April Daffodils

There is something special about Daffodils. I am not usually a yellow person, but when these cheery flowers burst into bloom, I can't seem to get enough of them! I love walking the neighborhood and spotting their cheerful clusters. 

(I got a little carried away with taking pictures, so be forewarned! It was too much fun!)

 I have never cut this many daffodils before, usually I am content to smile at them on the way in or out of the house. It made a wonderful change to have them indoors!

Ready for Summer

We are ready and waiting for the nice weather to arrive! The porch floor has been swept, the furniture re-arranged and they summer pillow covers put on. All we need is a little sunshine!

 This is the other side of the porch, which ends up being more of the "entry". It is where the shoes and boots end up and where the constant stream of items coming and going is temporarily is parked.

This year I am going to try and spruce it up a bit. The table is very handy to stack smaller items and I am hoping to add more chairs so it is also functional. It would really fun to be able to have breakfast out here in the summer, don't you think?

Are you ready for warm weather? Or are you already enjoying it? (lucky you!)

Sewing Sorbetto

 I have been into sewing the last few weeks. And mostly on a Sorbetto Top craze! Sounds like ice cream, doesn't it? Makes me think of lazy summer days. Above are five tops I have made for myself and I am now working on outfitting the sisters! They are so addicting to make!

 There are so many things to love about this top! It has a bit of a vintage feel to it; it is so simple it can be whipped up in two hours, and because it is basic it is really easy to add details like ruffles, scallops, pleats or lace.  

I also love the fit, it is the perfect balance between fitted and looseness, making it so comfy to wear! The only modifications I made was to add 2" in length and shorten the bust dart by 1/2". 

 You can find the Sobetto Top pattern at Colette Patterns in a free download! I have been following the Colette blog for a couple of years now and always find her designs beautiful and inspiring.

The Sorbetto only takes 1-1.5 yards of fabric, so it is a great project for using up small pieces.

So far I have made six for myself and I have two more planned! But the nice thing is I have bought fabric for only one! The blue flowered top on the dress form was a tunic shirt, the bright pink was a yard of fabric given to me, the pale pink was a linen skirt and the other two were fabric left over from other projects. 

I think the sewing room is going to need a bit of tiding this weekend......

Promise of Spring

I love watching the change of seasons; new leaves emerging, the grass slowly greening, the changing of leaves, the first snow fall. But Spring is the most anticipated, the most longed for season. 

Who can resist the promise of longer warmer days, outside activities and projects, lush green trees and grass, good things to come from the garden, lingering twilight evenings, plants bursting with blooms.

Old Windows

I love my old windows! Original wood windows was one of the items on my list when house hunting. Wood windows add so much warmth, character and history to house! I know some people think I am crazy, but I am not going to replace my windows. They do need a little work though.

With the weather so beautiful on Saturday we couldn't resist tackling a project! After cleaning the house we then decided to make a mess! Ha!

One of the reasons old windows don't have a good reputation is they get a little cranky if they are not taken care of. They can be hard to open and close or the window won't stay up without being propped. The very simple reason is the window sash is held up with weights and after so many years the rope breaks. That was the problem we fixed on Saturday. It is a bit of a process and involves carefully removing trim, but so nice to have windows that stay up!

Do you see the hole? That is a weight pocket. Every window has one on each side to hold the window weights.

The weights inside the pocket tied to the sash with rope.

On the right a 5 pound weight for the larger window and on the left a 4 pound. (Isn't that the coolest thing they are stamped with the number?)We gave them a quick rinse to get rid of 90 years of cobwebs.

 There is a couple of pieces of trim that have to come out to get to the weight pocket. While we were taking things apart I scraped and sanded the edges to help the windows go and down smoother. 

The weight pocket cover. I don't think anyone had ever gotten into it to re-string the windows. They fit really snug, the only way to get them out is pry and there wasn't any previous pry marks.

Three windows down, just 7 more to go! I will be putting together a more in depth post on the the complete process. We ran out of daylight and were just trying to get them back in for the night!

So did you have lovely weather this weekend? Did you tackle a project?

Apron Patterns

 These are a few recent acquisitions to the pattern collection. This first one is a charmer! Early 1950's. A lovely apron that is flattering one for everyone with lots of coverage. Also included is a pot holder pattern. Love the polka dots of the one in the lower right hand corner.  

The first thing my sisters said when they saw it was, "I need one of those!". 

 This one is mid-50's. A hostess style apron. A little too many ruffles and bows for my taste, but the overall shape is very cute. 

I was very excited to see the applique transfers still in the pattern! I love all the options this pattern gives one. Late 1940's.

And how could a resist this elegant 1940's nightgown!?! (Even though I don't usually wear nightgowns, I am thinking maybe I need one)

I remember when old patterns were sold for a $.50 or a $1. The prices are crazy these days! So I was really excited to find these patterns for under $5 each. 

Primroses

 Hello Friends! I am still here, just have been in bed recovering from the nasty flu these past two weeks. But like Spring, I am slowly and surely getting my energy back. 

 One of my recent finds at an estate sale, the hobnail vase. I knew it would be perfect for a little primrose!

Mandy and I went and bought primroses a few weeks ago. They are always so fun in the Spring. And once they are done blooming indoors we will plant them outside to bloom next Spring.

 A little vignette on the side table using my vintage silver tray. I love using plants on the tray as it is an extra layer of protection between the wood and soggy soil. 

 I also put together a new Easter wreath. The plan was to make flowers for the wreath, but I sensed I was running out of time. So I picked up two sprigs of flowers on sale (for 87 cents each!), deconstructed them and this is what I came up with. The bunny banner was from last year.

I hope Spring is on it's way in part of the world!