The Busy Days of Spring

The flies have arrived...
by the masses!


And so the fly masks came out of winter storage yesterday.


And our 10 amazing fly catchers are filled with bait and catching hundreds of flies each day.
If you have acreage and lots of flies,
I highly recommend these Arbico Solar Flycatchers.


Although they require a little work ...
(refilling with the most awful smelling liquid after each time it rains)
they are worth their weight in gold!
(There is a link to these on the right margin of my blog if you are interested.)


Consumption of chicken feed decreases quite a bit this time of year...
thanks to the addition of insect snacks.
The hearty return of insect life has our chickens smiling from ear to ear!


What?  You can't tell that Milford is smiling?
Trust me.
That's his happy face!


A portion of every day is now being spent in the garden...
tending to young broccoli...


tender kale...


and several other cool weather vegetables.
It won't be long now until our meals will be eaten out of the garden.
I noticed yesterday that the asparagus is beginning to emerge.

Spare time of late has been spent in the sewing room on a repurposing project.
I have been holding onto some vintage linens for some time now...
waiting for just the right project to come along.

And it did!

I had an old monogramed linen bed sheet that I had bought in a lot of vintage linens at an auction.
This week I turned that sheet into a dress...


and bloomers...


The dress is trimmed in antique pillowcase crocheting, and a vintage doily.
The monogrammed edge of the sheet is the back hem of the dress...

(Don't even ask me why I am reading a book in the bush!)

with the monogram at the hemline and petticoat lace peeking out from below the hem.


My second project was to turn a vintage linen cut-work table cloth into this outfit...


I can hardly wait for an opportunity to wear these new outfits!
White linen is not terribly forgiving of farm dirt...
so I will have to save these for "off-the-farm" activities.

Now, off to search for more vintage linen.

Comments

janie said…
The new outfits you made a adorable!!! So talented, Enjoy, Janie
GeorgiaHoneyBee said…
What beautiful dresses! I love that you were able to repurpose those items.
I have a question for you. Yesterday, our dog caught one of our chickens. Our chicken survived the attack. She can walk, and make noises and her neck is in tact. I have no doubt that she is bruised through and through. The skin is off of her neck, and a farm vet said her crop is damaged. Should I try to nurse her back to health (I.e. let nature take its course and if she lives, she lives?) or should I end her suffering? This is my first time having chickens and we are heartbroken.
jaz@octoberfarm said…
what a great way to use old linen! i have some monogrammed french linen sheets which i love.
Bee Haven Bev said…
Oh my.....GeorgiaHoneyBee....I am so very sorry about your chicken. Is she able to take food and water? Does she seem to be suffering? If her injuries are severe.....I would end her suffering for sure. I know it is hard, but I, like you, hate to see them suffer. She would have to be sequestered from the others or they will finish the job....if you are going to see how she does with a little time. So sad.....so sorry!
Deb said…
You are a lady of many talents, Bev. I adore white but realize it won't work well around your farm. My mom was a farm girl and I have photos of her in the field with dainty, ballet-type shoes on. Could never figure that out. Now that I'm here I am in knee high rubber boots much of the time. :) I'm glad the horses have relief from the flies. Deb
Cindy said…
Those outfits are so pretty! What a great way to use old linens. I can tell your chicken is smiling - ours are too!
Anke said…
I adore your style!! Love how you gave those beautiful sheets new life!
Those gorgeous white linen outfits will be perfect for summer!
This N That said…
The bees have arrived as well and seem to be attacking at times!! Love the cutwork outfit...SO cute..Great job...That would cost for mucho dinero if you were to buy it....Great use for vintage tablecloths..My grandmother and mother for that matter are turning over in their graves...Have a happy day..
Laura Sudderth said…
Beautiful clothing! Goodness you are so talented. I love white linen.
Rita B Caldwell said…
I love the dresses! Do you have a specific pattern you used? I would love to have that for myself.
Rita
diane in wis said…
Wow ..such cute outfits Bev. You are mighty talented! I love all the lace and frills. You never cease to amaze me with the things you come up with and you seem to come up with them so quickly too! thanks for sharing. You look mighty cute in those outfits and reading your book in the bush! Ha!
sandra said…
THEY ARE GORGEOUS !!! :o
What a woman you are Bev! How do you find time to do all the things you do...it amazes me. I absolutely LOVE your outfits...what a great way to re-purpose old linens etc. I have an old Edwardian embroidered sheet that is sitting in a drawer...that would be a wonderful project but I doubt I'll ever find time to do something like this. It's a gorgeous sheet too! I hope you get to wear your outfits soon...hope you take pics so we can enjoy the moment with you :)
Jim said…
Beverly, nice to meet you and thanks for stopping by my post today.
Now, are you handy or what! Those two outfits look great! And what a good example of reusing previously used fabric.
Your rooster really does look happy!
Oh what a great blog!
thanks for visiting mine.....
I love what you have done with old linens, great fun.
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
Brenda Pruitt said…
Hi, was commenting over at Karen's and saw your comment and clicked over. LOVE the dress! You could go into business selling those easy!
Brenda