It doesn't (always) hurt to ask

Yesterday, on the ride home from preschool, I was purposefully taking in the homes and buildings around me, looking for a great burst of color to photograph a fun skirt I had made for a friend, as well as a new item for my shop. I found an amazing green barn, and after I summoned all my impoliteness, I walked to to door to beg for an appointment to take a few photos by the barn. No one was there.

BUT... in the background..... I saw this rockin' barn.

So, again, feeling even more impolite and downright rude, I walked to the neighbors to ask the same question.

There, I met the kindest man who eagerly invited me into his yard/farm.

"Wow, was about all I could say. Wow!"

[taken from Lilly and the Purple Plastic Purse]

In addition to the barn there was an outhouse, 2 colorful miniture buildings, and pens for goats, alpacas, and sheep. Their yard was/is breathtaking!

He told me to break out the camera and bring the girls to see the baby sheep that was born earlier this week. Sadly only one of the twin sheep survivied (tiny pang to my heart), but we were able to have a look. Mother sheep let us know that petting would not be happening today. We fed the goats, held the kitties, and even played on the playground for a bit while I visited with a truly darling couple.

Scout was wearing a pair of pants I had made while trying to perfect a pattern for a shop listing that I had hoped to photograph to show a few lessons learned in my sewing adventures. Strike of luck.

In observance of "Once Upon a Thread" I wanted to create a pair of capri pants with Pippi Longstocking style and sass. My hope was to make a pair of flat front trousers with back elastic that had gathered treasure pockets as well as gathering and bias tape at the hem.

As I experimented with pulling that idea from my brain and turning it into something small people could wear, I realized that a gathered hem didn't shout pippi , but Laura Ingalls Wilder. I had used elastic thread and shirred three rows at the hem of these pants, and they truly looked like bloomers from Little House on the Prairie (great books, just not the look I was going for). Hence the photo of carrying fruit in her apron. [As a kid I would put flowers and such in my shirt to be like the Little House girls. Do you remember that the girls would use their aprons to carry flowers and food?]

Out came my enemy the seam ripper, and some modifications were made to finish these cute play pants off.

So keep your eyes peeled for the pippi pants (shorts). Once Izzy recovers from today's immunizations, I'll hopefully get a few pictures of Izzy Longstockings.

[Oh, and not only have we been invited back, Ann has ordered a skirt, a capri, and shorts for her granddaughters. Oh.... and our new friends' names are Dan and Ann like Where the Red Fern Grows. Apparently all things are coming up reading today.]