Annabelle's Easter dress

The pattern is from the Ottobre 3/08 issue.  It is pattern #4, the 2 in 1 dress.  The panty underneath is all one with the dress, so it covers the diaper.  It is definitely large enough for a cloth diaper with an extra liner underneath.  I made it from the yellow print with blue underneath because I like unusual color blends.  The top is a Monag blank that I cut the sleeves off and lettuce edged.  I have several long sleeve blanks and I need to use them up eventually...here's the first one. 

The lettuce edging is just as easy with my regular machine as it is with the serger.  It's a bit slower but it works just fine.  I really like how it looks.

The bodice was a challenge.  The straps are elasticized and you sew them to the front of the bodice first; next, you put the back together and then have to sew the back to the front with the straps already in place.  It requires a little maneuvering but now that I have experienced it once it wouldn't be so hard the next time. 

When I made the underskirt I just put it right sides together like always with a dress, only to remember when I was done that it needed to be right side of bodice to wrong side of skirt so the skirt faces out and the bodice faces in.  It was a good experience in paying attention; ripping out 2 rows of stitching and then redoing the gathering and sewing it all again was a lesson I won't soon forget.  It all came out in the end, though.

Now I am going to make some Easter outfits for my daughter's 4 boys and I might even have time to make myself a new dress in the next week so I have an Easter dress, too.

The plants are budding and it will be greening soon.  The grass is growing and the forsythia bushes are getting ready to pop out their pretty yellow "winter is over!" declaration.  I can't wait.  I love gardening and playing in the dirt.  So do the chickens. 

Enough for now.  Time to go pick out patterns for Easter clothes.  Blessings on you and yours.

Having fun

I belong to a Yahoo group called CoveredCaboose. They deal mostly with wool and bamboo fabrics for diaper making; they also sell some really neat knits and other fabrics. In addition, the group Mom has a pattern line called Ditto Daddy. I bought one of the patterns last week and made Little Miss A, my up-and-coming granddaughter, some new onesies. These are made specifically for babies who are cloth diapered. The name, fittingly, is Ditto Daddy Cloth Bum Onesies.

If you look, the snaps for the crotch aren't in the middle of the bottom. Now that place is hard enough to snap on babies wearing paper and plastic and petroleum diapers. There's a fullness to a diaper that doesn't lend itself to being squashed in the most abundant part. Oh no; these onesies snap up on the tummy, over the big mushy soft fluffy cloth diapers keeping the baby comfy and feeling all fuzzy. I have a snap press, like several other cloth diaper making people, and it makes applying the poly resin snaps much easier, not to mention a whole lot more fun because of the color variations and possiblities.

The tummy snap area, as well as the crotch one, is reinforced with my special blend of little pieces of fabric that allow stability while keeping the snaps from being pulled away from and possibly out of the fabric with repeated usage, which anyone who has ever diapered a baby knows their clothing gets a lot of.
So anyhow...I think this is my favorite pattern. I'm glad I bought it. The pattern itself is a little odd-looking at first but it explains itself fabulously well once you get going.
I will be using it again.

Now this dress is made from a Simplicity 50's retro pattern. It is also for Little Miss A, hopefully on her homecoming day (per Oma tradition). Before anyone thinks it - yes, I did put the snaps bottom side out. I happen to adore those little butt-ruffles and want to see all of them. The flat front is not as interesting as the ruffles, and little girls in ruffled diaper covers look absolutely adorable. The bonnet went together in a snap. I was really surprised at how easy it was to make. Actually, the whole pattern was pretty easy.


Here's a pic of the back of the dress and the whole lilac part of the diaper cover, which, by the way, is lined with Kona Snow fabric as is the bonnet, and the cover contains a hiddlen layer of PUL in case of leakage. Nothing like baby surprises on your Sunday best.

I also reinforced the snaps for the diaper cover with a layer of thick fabric so that they are stabilized and stronger. I don't want to take any chances.
I can't wait to see how son and his girlfriend like this outfit. They love the onesies. Nobody else will ever have one just like this one because it is made by an individual for an individual. No mass-produced BigBox dress-in-a-bag thing for my granddaughter. I try as much as I can not to support the proponents of a legal form or persecution almost to the point of slave labor all so that Americans can indulge their greediness and apathy for the people on the other side of their poor-quality cheaply abundant cookie-cutter possessions.


And enough of that.


