New at Bella Ella Creations

I've got a new smocked sundress up at Bella Ella Creations.  It's got a 21 inch chest, but smocking is very forgiving.

For any customers in Renfrew County, I offer a $10 discount if they pick it up here at the farm.  It saves me postage and handling charges, which I'm happy to pass on to you my customers.

Help Needed!

We really need to get the cold situation under control.  This is Ella's third cold this fall.  It's going to be a loooong winter.  Any suggestions out there?  Keep in mind Ella doesn't like vegetables (except apples and grapes) and won't eat anything that tastes weird or gross.

I also need some sewing help.  I am loving the side zipper idea I got from my bloggy friend.  But I need to figure out how to put in side seam pockets. I feel lopsided with a pocket only on one side.  I know it's possible but I can't seem to figure it out.

Farmgirl Friday -3 June 2011

Joining the Farmgirl fun this week.

Yesterday, I discovered that adrenalin does NOT over power asthma (at least not in a minor type of situation).  The Canada geese were in this field eating the Indian corn that Ella and Grandpa had just planted this morning.  So I told Ella to run out in the field being as loud and crazy as she wanted  to chase off the geese.  I guess I should have told her to only go so far.  The geese wouldn't fly away, only moved further down the field.  So of course, Ella kept going.  It was so windy yesterday that she couldn't hear me screaming shouting for her to stop.  So I had to try to run after her (she's half way across a 50 acre field by now).  I thought I was never going to get her stopped in time and had visions of her falling in the river (still full and deep) or disappearing into the swamp (has happened to cows) before I could catch her.  Finally the wind stopped for a moment and she heard me.  As I sat on the ground wheezing, we had a good chat about the dangers of the river and not going so far from home.






Inspired by my friend over at Heritage Farmgirl and due to dress desperation (aka nothing suitable for in public).  I've been making some new dresses.  The first 2 are a combination of 2 Simplicity patterns.  I really like them and Colin loves them.  The last is a Vogue and it is beautifully designed (fully lined and everything).  Vogue sure knows how to make a pattern.  I'm just home from Knit Night and Colin was sleeping on the chesterfield, so the pictures are a funny kind of angle.




We have a wedding to attend in June, so this was the first dress I made.  I had absolutely nothing to wear to a wedding.  I found this material on sale at Fabricland for $2.50 a metre -unheard of price these days.  I got enough to make Ella a matching dress too.  Once I finish it and the pins are out, I'll get a picture of her too.  This is the style that Colin really likes.  I like it too, though I think I look better in my head than in pictures  :)









This is just an everyday kind of dress.  Good for groceries or just hanging around doing stuff  :)  The material came from the Mennonite store in Floradale.  I love that store.  They have such a great selection of cotton floral prints.  The fabric is great quality and very reasonable prices.  The staff is lovely too (which is more than can be said for the Pembroke Fabricland most days).  I have been known to make trips to the St. Jacob's area just to be able to go there.  Luckily it's only 1 1/2 hours from Toronto, so it makes a nice day trip when we are visiting my sister.  Of course we hit the market too.






This is the Vogue dress and I'm just not sure.  Like I said, the pattern is beautiful and went together well.  But then I put it on...


  I thought the pattern had a 20's farm house dress kind of vibe and had high hopes for it.


Please be completely honest.  If you think it looks terrible say so.  It's hard to get an honest opinion around here because Colin and Ella think I look beautiful in everything.


  My friends on Facebook have been sharing this old Body Shop ad and I thought this was a great place to share it too.  Obviously from this post it's easy to see how true this really is.  Though I don't want a super model's body (child-like) I really would like the body I had when Colin and I met.  The size someone who's only 5 ft, on a good day, should have.  Sorry I can't make it bigger.  It says "there are 3 billion women who don't look like supermodels and only 8 who do"  Too bad Mattel made them stop the ad campaign.

Easter Dress

I finally gave in and tried a new pattern.  I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it turned out.  I haven't had much luck with new patterns lately.  This is a Simplicity pattern and I was able to make the 16 with only minor alterations.  I realize it's a little cool for a sun dress, but soon the disgusting hot weather will return.  I think I'll make this dress again and try the cap sleeve, my bra straps show with the sun dress (before pinning) and the cap sleeve will be just as cool.  It gets so hot and humid around here breezy dresses are a must.

 

Ella took the picture for me.  Please excuse the mess at my feet, it's groceries that haven't been carried to the cellar yet  :)

Today is my Mom's birthday!!  She's 64.  I'm so glad Mom moved up here when Colin and I got married.  She and Ella have such a wonderful relationship.  Mom is such a help, I don't know what I'd do without her. 
Happy Birthday Mom!!

