Diaper Covers

 Back in January when I found out that we were expecting I purchased this diaper cover pattern offered by Green Pepper. I tucked it away for a few months, but then recently while shopping at JoAnn's I became re-inspired when I discovered their sweet little section of diapering patterns and fabric. I couldn't resist this package of super girly PUL fabric; to be honest I think the cupcake fabric sold me. : ) In the future I will probably sew the covers from solid white PUL as it is more cost efficient and sensible to wear beneath light color baby outfits, but still these three fabrics were fun to work with.

I lined the covers with flannel, as I had read somewhere that flannel made a good liner. Any suggestions on fabric for lining diaper covers?

 Several patterns I have found recommend using snaps, but this pattern suggested velcro. The velcro used on the exterior is the soft side and spans the entire front of the diaper so you can adjust the fit of the diaper as your baby grows.

One construction feature I found to be interesting was how the elastic was attached. In the past I have always created a casing and then pulled the elastic through the casing. This pattern recommended that you stitch the elastic directly to the seam allowance with a zig-zag stitch pulling as you sew. Then you pull the cover right side out and top stitch around the elastic sections, once again pulling as you go. It was a lot easier than I thought it might be, and I was pleased with the results.

Overall it was a fun, easy, and quick project. I look forward to purchasing some white PUL fabric next time I visit JoAnn's, as I hope to have a nice little collection of covers to accompany the fabric diapers we have purchased. But most of all I am looking forward to the dear little girl who will be wearing them!

Divided

AN EMPTY sky, a world of heather,
Purple of foxglove, yellow of broom;
We two among them wading together,
Shaking out honey, treading perfume.
Crowds of bees are giddy with clover,
Crowds of grasshoppers skip at our feet
Crowds of larks at their matins hang over,
Thanking the Lord for a life so sweet.
Flusheth the rise with her purple favour,
Gloweth the cleft with her golden ring,
’Twixt the two brown butterflies waver,
Lightly settle, and sleepily swing.
We two walk till the purple dieth
And short dry grass under foot is brown;
But one little streak at a distance lieth
Green like a ribbon to prank the down.

An excerpt from Jean Ingelow's poem "Divided".

I added some "new" vintage books to my Etsy shop this evening. Please be sure to stop by and take a peak. Besides this delightful copy of Jean Ingelow poetry I have listed a 1940's copy of "Wuthering Heights", a copy of "The Little Minister" dating the late 1800's, as well as, a couple other lovely books from the 1800's.

Hope you are all enjoying a lovely start to your week!

Happy 4th of July!

Then Pa began to sing. All at once everyone was singing:

“My country, ‘tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing….

“Long may our land be bright
With Freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, Our King!”

The crowd was scattering away by then, but Laura stood stock still. Suddenly she had a completely new thought: God is America’s King.

She thought: Americans won’t obey any king on earth. Americans are free. That means they have to obey their own consciences. No king bosses Pa; he has to boss himself. Why (she thought), when I am a little older, Pa and Ma will stop telling me what to do, and there isn’t anyone else who had a right to give me orders. I will have to make myself good.

Her whole mind seemed to be lighted up by that thought. This is what it means to be free. It means, you have to be good. “Our father’s God, author of liberty-“ The laws of Nature and of Nature’s God endow you with a right to life and liberty. Then you have to keep the laws of God, for God’s law is the only thing that gives you a right to be free.

From “Little Town on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder

May you all have a very blessed Fourth of July!

Clematis

 I have been excitedly watching the clematis growing by our back door. I noticed several blossoms last week and knew that it would not be long before the blossoms bloomed into an abundance of beautiful flowers. The other evening when we came home we were greeted with the first few flowers and today it is in full bloom!

Aren't they beautiful? I love the rich purple color.

Last week mom and I visited our favorite greenhouse; it is owned by a Mennonite family. They have the prettiest flowers and best deals. While there I spotted this little wagon planter and could not resist purchasing it. I thought it was a great idea since it can be used each year.

                           I hope you are all enjoying a lovely week! What is blooming in your gardens?




"How many are your works, Lord!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures." Psalm 104:24

Sonnenburg Gardens

 Earlier this month Adam and I visited Sonnenburg Gardens in celebration of our anniversary. Sonnenburg is a beautiful historical mansion surrounded by incredible gardens. It is truly a treat to walk about the grounds enjoying the variety of gardens.

In the photo above Adam is standing beneath a huge beech tree. The photo is rather poor at capturing just how huge this tree is and how the branches create a canopy over the path.

As we walked about the grounds we enjoyed the unique variety of trees. It is also interesting that many of the trees at Sonnenburg were planted by notable historical figures such as Thomas Edison.

 

Here is a photo we took of the mansion from the back. Isn't it fantastic? The house was built in 1887 and named Sonnenburg which means "sunny hill" in German.

 I believe I took these photos in the "Old-Fashioned Gardens". I was so pleased to have photographed the honey bee busy at work.

 We were hoping to see all of the roses in bloom, but most of the roses are late blooming this year.

 Peonies- they smelled so pretty!

