Today I tried on a shorts set I had made for Ashy, although the pictures didn't turn out that great.  I made the top like a regular pillowcase dress, with elastic, rather than a drawstring.  It's a bit big, but it'll fit next year too.  She is growing tall more, now, than around.  There are several pairs of pants that were real tight last year that fit better this year.  She "had a sleepover" last night, passed out at ten and didn't move until nine this morning.  Then she helped me make scrambled eggs and we went out and played in the sand box for a while.  I took out some of the shells I brought back from my trip to visit Julia last month,  I told her I would sure love to be able to find the money to take her to California to the beach.

Tomorrow, we get to have Jayce for a while!

 This is the second installment of my blog.  I have sort of figured out how to post a picture and text, but not how to make a background or some kind of way of making it look nice!

This is a picture of the beginning of the "gaposis" that little kids have from the time their first baby tooth falls out until the last of their adult teeth have come in all the way.  Her father lost his first tooth at a little over five, so I expected her to lose them early.  However, she is still four months away from turning five!

Some other sewing and crocheting I have been doing includes dressing Ashlyn's dolls.  First of all, I am thrilled that she is becoming more interested in dolls.  So far, she has loved her stuffed animals to death but barely given her dolls the time of day!  Not that it would really matter if she never liked dolls, but it would certainly be more fun for me!  I have always loved dolls, and sewing for them is great fun! 

Anyway, here is the outfit I made for one of her two favorite dolls, over a couple of evenings.   The picture isn't great, but I will try to get a better one.  I am also working on a pattern/tutorial for the dress and crocheted hat, both of which were easy.

One more Ashy picture is one of her with one of the three surprise kittens her little cat presented her with.  They had an appointment, on a Monday, to have her spayed.  However, on Sunday morning, Ashy went into her parents' room and said, "Um....I think Marlie had babies".  There were three tiny kittens, one white (which is now getting Siamese markings), one buff tabby, and a smokey gray baby.  We are all thanking the Lord that she had only three, and as soon as they are weaned, she will be getting spayed! 

Not to forget my precious grandson, here are two new pics of him, sitting in the stroller, watching my oldest son working in the garage.  Ashy spends 4 or 5 days a week here, while her parents are at work, and we very rarely go more than 48 hours without seeing her.  We don't get to see Jayce anywhere near as much. I have fewer stories about him, because of that, but I love him every bit as much!  He's a beautiful and very intelligent little guy, who has the longest attention span of any baby his age I've ever known!  He especially loves things with moving pieces.  I expect him to be a famous inventor some day!

Intro

 This is my first attempt to create a blog.  I want to have one to share my crafts and recipes, like many of the others I have seen and found free patterns and ideas from.  Most of those have been from mothers raising their children.  My children are mostly raised.  What I get the most joy from, however, are my grandchildren.  My granddaughter, Ashlyn, will be five in September.  My grandson Jayce,
Ashlyn's cousin, is 14 months and Ashy's little brother is due to be born in a couple of weeks.

I learned to crochet when Ashlyn was born.  I had always wanted to.  I'd actually tried, a few years earlier, but I didn't think I could do it.  I have advanced fibromyalgia and the way I first held the yarn really messed up my arm and shoulder.  When I tried it again, I figured out how to do it without causing so much pain.  I still can't always do it, and can't do it for a long time at once, but enough that I have lost count of all the big things I've made and couldn't even guess how many small things I've made!  It's a wonderful skill to have!

I started sewing in 1967, in Jr. High, at MacDonald Junior High School on post at Fort Knox, Kentucky.  It was something I only did occasionally for the next few years.  Then, at age 16, I got my first job, in the fabric department of the Wigwam store in Waipahu, Hawaii.  With my employee discount, as well as access to sales fabric before it got picked over, I realized that I could afford lots more clothes if I made them.  At first, it was a lot of work, but as my skill developed, it became more and more fun! 

Well, that is it for today!  I am trying to post two pictures.  One is of my grandson, Jayce, wearing a bib I crocheted for Halloween.  The other is my granddaughter, Ashlyn, modeling a dress I upcycled for her.  It started life as a doudy dress of mine, that did nothing for me.  I cut off the skirt, then cut a new bodice from the top part.  Then, I added a satin ribbon belt and voila, I had an elegant new dress that she looks beautiful in (her dog, "Ivory" who thinks she is my other granddaughter, insisted on being in the picture, too)!