Gauze Dress with Crochet

Here is one of Madeline's new dresses.  This dress was so easy to make and turned out beautiful.  The fabric is a double gauze Japanese fabric.  I had ordered a quarter cut a couple years back to see if I liked it for another project and it has been patiently waiting to be turned into something beautiful ever since. 





The fabric has a nice frayed edge so there was no need to finish the hem and it shirred up perfectly.  To add the sleeves I just cut off the sides at an angle.  I had read somewhere that you just cut right through the shirring.  I have to admit I had little faith and held my breath as I cut but it worked fine.  I did end up finishing the cut edge with a tight zig zag stitch to make it more durable for my busy little baby. 

The sleeves are made from a doilie I found at the thrift store with some bias binding along the cut edge.

And here is my sweet girl playing with one of our newest pets. 

Garden pictures

I'm chipping away at 4 plus acres one plant at a time.  The goal, a beautiful and edible organic landscape. 

Mixing it up in pots because I'm impatient and can't wait for the beds to be finished.

This may look clean and simple but if you look closely you can see 2 rows of strawberries.  40 total.  This is the start of what will eventually be an amazing bed of edibles.

Nature Study

One of our favorite pass times as a family is to head out on the boat and go exploring.  There has always been something magical and mysterious about the water for me and watching my kids enjoy this beauty is a dream come true. 

Of course along the way we learn.  This giant orange tree made for a great lesson on sink or float as we watched oranges floating by and tested other items. 

Water levels and tides.

What can happen when trees fall.

Why a mama Osprey would circle around us while we checked out her nest.   

And my favorite, Bird Island, where all types of birds come together to live in harmony.

Romans 12:16  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  Never be wise in your own sight.

Have a blessed night.

Rabbit update and happenings

I thought I would give you a quick update on the rabbits.  They are the perfect addition to our little family.  We ended up getting 2 Holland Lops, hopefully both girls, and we set up a little outdoor rabbit hutch and run. 

It's under the orange trees so they are protected from Hawks and the cats have be-friended them and keep a close eye on them during the day.  The original plan was to let them out when we were outside to get some fresh air but now we just open the cage in the morning and lock them back up before bed.  We have even forgot to lock up the doors at night and have had no problems with predators.  Our cats sleep outside on the porch close to the cage and the female has really bonded with them.

Diesel goes in everyday and plays with the bunnies.  She also naps with them.  It's really bizarre to see a cat and two bunnies snuggled up enjoying the afternoon together.

The cage ended up being a lot smaller than I originally thought but it's working out great.  We lifted up the bottom with pavers and I was able to slide a metal tray underneath to catch their waste.  It makes for very easy cleanup and I can just toss it in the garden for compost.  We have also had no problem with bunny biting or aggression.  They are handled by lots of kids during the week and they are gentle and sweet. 

We also found another baby turtle in the pool, picked a giant grapefruit, and gave baby girl a super cute, and much easier to manage, haircut. 





OK, better photos of the haircut coming soon:/