slow and steady. okay, maybe just slow

In my church, babies (and sometimes older children) are given a name and a blessing before the congregation.  So I’ve been working on a blessing gown for Ivy.  Blessing gowns are just christening gowns, just to clarify the vernacular. Anyway, I’m making one.  Slowly.

My normal way to work on a project is to throw it together while ignoring everything and everyone else in my life until it’s completed.  Even if I haven’t procrastinated (rare), I still much prefer to see my sewing through to completion all at once.  This is why I don’t knit, well, that and the complete lack of talent for it.  But having a newborn messes with things, as does a three year old in need of a Jedi sparring partner for his light saber practicing.  And so I’ve been working on the gown on a schedule.  And I think I kind of like it.

The pattern I’m working with is Simplicty 2457, view B. 

It took me way too long to decide on a fabric for the dress. I wanted something heirloomy and classic, but also locally available.  The decision seriously kept me up at night.  I finally went with a linen blend.  Tell me it was a good choice.  Even if it’s not.  Please.  

Earlier in the week I cut out the tissue pattern pieces.  Then I carefully folded them back up and put the envelope aside to make dinner.  It felt weird, but right.

Yesterday I cut out the fabric, organized the pieces by specific project (gown, slip, bonnet, shoes), and again, folded them up nicely and put them away for the rest of the day.

Today I hope to sew the slip and put in the tucks and pleats for the gown.  Even if things are going well, and the baby sleeping, I’m making myself put it up and walk away.  Painfully slow, but I’m hoping this way I’ll get better sewing results and my house will stay running relatively smoothly instead of falling to complete chaos while I pound out a project all in one or two days.

Wish me luck.

Nesting with Delia

Good news!  I haven’t completely forgotten how to sew!  In fact, today I’m over at Delia Creates sharing a fun little project for her Nesting series. Delia is preparing for the upcoming arrival of her new little one and she’s sharing the nesting love.  She’s had some incredible (like, really!) projects going on the past couple of weeks.  So if you have a baby in your life to sew for, or if you just like to look at pictures of tiny, adorable clothing and accessories, you really need to skip on over to Delia Creates right now!

where’ve I been all your life?

Holy crumb! time is flying by.  I keep meaning to get something together to post, but then the sun sets on another day and it just doesn’t happen. So what’s occupying my time, since I’ve obviously not been sewing?

Mostly thisThough sometimes she lets me get away with thisI’m not complaining.  But cradling a seven-week-old  doesn’t really make for easy sewing or blogging.  Thanks to Christie volunteering to hold a certain someone all afternoon for me, I did get the machine out yesterday and crossed a couple of projects off my list.  I was surprised how much I missed sewing, once I got started on something again.  So as long as I can keep luring people to my home with the promise of cuddling a sweet baby, maybe I’ll actually have a completed project to share again someday.

Anyone want to sign up for tomorrow?

Guesting and Mending

Hey all!  I’m over at Me Sew Crazy participating in Jessica’s New Year’s ReSEWlutions series. 

She’s been having amazing guests all month, sharing their sewing resolutions.  Come on over and read the fascinating details of my long-ignored mending pile!

Adjustable Buckled Waistband

Here’s a fun little a tutorial I shared at Train To Crazy last summer.  It’s one of my favorite techniques to use with my boys’ pants and it seemed time to share it over here.  Enjoy!
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When Andrea told me about Dress Your (School) Boy, I knew I wanted in. I love to sew for my boys. I have three sons, and have never once felt like I had a lack of things to make for them. They are constantly inspiring me and suggesting new ideas to me. One thing I love about sewing for boys is the challenge of coming up with details that aren’t frilly, but still add interest and uniqueness to a project. I think the trick with details and boys’, and men’s clothing is that form has to meet function. No matter how superfluous the function is, if it can be justified utilitarianly, you can slap it on there. Just look at cargo pants! My boys are skinny. No, *really* skinny. Like don’t even register on the charts, nurses-checking-to-make-sure-their-scales-still-work skinny. Skinny. Adjustable waistbands aren’t just a convenience, they’re a necessity around here. But plain elastic waistbands are boring, full-on fastening flies are a chore to sew in, and belts are not so easy for busy boys to manipulate. My solution:

I’m going to show you how to take pretty much any basic pattern for simple pants and/or shorts and give them some masculine, functional flair. You can even retro-fit existing pants with this update. As I said, you can add this to any pants or short pattern you want instead of a drawstring or elastic waistband. You could even retro-fit a pair, if you unpick the waistband seems first. So all you need to do the Adjustable Buckled Waistband is - a pair of bottoms with an unfinished waist - one-inch webbing (found in the notions of any fabric store, usually by elastic) - one-inch braided elastic - a center release buckle (found in notions of any fabric store)

Begin by finishing the edge of the waistband. Here I did a serged edge, then a 1/4 inch hem. If you’re retro-fitting, the edges might already be finished for you.

