Smashing, Saving and Sewing

Smashing: Eggshells.

I thrifted this mortar and pestal a little while back thinking it would be something Carmel would really enjoy working with.  I had seen one not long ago in a Montessori classroom laid out so beautifully on a small wooden tray with one bright white eggshell inside.  I was struck by what a simple, satisfying and meditative activity it was.  An egg.  Something we are normally so careful not to break, but here we can throw this on a tray with a mortar and pestal and essentially say," Don't be careful with this; pulverize it!"  That is fun.

Owen thought so too.  He worked on it with one hand and then two.  He stood above it and worked and then laid down next to it and worked.  He held it down with his hands and then held it with his feet.  He worked that egg over until it finally turned to dust.  

 It's such a pleasure to watch these little hands and minds at work.  I have been finding so much inspiration online lately for creating new learning opportunities for my little people.  Right now I am really enjoying what's on One Hook Wonder and Living Montessori Now.  They do a Montessori Monday post and I love going through it to see what sorts of things my babes might like to do.

Montessori?  Waldorf?  Oh my, lots to think about there.

Saving: Luffa Seeds

We aren't too sure how our seed saving is going to turn out here for our Luffa sponge.  Andy and the kids pulled the seeds before our first big frost but the seeds don't seem to be mature.  Apparently they need a really long growing season (140-200 days), which we didn't give them.  I would like to say that had we known they needed a long season we would have planted them earlier, but we wouldn't have.  We do, however, have at least one really great luffa sponge to play with in the bathtub.

Sewing:  Cape for an Aspiring Dentist Superhero

Cut, sewn and given away.  I feel a little bit sad that it's gone because I had really grown to like this cape.  Now I realize that aprons are historically the acceptable attire for the workin'-around-the-house-mama, but I think I would like to go with a cape from here on out.  I believe little would do more to wake me up in the morning, get me moving, and really signify the importance of the work that lays ahead of me than throwing on a nice cape.   Yeah, I'm pretty sure that parents need capes.

Addie's new suit

I think she likes it.

Lazy days skirt pattern.

Soft sole baby shoes.

Fold Over Elastic

Pretty.

I can't wait to use it on some variation of this.

Big sewing

I was forced to bring out my big crusty (but trusty) sewing machine recently to finish a project that was pretty new to me. A friend of ours takes apart old trucks, changes them around, and then puts them back together again to make, what I think is the right term, rat rods. Very cool. Very involved. Way above my head. All I needed to do was reupholster a seat that had been all switched up.

So our kitchen floor looked a bit like this for a few days and my living room had a large truck seat in it, which my kids enjoyed quite a bit. Really, how can you resist playing on a big seat that is usually only found in a large vehicle and now here it is in your very own living room? Well you can't I tell ya, because there are all sorts of places you can pretend to be driving to. And that's what they did while their crazy mama, I hate to admit, yelled things like " get off of that seat it off gases chemicals that are bad for your...(insert whatever bodily system you may be worried about at the time.)" Yup, that's what I did.

And then when I was all finished with the sewing part (Our friend, Rat Rod Man, still had to install pieces of foam on both the back and seat, which is why it looks a little wrinkly where I'm sitting) I went out and finished off a big bowl of noodles while giggling continuously. I just kept thinking of all those super hot mamas they have laid across these seats in hot rod magazines and then there's me....

a big pregnant noddle eating mama.

A bit of embroidery

I have a couple of embroidery projects happening right now that I am enjoying so much. About a week ago now, I put together an embroidery box with some projects that I could pick up and put down easily. It has been so nice to work on something that I don't have to think about. I pick it up and someone asks for a drink and I put it down. I pick it up again and someone asks for help finding their goggles and I put it down. I pick it up again and someone....you get the picture. Little by little it does get done. There is progress. Right in front of me. And sometimes, that's just what I need to see happening. Witnessing a little of something getting done and staying done even if it is just a tiny bit at a time. It just feels so very good.

