A Summer Music Festival.

(This is a duplicate post from my Sasha blog.)

There is a lot of music going on here at Rose Cottage at the moment...both inside and outside of the house.

Bobby has been practising his guitar in the garden, enjoying the inspiration nature brings him.

Edith has found her flute, much to her relief and is now busy catching up on her preparation with the help of Peggy Sue.

Peggy Sue looks up at her to see her cue for when to start.

Hamish is busy practising his cornet.

Henry waits patiently with his clarinet.

Seems Hamish is going to be playing for a bit longer yet.

Later on Henry accompanies Peggy Sue..

Peggy Sue has been very diligent with her Cello playing.

Anne-Marie joins them on the violin.

A lovely trio of music.

These two girls have been working hard together.  Sometimes the two sisters get on so well and it is good to see them progress.

As to the Sasha girls...I am not sure what has been going on there...but there has been much banging and percussion type 'music' happening...and apparently no one is allowed to know what they are preparing yet...

Sunny Sunday in the Garden.

I just love days like we have been having...the sun is shining and it is lovely and warm.  Perfect for spending time in the garden.  

Norma Jean enjoys her time in the garden and thinks the flowers are so pretty.

Anne-Marie spends some time reading a favourite book.

May Flower, just enjoys sitting by the tree.

I finished a dress last night - it was a pattern for a Les Cheries doll.

It fits Clara well, but I prefer slightly shorter dresses on her, so I will make another that is shorter.

She looks so pretty in this colour - fortunately I believe I have enough yarn left to make another.

Miss Still Waiting to be Officially Named tries on the dress...it is not a bad fit for her either.

I like that I can use patterns for Les Cheries for this girl - it means with slightly alterations I have more patterns available to make her things.

Hospitalised

Nurse Sister Elizabeth has just arrived for the afternoon shift and is checking on her patient.

She is most concerned, she doesn't often have young girls to care for.  

How are you feeling?  

Poor Anne-Marie is feeling 'terrible' it seems.  

Sister Elizabeth tells her she is in the best place and to have a rest before any visitors arrive later in the day.....

Later on Anne-Marie is feeling a little brighter.

She sits up with the help of Sister Elizabeth

Peggy Sue and Norma Jean were most worried about her

Anne-Marie reassures them that she is starting to feel a little better....although she feels quite tired.

The girls decide they better leave after short while as Anne-Marie looks quite pale.

Once the girls have gone, Sister Elizabeth tucks her back into bed and before long Anne-Marie has fallen asleep.

So just what did the girls do yesterday?

So what to do on a wet day...you may recall yesterday the weather was terrible,  Alice and Anne-Marie stared out the patio windows disappointed that yet again they couldn't go out to play.

While Alice was staring out the window I noticed the state of her hair - not that I haven't noticed before, but I decided it was the perfect opportunity for a hair wash.

Her hair was a dirty blonde colour and quite 'stiff'.

Alice decided she was quite ready for a hair wash and so we set to work.

Imagine my astonishment when I discovered it was a real hair wig!  The water changed a murky colour, but the hair grew softer and lighter.     A little hair was lost during the combing through process, but fortunately not too much.

Alice can't quite believe how it feels now.

What a transformation!

It is a shame that she took a pair of scissors to her fringe/bangs at some stage - seems something a lot of little girls try!

The back - isn't it pretty?

It was the day for transformations it seems.

Gladys Jean decided she too wanted a makeover.

We hunted through the wig box and found a wig that fitted - it had lots of ringlets, which really didn't suit so the length was shortened and the ringlets washed out.

A new dress was made for her, of which she is especially proud of.

The dress has a lovely little detachable lace collar.

She thinks she might like a new name as well...which we are currently debating on.  She thinks she would quite like to be called Norma Jean.

So after these makeovers what did the girls get up to on a rainy day?

Why they played a game of dominoes.  Norma Jean is asking Anne-Marie how to play and Anne-Marie is explaining about matching up the numbers of dots on the dominoes.

Alice & Anne-Marie look sadly out the patio doors.

Rain, rain go away, please don't come back another day, we so want to go out and play, but it is so wet and dull outside today.  

Alice and Anne-Marie are looking sadly outside - the rain is pouring down.

What shall we do today, if we can't go out to play?

I don't feel like another tea-party, perhaps we should play some board games instead? 

What do you suggest?

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Looks like the window needs cleaning!  Naughty puppy paws!

Fashion & Afternoon Tea

As Betsy was such a good girl modelling the other dresses, I thought I really ought to make one especially for her.

It is difficult to see in the photograph, but the fabric has tiny green polka dots on it.

She is especially proud to have her very own dress.

She thinks she now looks like a little princess.

I think she does as well.

Close up detail of the dress.

Later in aid of the new dresses it was decided to have a tea party.

All the girls gather for tea and cakes.

Little Betsy feels a bit small alongside the others... so Anne-Marie asks Betsy if she wants to sit on her lap.

Betsy does and is much happier.

The girls chat away about this and that.

Betsy tells Anne-Marie about the dresses she modelled today.

Catherine and Edith, talk about what they are going to do during the week.

Some serious discussion going on here!

Much fun is had.