It's the tune...

... of these years; like a theme song.  I hear myself saying it over and over – we're busy.  Busy doing things... lots of time-consuming, back-to-back things.  The days are full of the kinds of things that aren't monumental in and of themselves, but these days are better because of these things.

This last week the busy-ness included making plans for Easter dresses, taking some walks around the neighborhood, hosting a dinner with our cousins, (continued) working on shoe tying, formalizing plans for some spring planting and gardening and learning the chicken dance.

8940 – Vintage box pleats

The easter dresses are half way there.  I finished the first.  A small box pleated little gem from Simplicity pattern 8940 (60s era?).  The fabric is a Happy Home print from Sew Caroline.  It's crisp and white and the illustrated hearts are graduated in size and concentration from one edge of the 45" width to the other.  And the peanut, she loves the dress.  She ran around the night it was finished in the dress (and PJ pants and slippers) yelling "surprise" every time she entered the room.

"Surprise"

The second dress will appear here soon.  It's special too because the material was something of a generational heirloom... more on that soon.

3327 - Full skirts ahead!

The weather has really influenced the time we've spent outside and inspired me to think more about gardening.  I've got some plans in mind.  We had some giant and overgrown shrubbery removed late last year, and I'm relishing the "clean slate" that I'm starting with and thinking most about blooms... a yellow tree peony maybe, a black iris, pinkish green hydrangea and some lungwort and glossy green european ginger as a ground cover.  I have more fun with the planning than anything...

Plant plans...

And it wouldn't be a post without some mention of what is on the needles. I've started Bygge by Olga Buraya-Kefelian in Wool Folk fingering weight  It's destined to be a fairly simple but interesting graph-paper-in-perspective type of scarf.  And I'm very much looking forward to seeing the completed project.  More on that soon too... ongoing ravelry details here.

Night time photography – meh.

Oh, and the chicken dance... we had a great debate about whether it was the chicken or duck dance... we're of differing opinions with the small fry's Kindergarten teacher on that point.  But we had a great time teaching the peanut the steps, and all got a good laugh out of an hour or so of polka music.