Backyard Science

Ever the busy family…

Aden's soccer team is now one for two. They won their first game 5-0 and lost the second 6-0. Mostly, the kids just follow the ball around on the field. Few kids on his team have good control of the ball or strategy at this age. Still, they’re fun to watch.














We have been taking the kids to one of the mega home improvement stores in town, once of month, for a free craft project for kids. So far, Aden and Danielle have made a wooden racecar, wooden sailboat, and Danielle made a birdhouse last weekend. Aden missed out on the birdhouse clinic because it conflicted with his soccer game. Since he really wanted a birdhouse of his own, Danielle and I missed the soccer game in order to go to the building clinic and pick him up a kit. He barely noticed we weren’t at the game and was so excited to have his kit when he came home. Each month when the kids make something new, they get a project patch to sew on the free apron they received the first time (similar to patches earned by scout troops). My kids think it is so cool and it’s a great activity for the whole family.














Last Saturday we went to a magic show birthday party for one of Aden and Danielle’s best friends. The kids were enthralled and both were participants in the show. Of course, nothing compared to the grand finale with the pulling a real rabbit out of a hat. The magician was very amenable to the children petting his rabbit after the show.

Scott took down the inflatable pool last weekend and found a black widow spider hiding in one of the cinder blocks. With the kids were safely inside, Scott carefully captured her by using the tweezers that came with a bug collecting kit we had. He made a spider killing jar with a medicine bottle and rubbing alcohol. We plan to preserve her in liquid acrylic so you can see both sides of her body. She has some of the most beautiful blood-red spots on her back and the tell-tale hourglass on her belly. I don’t have arachnophobia, which is fortunate, but I can tell you I was a little apprehensive about Scott capturing her. Usually, I leave spiders alone as long as they leave me alone. We only captured her as a science lesson to our kids. Aden loves spiders. We wanted to let him know not all spiders are okay and some could really hurt you. We wanted him and Danielle to see what a black widow looks like, so they can stay away from one, if found.

We use backyard science as teaching tools for our kids. Several months ago, we found a 4-foot long snakeskin, completely intact! Normally, when snakes wriggle out of their skin, they wind up shredding it because they shed under shrubs or leaves for protection. Leaves and sticks usually wind up tearing the old skin during the process. The skin we found is completely intact from the mouth opening to the tail. You can even see the holes where the eyes were. I’m not exactly sure what type of snake it was. What has amazed us was the fact the snake had to have been in our yard, in the open, for quite some time while it was shedding. (Probably while we were at work.) Apparently our old pit-bull/lab mix was sleeping in one of her favorite spots and never bothered it. I may not be squeamish about spiders, but I do hate snakes. Luckily, the only thing we found was the skin, which is now tucked safely away in a gallon zip-lock bag on top of a shelf. When Aden is much older and can carefully handle the skin, it would make a great show-and-tell object for science class.

This weekend, I went to Tot Trade, a mega children’s consignment sale. Because I volunteer 8-hours of my time during the sale, I received a pre-sale pass which allowed me entry a day before it was open to the general public. I bought all of Aden’s fall/winter clothes for around $100. I did not need to buy anything for Danielle this season (except a coat I picked up for $8) since one of my girlfriends passed along clothes her daughter outgrew. Aden used to be able to wear hand-me-downs from another girlfriend of mine who has older boys until Aden started wearing the same size as her sons. I’m sure by the middle school years, buying clothes at consignment sales will be out of the question. But for now, my kids are so excited and grateful when I come home with their “new” clothes.

Pretty Pretty

Many of you who read my blog live far away and haven’t had a chance to see the dresses I’ve made for Danielly up close and personal.

I started smocking in May 2003 when Danielle was almost 5 months old. I saw a sign-up sheet for smocking classes at a local fabric shop. I didn’t even own a sewing machine at the time, but love little smocked dresses and wanted to learn. It was a two-part class. Part one was learning basic stitches (cable and wave stitch) – part two was learning bullion roses and to see how well we did on our homework. The class did not cover dress construction. I called the instructor ahead of time and asked if she would construct a 6-month bishop for me to buy at the first class. I wanted to do an actual project Danielle could wear. The elderly lady who taught the class was a very good smocker, but had a hard time explaining to a novice, like myself, how to finish constructing a bishop since I had no sewing experience whatsoever. I used my mom’s machine and muddled through it the best I could with handwritten instructions on how to finish it.



Danielle wore this for her 6-month-old picture. The pattern was a copy my instructor gave me. I have no idea the original source.



I loved to smock, but hated the construction part. The second bishop I made was pre-assembled 6-month-old bishop I bought on E-bay. I adapted the pattern from a picture I saw. Once again, I was frustrated trying to finish the construction. I had no idea what I was doing. Danielle never actually wore this dress because of an awful personal experience at a smocking shop (not the fabric shop where I learned the basic stitches). I took time off work one day to get help with the construction part of the placket (a very complicated procedure for someone who has never sewn before). The owner of the shop was very rude and proceeded to be very critical of everything that was wrong with my dress. I had put the placket in backwards (left over right, instead of right over left). She hadn't wanted to help me because she felt that was the responsibility of my original instructor (even though the class I paid for was not a dress construction class). By the time I left, I was near tears. It's amazing after that awful experience, I picked up a needle again. The dress is still unfinished in the closet. Maybe I will have a granddaughter who will wear it one day.



