Thank you Jodie

I've been having alot of fun blogging. And it occured to me that I hadn't thanked my friend Jodie at www.thenesteclectic.blogspot.com for being so encouraging and helpful in setting up my blog. I hope she and I can get together soon for another sewing party!

Ruffled Cardigan

I love to sew. I can again credit my Grandma Eileen for this. When my twin and I were young we were in 4-H. My Grandma bought us a sewing machine and taught us how to sew when we were in 4^th grade. I have sewed off and on for a long time stating the kids took too much of my time. Well the kids are grown and I have much more time. Right now I am into refashioning! This was one of my husbands’ dress shirts. I cut off the collar so it formed more of a V-neck. I also cut off the cuffs. I pinned it to fit me and sewed one long seam up each side. Starting at the bottom, sewing through the armpit and into the sleeves.

I hemmed around the neck area. I wasn't too neat in doing this as I knew my ruffle would cover it up. At the cuffs I also hemmed & used a decorative stitch to do so. Sorry, I didn't take a photo of this. I had a dilemma on my hands then. I needed more material for the ruffle than what I had leftover. So I went to my local Goodwill Store and as luck would have it they had a broadcloth shirt just like it. It was even a Land's End like my husbands' so the color matched perfect. And to add to that it was 50% off! A whole $2.00. It was meant to be.

Taking the purchased shirt home I cut 5" strips from it. I sewed the strips together end to end. Now I have one long strip. I sewed it lengthwise right sides together. Turning right side out, iron and I'm ready to ruffle it. I chose to baste it down the middle and ruffled to my liking. I pinned & sewed it up one side, around the neck & down the other side. I have a new cardigan to wear once the weather cools off. I got my idea from two different sources and combined them. Thanks to Chicevelopements & Ruffles & Roses.



Blog Design Change

I've been having fun playing with my blog design. I hope you like it as much as I do!

In the Vegetable Garden

There's no doubt about it, I love to grow things! Both my Grandma Sophia & Grandma Eileen were good influences in this area of my life. The summer squash is doing great. I try to share with others what we can't eat. The tomatoes are just coming on. I know, the Roma's are a little green yet but I just had to pick them. I have never grown Early Girl Tomatoes before and these look super. The green beans are just starting so I hope they make it through this early heat. 100 degrees in June is unusual. The raspberries are all but done. For some reason my bell pepper plant is not well at all, but the jalapeno pepper is producing like crazy. I garden specifically to make salsa and add the other things for a bit of fresh in our meals. Check back later and I'll post a tutorial on how to can salsa! Linda

Landscaping Re-do done

After adding additional soil and laying the
landscape fabric I started the

planting but took a break to snap a quick photo.

And at last the project is done. I am so glad we

saved the river rock to use as mulch.

I found a "before" picture. This was taken last
summer when I tried to keep the shrubs
 trimmed but ended up just making them
look old and weak.

I couldn't leave this project without showing

you this Red Hot Hydrangea. This photo really

doesn't give it the credit it deserves. The color is

just beautiful. I think it is going to love this

northern exposure location in part sun.

It will have to cool off a little for me to do
 any more landscaping projects this summer.
 But I have plenty of projects inside
 that I can't wait to show you.
 Thanks for checking in on me!

Landscaping Re-do

Landscaping Re-do

When you are 5'3" it's hard to trim shrubs that are taller than you. So it was time for the old to go and replant the new. The burning bush in the picture is the size of the shrubs I cut down a couple of weeks ago. Then it was time to call the pros to dig out the root balls of 1 burning bush, 3 evergreen hedge, 1 juniper and an extremely overgrown dwarf Alberta spruce. We had river rock for mulch in the bed so we dug that up and relocated it until all the work was done. I had to enlist my husband for some of this but for the most part I am the main laborer. This is our forever home so I felt a beautiful Red Hot Hydrangea(if you've never seen the blooms on one of these I highly recommend you check them out, they are outstanding), 3 Green Velvet Boxwood's & an Dwarf Alberta Spruce was the cure for this area of the yard. I can't wait to show you the end results!