The chickens have about had IT with the rain. They want spring and warm, not this weird weather we're getitng with cool and damp, warmer and damp, cool and damp, warmer and damp. We all get kinda cranky around those months when it's not winter any more but it's not spring either. I need to get my garden in, need to prune and rake as much as I can, and I need to paint the awful nasty stained inside of the chicken coop. I learned a lot this past year about what chickens can do with poop while they are sleeping. It ends up in the **strangest** places!!! Hubby is working more on the chicken coop. He finally got me another door at the other end of the run so I don't bonk myself in the head so much. I like this door. If it were a bit taller it would be nice, but you're not going to hear me complain.

Well, it's time to get going again. God's blessings on your and yours. Peace to you.

moving on

The diapers are done.

The soakers are done.

I also did a set of soakers for Kenny because he can't decide if he's potty trained or not. He'll be good for a while and then, like he did at my house the other day, he'll sit in his chair and pee on the floor through his clothes. It's not like he doesn't know. He just does it. I made the soakers for him so if Abby needs to use them he has them. She can use them on Patrick when he gets older anyhow, so I only need to make one more size - the size between those and the ones he's in now.

I have the quilts cut out for the twins but I'm lacking the energy and motivation to sew the pieces together and make the blocks. Once I get going it will go quickly. It's just a matter of getting off my backside and starting that first block; sewing that first seam will do the trick.

I have a lot to iron. I just caught up on laundry and most of my dresses and such need to be ironed. I haven't ironed for over a week so now I really just buckle down and get it done. I'll probably do that tomorrow.

The garden is doing well. We have lots of cucumbers and the tomatoes are starting to get ripe.

The pullets should start laying soon. I can't wait to see the multi-colored eggs. It's going to be neat to have blue and green eggs in my fridge. The turkens are large birds and so are the Marans. The Ameraucanas will be smaller birds and they are noticeably more shy and mellow than the Turkens, but more outgoing than the Marans trio. Turkens are inquisitive and smart. Ameraucanas are quiet and gentle with bright eyes and pretty colors - their muffs make them especially cute, and their color combinations are incredible.

I did give two of the Marans cockerels to a lady with a farm. She said they have been good boys. I'm really glad she took them. They have a lot of room to run around and about half as many birds as we do to hang out with. She calls me about every 2 weeks to give me an update.

Life is slowly and surely settling into a routine here. It's all going to be good in the end.

almost done

I got 28 of the diapers done before I ran out of foldover elastic. I also got the 8 soakers finished. I took them to Abby and she started using them right away. She really likes them and it makes me happy that she's using them instead of wasting them. I put a lot of time into those diapers.

Today the rest of the elastic showed up - I ordered more after I ran out. Now I can do the other 8 diapers and get them to Abby. Patrick will have 3 dozen diapers then and all he will need is some liners for when he's a bit older and wets more when he goes, and he'll need some larger soakers (covers) as he grows because the ones I made are quite fitted.

Abby's birthday is Thursday. I got her an outfit that I think she'll like, on clearance at WalMart, which gives me a perfect excuse to get her more things. I'm making her a pair of pettipants to go under her summer dresses to help with the chafing issue, and I found some fabric to make a really cute top from. I'm hoping to have that done by Friday when they come for dinner. We're grilling hot dogs and burgers, I think.

I moved the chickens around today. The young ones, being much more in number, are now in the larger portion of the coop. The 13 older birds are in the smaller part. This is only for about 3 weeks. Once the babies are 16 weeks old I can start feeding everyone layer feed and then they can be mixed together. It will be a little chaotic at first as the pecking order is established, but it will work out. By September I should have about 42 girls laying eggs for me, and 5 roosters who will, hopefully, get along so I don't have to cull anyone. I'm praying they just get along. They're all pretty birds and I don't want to butcher anyone right now.

I need to make banana bread in the morning, finish up the diapers, make the pettipants, and maybe get started on the top. Once her stuff is all done I am going to get started on the quilts for the twins since they turn 5 on August 3 and they get another quilt at 5. C's birthday is the 13th and I'm not quite sure what to give her. I do have some blocks from a round robin I could put together and machine quilt for her if I have time and am feeling up to it. Otherwise, I'm sure I'll come up with something.

I'm going to try to sleep tonight. I pray I can lie down next to hubby in bed and fall asleep. I'm tired of sleeping in the chair.

