Chicken "Nuggets"

Yes, I am the clever one today. Sharing bits about my pet chickens!

Here is our little bit of chicken heaven! My Dad built the amazing coop for us last Fall. On the other end it has a "people" door which makes feeding and cleaning easy. Do you see the nesting area on the left? It has a lid that opens to collect eggs.
The little run on the far left was their original home (also built by Dad) but it is now the perfect spot for the chicks to play, since they cannot live with the big chickens till they are bigger.

Here's the inside view from the people door. The little chicken door leads to the ramp to their yard.

See the nesting boxes on the right and the heat lamp, above, for winter. There are also 2 windows. The roosting bar is where they sleep.

Right now the chicks are in the small cage so they are safe.

Shelly and Golden on bar, Blackie underneath.

Chicks are Squeak, Henrietta, and Chicky.

The chicks hiding under the coop.

Hens playing.

That's not a chicken!! Oh, yeah, it's one of the wild turkeys who often visit our yard!

This is to show you the variety of eggs we get. The dark brown, left bottom, is the size of a large egg you would buy at the grocery store. The little blue ones are from our Ameracauna and the super jumbos are from Blackie- not every egg is that huge, but many are. I have only found one double yoke so far, but who knows what we'll get when we crack these open!

Kitschy Kitchen Towels

I've been having fun making button-up kitchen towels this week. My hubby has bought me the crochet-topped towels before and I love them.

Why do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

1. Because my kids always drop the towel on the floor.

2. Because they wipe up yucky things with my towels.

3. Because if I don't have a designated "hand-drying" towel, I can easily do through a roll of paper towels a day!

4. Because these only take scraps of fabric and 15 mins to make!

5. Because these are so cute and kitschy- like me!

These are some of the first batch. I had already given one to my Mom. Her kitchen has gray and light sea blue, so I thought these colors would be pretty. The brown one is for me. I have 4 more in brighter colors almost finished. I think these would make great hostess gifts, too.

What do you think?

Vintage "Glad Rags"

I recently found a vintage button-on suit in a larger size. I try to get them when I find them, especially because my little Andy is a great model for them.

This is what I imagine the little 1930s boys wore to school or play. Andy doesn't like all the buttons. How did boys ever go potty?

Here you can see that my azalea is in bloom. It was a Mother's Day present several years ago.

Here is the tag. Glad Rags, age 7. My Andy is nearly 5 and tall for his age, but I can't imagine this fitting but the most petit of 7 year olds!  The shirt fabric is a sort of woven jacquard with swirls. It feels like cotton.

Here's the back view. It has belt loops, so maybe once upon a time it also had a belt?

A parting shot from Carter, our dog, enjoying time on the porch. Do you see his smile?

New Babies: Henrietta & Chicky

So, just on Saturday you meet Pip & Squeak, our new chicks. Sadly, Pip got sick the next day and despite my best efforts, she could not be saved. Chickens are social creatures, which is why I have always bought 2 or 3 at a time.
2 Summers ago, we started our flock with Bennie, Blackie, and Shelly. Bennie is a Bantam (mini) and he ended up being a rooster, not a hen. He was the sweetest little guy and followed me around like a dog. He is also a terrific flier. Our neighbor complained about his crowing, so he went to live at a nearby chicken farm. He got a Bantam girlfriend and is quite happy and we can still go visit him. Here are our first 3 when we got them:

Last summer, we added 2 more chicks, because it is good to have at least 3, in case something happens to one. We didn't want a repeat of the rooster fiasco, so we bought "guaranteed" pullets (girls). We chose Peep & Golden:

 However, it slowly became apparent that the word guarantee isn't quite right. Yes, Peep was a rooster. And not a sweet, tiny Bantam that followed me to the mailbox like a dog. No, Peep was evil. This rooster had it in for me. He bit, pecked, flew at you, etc. He also went to the farm and we were back to 3 again.

This year, I was going to order 2 more chicks, but when I went to the Farm Store, they had ordered some Khaki Campbell ducklings, which live on land. Of course, only my lack of a pond had prevented me getting ducks before, so I ordered 2. Let's just say the Daddy behind Mommy's Apron Strings was not most pleased. Since we had recently acquired a puppy that he wasn't too thrilled about, I felt I must concede the ducklings- at least for this year. Then on Friday, my daughter Katie bought me 2 more chicks, which you met: Pip & Squeak. Squeak couldn't be raised alone, so we got her 2 little friends: Chicky & Henrietta (and they are all "guaranteed" pullets!)

Here they are last night in front of my forsythia. They are just so sweet. Like human babies, you just forget how tiny and soft they are!! We are enjoying them a lot and this week's warm weather has been perfect to take them in the yard for a little while.

Tomorrow, I will share pictures of my big hens!

Thank you to everyone who bought, favorited, or commented on the "Linny's Pinafore" pattern. Sales have been great! If you want to get it on sale, use promo code LINNY till Sunday night to pay only $5.

Linny's Pinafore is for Sale!

I am super excited to announce that Linny's Pinafore PDF Pattern is done!

You can buy it in my ETSY SHOP. The regular price will be $8, but you can get it until Mother's Day for only $5 with promo code: LINNY

I've been eager to share photos of the pinafore with you, so here's some inspiration:

My little Goddaughter Ella, 2 1/2, looks so sweet! This version is smocked with ruffles all around. I love the strawberry print fabric. The ties under the arms add a girly touch!

Another cute picture of Ella, which shows the back. It has 2 buttons/buttonholes in the back yoke.

The talented Sharon Knowles made this beautiful version for her daughter. It is a size 4. She made the smocked version with fluffy ties and lace all around.

Here it is on her lovely daughter! Sharon blogs at Sweet Pea and Pumkins. 

She is doing a tutorial for the cute puffy pocket she used on these shorts. I will post a link when it's up.

And here is the pinafore that started it all! I made this for Baby Ella. This is the smocked version with fluffy ties and eyelet on the edges. Size 6 months.

Ella looked precious in this outfit! She still has those beautiful blue eyes.

Here is an example of an unsmocked pinafore with ribbon ties and a square skirt bottom. I added machine embroidered shadow work to the yoke and used Swiss eyelet trim. You could use a border eyelet for a very quick version.

Unfortunately, I don't have a newborn handy as a model. This doll is 19" and the pinafore fit perfectly. This size would be great for a summer baby's "take me home" outfit. You could also add a dress underneath. 

I know you will love Linny's Pinafore!

Guest post by Pip & Squeak

"Hi, I'm Squeak!!"

"And I'm Pip!"

"We are little PipSqueaks!"

"We are 2 days old." See how tiny we are?" 

"We are little puffs of feathers. We are excited to grow up and meet Blackie, Shelly, and Golden- our big sisters."