More Farming News

Finally some sunshine. We have had such a cold, wet spring. Colin and Dad were finally able to get all the wheat and corn in. Though the dandelions seem to be doing better than the wheat right now :) They have about 50% of the soy beans in. Colin is heading up the highway to try putting in more this afternoon. We sure need some more sunshine, everything is yellow. Colin is worried about how many tomatoes and pumpkins he's lost. About the only thing looking good is the garlic. We've got about 78 heads growing. We will likely save most for seed this year and sell next. The black plastic behind Ella is where Colin will be planting his cucumbers and/or squash. He loves to plant on plastic, weeds are nil, watering never and makes the ground so nice underneath. The straw behind that is our potato patch, hopefully they haven't rotted in all this rain. Behind Ella is some wheat and then Daddy's pumpkin patch. There's not too much to take pictures of right now, everything is behind. The sweet corn is through the ground and looking ok, yellow, but ok.

Finally got Ella's baking apron finished. This is a really nice pattern. It is from Sense and Sensibility -I just love their stuff. It's the girl's Edwardian apron and it looks just like the ladies one. This style fits the both of us so nicely. This style has become my "only" apron pattern for me. It's comfy, flattering, and covers my dresses -I'm a hand wiper so I need the sides covered too -ha ha. It even has big pockets :) It's really great that Sense and Sensibility has "epatterns" now. Not only is it helpful if you have no time and need the pattern right away, it's also great for me since I don't have to pay postage from the States. Sometimes postage costs nearly as much as the items I order. With "epatterns" I just get my sister to download it (she has high speed) and print the pattern. She can then send it via regular mail for about $2. One thing I will mention, if anyone orders an "epattern": tape the whole pattern together before cutting out ANYTHING. You need the straight edges to make sure the pattern lines up easily.

Modest in Any Weather-Updated

I thought I'd talk about making modest dresses work for everyday life. For working outside, I've already mentioned that I like to wear an a-line denim jumper. It keeps me safe from spinning PTO shafts and other moving parts of equipment. I usually wear a straw hat when outside, but that's because I'm so fair and burn really easily, my face needs the protection. Besides, Colin likes that I'm "Victorian" pale :)

In the house, whenever I'm doing something messy, I wear an apron. I love aprons. The best apron pattern is the Edwardian one from Sense and Sensibility. It's lovely and covers most of my dress. A real bonus when I'm baking, I'm a terrible one for wiping my hands on my hips :) I need to make a few more of these. These are great for messy housekeeping chores too. I'm tempted to make a denim one for in the garden. They have a child's version now, I'm saving my pennies to get that one for Ella. Wearing an apron also makes it more obvious when it's time to sit down and relax in the evening. I finish the supper dishes and off comes the apron. Time to enjoy Colin's company.

Dresses in summer are the coolest clothes to wear. I used to nearly fall over from heat when wearing jeans in the hottest part of summer. But if you wear a dress, it's easy for a cool breeze to blow through and cool you off. I hated wearing shorts, even when I was skinny. Shorts are rarely that flattering and you're skin sticks to everything you sit on. No worries about showing off too much of anything when wearing skirts/dresses, a real concern when wearing shorts and being active. We get very hot and humid up here in Ontario, so I do wear sundresses. But I make sure they fit well and don't gap. Mostly though, I wear short sleeved dresses. Lately I've been thinking of making another 1914 Afternoon Dress by Sense and Sensibility. I've made it before and it's a nice, comfy pattern. One last idea for us larger size ladies. If wearing dresses causes chafing on the thighs, look for cotton bike shorts/leggings. I've worn them for a couple years now, no real extra heat and a lot less pain and discomfort :) Don't forget, a slip is not an option and made out of cotton it isn't hot either.

Winter in dresses is so much warmer than when wearing pants. To start with, women wearing dresses/skirts usually wear a dress coat that is much longer than a jacket. Then there are all the layers one can add under a skirt/dress without adding bulk. We live in northern Ontario (at least were winter is concerned) and this is what I wear -from the inside out. I wear the same leggings in the winter as I do the summer. Then I wear knee socks, if it is extremely cold I can put on a pair of wool knee socks too. Then comes my petticoat/slip. It's nice and full and helps hold in heat. I've been considering making a flannel one for really bitter days. On goes a dress or jumper. Jumpers give you another chance to add more warmth. A turtleneck or long sleeve blouse look nice under casual jumpers. Of course, if it's is crazy cold and we're doing something like cutting down Christmas tree or something, I'll put long underwear on under everything.

Add a good pair of boots -the higher up the leg the better, and a good warm dress coat, scarf, mitts and hat and I'm all set for anything winter can throw at me. I love to throw on a knit shawl over everything. Great for bitterly cold days, looks great too if you ask me.

Ella wears more or less the same as I do. She wears cotton tights year round. Keeps her warm in winter and protects her legs from too much sun in the summer (she's delicate like me). I also am making her some bloomers, because you just can't slow down a little girl. I may even make some for me, I just like the look.