When the diapers are done and I take them to Abby's house I'll get pics of them and the covers and of Patrick wearing them. He's cute as a button in them. They also lessen diaper rash and are much cheaper to use. I think they're great. I'm making some as soon as I have some time and sending them to an organization that gives them to low-income moms who want to cloth diaper their babies but can't afford it. I think that's a great thing to do. I sure wouldn't want to wear plastic underwear!

wet month

We've been keeping track with the rain gauge. If my counting is right, we had around 16 inches of rain in May. We were 12 inches up for the year by last week. I believe the drought in this area is now officially over.

This morning I got my courage up and went in the chick area outside - the roofed one - armed with the shovel, rake, and broom, and proceeded to rake, sweep, scrape poop, and shovel stuff up. Once I had it at least 75% cleaner, I added some fresh hay and spread it a bit so that it will absorb some of the poop and some of the remaining dampness and then in a few days I can do it again and we'll have a clean outside area for the babies.

I can't do anything for the hens right now outside-wise. The dirt is either dirt or it's mud. They do have much more room inside, though, so they can go in there if they get hot or need a dry place to hang out. We do need to put some perches in there, though, so they have a place to sit that's not on the ground. Maybe I can come up with something.

I've been sewing a lot. I made a new dress, some headcoverings, a jumper, a blouse and a nightie for me as well as a jumper for Becky and a top and shorts for Abby. It's good to feel up to sewing. This week I need to start on June's birthday presents. Kenny will be 3 on the 15th and Tobie will be 7 on the 21st and they both need quilts...Kenny's will be a quillow and Tobie is getting a denim/flannel rag quilt since he outgrew the one I made him when he was younger. He asked for it specifically so that's what I'll make him.

I did call Tech Support and they helped me rig up this computer the right way so that the mouse isn't acting all whacky and the internet doesn't keep shutting down all the time. I'm most of the way adjusted to it now. In fact, the regular computer feels weird. Today I went to Walmart and got some stuff and picked up a dinner lap tray thing they had there to put the laptop on. I didn't know you're not supposed to put it on your lap or it can overheat. Now I'm not using a kid's tray...the one I had been using had given me a bruise from where the folded up leg piece rubbed against my knee.

I'm so blessed...yes I am...God is good.

time for more chick pics

Ameraucana chick

Cuckoo Marans chick

Turken chick

White Wyandotte

Mystery bird

Group shot

Three musketeers

Turken trio

Ameraucana duo

The chicks are getting big. They love to go under the outside overhang, which we have blocked off so the big birds can't beat them up. It'll be at least another 12 weeks before I can blend the group, by which time the babies will be big enough to hold their own against the grownups.

They like scratch grains in small quantities. They love worms. They'll also eat dandelion greens and bugs once they figure out it.

The big birds have picked up with laying again. I'm getting more eggs than we've had in a few months. I'm thrilled with that. They love dandelion greens, worms, old buttermilk, cottage cheese, bread and all kinds of leftovers. They far prefer the goodies to their regular food, just like they'd rather drink out of a mud puddle than drink clear water from the waterer. Go figger.

I'm kinda tired so this will be short but I wanted to get up the pics of the 6-week-old birds before they were older.

Have a blessed week.

4 weeks old

The chicks are 4 weeks old and growing like weeds.

My mystery chick...we think maybe she's a Partridge Rock or a Welsummer


A Marans chick


One of our 15 Turkens


A White Wyandotte


An Ameraucana - I'm not sure if you can see her green legs or not


This is a little group of girls being girls


The babies are going through almost 4 pounds of food a day now. I'd forgotten how much they eat when they're growing. It takes a lot of energy to get so much bigger than the chicks are at birth as well as changing the fluff they are born with for feathers of many colors. At 4 weeks, they are at least halfway feathered out. Another 2-4 weeks and they'll be done with that.

I cleaned the covered over outside area yesterday, swept what the rake wouldn't get up, and this morning I put down a clean flake of hay. It smells a lot better in there now.

Argh...that reminds me that I need to clean the baby coop area. 36 chicks can make a lot of droppings in a week, and that stinks. I guess maybe later today I'll clean that out and replace the litter so they don't smell up the whole yard.

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I added some plus-sized pettipants to my Etsy store. The headcoverings aren't selling, but I think maybe these will because every plus-sized woman who wears dresses with bare legs in the summer will suffer the consequences of chafing, which is very uncomfortable. Abby has already asked me for some. I'm probably making hers today if I get enough sleep in a while to be safe at the machine.

I need to go see my pain doc today, too, so I have to try to take a nap this morning after hubby leaves. I see her at 10:00 and she's about 35 minutes from here. If I sleep till about 8:30 and leave at 9:00 or so just in case I should be fine. Friday I see my psychiatrist. It feels weird to not be seeing either one of them more than every 2 months.

