Not Doing What I Should

I should be working on the writing assignment for my writing workshop, but I’m not.  Why?  For starters, Hubby’s at work, the little one is napping, and the other two are playing outside.  That sounds like the perfect time to work on them, right?  Hmm, I suppose so, but every time I’ve tried it in the past I’ve been interrupted.  I’m supposed to write for 15 minutes and I end up being lucky to get five.  There’s just something about it that sends out this signal to my children, “Bug Mom, now!”  So today I’m refusing to do it and figuring that Baby M will stay asleep and the other two will continue playing nicely with each other.  I’ll be frustrated because I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity and “wasted” the time.  *sigh*

Instead I’m reading my email, posting here, and Google-ing up a storm.  So far I’ve Googled “how to repair a small hole in a t-shirt” and come up with a satisfactory response.  It’s a good thing since said hole is in the middle of my brand new shirt.  This is the second time I’ve worn it and it already has a small hole in it – don’t ask me how.  It’s a cute top with a wide band on the v-neck and just a hint of ruching along the band (had to Google “ruching” to see if I spelled it right).  It wasn’t necessarily cheap at $19.95, but I very rarely buy myself clothing and after three children in 5 years I think I deserve a few shirts that fit.  The fact that it fits my standard style v-neck shirt and jeans is an added bonus.

I’ve also Googled “sewing pattern children shorts” and come up less than thrilled with the results so far (did find a couple of patterns for me, but that’s beside the point).  My older two need shorts for the summer.  L has three pairs right now and J has one.  With how dirty my kids get playing outside I figure they each need at least 7, but preferably 9 so I have a little leeway in the laundry department.  I have some denim fabric on hand that would work well.  It won’t make enough for both kids, but I figure it’s a start.  What I really want is a unisex pattern for a fairly simple pair with an elastic waist.  No pockets and no fly.  I’ve seen the tutorials out there for tracing an existing pair onto a t-shirt, but I’d really like a thicker fabric than that.  Clearly those that use the pattern have kids that are far gentler on their clothing.  Those shorts would never last – heck my own shirt didn’t last more than a week before I snagged it somehow.  I’m thinking I need to search for a pattern for boy’s shorts instead (have you seen how short the shorts are in the stores for toddlers/girls?).

Thankfully I have a little bit of time to find a pattern and get them constructed.  Note to self:  80 degree weather in April is not normal and will not last!  I can’t put it off too much, though or this project will only end up in the UFO pile.

Oh, and for the record Baby M is still sleeping and I only had to head L of at the pass once.  I kept her out of the front yard, but didn’t keep her from bending the latch on the gate to the fence.  There’s one more thing to add to Hubby’s “Honey Please Do” list.

Warm and Fuzzy

I’m becoming more miserable every day – I know *every* pregnant woman says this at the end of pregnancy. I suppose it’s part of the design so one wants to go through the labor and birthing process. I know I certainly felt it at the end of my pregnancy with J an L.

This time around the sensation is a bit more acute – what started as a little bit of sciatica has turned into a literal pain in the rear. At this point I’m finding it difficult to sit – even after switching out most chairs for the yoga/birth ball. My sewing plans have been halted because it’s too painful to sit and push on the sewing machine pedal. I know that they’ll wait and all…and that hopefully the pain will go away after the baby’s born and there’s no longer a head down so low.

I did, out of desperation this morning, call the one local chiropractor I had a recommendation for. I knew it was a long shot given the fact that it’s so close to Thanksgiving and all. They were closing early today and then will be closed tomorrow and Friday. The next time they could get me an appointment? *Next* Friday. I chuckled and told them thanks, but I’m hoping I won’t be pregnant by then. The receptionist still wanted me to make an appointment. I told her if I was still pregnant then I’d call them back.

I haven’t given up hope quite yet as I’ve heard that reflexology can help. There’s a local lady who has also been connected with our local LLL group. Of course, there’s no guarantee that she’ll be around on Friday or anytime soon, but I at least made a call to see. Here’s hoping!

In the meantime I got the little bean an outfit. It’s kind of tough given the lack of decent gender neutral clothing at our local Target, but I thought this one would be appropriate:

It’s a soft and fuzzy fleece which would make a great first outfit to keep the little one warm in our otherwise fairly cool house. I did get a new onesie for the little one earlier this year, but haven’t taken pictures of that yet.