The one comment about dresses that always makes me laugh is that they are "impracticable" for today. Funny women have worn dresses/skirts for THOUSANDS of years (in much harder lifestyles) and suddenly it's too hard to wear a dress. Apparently it was easier to wear a dress while building the pyramids or homesteading in Colonial America, than it is to wear one nowadays in an air conditioned office while surfing the 'net :)

Modest Dress

Since marrying Colin and getting away from the rat race that is the Toronto Stock Market, I've gone back to wearing dresses every day. When I was in grade 9, I could count the days I wore pants to school. I even wore a skirt as my "camp uniform" in Pathfinders and Cadets. Somehow along the way I got dragged into pant/jeans wearing. Part of it came from being unhappy with my body, I've always fought with my weight (thanks PCOS). It was easier to hide under a large t shirt.

I've since read Deuteronomy 22, v. 5:
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God.

And 1 Timothy 2, v.9:
... women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.

I've decided that Ella and I will be dresses only. I have yet to find anything I can't do in a skirt. I even drive the tractor for Colin when he's baling straw. It's a matter of finding an appropriate width and length for comfort and safety. My best work dress is actually an old maternity jumper. It's a-line in shape and made from very sturdy denim.

A lot of women seem to think modest means frumpy (more Feminist brainwashing if you ask me). This is not true. God created women, He made us beautiful with bodies that please our husbands. Why should we insult this gift from God by covering it with an ugly sack? It is just as easy to wear nice fitting, pretty clothes as it is to wear something ugly and frumpy. I like to wear cape dresses, I think they are very nice and I always pick a pretty fabric. But I wear many different styles.

There is a wide range of opinion on what makes a dress modest. I'm sure my ideas are not the same as everyone. For instance, I have no problem with sleeveless dresses. Mine are nice fitting and don't show bra straps or anything. We have summers that often hit 110F with crazy humidity. God made me a winter girl, so I need to try and keep cool. But my dresses fit well and don't gap or show too much of anything. Most of my dresses have elbow length sleeves, that's what I prefer now that I have heavier arms. All my dresses are "tea length",i.e., mid-calf. Any longer and I start to look dumpy since I'm only 5 ft.

If I ever lose this extra weight again, I have some beautiful Edwardian and 50's style dresses that I want to make. I really like the ones on this page.

The Ladies Against Feminism have a number of links of ladies showing themselves going through their week in dresses/skirts. I don't have a week's worth of dresses to show you, and I couldn't find a photographer for action shots :) But here are a few of my dresses.

This is one of my going out dresses. -->
Colin was taking me out for supper. Sorry about the odd angle on these. I'm not good at taking my own picture (and I hate having my picture taken).

<-- This one is from the winter, for chilly days at home. It's actually a maternity one too, but I made the apron to go over it, so I have a waist again -ha ha.


Not so flattering action shot, but it show that I can garden in a dress -->




This is one of my favourites. The underneath piece is a pettiblouse, slip and blouse in one. No more fighting with tops that always come untucked and uncomfortable. I have a deep crocheted lace border on the slip and it just peaks out from under the jumper. Colin likes it -which is my main aim :)

I have nothing against skirts and blouses. I just find it easier at this time of life and at this size (that I'm not happy with) to toss on a dress and be done.

Home at Last!!!

My girl is finally home! I thought Friday would never come. Here she is playing in the new car seat box. Grandma had to get a new one, for some reason the straps won't stay snug -a real hazzard. So now she's got a fancy Eddie Bauer, with head rest and cup holder :) It's a $160 but was on for $99 at Canadian Tire.

This is Ella doing her "Melman" impression (from Madagascar). That's her favourite movie right now.

This is my Fabricland haul. I sure wish their fabric wasn't so expensive right now. They have some really nice summer cottons in right now. The purple stipe will be a pinafore to wear over the off-white and the lavender, it looks really good with either. The white eyelet on the right (for $1/m) will also be a pinafore over the lavender. The pink eyelet will be a regular dress, probably with a collar. I'm also going to use the purple stripe to make Ella a sundress, it has an off-white insertion in the bodice that will be smocked. And the floral in the very front is for Momma to get a couple new coverings. The stripe and the pink are made in India, as much as I like to buy Canadian/US, one has to admit that India knows how to do cotton. That material feels beautiful, light and soft. Oh yeah, I also got enough of the stripe to make Ella a new sunbonnet.

Sense and Sensibility Patterns

I do lots of sewing. I think in Ella's nearly 3 years, she's only had 2 store bought dresses and those were gifts. The way she grows it just is more economical to make them. That and it's hard to find nice/good quality clothes at any price, let alone one we can afford. I haven't had a store bought dress since I can't remember. I love to sew, too bad life gets in the way -haha.

One of my favourite pattern companies has a great new product. "ePatterns", great for those times when you realize you don't have the pattern you need -NOW! It saves so much time and the frustration of trying to make an existing pattern look how you want. Now you can go to Jennie's great site and download the historical pattern you want. I've used a number of them and am always so pleased with how they turn out. They can be either very historical or with simple changes can be very wearable in every day life. They are also very economical because you get such a range of sizes and options. Jennie is also there to help if you get stuck.

Please check out the new "ePatterns" at http://www.sensibility.com/pattern/main/?page_id=50