I should get my morning started. Hubby will be up shortly.

Another night with no sleep....~sigh~

staying busy

We've been doing a lot of yard work lately. Spring is always busy. We have a lot to rake; the first full mowing needs to be done; plants need to be pruned or removed; the garden needs to be started; it's interesting.

The dappled willows in the front did badly last spring and summer. We lost two of the three plants we had. We also lost a couple rose bushes and a peach tree.
I took clippings from the remaining dappled willow, put them in rooting compound, and we'll see if they take.

We have new daffodils I planted last fall.

We just put in new hollyhocks- I got the roots at ChinaMart and planted them in the other half of the hollyhock bed.

We got a new rose bush.

I found a bulb for a blue bearded iris and planted it for hubby. He loves irises more than I do. I hope it does well.

We also have the Rose of Sharon we planted last fall. We got that at the farmer's market for $5, I think.

I have tomato seedlings and broccoli plants growing now. I planted the cucumber seeds two days ago. I have lettuce going but it never does very well for me. I'm not sure why. Maybe I don't thin it soon enough. I also planted some chives.

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The chicks are growing like crazy. Man, can they eat! We went through 50 pounds of starter/grower in under 3 weeks. I know they're growing, but there is a huge difference in feed between 19 chicks and 36. Oh yes...and the poo issue. I have never seen so much poo at once.

They're feathering out now and look really cute. I can't wait till they get big enough to let out in the porch area so they can get fresh air and sunshine, but that will be another 3-4 weeks at least. They have to be fully feathered first.

We need to get a bigger feeder. I'm using two of the red plastic ones and they clean them out in less than 24 hours. I'll do that in a couple weeks when my disability comes in. In the meantime, I'll feed them twice a day. It won't kill me.

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Finally, after a lot of work, I have my bra pattern almost right. I made yet another one, changing the pattern again and using a different technique to apply the interfacing, and the resulting bra was *this close* to what I wanted to see. One more slash and tape session with the cups and I should have it just where I want it.

Here are a couple pics of the bra itself. One is on the hanger, and the other is on me so you can see that there is no fat hanging over the top of the side pieces, which is a major plus for this pattern. It's comfy and supportive, and it fits.


Here it is on the hanger.


Here it is on me.

I like how the black looks with the gray. I was going to do it all gray but really had trouble finding lace the right width and specifications that matched or at least looked decent so I decided black was going to be fine.

Once the pattern is settled, I have some really pretty fabric to make a few with. It gets frustrating that not only can I rarely find bras that fit, but that most of them are ugly and either white, nude or black. Plus sized women want nice bras in nice colors, too. Off-size plus sized women want them as well.

And this is where I've been and what I've been doing since I posted last.

the new babies

Ameraucana chick



Marans chick



Turken chick



White Wyandotte chick



Getting used to the new living space



We got the chicks last Thursday. I'd forgotten how much more work they are. I don't mind, though. They're cute enough to make up for it!
I can't wait till they're big enough to go out with the others. After that it will be culling time and then we'll have lots of pretty new eggs and lots of pretty colored new birds. I love this time of year!

I finally did it!

My Etsy store is open.

SimpleAdditions is the name I chose.

I currently have headcoverings listed but will be adding articles as I get them assembled and tested.

I'm praying that I can sell a few things so we will have a bit of extra money. With gas going the way it is, if I can't raise a bit of money I may need to sell my car. Paying for the insurance on both vehicles and putting gas in them can cost a pretty penny. If we only have one vehicle, I do far less running around and plan my shopping time much more efficiently.

Anyway, it feels good to have it done and going. It's in God's hands. I pray He brings the right people there.

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The chicken coop is almost ready for the babies. Tomorrow I need to keep the truck and get more litter so I can change out the stuff in the coop now, clean and refill the nesting boxes, and get the area ready for the babies. I'm so excited!

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We had stew last night with some of the fresh beef we got from hubby's work buddy. There is no comparison to store-bought beef. This meat is almost sweet, very tender, and practically falls apart. Hubby told me today Scotty told him this cow got 25 bushels of corn in addition to his regular feed, just like all the calves from last year did. We've already decided to get more meat from him next year. It is well worth what we paid for it.

I need a nap. I hope you all are okay with the storming going on around us.

Bless you!

Abby and the kids came over yesterday. Here she is playing with Patrick while the boys are taking a nap. He's getting so big!

