Went to Berry County Fair

We did make it out to a couple of our local county fairs this summer.  This is always a great chance to let the boys get close to real animals other than the tree rats that live in the yard.  I enjoy seeing the crafts, eating fried food, and watching the other visitors.  Tam loves the tractors...and now the rides too.  Jude just takes it all in, but does have some affinity for wheels.  I think Brian mostly likes spending time with his family.

For our first fair, we went with our friends, Keith, Xander, and Jo.  We had decided to go on a day that Brian was free too, and this turned out to be one of the hottest days of the summer. Luckily, we tackled the fair early in the morning because everyone was wilty, ornery, and sweaty by eleven o'clock.

We toured slowly through the animal barns, letting the children check out the animals.


 The bunnies were the first to be seen and uber cute.







There were a few guinea pigs housed with the rabbits...Tam spotted them right away as not like everything else.

The fowl were also okay to be approached by the kiddos.  Both Xander and Tam tried to "talk" to the roosters with little success.









The larger animals were a little more scary for the kids and they had to be a bit more coerced to approach them.  Eventually, all the children braved-up and touched the various big animals (goats, pigs, cows, horses, alpaca). 

 

  Jude LOVED checking out the animals.  Once Daddy showed him how to reach out his hand to get sniffed, he kept trying to touch the animals on his own. 

 Jude had  very little fear and tried to reach and touch everything that looked his way with a bit of curiosity.

 And sometimes the animals were really reaching out to touch Jude! 

 This was a common shot of the two boys behaving so well with each other.  Xander just turned 5years old and Tam is 3.5 years old. 

 The pig barn was chaotic because we entered it in the midst of judging.  This meant that there were loose pigs being herded around the pens.  Twice random hogs got away from their owners and made flights down the aisles were we were walking.  This up-close run in with huge livestock was a bit too much for the kids, especially little Jo, and they were a bit freaked out.

Did I mention that it was HOT...like in the 90s hot with high humidity.  The kids were sweating like mad after just a short time. 
We had lunch in a little piece of shade and tried to keep cool and hydrated.


We ended the day with a quick look at baby animals in the birth barn and then high-tailed it to the car and the air-conditioning.





Overall, a good day spent with friends in the heat with animals :-)

 Jude has been demanding to try using a spoon to scoop up his food.  He has gone so far as pull the spoon out of the hand that's feeding him if he doesn't have one of his own.  He's not doing too bad of a job with it.  Most of the time he gets the spoon to his mouth and at least 60% of time the food is still on it!

You go little man!

Now if only he would gain a few more teeth :-)

And how does Jude let us know that he is done eating or that he doesn't like his food choice? 

He subtly drops the offending food over the side of his high-chair tray.

:-)

Tam's Costume Done

 Several days ago Tam choose this pattern for his Renaissance costume for this year:Pattern McCalls 5214.  Now he does still fit in his outfit from last year, but I wanted to make something new.  I know...the French musketeers were a later century than the Renaissance, but oh well.  When asked what color he wanted, Tam said blue with a cross like the picture.

I picked up the broadcloth and trim from Joann's with a handful of coupons.  In total, I think it cost me about $30.


With the shirt, I cheated.  I started with a sleeveless white knit shirt from the store.  I added the white linen sleeves and collar.  The sleeves puff at the top and end with a button cuff and lace over the fingers.  The buttons were from my inherited stash.  I'm sure the lace won't hold up and will be come filthy dirty after a day at a fair worn by a boy, but oh well.  It sure looks nice.  The collar is separate and snaps to the collar of the knit shirt.  This lets me not have to make any closures in the shirt.  The collar is edged with lace from my inherited stash.  Again, I'm not holding my breath for how clean it will stay.

Overall, the shirt fits pretty well...I made it with the 3/4 size pattern.  The sleeves were a bit longed, but I shorten them to fit better.

The tunic was wicked easy to sew up.  I wasn't going to line it at first for sake of keeping it lightweight, but decided to at the last minute for ease of sewing.  The lining is a black, real light-weight peach cloth (I think).   I did get enough fabric for the sleeves, but decided not to sew them up.  They just seemed liked they would overwhelm little Tam.  Depending on how cold it gets by next month, I may make them yet and have them be attachable with snaps.

There is only a small "v" at the neck in the back for putting the tunic over the head and the pattern had it completely open at the sides.  I added ties to the sides to help keep this on a really moving nearly 4 year old.

The cross is just ironed on.  I liked silver better than the gold pictured on the pattern, hence the grey cross and silver trim.

