I am blessed with such a generous and talented sister!  After having the last theme for over a year, I thought it might be time to freshen things up a bit, and did she ever!  She was so gracious while I told her about what I wanted, and she created exactly what I had in mind.

You’ll find that I have a few new pages, a brand new subscribe button, and it’s all organized in beauty and simplicity.  I love the Provence palette and feminine feel.  Just my cup of tea.  Thank you, darling Emily Rose, for taking time out if your overwhelming schedule to make your sister such a lovely design!  I love you!

Here’s the dress I made, in all its bright blue glory!  I usually don’t pick such vibrant colors for my clothing, but after not being able to find just-right pink fabric anywhere, and the only alternative was to actually buy a dress, I decided that the blue seersucker would make an excellent spring/summer dress.

{ pattern: B5030 }

The almost-finished garment.  I later added hooks and eyes to replace the pins.  The cuffs have an embroidered white “X” at the base where the corners meet.  (You can see one better in the last photo.)

I was so happy that Mom found this vintage-esque pattern.  I have years’ worth of little sketches and dress designs, and a dress not unlike this one made frequent appearances.

Pattern alterations: Top-stitching, narrowed collar, and shortened sleeves.  The “production” stretched over two weeks, but was finished with plenty of time left to calmly get ready for the long drive to Callaway Gardens.  ;)

Photo credit: Emily Rose

On Saturday afternoon, Dad, Mom, Emily and I went to the Butterfly Garden and walked part of the way there with our friend Miss Rebekah and her father.  We crossed a small stone bridge and took portraits of each other on the way back.

Photo credit: Emily Rose

I can hardly wait to get back to my little Singer with more fabric + patterns!

The Studio is coming along nicely with only a few more things to finish up.  Dad has sealed the windows off with plastic to keep out the winter drafts, and I’ve added two more lamps to my collection for extra light.

I’d like to replace the lace curtains if I can find a good bargain on at least 32 yards of fabric (just kidding).  And I need a thingy to cover the light bulbs dangling from the ceiling.  I originally wanted an Italian Tole chandelier, but I can’t find anything less than hundreds of dollars, so I’ve settled on something much more simple.

In the bottom right corner you can see that one of the bookshelves was painted, where I keep more of my books.  I have yet to figure out a better way to store my knitting and sewing supplies, but they can stay under the table as long as they need to.

And here is one of my new favorite spots in the house.  On the opposite side of the room from my table is a comfy chair and stand.  The old easel stored behind the table and chair is for purely compositional and aesthetic reasons, but the little table and chair are just right for my daily quiet time.

This room has been such a blessing to work in.  A northern window, beautiful antique wood trim and floor, and a large table . . . sigh.  Thank you Lord!

I always like to start with a floor plan. (Does anyone else do that, too?)

And the faithful bucket with a rag soaking in hot soapy water and vinegar to wipe down all the antique window trim and base boards. (But I would never paint over them :)

Dad painted the ceiling and trim “Snowbound” white - it’s like a breath of fresh air and looks so clean!

And here’s that beautiful Sherwin Williams’ “Crisp Linen” slowly concealing all the old yucky stuff.

I was able to sit on top of the ladder and paint right up to the ceiling trim.

Freshly painted walls . . .  ::sighs:: . . . beautiful!

Mrs. Fuentes wrote an excellent post on home culture, and it made me reflect on what I remember as a little girl, and how the home culture that my mother made affected me. I particularly thought about our backyards, and how much they were a part of our lives and homes.

My memories are practically lined with the foliage from the backyards, fields and woods I played in. Anything living and green in or near our homes has had a small, special nook in my heart, where I’ve kept fond memories of inspiration and delight collected over the years.

A vegetable or flower garden has also been a source of delight: there is so much beauty and wisdom to glean here.  And the eagerness to help Momma poke marigold seeds into starter trays, or pulling baby weeds from the freshly rained-on earth, had almost as much influence on my lifelong affections as the books I savored.

The sunlight on the trellis reminded me of something so simple: The trellis next to the garage, with its honeysuckle trickling upward, is a full leafy vine, and plain most of the year. But just after summer comes, all the little yellow and white ladies’ gloves shower down. At night when I walk the dog in the moonlight, a soft breeze will waft by with a sweet and gentle aroma from the tiny flowers. Our backyard really is that beautiful, and as much a part of our homes as the cozy rooms inside.

“There is nothing in all the influences and surroundings of the home of tender childhood so small that it does not leave its touch of beauty or of marring upon the life. . . . Wherever a child grows up it carries in its character the subtle impressions of the home in which it lives.” - J.R. Miller, in Home Making

“There is nothing in all the influences and surroundings of the home of tender childhood so small that it does not leave its touch of beauty or of marring upon the life. . . . Wherever a child grows up it carries in its character the subtle impressions of the home in which it lives.”

- J.R. Miller, in Home Making