These are my boys. They had to have a picture taken because Patrick did and if he does, they do. They're getting so big!

This is my Patrick boy. He's a hoot. He was smiling at me because the flash kept going off at him. He's such a cutie!

This is how Jimmy's new quillow looks when it's all folded up. It folds up lengthwise into thirds and then from top to bottom to top in thirds as well and it tucks into the little pillow space and voilà! A quillow!

This is the quillow opened up. It's about 45 or so inches wide and about 60 inches long. It's just the right side for a toddler!

I'm having a horrid time typing today. It must have to do with the 2 hours of sleep I got last night and my need for more. I've had to retype this several times as well as needing to re-upload the photos a few times and I also rearranged them more than once. I do some not-so-smart things when I'm tired. Between that and the meds I can be a real mess.

By this time next week we'll have baby chicks! I'm so excited. I hope the ground and coop will be dry by then. It's so soggy out there I'm afraid I'm going to slip and fall every time I go into the lounge area or walk back to the closed in yard.

I think I'll go take a nap. Maybe I'll be thinking more clearly after that. Right now I can barely type. Thank goodness for spellcheck and the backspace key!

a new addition to the family

This is Buddy Boy. He is a Transylvanian Naked Neck rooster. The breed is also know as the Turken. The most obvious feature of the Turken is the lack of neck feathers. In its place is skin the same dark red as the comb and wattles. Females are like this, too, but they lack the pretty tail feathers.

We got Buddy Boy from the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch in Union, Missouri. He had been there since last summer when he and his flockmates were confiscated. I don't know the circumstances, but I do know that all the rest of the flock had been adopted, but Buddy Boy was still there.

I had been watching him off and on for a while; several months, in fact. I'd go to the site to see if he'd been adopted and time after time, he was still there. Last week I got this really strong urge to see if he was still available and if he was, to adopt him. After my experience with Jeb and his temper, I wasn't sure I wanted to try this again. However, I prayed about it, and still felt led to give him a home.



Buddy is great with the girls. He must feel he's in chicken heaven. He was in an 8-by-10 kennel with two ducks and a goose, I think. There were only 4 other chickens there, one light Brahma rooster and a pair of banties. He and the Brahma didn't get along at all, which isn't really uncommon for roosters, so they had been separated from each other.

We gave him a few minutes when we got home so that he could get used to the presence of other chickens and catch his breath from the shock of the ride home and his new environment. I couldn't stand it any longer so I let him go. He and the hens hit it off right away and they have taken to each other incredibly well. He is gentle with them, never attacking them or forcing himself on them when they're not in the mood for his affections. He is also very mellow with me. He looks at me, watching me closely, and keeps his distance, but doesn't charge or attempt to attack me at all.



The first night I went out to check on them before I went to bed and he was on the top roost with some of the other girls, all snuggled down in between the two most dominant hens. They've shown him the ropes and he seems to be adjusting well. In exchange, he has made them happy by his presence and the protection he offers to his ladies.

I haven't figured out one of their little oddities; the girls pulled a few of his feathers out Saturday and yesterday. He didn't object at all. I'm thinking maybe it's their way of testing his health and making sure he's an appropriate guardian.

This morning I took them some old banana bread and he called them to it, watching to make sure they all had some before he took a few bites. He did the same with the lettuce I took them about an hour ago.

I'm really glad I took a chance and gave Buddy Boy a new home. I know the people at the Rescue Ranch only have so much room and sometimes the birds or other animals have to be euthanized if there isn't enough room for all of them and one or another has been there a long time without being adopted. A lot of people don't want roosters. They either have enough already or just want the hens for eggs. Still, he has made my hens much more content. He's quite a gentleman with them and they aren't as stressed as they were with Jeb here. He's at least 2 years old; quite possibly older. I think maybe it's a split between his innate temperament and the fact that he is no longer a teenager.

I look forward to seeing my pretty new rooster for a long time to come.

For anyone looking for a pet of any kind, try the Humane Society or other shelters in your area. The animals there deserve a chance to have a loving home and a place where they can feel they belong. All 3 of our cats were rescues as well, and if I ever get another pet, you can bet it will be a rescue.

staying busy

I've been working on headcoverings this week. I played with one yesterday and got it all finished before deciding I really didn't like it. I'll have to tweak that pattern so it doesn't make the wearer look like The Flying Nun when they have it on. Fortunately I have a lot of scrap and leftover fabric so I'm not wasting good stuff with my experimentation.

