Baptismal Dress

I am almost finished.  Covered buttons, snaps, and some flowers left to do.  10 days left until the special day.     

Muslin

The canning is mostly underway.  I did peaches, pears, and LOTS of tomatoes.   My sister suggested I make tomato sauce.  With the strainer we borrowed from Scott's mom, we have been having a lot of fun doing that.  I love it that we can reduce the amount to half before we bottle it.  

Kai started pre-school this week.  It is a co-op one, where we moms take turns and host.  Twice a week for a couple hours each is just perfect for us.  Kai said it was the "bestest" day as he came out of the first day of school.  Our goal is to not drop out this time.  With Jerome, the three moms decided to quit after a few months.  Alison started teaching early morning seminary, Nary was my counselor, and I was the RS pres. in an inner city branch in Philly.  We just didn't have the time or energy to stay on the Joy School curriculum.  It still turned into a lasting friendship, so something great came out of it.  Asha dropped out when Scott got a new job in San Diego and we moved.  

Asha is getting baptized on October 10th.  I started sewing the baptism dress, now that I have a deadline.  The last few days were spent making the muslin to test the fit.  It took a few tries.            

I based the bodice pattern on her Easter dress but changed the sleeves and added the cross-over.  The shoulders needed a little widening, too. 

Now I am ready to cut out the fabric and start sewing.     

Fall/Winter sewing camp: the planner

After looking through all the fabric, patterns, and the few clothes Asha can still wear from last winter, Alison helped me come up with a good plan for fall/winter sewing.  I made a chart to organize it in my binder.  Here is one of the pages.  If you are interested in the books I am getting the patterns from, you can check our Japanese sewing blog.  

We are deep into the canning season.  My kids are loving all the fruit and tomatoes.    

Quinn likes to talk to the birds.  "Birbie, birbie" he calls, and then gets sad when they fly away.  

Here is Kai grinding the wheat for me.  He takes this job very seriously, and does a great job.  

Fall/Winter sewing camp

Alison and her family came, and we had another fun visit.  Here is a post about our last sewing camp.  We talked fabric all evening and then looked through patterns the following morning.  I now have solid plans for Asha's fall/winter clothes.  I can't wait to get started.  

Alison is expecting a boy in February, which will be their seventh child.  I am so excited for her. 

     

Here is Asha in the skirt Alison made for her.  Asha already wore it to church today, and received many compliments.  

James and Jerome, the Joy School buddies, are up to their old tricks again.  Here they are making a Icosidodecahedron from the math book they both own.    

We already miss them and can't wait to have another visit.  A special thank you goes to Paul and Scott who took the kids on a hike so Alison and I could enjoy a quiet morning.