We had a great weekend! I love a weekend combined with family time, sewing time and outside time. That is the perfect combination for me.
My great-nephew and the quilt I made for him.
The family time consisted a of great visit Sunday morning with my niece and her family. She and her husband live in the Bay Area and have three children. Her youngest is about 15 months old and this is the first time I have met him. I did make him a quilt last year though. Isn’t he adorable? Somehow life gets busy, migraines derail plans, and it just never worked out. for me to meet him until yesterday. He was a delightful, happy little boy. They stayed up at my parents for the night. The kids had not yet experienced snow and were really excited to play in the snow, making snowballs and trying to make snow angels. Mom doesn’t have snow just now but if they drove up the highway about 20 minutes they would be able to find some. This is a very busy family with three kids, ages six, four and one. I remember those days as both joyful and tiring.
Sewing time was used to finish up a sundress and bloomers for my grand daughter. This was a really fun project. I recently received an order from Art Gallery Fabric which included a selection of Sketchbook. This line was designed by the talented Sharon Holland and features fabrics that look as though they were reproduced from her notebook full of doodles. I love the colors; navy, with dusty greens, blues, yellows and pinks. I have a quilt show coming up the first weekend of May so I am preparing for it. I will make a few samples to better display the fabrics I am bringing. I offered to make a sundress for my grand daughter and asked my DIL to select two fabrics from this line.
Such a sweet outfit for summer!
She chose a sweet combination of the large floral piece, Ink Outburst Atelier for the dress and Speckled Lapis for the lining and bloomers. The choice is great. I love the large scale floral – the colors are great for a toddler but not the typical juvenile fabric. With no zippers or buttons needed, this is one fast outfit. I used a McCall’s pattern, number M6912. The sundress is totally reversible – might come in handy at some point. If she spills on the front of her dress, just take it off and turn it inside out!
The bloomers are also a quick sew. I love the bit of ruffle at the thighs. I used a wide bias tape to make the casing for the elastic. If you sew it just above the hem of the leg, it gathers nicely and makes the sweet ruffle. When I was in Vermont a few weeks ago, I measured my grand baby’s chubby legs so I would have an idea for the length of elastic. I think it is nice and loose so it doesn’t get uncomfortable. My DIL does have a sewing machine so she can adjust the elastic if needed.
I put a little label on the back so it is easier to tell the front from the back. I hope it isn’t itchy though. Again, it is easily removed if necessary. I look forward to seeing the outfit on her, maybe when we are on vacation this summer.
As for the outside time portion of the weekend, we took Julia to select another piglet to raise and show at the county fair in August. She really loved doing this last year. She and my husband got the pen all ready for her new piggie on Saturday morning.
Checking out a litter of piglets with the breeder.
Sunday we drove out to the breeder’s ranch about 25 miles from our home. This breeder is just a great guy. He is very knowledgeable and relates very well to teenagers. He and Julia took some time to look at all of the piglets and choose one with good physical structure and a (hopefully) easy going temperament. The litter in this pen are about eight weeks old.
Welcoming her new piglet to the pen.
Julia quickly gravitated to this little gilt. She was born in February and is currently about 60 pounds.
Letting Olive check out her new home.
Her name is Olive and she is very curious. Julia has a calm presence with her, making Olive feel calm and secure. She was sniffing and rooting everywhere.
When she discovered her neighbors in the chicken coop, Olive became really vocal. She was happy though – I guess she was just making friends with the hens (who wouldn’t give her the time of day!) Julia is thrilled with her choice and I think the two of the will be good buddies.
The weekend was full and so enjoyable. I hope yours was the same. I will be linking up all over quilting blogland. Please be sure to check out the link ups I use at the top of the page, under Link Ups.
Oh my, it sounds like a lovely weekend! That little dress and bloomers set is darling! The little pig is so cute, too. Our weekend was really crazy. My quilt class is being rescheduled due to the huge snowstorm we had, so we drove to a town an hour away and came home in the snowstorm, driving in 10 inches of snow on unplowed roads in whiteout conditions. Not fun. The rest of the weekend was hunkering down and waiting out the storm. I have 18 inches of snow on my deck!