Now, what to do with these little projects when they're all stitched up. I just don't know.

A few sewing projects

I'm not sure if anyone remembers this post or not, but ever since I saw these dresses I have been so keen on making one for Carmel out of some of my Father's old dress shirts. I love how it makes use of something that has, in most cases, become unusable while creating something meaningful at the same time. There are some other great tutorials available on the same site. So easy to follow and the results are great. I love that.

I have also been working on some little skirts for Carmel. This one is from the Oliver + S site and I just think every pattern they have is perfectly cute. I want them all. Do I have any of them? No, but I still want them all. The ones I have right now are the free ones that can be found on their site. The skirt pattern is here, but these others here and here look so adorable I'm not sure how long I'll be able to wait before I have to see my sweet little girl wearing them.

The baby kimono pattern I found in Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. I love the way it turned out. Now I would like to find a cute pattern for some pants that will fit over cloth diapers. I have made the little pants out of old t-shirts that really do fit over cloth diapers and I love making them. They are fast and easy which is essential when there is a tiny person helping out by climbing up your back and pushing the reverse button on your sewing machine as if candy is going to come out of it. I'm certain I will keep making that kind however, a really cute pattern that relies on cut rather than stretch would be nice.

Ah yes, and finally there is the Amy Butler Birdie Sling bag. I love sewing anything from an Amy Butler pattern. Her directions are clear, simple, well illustrated, easy to follow and the finished piece is always so nice. She just really knows how to write a pattern that Amy. When I made this one I thought I would sew up a couple others just to keep on hand, but I haven't done that yet. I have such a hard time sewing two of something. After the first one it just starts to feel like production and production seems so much like work. Doesn't it? Yes, it does.

Happy Sewing!

Rain days

What to do on rainy days?

Drag your children into your sewing room, grab what's left of your favorite bed sheet and start stitching. Well, that's what we did anyway.

The skirt pattern is from Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe. I'm not sure what I think about the skirt just yet. It's possible that my feelings for the yellow bed sheet are clouding my opinion of this new skirt of mine. I will have to admit that at this point, I am feeling pretty much over this fabric, you know, because I have also been wearing it to bed too. So, I have been looking at it entirely too much as of late. Oh, but did that stop me from finishing up this skirt and then moving on to a poor innocent child?

No, it did not! Carmel got some jammy pants to match her mama's pants. And, her incredibly thoughtful older brother even cut out a special design for her from the same fabric to be appliqued onto her "new" jammy shirt.

I tried to sew up a little something for Owen out of the same fabric, but he politely (and oh so wisely) declined my offer. He might be thinking that flowering, yellowy-orange meadows just aren't for him.

Mama's fancy pants

Oh yes, mama gets her own fancy pants too!

These are the pajama pants from Weekend Sewing made out of an old bed sheet I thrifted sometime last year. I love them. I made them last week and have worn them quite regularly since then. Some may argue that they have been over worn since then, but what can I say? I really like them. Bedsheets and pajama pants. Truly, a perfect combination.

Fancy Pants

These are Carmel's new fancy pants. The pattern is from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. These are the Huck Finn Pants and intended for some sweet toddling little boy, but instead they now belong to my sweet little girl. The pattern is so easy and super cute. I think there may be something that is mislabeled so if anyone is planning on making these I would check out the errata on her website. It seems that the pattern front should be the pattern back and vise versa. Details. Details.

I sure wish I could have captured a better shot of the pants for you but this little Carms is a quick mover. No time to sit around for a photo shoot you know...ducks to chase...raspberries to devour...compost heaps to explore... She's a busy girl.

Water sling

I have been trying to work out the details of a sling that will be good to use in the water. I know there are some really fancy ones for sale out there, but I figured a simple ring sling out of the right kind of material would work just fine. I love the solarveil fabric for the sun protection it offers tiny baby skin, but the fabric has been discontinued. I usually keep our babies all slathered and white with sunscreen so I guess sunscreen fabric really wouldn't make too much of a difference anyway.

