Nostalgia

I tend to look pretty much everything up on the internet. I can't even tell you how many things I look up per week just out of curiosity. Last night, I was researching something or other and stumbled across an interesting idea for any parent to keep in mind. The article I was reading mentioned that people tend to recall events that are unique and/or infrequent occurrences in their lives (I believe the context was that because of this fact, it's not the expense that matters but the uniqueness when planning special outings).

I frequently wonder what memories my children will look back upon with special fondness. After reading that article last night, I think I might have a better clue. Thinking back on my own life, I do realize that nostalgia is a very funny thing. I may not have tons of vivid memories from early childhood, but those that I do have are in fact quite unique. One of my favorites involves my mom ironing while watching Hawaii 5-0 (which, I feel like she did often, but maybe it was actually a one time thing). While she ironed away, I sat in an inflatable yellow plastic raft (that we had apparently just bought and had blown up to test) eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sprinkled over the top. Given the fact that this all took place in our livingroom, it doesn't get much more unusual that that.

As a parent, I want memories like that one for my own kids. Of course, I can't select what they will recall later on in life, but as a stay-at-home mom, I can do my best to fill their young lives with potentially great memories. This is actually the number one reason I chose not to work especially while they're little. And, armed with this new information, maybe I can do a little better at choosing fun/unique activities that they will remember for years to come.

Activities like the pizza making from a few nights ago. Daddy was out of town, and if I know how to do anything, it's bread baking. I don't often make pizza, though they do love it. The other night, I had the appropriate ingredients and offered to let them make their own. They jumped at the chance to dig into the dough. They made the entire pizza dough from scratch themselves. The only thing I did was measure the ingredients and show them the proper way to knead. They had a ball (of dough! hee hee!) and were so proud to learn how delicious their very own homemade pizzas could turn out (and, they were perfect). Just take a look at how yummy they were...

Oh, and in case anyone would like to know...

The recipe for their mini-pizzas was pretty simple. I gave them each a cup of flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp yeast. They mixed that with a fork and then we started adding warm water. Once the mixture was a little moist, we added about 1 tbsp of olive oil. Then, we continued adding water till the dough was workable but not too wet. When it was a tiny bit sticky we just added a bit more flour to help get the kneading going. They kneaded for quite a while (adding more flour when necessary). This kept them both busy while I breastfed/got the baby down for a nap. When they were done, we let it rise for a while and then rolled it out and added the toppings.

You might notice there is no tomato sauce on this pizza. It was really good that way. It does have tomatoes, but I didn't just chop them up and toss them on there. I used to do that but found that the dough gets soggy in places when the tomato juices are released in cooking. This time, I chopped the tomatoes into chucks (slices would work too) and sprinkled salt over them. I let them sit for about 1/2 an hour in a collander placed over the sink (or a bowl to collect the juice if you want to use it for something else). This got just the right consistency for the pizza. So tasty, and they weren't sautéed in oil, so they'd definitely be lower fat (and, did I mention this was really easy?).

Still in keeping with the feel of nostalgia we've got going here... I made an apron. It took me forever to get it done. I used a man's button-down I got at the thrift shop for a euro in January. It was this shirt originally. I chopped it up to make it into this halter top apron. I can't get away with halter dresses, which are kind of sexy (but picture your grandma without a bra and that's what it'd be like on me), but I can do a halter apron. I love the look of this apron. It feels so very retro and kitcheny to me. I'm going to love it.

And, one last thought on nostalgia before I go. You might have noticed that I tend to take lots of pictures of my kids. You actually only see a small portion of those that I take. I try to select the best so that my family overseas can share the happy bits of our lives here. I took one photography course at the age of 19 (we won't get into how very long ago that was), and I didn't learn as much as I should have. I've got some of the basics down, but I recently stumbled across the text book I had for that class (which I'm almost certain I never actually read). I pulled it out and have begun to study it. I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth (I'm fully aware this is relative) surrounded by four of the most beautiful people on earth (Nope, this is not relative - it's just a fact). They are the ideal inspiration and subject matter for picture taking and have inspired me to improve my photography skills.

