric at the hem line,hem the outer dress and the lining,and add the button fastener to the back neckline. Then I am finished!



This is the pattern I used for Odell's dress. It is SO easy! I made a size ten for her but the size 12 length. Instead of using the neck and armhole facings, I lined the whole dress. It sounds like more work but it is actually easier that the facing goofiness. I think it also makes the dress look neater.



After I am finished, I just have Ekie's skirt! I'm making good time,I think!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Naomi's Easter Dress

is finished!

Now I just could not get my camera to work right so Naomi's smile has lost some of it's sparkle by the time this picture was taken but trust me she loves her dress!

And she looks SO pretty in it!




I used the same pattern that I used for Lily and Anya's dress. I decided I love this pattern. It really is easy. Too bad it only goes up to size 8.



Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Mighty Fine!

This evening our church hosted Yours Truly 2011.

"Come for an elegant evening of fun, good food and entertainment. Be prepared to be served by young gentlemen dressed to the "T" for the evening."

Elizabeth Hunnicutt spoke

and

Tay Wilson performed.


What a great time out teens had!

The young men in our church serve the young ladies.

Cyrus,Grant,And Alan ready to serve.



Joyce looking very pretty and ready for a fun time!



Elena! Where did my little girl go!?

How beautiful she looks!



Elena and her friend Miranda.



Elena and Miranda. An artsy close-up.

Don't they just look so beautiful!





Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

A Little Random This And That

Onion rings. Mm mm good



Joel saved me a taste of the cookie he got as a snack at AWANA Wednesday evening. Joel, you are so sweet!



Leave it to Josh to be the one to provide me with my first spring bouquet.
He thought he should pick them to save them from the snowy weather we are supposed to be getting.





In other news, we are finally getting our paperwork together to re-adopt Joyce ,Odell, and Naomi here in Minnesota. They came on IR4 Visas for those who are familiar with that. I know it's been three years. We were not in a rush. They were already ours and were not going anywhere. The girls are exited to choose middle names. So there official names are Joyce Anna , Naomi Genevieve, and Odell Charisse. Joyce and Naomi already had their own middle name choices picked out for a long time. Very nice choices. Odell said we could choose her middle name. What a honor that was. I know I wanted her middle name to mean kindness which is a character quality she displays a lot. When I searched names with that meaning and I saw Charisse, I knew that was perfect! Odell Charisse. Odell means a song. Charisse means grace,beauty,and kindness. So Odell is "a song of grace,beauty,and kindness". That describes her very well! I bet that is just what God was thinking of when he created her.

You can count on me sharing pictures of our big day in court.

In a tad bigger news,we are also getting ready to have a new home study done! A domestic home study this time around.Maybe shocking to some and 'finally' to others. We are hoping that the background checks and fingerprinting we had to do for the girls re-adoptions can be used for our new home study. Wouldn't that be nice and easy? Wouldn't it be even nicer if things like our birth certificates,etc..(you know the non-time sensitive stuff)could be carried over from our other two home studies. We would be just that much ahead! Anyway, might there be more Fryes in our future...? You will just have to wait and see but we hope so!

On a not so fun note, major bedtime issues with the Lids. That little Lily has not so little lungs. My sweet little one, who can do no wrong, was screaming out "bad,bad,stupy,mean mommy" over and over from her bed the other night when I put her to bed and most nap times. I thought the youngest ones in the family were supposed to be the laid back ones not the strong willed ones.

And a special Happy 8 1/2 birthday to our sweet Anya!

Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

Very Good!

My frugal large family granola!

A 42 oz canister of old fashion oatmeal
four sticks of butter or margarine melted
Two or three cups brown sugar depending on how sweet you like it. White sugar and corn syrup work well in place of the brown sugar,too.
Cinnamon


Mix the above ingredients together and put the mixture in a big pan.
Cook in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until brown. Stir every ten minutes.
The less granola you have in the pan the more you would want to stir it so it does not burn.





Once the granola is cool you could add things like raisins,other dried fruit, chocolate chips,marshmallows(?),or whatever you have around.

If you wanted to add seeds,nuts,or wheat germ you would want to add those things before put your granola in the oven so they get nice and toasted.



Someone must still be hungry.



Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy

There was Once A Young Knight

There was once a young knight
who set off across the miles,
to save a sweet maiden
with whom he shared many smiles.

He road through day
and he road through night.
He traveled through the dark
and he traveled through the light.

Finally, in the distance
his fair maiden he did see,
holding on tightly
to a big oak tree.

With one brave swing
of his golden sword,
He saved his fair maiden
and then thanked his Lord.

There was once a young knight
who set off across the miles,
and saved his sweet maiden
so they shared many more smiles.

~ T.J.F.



Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy