Silly kids

Oodles of pictures of Lando

 I love his Sunday outfit!  Thanks again Kayli for the hat.  Every Sunday at least two or three people ask me if I made it.

 Look at those chubby hands!!  His hands are chubbier than Sebastian's ever were.

He is so happy all the time.  And so ticklish!  I love it.

 He even survives this without crying.  Isabel thinks this is THE way to get a baby to smile.  Poor boy.

 He's like--"Mom why do you let her near me?!?!?"

 Oh, I love my chubby little rolly polly boy!!!

He seriously has the cutest grin ever!  And he smiles whenever you take the time to smile at him.  What could be nicer?

Except for sometimes he is serious.  Mostly about eating, that kid is eats regular as clockwork.  I want to go squeeze him right now!

More costumes

So these are obviously not my costumes, but I thought my brother-in-law, Alex, did a pretty impressive job on his costume.  So I had to share.  No, he is not the salsa picante man, although, bravo on that costume as well.  

He was Tony Starks, aka Iron Man.  Sweet.

How to make a Corset (18th Century Stays)

Here's my quick guide to making a corset. I used Butterick 4254 and I was making 18th century stays.  The pattern itself explains things well, this is actually more a quick tips guide.

  #1:  Draw all the lines on your lining.  Makes it so much easier to sew.

#2:  Don't use interfacing, just use two layers of heavy home decor/upholstery fabric, twill or duck.  

#3:  Sew the two sets of interlining to the lining and fashion fabric.  It's like making a sandwich really--fashion fabric, interlining, interlining, lining.  In the picture above you can see my fashion fabric backed with the interlining, and below it, the lining backed with the interlining.

#4: Then I use these Heavy-Duty Cable Ties to bone the corset.  Much less expensive and easier to work with than steel.  Or so I've been told. I've never actually used steel.

#5: I cut them to length with a razor blade and label them with a sharpie.  

So eventually you have this.

#6:  Then I lay the boning out in numerical order so as I sew, I can easily just grab the ones I need. Plus in this pattern you sew them in numerical order starting with one.  Easy peasy.

#7:  I have no good tips for you on how to sew on the bias tape.  Anybody have good tips for me?

And you're done!

My friend Natalie

Made these for her kids!  Love it!!!!!!!!

Another bit of Halloween

My Pirate Wench Costume

Arrghhh......... Matey

 Isabel's best pirate face.

And Ana's costume. She wouldn't let me take a lot of pictures and all the rest had her eyes closed or was glaring in the bright sunlight.

Dewberry Farms and Lando

 For playgroup, we went to Dewberry Farms (which according to their website was featured on Pioneer Woman's blog--don't I feel special).  It was nice because we got a field group rate and it's less crowded during the week.

 It was fun.  But I think the ideal age for this place would have been 5-12 yr. olds.  A lot of the activities Sebastian and Isabel couldn't do because they were too small.  Like these pedal carts--they were too heavy for them to ride.  But Elena liked it!

 But we got a free little pumpkin and the kids loved the petting zoo part. Yes, I pulled Elena out of school to go.

 Our tractor ride.

 And now on to cuter matters.  Look at that almost grin!  He was smiling just a second before.  I love his smile, and he's ticklish.  :)

 Most of the time he's serious though.

I just want to squeeze him!

 Ha! Ha!  Cross-eyed!

 Otherwise, I've been busy getting decorations ready for a tri-ward Halloween party, and sewing costumes like mad.  Then on Friday and Saturday I pulled all the weeds and rotor-tilled our backyard flowerbeds, added compost, bonemeal, and fertilizer (yes, I am NOT organic), and I planted my daylilies, zebra mallow, and liriope. (Leo helped A LOT--he's so sweet!)  Soon, all my tulips and Black-eyed Susans should be delivered and then I can plant those.  And in February my two rose bushes.  Happy sigh at the thought.  Not happy was the little baby snake we found, or the fact that our yard is invested with these nasty creatures, Japanese Beetle Grubs.

 Ugh!!!  And they eat roses!!  I might cry.  From what I've read, there's not a good control method either--one website suggested HAND-PICKING them out of your soil.  They are so nasty.  I had a nightmare that night after seeing them for the first time.  Sorry, to end on that.  I should have left off with the pictures of Nicolas.