Flowers that Aren't Dead!

I am so excited. These flowers have been alive for a couple of weeks. I discovered the secret to not killing plants within the first 7 days (if you are me anyway) is that I should leave them completely and absolutely alone. The best gift I can give them is my absence. And they are so pretty that I am in no way shape or form offended. These photos were from a couple weeks ago but they are still alive (at least as of Saturday).

For those of you just tuning in, I have sort of a brown shriveled thumb and am always sort of disappointed by my eager if misplaced gardening efforts on our patio each spring. Last year I had a total of like 6 string beans and some woody mint. I decided to go with flowers (since I love them but can't justify buying them for myself to slowly die in a vase on my desk) and that I would just leave them alone. I think as we get towards the drier months of August I will have to intervene with an occassional watering but thus far *knocks on wood* I have living plants

Hooray! For those of you who like photos...Enjoy!

Viking Apron Dress

In an effort to extend my garb/tunics until I can manage to make more time period appropriate SCA garb for myself I decided to make myself a Viking Apron Dress.

I actually finished this about 2 weeks ago but I was waiting for my broaches to arrive from Raymond's Quiet Press before showing it off. My measurements were off in a few places but overall the dress worked out pretty well. The style was more flattering than I expected. I even got bold and embroidered with some wool twill thread. I apparently need a weave to follow to do anything more complex so it is just a simple chain stitch. Interestingly with all the embroidery I have done, I have never embroidered a garment I made. It actually got me excited about embroidery again and I have pulled out a bunch of old projects to finish.

I am hoping to make a head covering to go with the dress prior to WW but I don't think I will make an embroidered one until after the event. Currently, however I have been waylaid by a modern fun little project instead.