I've been struggling all week to find time to make more items for my Etsy store.  Sigh.  Sometimes it's just impossible.  I'll get there.  It's just that everything is taking longer than I'd like.

On a not-complaining note :o) Daughter and I spent a lot of time hiking this year.  We went out almost every Saturday and tried to take a trail or go to a location we hadn't been before. There's a lot of hiking around here, so it wasn't that hard.

I also live on a dead end road, which turns into a nice walking path along side a creek.  That one is a favorite of ours and all we have to do is walk out the front door.

On one of our many walks that way, we came across this little guy.  Almost impossible to keep in your hand, Mr Jumpy didn't sit still for very long and I barely got a few good pictures in.  I decided he's make a great sketch, and so here we are.

I haven't done any drawing for years, actually, so I wasn't sure I still had the touch.  Nothing is quite as crisp in this drawing as I'd like, but that also might be the paper, which I've never used before.  Anyway, it's kind of cute, so I thought I'd share.

In sewing land, I'm really enjoying my 1931 Singer.  I've never taken such delight in sewing with any specific machine before, but I'm in love with this one.  It's only a straight stitch, in fact does not even have a backstitch, but I'm absolutely hooked.

Hiking Not Sewing

So I ought to be sewing, but I just can't work up the enthusiasm when it's 60 degrees outside and sunny.  Last week we took a 3 hour hike on what was mostly a dried up streambed (and consequently, I'd give it a high medium difficulty rating), stopping off-trail for an awesome lunch of tempeh sandwiches, apples, and crackers.  That was the best trip so far this year, but hey! it's only May.

This week, we spontaneously picked up and went for a walk late in the day.  Really just a short one, but well worth doing.  Here's the view of Benedict Pond from the causeway over the dam.  No green on the trees yet, but this pond is beautiful in both the summer and the fall.

Here's the stream where we stopped to explore.

Some poorly photographed wildlife.  The dark spot in the water on the right is a beaver.  The pair of dark blobs on the left are geese.  Yes, I know.  You really can't see much of anything here.  But I liked the way the sun was shining on the trees in patches.  It was a day when the sky was full of patchy dark clouds and so the sun came and went.

I recognize that this has absolutely nothing to do with sewing, except for what I wore.  These great cargo pants are perfect for hiking.  The stretch twill is comfortable, the pockets essential for carrying all my stuff.  Because who carries a purse when they're hiking, eh?

Spring Has Sprung!

Well, now, it's finally getting warm.  That's what we say around here when it's 40-50F degrees. Even though our last frost date isn't until May 15th.

For the past couple of weeks we've been seeing wooly bear caterpillars around.  We found out last fall, that they freeze solid over the winter, thaw out in the Spring, and then build their cocoons.  Daughter, the naturalist, has been caring for one of these thawed out wooly bears.  It has built its cocoon (did you know they use their own hair to do it with?) and we are all waiting to see the Isabella moth that it will become.




We've also started our indoor seeds for the garden.  This year we're growing tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, chard, leeks, and garlic chives.  I'm really looking forward to just getting out there and playing in the dirt. 

We're also going to plant a veritable forest of mammoth sunflowers in the spot where my beautiful ornamental plum used to be.  So for the first time we will have red and gold in that corner instead of red and pink.  If I can keep the snails from eating every little seedling in sight.  Like they did in previous years, the selfish wretches.  I wouldn't mind sharing, but they don't share, they eat them all.  Grrrr!

On the sewing front, the Pattern Review Fitted Blouse Contest has ended and voting begins tomorrow.   There's a lot of fine entries there, so if you're a PR member, check it out and cast your votes! 

Happy New Year, Everybody! Top 5 of 2013

Title says it all, I suppose.  Lots of folks are doing a Top 5 this year, so I thought I'd throw one out there, too.  I have several projects that I never got around to blogging about (I've had the most busy December ever!) so I'll only include the ones I've blogged.