  An interesting historical fact concerning the owner of Sonnenburg, Mary Clark Thompson. In 1912 she visited Europe and was scheduled to sail back to America on the Titanic, but was prompted by a friend to extend her trip in order to visit Holland and purchase tulips. Being lover of flowers Mrs. Thompson could not resist the invitation and was spared that fateful voyage.

 The rose garden.

 Part of the rock garden.

 Lily pads in a pond.

 Here is a photo I took inside the mansion. This sewing room is off of the beautiful bedroom shown in the photo below. What a grand idea to have a sewing room off of the bedroom. : )

  I love the Victorian decor of this bedroom. There was also an exhibit of vintage dresses throughout the house that I really enjoyed having a chance to see. 

 The view from the upstairs porch that overlooks the Italian gardens.

We certainly enjoyed our visit and we were grateful for the perfectly beautiful weather we were blessed with that day!

What I've Been Reading

I thought I would share with you some of the fiction books I have enjoyed so far this year. In January I read "A Lantern in Her Hand" by Bess Streeter Aldrich. The story spans the lifetime of the main character, Abby Deals; beginning with her childhood in "The Big Woods",  progressing to her young womanhood as a teacher, how she meets her husband, marries and moves even farther west to the territory that would become the state Nebraska. It truly is a touching a story, that tells of the hardship and love that settled the west. By the end of the book I was crying, and I can't say that I often cry when reading a book!

During the winter months I also read "Sweet Love's Atonement" and it's sequel "Zenobia's Suitor" by E.D.E.N. Southworth. I have enjoyed the writings of Mrs. Southworth ever since reading her book "The Hidden Hand" republished by Lamplighter. Her stories are generally set in the mountain region of Virginia, and include some form of mystery and intrigue. I love her style of writing and the fact that I never seem able to put her books down. I think for the most part her books were originally published in the format of magazine serials, so they have a tendency to leave the reader dying to turn the next page. I must admit I did find it hard to put these two books down, but feel that I cannot wholeheartedly recommend them. The story line is filled with deceit and violence. There are characters that display godly character in contrast to the evil characters, but I still felt that each night I was becoming a little too distressed before bed. : )

The next two books I read were purchased from Lamplighter a wonderful source for beautiful literature! Not only are the stories inspiring, but I love the design and binding of their books! Both "The King's Gold" and "When You Least Expect It" were wonderful stories that I found encouraging and uplifting. If you click on the titles you can read a brief synopsis of each on the Lamplighter website.

The book I most recently finished is "Through These Fires" by Grace Livingston Hill. If you have followed my blog over the past two year you will have undoubtedly noticed that Mrs. Hill is one of my favorite authors! Her stories are so wholesome and filled with the kind of people you would like to meet ,mostly... there were a few stinkers in this story I would hope never to encounter in real life. : ) "Through These Fires" is a heartwarming tale set against the tumultuous backdrop of World War Two. The story tells of a soldier experiencing the literal fires of war in Europe and a young lady back home, in the US, experiencing the figurative fires of life.

Currently I am reading "Forrest House" by Mary J. Holmes. It is an enjoyable story, somewhat like all of her other books, but a fun read. I am moving a little slowly through this novel as I find myself anxious to knit or crochet baby things each evening before bed!

 Adam many times will read aloud as I work on my current project, and his latest book is part of the "Jeeves" series by P.G. Wodehouse. Adam does a great job reading in different voices for the many characters, and I usually find something to chuckle about in the story.

What books have you been enjoying lately? Have you read any of the books mentioned in this post?

Maternity Blouse

Recently I found that all of my blouses were becoming too tight through my waist, so I decided it was high time I sewed a couple new summer blouses for myself. When my sister Rachel was expecting he little boy, my mom and I sewed some maternity peasant blouses for her. She wore them quite often and they lasted right through her pregnancy.

 I pulled out the same pattern we used for my sister, and was once again delighted with how quick and easy this blouse it to sew! The pattern is Simplicity 5756. I used some poly/cotton my mom gave me to sew the blouse I am wearing in these photos. Although poly/cotton may not be as breathable as 100% cotton, it is great to have a blouse that always looks fresh and tidy. I have also sewn this blouse from a red and white striped cotton, which looks great with a white skirt. I am so pleased to have some pretty and comfortable maternity clothes!

The skirt I am wearing is not a maternity skirt. I simply sewed the skirt in a size larger than what I usually wear (plus I think the pattern runs a bit big), so I am hoping to use the skirt after the baby is born. After the first trimester I discovered that all of my skirts had zippers and were not fitting very comfortably. At that point I sewed some elastic waist skirts that I am still enjoying. The pattern used to sew this skirt is The Sedona Skirt, I like the panel design.

Another design feature of this blouse that I really like are the back ties. This helps the blouse look flattering, and yet it can still"grow" as I grow.

It is hard to believe I am already 25 weeks along! I am feeling more excited to meet our little one with each passing day.

To end this post I thought I would share a photo the beautiful flowers that have begun to bloom in our garden this past week. This bush is very special, as it was a wedding gift Adam and I received last year. Apparently it blooms right around our anniversary, and the colors are our wedding colors.