The Seafarer Top

I FINALLY got the chance to sew something for myself.  I have been wanting to really since I started sewing a few years ago but never found a pattern that I LOVED and had to make. Basically, it was just easier to buy for myself.  

Cue, The Seafarer Top.  

I saw this top on a blog tour for the pattern and I had to have it!  So many different options, it can look like a like a completely different top each time you sew it.  Not to mention, it's another quick sew!  I made it within a nap time.  Gotta love that!

I got my knit from Girl Charlee. They have great knits!  All kinds of styles and colors, that are cute.  Which is hard to find for knits.  

















For my top, I did the hemmed sleeve, with a neckband and waistband.  I did find that the pattern, for me, runs a little small.  I was hoping that it would come out a little looser.  I could have figured that out, had I taken my measurements before cutting and sewing; but I didn't, so the top fits a little snug, but totally wearable.  I bought another fabric to make this shirt out of, so at least I know for next time! 

Weeds for Chickens

We've been outside A LOT recently.  Just playing, gardening, hanging out with the chickens.  :)  As I've been working on our garden, I've been thinking of ideas for the side yard that is currently dirt, rocks, and a wood scrap pile.  So I walked over there to find HUGE weeds.  Seriously, it was like a forest back there!  So I started pulling them while Roo and Doodle caught all the rollie pullie bugs.  :)  They made homes for them and put grass in.  Doodle decided her bugs wanted a river to swim in.  Yeah, those ones died.......eh well!  

When I finished pulling the weeds, I tossed them into the coop for the chickens.  They were SO excited since they aren't allowed out in the garden anymore.  Sorry ladies, you eat my plants and you can't come out. 

I told you it was a lot of weeds!  :)  They had fun picking through them and getting little bugs first, then they ate all the greens.

If you are wanting a good idea of what weeds are good for chickens, here is a great post!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Strawberry Planter

Our chickens have had quite the hay day(s) in our little garden area.  Nearly all of my plants are eaten.  :(  I am actually pretty bummed about it.  The plants that I planted for them, they won't touch.  Just the ones I don't want them to touch.  I even researched plants they love.  Oh well!

So in an attempt to save what plants I have left, I put my strawberries in a make shift planter and really love the look of it.  Our friends gave us these old wire hay troughs.  At least that's what we guess they were, and they are working great.  I lined it with burlap to hold in the dirt and it's also great at holding in moisture too.  So we will see how they do.  The strawberries that have already popped out are ripening, so that's a good sign!

Here's the wire planter

 I didn't do anything fancy with the burlap.  I could have sewed the liner for a cleaner look but I just layered it in so it covered everything and then added rocks to the bottom for drainage.

Then I put in the dirt, and three strawberry plants.  I buried some of the stems so the would spread into more plants.  Maybe will have 5 or 6 by the end of summer.   Our friends gave us three of these planters so I took another one, turned it upside down and put it right on top.  

 So far it has kept the chickens out.  This weekend I will be clipping their wings so they can't fly over their fence into the garden.  :)  

It's also been a week since I have made this and the burlap has relaxed around the planter and the dirt isn't spilling out.  So it's much prettier to look at.   Well, as pretty as rustic can be.  Which I think is REALLY pretty.  So there ya have it!  :)