What I would really love is to be able to actually take pictures for a living. To get paid for doing something I find that fun would be amazing. For now, I just have a tourist digital camera. It is at least capable of being set on "manual" so that I can control all of its different functions, but I can't change it's lenses or anything fancy like that. I can't afford to go out and buy my dream camera, though, so I've decided to work on my framing and composition until the time that I will be able to afford a new one. Today, Lambchop #3 and I played around with some soft back lighting by putting a sheet over our heads. She found this to be great fun, but it might have been a little hard to snap the shot before she pulled the sheet off (I may or may not have erased more shots than I kept, which is the real beauty of digital cameras). I don't think our efforts were in vain, though (Mom and Aunt Dis and Uncle B, let me know if you'd like these sent via email so they're more printable)...

She's a keeper. That much is for sure.

I Wish I Had One

They say you always give people gifts you wish you owned. I kind of pride myself on trying to give thoughtful gifts that are something the recipient would love to have. This time, though, I'd kind of like to keep it for myself...

Yesterday my husband mentioned that tomorrow is my mother-in-law's birthday. Normally, they don't make a big fuss about that kind of thing in his family. This time, though, since both my husband and his mother are leaving early tomorrow morning for a short business trip (he happened to be able to hitch a ride with her), she's staying the night at our place. I feel a bit funny about seeing someone on their birthday and practically ignoring it. So, I threw an easy apricot pie in the oven while our bread was baking. Then, it occurred to me that I could pretty easily make something I know she has been wanting out of some fabric I'm certain she would like.

I know all this, because the fabric is some beautiful batik (cotton or maybe linen) that she bought back in the 70's when my husband's family was living in Africa (he has fond memories of jumping from one dried elephant patty to the next). The last time I saw her, she gave it to me, happy to know it would finally be put to good use. She had seen how much I have been sewing lately and decided that I should have it. It was a spur-of-the-moment kindness, and I really wanted to make her something out of it, since she had said she had originally wanted to make something with it but never ended up doing so (she doesn't really sew much).

She may not be a seamstress, but she's an excellent knitter who always has something on her needles. She tends to stick to kids' sweaters for all her many grandchildren, but she still has amassed an amazing collection of various needles (big and small). She tends to jam them all into a glass jar (which we've probably all heard isn't great for their tips). What she really needed was a handy cloth needle case. So, I sat down and made one for her today. It got in the way of me finishing an apron I'm making for myself, but it's a sacrifice I was willing to make. Oh, woe is me, I was forced to use that nice, old sewing machine of mine (whose brand is Luxor, by the way - it's French made and dates from at least the early 50's, I'd say by the date on the needles that were in the box). Not to mention this batik fabric. So pretty, and I happened to have a pink corduroy that matched it perfectly (My husband seems to think that given the size of my fabric stash, this really isn't much of a coincidence, but he knows nothing when it comes to real fabric stashes - mine is meager, I assure you.).

The lining is the batik (from Kenya, since I forgot to mention it earlier) and the outside is the corduroy I had leftover from some pants for Lambchop #1 that didn't turn out all that well. I also had the idea that it would be pretty to add a patch of the batik (because I love it so much) to the outside as well as making the ties with it. The only problem with that is that in order for it to show nicely, it had to be placed where I needed to also sew lines for the needles to have little pockets. So, that part is not quite as nice as I had hoped, but she really liked it and was happy to receive such a practical gift (now I see where her son gets it). She isn't one for keeping many objects around, which explains why buying birthday gifts isn't a big thing in this family. But if the object in question has a really good purpose, she's happy to receive it, so I chose well.

Now that I take another look at the pictures of that patch of batik on the outside of it, I don't think it's that bad. You would never have it laying open like that, and it looks very nice rolled up with its patch. You don't see the lines I had to sew all that much.

And, now, just because my mom is having yet another of those days at the office, I'll give you a couple of baby pictures. This little one is a live wire, let me tell you. The other two walked at a pretty early age, so it doesn't surprise me to see her wanting to get around now. She's 9-and-a-half months, and for the past few weeks she's been able to make her way around the rooms of our house a little too well. She loves to pull herself up into a standing position now. Even though she can't walk yet, that doesn't seem to phase her. She's perfectly comfortable climbing things anyway. Yeah, you read right. Climbing things. Like stairs or my sewing box. You know, just whatever might help her get higher. Have to keep an eye on this girl.

