Notes From a Small Town

Birthdays, Skirts and New Babies

February is a month of birthdays. Past presidents, to be sure, but ours as well. We also know a special little girl who shares our birthday month. Her first month on this earth (three years ago) was welcomed with this gift:

I think it was only the second quilt I had made (not counting that first one I made in quilt class). It was a pattern from this book. I varied the pattern a bit and had some leftover fabric which I stashed away for another project.

And, so while I was brainstorming a gift for her and her newborn sister, I spied that old fabric in my stash. And, I found this tutorial on toddler skirts.

A little green flower sewn on the top and voila : instant outfit. I find it adorable...hopefully, she will too. Her little sister got one too, but with a paired down skirt (in which I just winged the measurements and I hope they fit in a few months when it gets warmer).

I added some leftover fabric between the ruffles - not too much and I didn't want to add anything stiff or scratchy on the inside for such delicate skin. Just a little Stitch Witchery and it was done in a flash. (Helped to keep down those ruffles too).

And, what did I make for Joey?

A chocolate mousse pie with homemade graham cracker crust. A simple list of ingredients and easy to make. Here's the recipe. Sort of like a chocolate cheesecake. Very, very good.

birthday crowns

Among my our new family traditions is the very popular birthday crown. We started with Ronan's fourth birthday and it seems to be one of the easiest handmade birthday gifts to give (and make). It's simple, doesn't take up much space and is genuinely well-received (always nice for a handmade gift to be well-loved). Plus, I get to stretch my creative limits and consider the personality of the child and how the crown will be used. Each time I make one, I think it is my favorite. And, then another comes along. A recap of the past few months...

...delicate and full of brightness...

 

 

...fit for a princess...

...calm and playful (even with a bit of a cold).

 

I love this picture - the boy, his crown and the action of a mind-blowing sneeze.

Wrapped up in mama-made love

I greatly admire all of those women (and dads, working moms, etc.) who can juggle the kids, provide home-cooked healthy food, sew most of the family's wardrobe, sustain a wonderful marriage, grow a home business while the kids sleep - and still manage to produce healthy, well-adjusted homeschooled kids. Whew! I'm not there yet, but I'm pretty happy with the stuff I do manage to do well. Which means that every once in a while, my kids get some mama-made goodness. 

 

Pajama pants. My absolute favorite thing to sew. They sew up fast and make me feel like I can/do provide for my family a la Ma Ingalls. (It's this pattern, found a few years ago). I've used tracing paper and made numerous pants. Thank goodness my oldest son enjoys picking out fabric - bright orange and busy. His favorite.

And, since it's one of the few items that actually gets finished around here...why not wear them as pants? with shoes. outside.

 

Those are Christmas Eve pajamas - still going. Not too bad for a thrifted flannel sheet. (I made the pants one size bigger and tacked at the bottom...next year they should still be in one piece).

Since there are two boys in the family now, my littlest one has also been included in this new pajama pants tradition. (How I love sewing for two - so much fun)! I traced a pair of his regular pants and this time, remembered to make the waist a bit wider so the elastic could stretch.

A quick side note: how do those mamas of multiples get a picture with both of the kids together? Clean and in the same pair of pants at the same time? I'm perplexed. Formal portraits aside, the pants fit him and I love seeing him wearing them. Oh, yes, pajama pants - they make me feel good.

(Apparently, I neglect sweeping up after breakfast in favor of sewing pajama pants. Sigh.)

better late than never :: skirt

I finally applied the hem to this "pregnancy" skirt that I started, oh, six months ago. I wore it once with a rough hem and put it aside to work on...it never made it to the sewing pile until I remembered it a few weeks ago. I bought some pre-made bias tape and - voila! - instant hem. (I'm tall and I needed the extra length - AND - my hemlines are never as pretty as I would like).

It was this pattern and I love it. It's the perfect transition between a post-partum and pre-pregnancy body. I used a three-inch piece of elastic rather than the belly band since the first skirt I made hung a bit low and required a l-o-n-g shirt. I do believe that I am in love with elastic skirts. I'm thinking of making another one for everyday wear. I'll let you know if it takes another six months!

Have a great weekend!

more fish :: baby mobile

Ah, a finished project.

Sigh.

As we approach Calum's eighth week on Earth (how did we ever live without him), we have gratefully fallen into a bit of a routine. Which means - a bit more time for crafting - without sacrificing sleep. This project has been in the works for, well, eight weeks now? But, with all the newborn baby watching/cuddling/kissing, its importance fell by the wayside. However, it was so nice to be sewing again - there's an aura of calm that comes over me when I get into the groove of a project. And, it's nice to see it finished and put into good use. So, while Calum did this:

I did this:

and this...

A black and white and red baby mobile to hang over his changing table. I love those fish. So versatile.

Look closely at the picture and you'll notice the fish are attached with safety pins. I did this on purpose (and not just out of frustration). I wanted to be able to change out the items and add a bit of variety - especially since Calum spends quite a bit of time on this changing table! And, secondly, I have been very conscious lately of where things go when we are finished with them. I didn't want to make a mobile, only to have it be shoved in a box within a few months. While I thoroughly enjoyed the crafting aspect, I was worried about the environmental aspect of such a short lifespan. So, I attached the fish with safety pins with the intention that they will become part of the fishing game in a couple of years.

 

Have a great weekend!

One week

How is that after just one week, I can't remember our lives without Calum?