Okay. I didn’t need another hobby, but I had a little girl I wanted to dress up. It was a big dilemma as to whether I would invest in smocking (especially after my previous experience). It’s not a cheap hobby. There was a sewing machine to buy, a pleater, dress patterns, smocking plates, fabric, lace, and buttons. I really had to think about this before I jumped headfirst into something I would get bored with and give up. I already had huge stash of cross-stitch patterns that would never get finished even if I quit my job and lived to be 100. How much did I really want to do this? After much debate with myself (and encouragement and full support from a loving husband), I signed up for a bishop construction class at a sewing machine shop thanks to my mom who told me about the class. Now, I had to buy a sewing machine. I legitimized the purchase that I needed one anyway (need = want). I played hooky from work twice for the two-part class, which was only offered during regular business hours.



The finished 18-month bishop. Little did I realize, Ellen McCarn’s patterns run large. Danielle was over 2-1/2 years old before this fit her well.



The next purchase was my Super Amanda Jane pleater I bought for myself before Christmas 2004. I got a bonus that year from work and started collecting back issues of Australian Smocking and Embroidery. It was through this magazine I learned what I know now about smocking and dress construction. My husband has never said a negative word about the smocking magazines or patterns I have bought. Not one. He’s always been very supportive in everything I do.



Dress pattern and smocking plate “Morgan” from Australian Smocking and Embroidery (AS&E) 56. Worn for her first birthday January 2004.





Dress pattern “Cherry Surprise” AS&E 42
Smocking plate “Snowflake” AS&E 61 (adapted)
Worn for Easter 2004.





Dress pattern and smocking plate “Baby Blue” AS&E 47. Worn for Mother’s Day 2004. The start of the matching Mother/Daughter dress tradition. When I was picking out the fabric for these dresses, I met a woman and her 15-year-old daughter picking out fabric for their matching dresses. The mom had been making their matching Mother's Day outfits since her daughter was born. I asked the daughter how she felt about the tradition since she was no longer a little girl. She told me she didn't mind a bit as long as she has a say in the fabric and dress pattern. She actually thought it was kind of cool to have one-of-a-kind matching outfits. I hope my daughter will feel the same when she reaches that age.





Romper pattern and smocking plate “Old Friends” AS&E 36.
Worn Summer 2004.





Dress pattern and smocking plate “Precious Coral” AS&E 44. (Substituted store-bought roses for bullion roses because I was still sewing Christmas Eve before church services.) Worn Christmas 2004.





Dress pattern and smocking plate “Star of the Show” AS&E 48. Worn Easter 2005. I had to take Good Friday off from work to finish the dress. The matching jacket didn't get finished. Why, oh why don’t I have better time management skills? Oh yeah, I remember – I have two kids and a full-time job.





Dress pattern “Baby Blue” (Adapted with long-sleeves from Ellen McCarn’s bishop dress.)
Smocking plate from Sew Beautiful 96 (Adapted for a bishop dress.)
I taught myself how to do picture smocking with Ellen McCarn’s book – Picture Smocking.
I also used a wonderful article from Sew Beautiful, Fall 1996, “How to Match Plaids for a Smocked Bishop”.

My son was feeling left out and wanted me to make him something. His vest and bow tie were made from Simplicity 7030 with an appliquéd smocked bear.



I never finished the buttonholes on the vest or dress. Both kids were literally either sewn or safety-pinned in the outfits for 2005 Christmas Eve service.





Dress pattern Chery Williams bishop. Smocking pattern adapted from a purchased Rosalina dress. Worn Easter 2006 (see previous post "Made with Love"). It's a good thing I made a replica of the borrowed dress because the day I returned it to my friend, Danielle saw me leave the house with it. She cried because she thought I was giving away her pretty dress. I had to pull hers out of the closet and show her both dresses at the same time before she would calm down. Bless her little heart.





Bishop pattern “Baby Blue” – Once you find a great bishop pattern stick with it! I’ve found not all bishops are created equal. Bishop plate from AS&E 14. (See previous post "Soccer and Smocking". It really doesn't look like a "clown dress", does it?)



Adult pattern and plate are from AS&E 39 “Morning Glory”



I can’t take credit for the dresses Danielle wore for her second or third birthdays. These were either borrowed or bought. I had to make a few concessions because I always overextend myself.




I wish I had more time to make more dresses, but I don’t. I hate to think there will only be a few more years when she won’t mind wearing smocked dresses. I have two antique Drink and Wet Uneeda dolls I can smock for when that happens – at least the dolls won’t outgrow what I make.


My little left-handed "smocker". Trust me, no needles were involved, just a practice piece of pleated fabric and lots of pretending to be a Mommy for her "babies".