Monday, February 16, 2009

Old Fashioned Girl

Here is the finished product:



I have to admit I am fairly proud of this hand-made frock. I feel like I could pluck Elisabeth off of the leather couch in our living room and place her on a settee in an antique store and she would fit right in with the other vintage goods. Someone at church suggested I make these types of dresses to sell. Sorry folks. This labor of love is way too time consuming and expensive of a hobby to make it worth the price someone would pay me. For now, Miss Elisabeth and her future siblings will be the only ones to don my hand-crafted finery. I may be willing to make a smocked article of clothing for a favorite niece or nephew, though. ;-)

Note: There was a smudge on my camera lens when I took these photos so they appear a tad blurry.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Dixie Lives

While browsing for a book on Greek mythology in the history section at a local Borders, my eyes were drawn to a bright green paperback with a black and white picture of a surly, odd-looking confederate soldier on the cover, bearing the obscure title; Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War. Something about this book called to me. On an impulse, I purchased the book, curious to see what stories about humanity were captured between the two covers.

The South and their role in the Civil War has always intrigued me. I had gone to visit my penpal in Lousiana over spring break my senior year. I tagged along with my friend to her classes since my friend was *not* on spring break. When one of her teachers asked where I was from, I heard some snickers throughout her classroom and a boy shout out in disgust "So you're a Yankee!?!" I was very confused. We studied the Civil War in school but that is where us "Northerners" interests in the war ended. My friend then kindly informed me that some people in the South were still upset about loosing the war. In fact, some people were still fighting the war in their hearts.

I started reading the book yesterday and haven't been able to put it down. The author decides to tour the South and write sort of an ethnography about the people and situations he encounters - from attending a Daughters of the Confederacy birthday party for Robert E. Lee to marching in an authentic reinactment of Gettysburg, Tony Horwitz opens up a world that us "Northerners" could never understand.

Here is just a small taste:

The War of Northern Agression had little to do with slavery. Rather, it was a culture war in which Yankees imposed their imperialist and capitalist will on the agrarian South, just as the English had done wo the Irish and Scots--and as America did to the Indians...
Amazing how history changes with the eyes that view it.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Stylin'

Thanks to Auntie J, Uncle R and cousin Nick, Elisabeth is stylin' in her new Ralph Lauren dress and belt.  I couldn't resist the striped tights.  The nice thing about this dress is she can easily crawl in it as well.  Some of our friends insist that Elisabeth is going to be a girly-girl who likes girl things and loves to wear dresses.  I can only hope she takes after me because it is sure fun to dress her up!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

When You're the Best of Friends


We love our Sofi Dog.
We love our Ellie Beth.
We love that they love each other.






Monday, February 2, 2009

Weekly Eval

Finish smocking Elisabeth's dress.  Check.
Finish sewing Elisabeth's dress.  Check minus.  (I still have to put the snaps and hook/eye on.  As soon as I officially finish the dress, I will post a picture!)

Wow.  These weekly goals really did keep me from idling my time away!

Goals for this week:
  • Pick out a pattern for Elisabeth's Easter dress.
  • Make Elisabeth's baby food.  (I hear it is cheaper and not to mention healthier.  I thought I would give it a try!  Thank you Mary M. for letting me borrow the Super Baby Food book and the baby-food-making utensils.)
  • Update my display board with a Valentinesy display.