The Top 5 Best
Always tough, because I like most of what I make, but let me see if I can narrow it down.

5. I had a blast with the Pattern Review One Pattern Many Looks contest way back in January of 2013.  Did I win?  Nope.  Do I care?  Nope neither.  Because two of my favorite dresses were made as entries for that contest.  Number 5 is this black cotton lycra knit princess seam dress.  I wore this all year for all kinds of occasions.  If it turned into a rag tomorrow, I still got my money's worth out of it already.

4.  Number 4 is this awesome Kwik Sew vest I made for my youngest son last winter.  Made of lightweight wool suiting and lined with an acetate (I think) jacquard lining, I think he looks great in this outfit.  I'd like to make him some more button down shirts, one or two vest in other colors, and perhaps even some trousers in the coming year.

3.  Jalie's Stretch Jeans pattern, slightly modified with cargo pockets hits Number 3 on the list.  If I'd sewn these with just a teensy bit more length in the inseam, I'd probably wear them a bit more.  Nest pair gets an extra two inches, since I like my pants a bit long.  Interestingly enough, this is another Pattern Review Contest Entry, this time the Mini Wardrobe Contest.

Sharing Number 3 is the sister to Number 5 -- the green wool knit princess seam dress.  I've worn this one regularly ever since the weather got cold, and I absolutely adore it.  It's warm and beautiful.  And it's plainness means I can dress it up any way I wish.  And it gave me an excuse to buy a new pair of boots to go with it *evil grin*

2.  Number 2 is another Jalie and another contest entry: The Jalie Women's Stretch Woven Shirt. Made of a stretch linen that I so wish I'd bought more of, this shirt probably gets worn at least once a week.  Next time around it gets more length in the sleeves and more length in the body.  Just an inch or two, I think.  I do believe I'm starting to see a pattern here.

1.  Ah... but my all-time favorite project of 2013 is this Butterick Dress for Daughter!!!  Made with a high quality quilting cotton from JoAnn's that Daughter picked out herself, this is another dress that gets worn often and is well-loved.  And I think my daughter looks absolutely beautiful in it.

If you're not interested in kids' clothes, then you probably won't care, but if you are, then I must tell you:  This is the nicest girls' dress pattern that I've used in a really long time, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Well, it looks as though an awful lot of my favorites were created as contest entries.  Guess that means I'll be joining more contests in the coming year...

A Quick Look at New England in Fall

Possibly our loveliest time of year.  I do have the tendency to skip doing things inside for the opportunity to get out into the crisp Fall air.  Yesterday was our first walk of autumn.

Doesn't this path look like it goes somewhere strange and mysterious and possibly even magical?

This is the first time I've really noticed any trees turning pink in the Fall.  I've probably just not paid enough attention.  This path parallels the Housatonic River and most of the leaves are yellow and brown -- there are definitely more reds on the higher hillsides.  We've started our collection of Fall leaves to be pressed between two layers of wax paper. 

We saw some wildlife, too.  I hadn't the presence of mind to bring my camera along, but my phone takes not-terrible pictures. 

Meet Mr. Leopard Moth caterpillar.  I hear these guys can grow up to 3 inches long.  This one is only about an inch and a half

Then we have Mr. Tree Frog.  The little round pads on all his toes make it possible for him to cling to vertical objects.  Like trees.  It was hard to get a good picture of this cute little guy.  He was convinced I was a bird trying to eat him.  I guess having some large creature looming over me might make me panic, too.

And if you're creeped out by spiders, don't take too close a look at this picture.  This is a funnel web, spun into a recess into a large rock face.  If you click on it and look closely into the funnel, you can see that I managed to capture a snapshot of the spider before it, too, decided I was a hungry bird and moved out of sight.

So, while I have no sewing news, I thought you all might be interested in a little New England outdoor life.  I'm hoping to take a trip up north next week and see what else we can find.  I remember the camera and try to get better shots than these, though I think these aren't too bad, all things considered.