First the bedgown. This is one of those projects that I because I’ve never made one before, I don’t know how much longer it will take me to finish. On my days off I try to sew as much as possible, but then I think, wait, I should be doing more or something else (like cleaning the kitchen table of all the junk that gets piled on it). Or like last time, I sew about 5 inches, realize I’m sewing the second sleeve the wrong way and I rip out all the stitches and then stop for the day because that completely exhausted my mental capacities. So now again on my day off when it is 90+ degrees, I’m sewing again. The second sleeve is nearly complete; I just have a teeny bit more to go on the underarm gusset. Then I sew the vertical waist part. There is some crazy pleating I’m supposed to do for the sides and that’s the part I could not figure out when I was making the mock-up 1.5 years ago. I want it to look tastefully and flare out and be gracefully feminine. But this is also just a “lying around camp” garment for when it’s too hot or the public has all left. I’m really happy I used the striped cotton – it looks super cute!
After I get the pleating on each side figured out, I’m just going to line the upper bodice area (back and two front pieces) and the lining will only go as far down as the top of the pleats. Reasons: 1) I don’t have the patience to line any more than that; 2) I realized if it’s completely lined, it may be too hot; and 3) this was supposed to be a fast garment to make.
Garden update. In the past two weeks, my husband finished the garden area that we started last summer. Previously, he had mowed the weeds in half of the “sun garden” area. Then we layered newspaper and grass clippings and staked off the area. We got dirt. Then the weeds kind of all came back as of this spring/early summer. So he chopped them all down again. Then we bought retaining wall bricks and he built a nice little walled/raised garden bed. I have to wait for the lilies to stretch over and grow up next to the wall so it does not look like the island is “floating”….though I suppose that’s what islands do. Anyway, it only took a few days to build the wall, then we topped it off with new rich topsoil and we finally bought perennials. I always love how I have these lists of “oh I want this perennial and that one” and then I think I only got one of them that was actually on the list. But there are dark purples, medium pinks, corals, whites, and bright yellows which I feel is a nice color selection. I’m trying out lavender again. I really want to dry it and make sachets!!
Larkspur, dianthus, lavender and lots more!
Here is the new perennial garden!
Wee Needle 