My mom also got some onesies for the baby. One set for a girl and one for a boy. She says she’s sure that Maya will look adorable in the pink onesies. She’s convinced it’s a girl. Hubby thinks it’s a boy and said so. My mom replied…”Someone’s going to be disappointed, but it’s not going to be me!” It’s been funny to watch the back and forth as everyone anxiously awaits the new arrival.

As for me…I don’t care either way, but I am tired and probably a bit too emotional for my own good. Thank goodness for my Hubby. For the most part he’s been very sensitive (he has his moments when he forgets that I’m a bit less than enthused with his good natured teasing – something that would have made me laugh and play back before is enough to bring tears now). He’s even volunteered to do a fair bit of the pre-Thanksgiving cooking and have me be the “straw boss.” Sounds good to me!

In the meantime, the kids and I have been reading a book by Fran Manushkin called “Baby, Come Out!” which my midwife gave us to read at my last appointment. Along with “Welcome with Love” by Jenni Overend (which is very sadly out of print and ridiculously overpriced by online sellers) it’s one of our new favorite books to read while waiting for baby to be born.

Scrap Pants

I had some leftover flannel from making the Laundry Bag so I made some pants for L using this tutorial. SouleMama also talks about this in her book – although she suggests recycling an old t-shirt. I ended up making mine lined so that I wouldn’t have to worry about what to do to keep the seam allowances from unraveling. As an extra bonus, they’re reversible!

I’m a little bit worried about whether or not they’ll fit her. The flannel isn’t as stretch as a t-shirt so the jury’s still out.

I fixed the shoes!

Remember this? I finally came up with a solution I *think* will work – and the time to head on over to Nana’s house for the button holes. I ended up going with corduroy for both the lining and the outside of the front of the shoe *plus* some fusible interfacing on the lining. I got it all put back together again today and on L’s feet. So far, so good.

It was definitely much easier putting the shoe together this time. I’m actually much more pleased with the shoe this go around. Here’s hoping we make it more than a week!

Oh the shoes

If you heard a rather loud groan around 10am central this morning that would have been me. The buttonholes on one of L’s shoes had a blow out. It ripped right out from the lining fabric.

In hindsight I should have known it was going to happen…it’s a flannel so it’s not like it’s the sturdiest of fabrics and that particular point of the shoe would undergo quite a bit of stress. I am glad I didn’t use the first pattern’s recommendation to just use a seam ripper to make the holes. I’m not even sure that they would have lasted this long.

Still…it’s pretty sad that they only made it a week. I’ve been considering my options which include:

• Adjusting the pattern for the back of the shoe – If I made the back of the shoe not quite so wide then I wouldn’t have to have the elastic quite so tight to keep the shoe on L’s feet. I think this in turn would result in there being less stress on the part of the shoe that broke. The only drawback being that I can’t cut it too much shorter because the back of the shoe does need to overlap the front of the shoe. I think I could possibly cut it a half an inch shorter and still be ok.
• Changing the lining fabric – Flannel is a pretty light weight fabric so if I went with perhaps an all corduroy shoe or something like that it might stand up to the forces a little bit better.
• Adjusting the front part of the shoe – I could go with the same fabric combination, but add a fusible interfacing to the flannel lining. This would keep the cute pattern and the softness (not such a big issue since she wears socks with the shoes) the same, but help it be a bit sturdier. My mom also thought we could go around the button holes twice.
• Scrap the fabric shoe and go with all leather – This is probably the best option since the leather would be sturdier all around. At the same time “Grandma” has issues with materials that are too thick. Expense could certainly be an issue as well which is why I went with the fabric originally.

My other dilemma is whether or not I should try to fix this shoe which means I should probably make whatever changes I end up deciding on to both shoes. Of course that means not only taking apart the shoe, but taking apart the front part of the shoe as well. Starting over would be easiest, but it just seems so wasteful not to try and fix what we’ve already got since for the most party 80% of the shoe is just fine.

*SIGH*

We’ve got shoes!!

The shoes are finished!! The second shoe actually entailed quite a bit less muttering and went together surprisingly easier. I’m actually really excited about making another pair whereas last night I was looking forward to just getting this one finished.