The trim was the most costly, even with a coupon...just because it took so much..then I didn't use half of it for the sleeves.  The trim is lumping and braided, so I wasn't sure how to sew it on.  Thanks to the good old Internet for some helpful hints.  In the end, I used invisible clear thread and a broad zig-zag stitch to attach it.  It seems pretty stable for now.

Overall, I like it a lot.  And it should fit well into next year with its length.    Tam liked it too.

The hat was a bit of a last minute decision with a half yard of upholstery fabric remnant.  It is just a flat cap and I didn't have a bought pattern for it.  Luckily the Internet saved me again and I used an combo of a few easy tutorials to make the pattern: The Sempstress and The Renaissance Tailor .  The hat is rough, in that I didn't take time to line it or to finish the inside seem.  It fits Tam like a glove and is a bit big on Jude.  We'll see who ends up wearing it. 

Overall...I love the look and I hope it will hold up.
Here, My model was done :-)

PS.  He'll have black shorts  or pants underneath (shouldn't have to sew these) and boot coverings over his sneakers.

2012 Olympics!

Yeah! Yeah!  Yeah!

Go USA!

The 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London was tonight!

I am fascinated with watching our world's top athletes duke it out to determine who is number 1 in their event.  (Likewise, I am often just devistated when someone falls.)  Maybe I am just secreatly envience of all that good health and athletic talent that I lack.

Right now, I destincly remember the summer olympics four years ago in 2008.  I very much recall rolling around on the floor trying to get comfortable while I'm  six months pregnant with little Tamlin.  I remember laying on my side feeling him kick my from within while I wached Micheal Phelps win his plethero of gold medals.   I remember lounding on the couch feeling Tam turn sumersalts while the gymnists tumbled around on their mats.  

And now...Tam can do his own tumbling around on the living room floor.  He would also happily jump off the couch if I would let him. (He tells me that Daddy lets him jump...but I think this is highly doubtful).  We'll watch as much of the sports as we can and maybe have some races in the yard to play along.

The opening ceramony was BREATHTAKING and AWESOME and had lots of DRUMMERS!

I've told Brian that at the next summer games that are hosted by the US, we will be there!  It is so going on my bucket list.

We'll start saving our pennies now :-) 

Two words

Snot-tacular colds.

We all got it this week.

Latest Sewing Projects

 I got back on the ol' sewing wagon in the light of some upcoming birthdays. 

I tackled a ruffled tulle pettiskirt for my niece using a tutorial from Make it and Love it Blog.  I used tulle instead of chiffon since that is what I got at the last local fabric sale.  It turned out uber-cute...but, good golly, that was a TON OF GATHERING for all the ruffles.

After completing the skirt, I had to reset my brain and do some easy (and instantly gratifying) shirts.

I cut out stencils for a few bleached shirts and painted shirts.
Princess for my niece.  Dinosaurs and Monsters (or aliens) for our friend's Xander's birthday and for Tamlin.  I had hoped to do one for Jude, but couldn't find any 24 month white onesies!

Lastly, I whipped up  a superhero cape for Xander too.  It has the batman symbol on one side and Xmen on the reverse (X for Xander too!).  This cape went together pretty fast since it is like an oversize bib, with the exception that I choose to use gold lame, which is a slippery paid in the butt to sew.







Now what?  I've got a couple of bags to sew from recycled jeans for friends. 


And I started on Tamlin's renaissance costume.  I had a few patterns to choose from but couldn't decide, so Tamlin picked.

 We're doing a modification on the musketeer outfit here.  The tabard's sleeves will be removable (if I do them).  I am also cheating by not making a full peasant shirt from scratch to go underneath the tabard.  I'm using a T-shirt and adding the full sleeves and collar (maybe)...easier to wear and a heck of a ton easier to sew.  I'll let Tam decide if he wants the cross or a dragon on the front (or heaven forbid, a car).

 I'll see how it goes...

Jude fits into one of the costume's I made for Tam when he was small, but he might get a new hat.  If I can't figure out a pattern for a period hat, it may be a modern bucket-hat out of cool Renaissance-pattern fabric!

And then...
I've got my eye on making a fall corduroy jacket for Tamlin (I've got a cool leather jacket stashed away for Jude)

And then...

Perhaps, finally, a Victorian costume for me so that I fit in with Brian when he is caroling with the Dicken's Singers.  I picked up this easy pattern of Butterick (B5265)...
I just need to sew the cape and the muff, pairing it with one of my current skirts.

But I really want this one, though it might just drive me crazy to sew... (Simplicity 2172).  It's a popular pattern for steampunk so its a bugger to find at our JoAnn's when patterns are on sale.  I would use a current skirt of mine but pair it with the fabulous jacket and bustier.