 
With the bottoms wrong-side-out, pin the waistband over about 1.5-2 inches all the way around.
Flip the bottoms right-side-out. Place the buckle in the center front and use as a guide to mark two parallel lines at either end of the buckle. Use the webbing to mark the top and bottom of those lines you just made.
So now you have two “I”-like markings at either side of the front center seam. Unpin the waistband and pull the front center area out and away.
Using those “I” markings as guides, sew in two buttonholes at either point. Fold the waistband back over, repin, and sew all the way around. Get your webbing. Measure the bottom-wearer’s waist all the way around, then add about five to six inches. Cut the webbing to those measurements. Then cut that length of webbing in half.Cut about four to five inches of braided elastic. Sew the webbing to the elastic, forming a fun little elastic bridge between the two webbing pieces. I like to do a crazy-thick zig-zag stitch at every raw edge. Thread the one open end of the webbing through the female side of the buckle. Fold over, fold raw edge under, and do a sweet little box-stitch design to finish that side. Thread the other end of the webbing through one buttonhole… And come out the other. Use a safety pin to aid in drawing through the waistband. Now thread that open end of the webbing through the male side of the buckle. Fold raw edge under twice, to hide, and do another box-stitch design on that side. Buckle and… GO! Thanks to the adjustable webbing, pants stay on (and can fit the next kid down the line, if needed, too!). The extra bit of elastic helps small hands to take on and off by themselves. And the exposed buckle adds just a little bit more awesomeness to a basic pair of shorts keeping your kid looking good.Form and function, it’s a beautiful thing. Adjustable Buckle Waistbands get the thumbs-up from the resident males around here. Now you go try them out!

To Do

I’m a list maker. Lists motivate me. Or really, getting to check off things on my list motivates me.  I even will write down things I’ve completed after the fact, just so I can have more check marks on my lists.  It makes me feel productive and in control.    If I’ve had an especially productive day, yielding a list with a significant number of checks, I’ll totally leave it out, all nonchalantly, so my husband can see it when he gets home and marvel at the amazing woman he gets to call Wife. 

This past week marked not only my baby’s second week of life, but the two older boys went back to school and the husband went back to work.  I began my day on Tuesday with a list of basic household chores to get done.  Tuesday I made this list.  Today is Friday and I’m just now checking off the last of that “daily” To Do.  Apparently Ivy doesn’t really put much importance on lists.  Or at least not on the fun of checking off.  And the girl is seriously persuasive in her apathy. 

One thing I have been able to get done all week is some mild daily exercising.  Don’t be too impressed, we’re talking walk-around-the-block type of stuff.  But I’ve been feeling great.  So this morning I decided to try out the basic level on the Kinect Zumba I received for Christmas.  Before we go further, you should know, I have no rhythm.  Like, at all.  I took guitar in high school.  When I went to pass off my first song (Proud Mary), my instructor grabbed my fret board, looked me in the eye and in a forced-calm voice asked, “Do you even know what rhythm is?!”   But once that disc was in the console this morning, I’ll be damned it I wasn’t going to see it through to the end of the beginners’ work out.  I need that check mark!

The routine started its warm up and Ivy started her crying.  After a minute of competing priorities, I picked up my baby and moved to the beat (and my own rhythm) holding her at the same time.  I received game-given compliments on my in-time movements! Ivy calmed down.  Back into her bouncy seat.  Back to Zumba.  Compliments stop and the onscreen instructor turns a discouraging red color.  Ivy cries again, this time more demanding.  I start to nurse her, taking a break from the workout.  But if I don’t finish, I can’t check it off.  So I decide to Zumba with baby attached.   How’s that for a visual.  And guess what?!  The game started complimenting me again!  And so it went until baby was asleep and I could lay her back down and get back to Zumbaing with full rhythmless relish. 

Then the three year old joined in. 

Thankfully, his sporadic “dancing” didn’t garner any more compliments from the TV than mine.  I don’t think my ego could have handled that.  But we got through it.  One check mark on the list for today at least.

All this is to say, sewing may not be discussed as much here in the immediate foreseeable future .  But I do have a few projects on my list and a pen itching to make another check mark, so it will happen.  I just have to get a better daily rhythm figured out first.

looking back at 2011

 

Since this is all I’ve really done for the past almost-two weeks

(and loved every minute of it!), I thought it might be ego-boosting fun to end the year with a review of times I actually showered, dressed, and worked on being productive.  So here is a little list of most of the projects I’ve completed over the past year.  There were a few more things that I never got around to posting, but I’ll save those for next year.  If things continue as they have been, I’m going to need some padding in 2012 to make it look like I did more than snuggled sweet babies all day.  

(click on individual pictures to be taken to individual posts)

tutorials, original patterns and shared ideas

completed projects and other fun stuff

Little Man Ties and Cal Patch Review

Mod Dress and Shirt Placket PJs

Easter 2011: skirt for me and ties for the men

SCIENCE CAMP!
A couple of tops that doubled as maternity wear this past year

Halloween costumes for the Husband and me

And Ninjago for the boys
A completed nursery

Nine pairs of matching Christmas pajamas for some crazy kids

And of course, her

It’s been a pretty good year!

Happy New Year!