It seems completely normal and everyday ordinary to...

---be hanging out - awake - at 3 in the morning,
---always have a babe at my breast,
---to refer to my first - and - second son.

And, while, the sibling transition has had a few minor bumps, more often than not, I find Ronan doing a bit of baby-gazing himself.

Of course, that's usually followed by the irresistable urge to wake him up -just so he can see his eyes and talk with him. Ah, the innocence of a three-year-old.

At present, crafting has taken a temporary backseat to baby-gazing, big brother reassurance, and sleep, but I am lucky to have a few others crafting for this new baby as well.

(Made by the incredible, but blogless, Laura!)

I am appreciating the crafting break, but I know that the desire to create will soon return. It's always a good sign when you look at your newborn son's onesie and think, "Hey, he needs some pants to match," and then you cast your eyes upon the stash shelf and locate the perfect fabric.

Have a wonderful weekend!

We've been practicing

My days have seemingly become endless as we enjoy each others' company and try to prepare ourselves for a new, but happy, reality. A reality which will include less sleep, but more love. The clothes have been washed and the last minute supplies have been purchased (at least, I think they have. My brain has gone into forgetful mode these days).

We are ready - even though, such a statement ensures that we will still be unaware of the change in our "routine." The best we can do for our oldest (and for ourselves) is to surround each other with love and support and attention - things, that thankfully, we have incorporated a lot into our time these last few weeks.

At the suggestion of a friend, I found my old Cabbage Patch doll from when I was a child and a few weeks ago we brought it out for Ronan to play with. We tried to introduce a doll when he was a baby, but it never really took, so we figured he was just a trucks and tractors kind of kid. That is, until this year, when his imagination and his creative playing has really blossomed. Now, his stuffed animals play a role in some everyday activities, although he still prefers the trucks and tractors.

The funny thing about this doll is that I can still picture the moment I first saw it. I was probably five-years-old and he was hidden on the side of the couch on Christmas morning. He was encased in plastic and next to him was an identical doll - same clothes and everything. He was for my younger sister. My doll's name was Geoffrey and her's was Jeffrey. Even though they were obviously twins, it still bothered us that they had the same name. I find it ironic that this was even an acceptable practice  - to name the dolls - to take away the really fun thing about receiving a doll as a child - the act of giving it a name. Regardless, we ended up calling my sister's doll Jeff and mine Geoffrey.

When we gave the doll to Ronan, we asked him what he thought his name should be. His previous ideas for baby brother names have have been interesting, to say the least. As he said the other day, he was "back to chicken nuggets" as being his favorite suggestion. Needless to say, we were going to call this doll whatever Ronan wanted, but we were a little apprehensive. In the end, Ronan decided on the name Almanazo, from this series of books. Once Almanzo had a name, we set about finding some decent clothes for him. I had few, but I decided that I could make a quickie bib (a shorter version from these) and a cloth diaper (I drew my own, but this is the basic idea).

We have all been practicing our babysitting skills with Almanzo and I am enamored by the way our children imitate us. It says a lot of how we need to act (even though there are so many times I don't have the energy to be the positive role model). We bought a Moby wrap and we have been practicing - the tying and twisting - and, apparently, Ronan and his always observing 3-year-old eyes has been taking it all in - especially since he asked for this a few days ago - a way to carry his baby.  Could he be any cuter?

A weekend of sewing

The steady hum of the sewing machine filled much of my Sunday. I had a chance to sit and work on some baby-related items, knowing that soon they will be put to good use. I love the anticipation, and yet, the peaceful calm that accompanies those thoughts.

Since this is our first foray into cloth diapering, I made some cloth wipes from some old receiving blankets. I'm not sure how pretty they are, but they should be functional. I do believe that I will be adding 'serger' to my Christmas wish list.

While my lovely husband washed my car, (I think nesting is hitting me hard), and ran to the grocery store with our son, I made some nursing pads (based loosely on this pattern) and more of those easy bibs.

It was a very relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon - a chance to revel in the stillness and quiet before birth, a chance to reflect upon our anticipation, and a chance to be "useful" in such an artistic way.

Handmade bibs - easy, easy, easy

The pull to the sewing machine has been strong lately. I am constantly rummaging through my fabric stash, wondering, what can I create today? I have made some matching pajama pants for my two babes out of some knit fabric that had found its way to the bottom of the stash. (I had originally intended to make something for my now 8-year-old nephew as a baby - ha!).

Regardless, it found me and I found it and together we made something useful, but I still had some fabric leftover. With a motherly tug of heart, I knew that it would probably not be held over for a third child. And, then, I saw what I could create:

The easiest baby bibs known to man, thankfully modeled by two of Ronan's stuffed animals. (Seeing as how, at present time,  my baby still enjoys the dark, warmth of my womb). 

I found the pattern here, from a very fun sewing blog. Her pattern was easy to use and there was no need to enlarge the print out. Just cut, tape and go.

The pattern does call for snaps and I was a little bit frightened, but after doing some research and finding a video or two, I felt confident enough to give it a try.

As you can see, they are firmly attached and they work! Plus, it was loads of fun to pound on the snap tool with a hammer (even if it meant wrestling the hammer away from my 3-year-old). And, quite frankly, surprisingly easy. It's funny how simple a process becomes once it is broken down into steps.

So, I may have picked up just a little more flannel at my craft store while purchasing the snap tool today. Maybe.