There are great websites out there that offer all sorts of guidelines for making different types of slings. The one I find myself going to whenever I am in a baby-carrier-making-frenzy (like now) is the Jan Andrea site. She has several sling designs on her site along with all the information needed to make them yourself. I always go there first, before I start sewing a sling, to make sure my measurements are at least close to hers.

Hopefully we will be able to try out this new water sling sometime this weekend when the weather clears. I'm excited to see how it holds up while chasing Owen full speed all around the pool with The Carms in tow. Just the visual makes me giggle.

I am going to sign off of here until Monday and do some weekend weeding, possibly some sewing, a bit of birthday celebrating and maybe...hmmn..maybe the laundry.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Hooray for pillowcases!

I found these great pillowcases at a rummage sale a couple of months ago.  Since then I have been holding them, staring at them, running my hands along them, adoring their vintage print, turning them inside-out and then right side-out again, wondering all the while what they should become.    

I finally decided on a dress for Carmel.

I just figured that if I was going to stand around staring at a pillowcase all day, then I may as well just make a dress out of it and wrap it around something (or someone, in this case) I usually spend my days staring at, holding on to and adoring anyway.

I still have one pillowcase left.  I'm thinking maybe a little matchy-matchy thingy for the mama and the Carms (you know, while she is still too young to care about having an outfit to match her mama's)  Oh how I do soo love matchy-matchy.

Baby Bliss

The babes and I went to a birthday party on Saturday and we took Baby Bliss with us to give to the birthday girl (whose middle name happens to be Bliss.  Love that!).  We don't know what they ended up naming her but we really enjoyed having our Baby Bliss around and we are sure going to miss her lots.  In fact, I just started another little doll like her this morning.  Owen, very sweetly, asked me "who is this little dolly for mama?"  I was a little embarrassed to admit, "Hmm, well Owey, this one is for mama."  Yes, it's true.  I am actually going to make myself a doll.  Also, I will not be listening to any of you who believe there is something wrong with that. Nope!  Just look at her.  She's sooo cute and I want one.

The Dolly 411:  

{The pattern came from The Black Apple via Martha Stewart.  It is really easy to put together and sews up pretty quickly.  I love that the hair is felt and you don't have to spend hours sewing on yarn hair.  The fabric is called 1974 Urban Chicks, I think.  Not too sure about that. The stuffing is 100% wool, so is the felt hair and scarf.  The face is painted on and she has beads in her behind for weight.   This is a really great, easy to make doll.} 

Stitch her.  Stuff her.  Love her.

A sewing fix

I was listening to the sewing machine call to me the other day.  It went something like this:

Machine:  "Heya there J,  how are ya?  Wanna come in for a little visit?  Come on in here and just sit for a bit, won't cha?."  

Me:    "No time.  There's just no time right now, why, with weeds in the garden and strawberries to pick.  You understand, of course.  "  I replied weakly.

Machine:   (Gaining confidence) "Come on.  You know you want to.  No one has to know.  Just a few stitches.  What's it gonna hurt?

Me:  "Oh I guess you're right....just a few stitches...a few stitches....that never hurt anyone....Okay...I'll be right in!

This is what Carmel gained from my insanity.  A brand new skirt that was once her mama's shirt.  My 5 minute sewing fix.  I had been saving this, much to small for me, shirt because I just loved the fabric so much (tissue cotton, I think) and I couldn't bear to pass it along.  I lopped off the shirt somewhere below the sleeves and put in an elastic casing.  I saved the hem at the bottom of the shirt to be the skirt hem.  Easy.  Easy.  Which is about my speed right now.

The material makes for a perfect summer weight skirt for the Carms.  It is long enough to cover her little legs from the sun and light enough to stay cool.  I love it.