I put them on L’s feet this am with a pair of socks since it’s so chilly. I’m pleased to report that so far they’re still on her feet (even while she’s sleeping). Here are a couple of pictures of them on her feet. Aren’t they cute?

Update on the soft soled shoes

Things seem to be going a bit slower lately on my sewing projects – more on that later, though. I finally made some progress on the soft soled shoes I was making for L. If you remember I was making some changes to the pattern I was using. After a bit of head scratching and one false start I was able to come up with something that I was very pleased with.

Upon returning home I had high hopes of getting both shoes completed. I wasn’t that lucky, but after a good deal of muttering and a few passes with my seam ripper I got one completed!

I really wish the lining didn’t wash out so much when taking the picture, but I think the dark color of the fabric is making it difficult. I’m going to have to try taking a better picture tomorrow.

I did put it on L’s foot to see how it fit and was pleased to see that it was actually a little bit too big which means there’ll be more room to grow and I won’t have to make another pair for a little while at least. She did start vigorously pulling on it, though, so I’m a little bit afraid that now, instead of leaving a trail of socks behind us where ever we go, we’ll be leaving a trail of socks too!

Soft Soled Shoes Revisions

I got some time yesterday afternoon to start work on the shoes for L. I got the back lining and outside fabric sewed together and put the casing on according to the directions. I wasn’t the least bit thrilled with the way it turned out. Because of the very small seam allowance I had some difficulties following the curve. I also didn’t like how the casing looked – either inside or outside.

I’ve decided I’m going to keep the vamp and sole exactly how the directions tell you, but I’m going to change the back of the shoe up a bit. I’m going to take the same basic dimensions of the main pattern and add some of the elements from the Stardustshoes pattern back. I *think* that’ll give me a much better result, but I haven’t sat down to fiddle around with it yet. I’m so thankful that J got some blank newsprint for Christmas last year (art projects) – it makes great pattern paper.

The Beginnings of Shoes

This is another one of those I’ve always wanted things. I’ve always wanted a pair of soft sole shoes for L. Especially now that it’s fall and we leave a trail of socks behind us wherever we go. You’d think she’d leave her socks on once her feet got cold, but no such luck!

When J was little I bought a pair for him from Target and I remember liking them quite a bit. Unfortunately, our Target’s selection leaves much to be desired. Plus, they don’t really seem to be made quite like they used to.

Thanks to my trusty Google search I came across a free pattern from Tacky Living. They didn’t seem all that difficult so I thought I’d give it a go. I put L’s foot on the pattern and it *looks* they’ll fit just fine, but even if they don’t…I’ve only got like $6 in it with surplus of most everything to give it another try. I’m REALLY hoping they fit because if they don’t it will lead to another copy machine experience and I don’t have any more change.

I’m using some chocolate brown corduroy for the outside from JoAnn’s that was on sale as well as a pink daisy flannel lining, the no slip grip fabric used to make footie pjs and some fusible interfacing to hold the no slip grip and the lining for the sole in place. So far I have everything cut out and somewhat ready to go. I still have to trip the lining fabric around the sole, stitch the outside and inside fabric of the shoe together long the top and the sides, sew a tiny hem on the casing, and attach the casing to the back of the shoe. I’ll likely get a bit stalled here, though since you need to sew a button hole and my vintage Singer doesn’t do one without a special foot…which I don’t have. Never fear, though…my mom has a much nicer machine. I just have to head on over there to get her to help me with it.

Baby Leg Warmers

L has become quite the proficient crawler. It’s opened up new worlds to her, but has left me scratching my head a little on tights. She has a few denim jumpers that we picked up while thrifting, but I’ve been hesitant to put them on her since our house is so cold.

I’ve seen Baby Legs elsewhere, but haven’t been able to afford a pair. I read that others were making theirs from knee socks. A light bulb went off and a few seconds later after Googling it I came across a tutorial.

These are from Target and happen to be on sale, $4.99 for two. This is the more interesting pair. I love the way they turned – really couldn’t be simpler. I want to play around with it next time I make a pair, but I’d say it’s not bad for my Vintage Singer (straight stitch only). Now I can afford two…or three…or four! I’m envisioning a couple of pairs for my niece who’s just a few months older than L.

My only regret…they don’t stay up very well. As the day goes on it seems even harder, but that may have more to do with L than anything.