Oh my gosh Wendy. That is not April weather! It is on the cool side here and rainy but 18” of snow?? I hope it warms up quickly for you!
Reminds me of a real life Wilbur (from Charlotte’s web)! That little outfit is perfect. I haven’t caught the clothing sewing bug yet but I sure do enjoy seeing what others are making. Don’t forget to have your DIL take a picture of her wearing your creation!
Yep! Totally like Wilbur,except we don’t have Charlotte. It is a lot of fun,even though it is hard for Julia to give up her pig at the end of summer. Hope all is good Janice!
On PJ pants and bloomers, I put the label on the outside. It won’t be seen and it won’t scratch. Easy-peasy!
Torry, that is genius! I am going to move the label. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you for the kind comment!
No, thank you! I love hearing other people’s ideas. I swear there is always something to learn. Right?
Absolutely, and sewers love to share. . . projects, fabrics, ideas, patterns!
Bernie, the little romper is adorable. I would not be able to do it, they would have to pry Olive out of my arms. But I know farm life is different and understand the importance of what Julia is doing. Didn’t she have two pigs last year? Please tell her I wish her the best of luck with Olive.
Shirley
Hi Shirley, You have a good memory! Yes, Julia had two pigs last year, Ella and Daisy. It was her first year and pigs are very social animals. They do better with a friend sharing the pen with them. They eat more and seem more content. But she can only auction one pig at the fair. Last year we had Daisy butchered for the freezer. We have lots of pork still in the freezer so it doesn’t make sense to butcher another pig this year. We are going to watch Olive and see if she does ok on her own. We are all three, spending time out there so she gets attention. In fact, it is just about time for me to go play with Olive. She is a sweetie. I will pass your message along to Julia. You are so sweet! 🙂
Olive is so cute, and that romper/dress is adorable! You did a wonderful job on it Bernie, and I bet your grand daughter will love it. 🙂
Your little great-nephew is adorable. Lol on measuring your granddaughter’s chubby little legs! That dress and bloomers are so very cute.
Can’t wait to see more about Olive! My husband and I have decided to wait on raising a pig – not sure we are up for it but we still love them. 🙂
Before I even read the rest of the post OH that baby and his smile is so adorable I just bust out laughing…super cute !!!!
Hi Deb, I love that picture too. He is such a sweet baby. I think being the third in line forces that. Youngest kids seem to be quite easy going? You think so?
What a sweet little dress, Bernie! She’s going to look adorable (as if she didn’t already!) And every time I see the piglet’s name I think of the book Olive, the Other Reindeer. Cute book for when your granddaughter is a little older. I guess this is Olive, the other piglet!
Can’t wait to see the outfit on that adorable grandbaby of yours!
Thanks Cathy – Hopefully I will give it to her when we see her in July.
I have been wanting to sew for my great granddaughter. Now you have put that idea in my head again. Thanks for the pattern suggestion, I will be searching out some suitable fabric as soon as possible. Yours is so cute!.
This pattern is really simple. Have fun with it. I enjoyed making this with fabrics not like those often used in toddler clothing! Check out my shop for more ideas! It is so fun to have a little one to sew for.
Bernie, I have a book to recommend to you and Julia: The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood by Sy Montgomery. It’s partly a memoir about the author’s life on a New Hampshire farm. She and her husband adopted a runt pig who thrived and was a wonderful companion. Montgomery is an animal lover, adventurous, unconventional, author of many excellent nonfiction books for both children and adults. (I’m a retired librarian, and everything reminds me of a book. Evidently I’m not the only one.)
HI Carol, Thank you for the recommendation. I will see if our library has the book. It sounds like fun! I hope all is well with you. 🙂
Bernie thanks for sharing at Tuesday Archives this week! This was such a fun post to reread.