I also made a new jumper and I really like it. The last time I used this pattern, I gathered the skirt instead of doing the pleats the pattern called for. This time I used the pleats and found out very quickly that it is much more flattering and makes me look a bit smaller and not so round.

We had to cull a hen two nights ago. She was at the bottom of the pecking order and obviously ticked someone off. I went in to check on them and found blood spots all over the place. They'd been pecking at her head and neck and she didn't look too good, though she wasn't as bad as she could have been. Hens being hens, if I'd have left her there overnight she'd have been dead in the morning. I got hubby and we went to the garage and did what we had to do. I was able to clean the carcass this time and pluck most of the feathers so on Wednesday we'll have a nice roast chicken for supper. If I catch the head hen being mean like that to one more of her housemates she's next on the list. I don't need mean birds.

We definitely need more birds this spring. I just put 2 dozen fresh eggs in the outside fridge today and a new local customer showed up and bought both of them. I had emptied the fridge last week to take the eggs to the feed store owner and now I'm out again. 15 (now 14) birds just aren't enough. Once I get the new chicks next month and they start laying we'll have 25 pullets producing eggs. That should be enough. Where we are now I won't even have to go to the farmer's market to sell eggs this summer...I won't have enough to take!

Later today I want to make some more of the triangle headcoverings, assembly line style by color, so I can list them on Etsy and see what happens. I have plenty of fat quarters picked out and after I go to the post office and check the mail I'll have enough lace for them as well. I'm making some with lace and some without. I'll see which sells best, and also have the option on my Etsy page for people to contact me about specific preferences.

I'd like to get on a regular sleep schedule again. This staying up most of the night thing really throws off my routine.

I guess that's it for now. I'm going to try and take some pics of my headcoverings so I'll have them to post on Etsy and I'll put them here, too.

Beginning again

Sometime in the summer of 2007, God laid on my heart that it was time to stop messing around and get serious about dressing in a modest fashion. It happened almost overnight. I put away the shorts and tank tops and switched to jumpers and dresses and skirts.

I don't want to sound like it was easy because at the time our vehicle didn't have air conditioning and since I owned mostly t-shirts of cotton knit I got very hot if I went places in the daytime. I had to start thinking of ways to stay cool and dress the way I felt I was being led to dress.

I made a few short-sleeved dresses from a modest pattern and those along with the skirts and a denim dress got me through to the fall.

This winter I've worn skirts, jumpers, dresses, and haven't worn pants one day. I do put long johns under the dresses, especially since we live in a weird climate and I go outside every day to care for our chickens and see to the bird feeders and such.

I've found my favorite all-around cool weather shoes to be Birkenstock clogs I got from ebay for less than $50. In the summer, my Birkenstock sandals only leave my feet when I slip on my Birkies, made of rubber, to go do chicken stuff and other dirty chores. I have tennies for cold cold days and boots for snow, but I far prefer the Birkenstocks for the comfort factor. I need to find boots that fit me better.

Just a week ago God put on my heart to start covering. Three days ago I made my first two headcoverings, simple but adequate, and I will go on from here.

The first two are a dusty blue color. One has cream lace and one has white. I have 4 white ones cut out already. I use single-fold bias tape for the long edge and the ties.

I have ideas for more coverings and may even offer a few on Etsy or another place to see if people would be interested in purchasing simple, practical headcoverings. I also made a plain cotton half slip and a flannel half slip for winter, and I could sell those as well, made to fit the waist size of the person buying them. The flannel slip is nice when it's really cold and I have to go out and the longjohn leggings are just not cutting it.

I would really like to find a place that sells 3x thick cotton tights. It's very difficult. I see microfiber ones, and nylon ones, and lycra ones, and thin cotton ones, and fancy patterned ones. What I and a lot of other large ladies are looking for is a manufacturer willing to make simple thick winter-weather style cotton tights in even just a few basic colors...white, cream, navy, brown and black would be perfectly acceptable. We don't need a lot, just enough.

Since warmer weather will be approaching, I am looking to make a few more lightweight dresses to get me through the heat of the Missouri summer without compromising my convictions.

I am also going to be playing with my slip pattern as I'd like to make a full-length one as well as a half slip.

Add to that the headcoverings, household work, family time, and chickens, and I will be quite occupied for the upcoming months.

I truly wish I could find something to do that would enable me to get off disability but it would have to be something I could do here on a sporadic basis as my pain level and associated symptoms allow. In the meantime, I can always experiment and see what I come up with.

It certainly is something to look forward to.