Monthly Archives: May 2017

How’s Your May Progressing?

Believe it or not, we are already into the second half of May.  How did that happen?  I love this time of year though, when summer is yet to come, and it feels that once it starts it will be never ending.  However, of course, it never is.

We spent this past Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  I took some photos of the gardens, not too many this year, but enough to show you what it looks like in May 2017.

We’ve been here in past years during mid May and have seen all of the cherry blossoms  in bloom.  Not so this year, only one tree left in bloom, and we found it in the Japanese Garden.

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I LOVE flowers and the endless colors they produce, but there is something about the Japanese Garden that appeals to me… a lot; its simplicity and calmness speak to me.  When I was younger, I never found this understated and mostly green garden very interesting at all.  But now, this is the place where I would sit and knit all day long; I love it that much.  If you’d like to read more about this garden here is the link to its page on their website.

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Azaleas, azaleas, azaleas!

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And here are a few photos from elsewhere at the Botanic Gardens.  Subtle shade difference in flowers get me every time.  These are lupines in a multitude of pinks.

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Be still my heart… lily-of-the-valley, love, love, love!  Oh how I wanted to pick one, but I resisted.  I did spend quite a while here repeatedly bending down to inhale their sweet scent though.  Anyone else have a lily-of-the-valley scented Little Kiddle doll?

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The English Oak Meadow hillside is awash with California poppies.

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We had a lovely (and sunny) Mother’s Day together.  In the afternoon we visited a local nursery and picked up a few hanging baskets for the front porch, then made dinner at home.  It was a wonderful weekend, indeed!

I hope yours was wonderful too!

A happy belated Mother’s Day to all of you moms. ❤

“Petite Treasures”

Look what Gina found in the garden?  A little nest was resting on the ground; it had fallen from its perch in a nearby tree.  Gina and I will put it back safe and sound so that mama bird can continue on with her role as mother-to-be.

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Gina’s new dress is made with a cotton Japanese floral print in the yummiest of color palettes:  pinks, blues, and yellows.  The hemline is prettied up with a border of ivory French cotton scalloped lace.  An ivory satin ribbon ties around the waistline.

The capelet and beret are made with sky blue Peruvian Highland wool yarn.  The capelet is knit in a lace pattern to give it a delicate look.  It can be worn with the opening in the front or back.  Tiny pink roses are embroidered all the way around the hemline.  The beret is embellished with a handmade matching ivory satin ribbon bow and an embroidered pink rose.  I think the beret looks cute when worn at a jaunty angle.

The tiny nest is filled with two sky blue eggs and coordinating blossoms.  (Gina insisted on adding her magic touch to the nest.)  The contents are kept in place with hot glue.  Clear jewelry elastic loops are tied to each side of the nest to act as handles.

Hand dyed pastel pink cotton Lycra® tights and a beaded bracelet (with a very cute bird charm) complete this ensemble.

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“Petite Treasures” will be available tonight (May 11, 2016) at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

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“Natural Beauty” for Gracie

I finished this ensemble for Gracie last week, and have been much too busy to show you, sorry.  We helped my daughter pack up her dorm room this past Friday (I don’t know how everything fit in our car!!!) and brought her home for the summer.  It goes without saying how nice it is to have her back!  I think she is a little bored right now though.  Her high school friends haven’t returned home, and her summer class at the community college hasn’t started, so not much to do but relax.

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Here’s my beautiful Gracie modeling her new dress/cardigan ensemble.  The dress is made with a Japanese rose print in a very pretty, and unusual color palette.  The roses are in a deep terracotta-ish red, peachy melon, and cool pink.  There are some muted pastel yellow and peach bell-shaped blossoms scattered amongst the roses.  The greenery is in a muted mint green and turquoise.  The flora is outlined with a green-ish gray.  It is very colorful, but sophisticated.

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I made Gracie’s dress with my newly drafted bodice that has a wider neckline.  Doesn’t this style look pretty on her?  The hemline is fancied up with ivory French cotton lace.  Matching ivory English nylon Cluny lace is used for the waistline sash.

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Gracie’s short sleeved cardigan is made with summery cotton/Modal yarn in natural.  The nine color embroidery design is all free form, no planning; I simply stitched, adding motifs here and there until the composition was completed.  It coordinates perfectly with the dress fabric.

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Gracies slouchy crocheted cap is made with matching bamboo thread.  A handmade bow that matches the waistline sash decorates the band.

A matching crocheted drawstring bag is a nostalgic touch.  A pearl looped tassel hangs from the bottom of the bag.  The bag opens and closes as Gracie finds little treasures to add to it.

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The colorful and unique bracelet decorates Gracie’s wrist.  The bracelet is made with a coordinating resin rose, green heart, and links of silver-toned branches.  It closes with a handmade wire hook.

Underneath are a pair of coordinating cotton Lycra® tights.

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“Natural Beauty” will be available tonight at 7:00 pm CST, cindyricedesigns.com.

I hope you all are having a beautiful day!  Thanks for stopping by, my friends!