Like a caged animal. "Somebody please let me out of here!"

"Better yet, my feet are little. Maybe I could learn to climb this thing."



It is hard work, though. She's just beside herself with... fatigue?

A Thing of Beauty

I think it was about five years ago that I got a sewing machine for my birthday. At the time, I really wanted to make curtains for the temporary house we were living in. The machine is a white plastic no-name brand with a variety of stitches available. I have enjoyed using it for years, even if, aside from the one that covered the open area under the kitchen sink, the curtains never got made.

Five years have passed, and here we are in our new house, finally (that temporary home turned into the most permanent home I've ever known), and I find myself sewing curtains again. I've still got that same sewing machine. It runs well, but it could probably use a little TLC that I don't fully know how to give. Not long after I bought it, the instruction manual disappeared somewhere in the house. I figure I'll find it in a box some day. Until then, I'm always a little nervous my machine needs some oiling in places I'm not familiar with.

Luckily for me, I have a back-up machine. It's a complete fluke that I even have it. The year I got a machine for my birthday, my sister-in-law also bought me one for Christmas (a lack of communication, I suppose). There are many people in my husband's family, so we tend to draw names for the adults. One person to shop for usually means one very nice gift. That year, my sister-in-law really outdid herself. She bought one of the most lovely sewing machines I have ever laid eyes on. Thing is, though, I have never actually used it. It's only able to straight sew, and I kind of like my bells and whistles. Plus, the weight of all that metal made it a chore to lug it out of its hiding place.

I'm not sure what prompted it, but I decided to give the old girl (or is it a guy?) a go today. I spent some time fiddling with it and its manual in order to familiarize myself with it. Imagine my surprise when I found a funny little extra foot in the box. I had no clue of its use, so I whipped out my trusty sewing handbook. As it turns out, I am the proud owner of a narrow hemming foot or rolled hemmer, which is a handy-dandy thing to own. It folds and sews narrow hems all in one step without too much effort from me (If you look at the picture below, you'll notice it even works on some pretty badly frayed edges - I had done some zigzagging close to the edge a while back, but didn't even trim, and it made a much nicer edge after the hemming. I'm not being too particular with this hem, because it's just curtains for under the bathroom sink.). No more burning my hands on the iron trying to press out those narrow seams. This is a happy day, indeed.

The machine itself is so beautiful, I decided to take several pictures to show it off. Somehow in all the visits my mom has made to my house, I never managed to pull this beauty out to show it to her. Now, she'll finally see it over the net. I can't even tell you what brand it is. There's no brand on the manual and the only brand on the entire machine is on the motor, which isn't necessarily the same brand as the machine itself. Doesn't matter. I've fallen in love. It hums pleasantly while it sews. And, it sews quickly and smoothly. Despite its age, I suspect that it will outlast my other, more modern machine by far.

Look at that green! Isn't that a wonderful color? They just don't make things like they used to. I feel like I'm traveling back in time (though I still get to use my computer to tell you about it) every time I sit down in front of this machine. It's just a thing of beauty.

Here's To Brighter Days

In France, kids don't go to school on Wednesdays. They are often forced to go on Saturday morning to make up for it, but they get a free day in the middle of the week. It's a remnant of the days when schools became secular and the Catholic church apparently negotiated Wednesdays for learning about God and the church (do they capitalize "The Church"?). Anyway, France isn't really much of a religious country these days, and I guess anyone so inclined could just send their kids to parochial school. So, most kids do sports or other extra curricular activities on Wednesdays. Lambchop #1 will probably start dance next year or something. Until then, though, I have to figure out what to do with the kids every Wednesday so they don't destroy the house.

Since the weather got nice, I've been driving them over to the beach every Wednesday (okay, since last week, but I plan to keep doing it) and Saturday. I've decided it's a really good way to kill several hours, since it's only a 20-25 minute drive from here (nothing is less than 10 minutes, so that's pretty close). I'm considering spending most of our summer mornings there, too. That way they won't be too bored. They seem to wreck the house when they get too imaginative. I don't want to stifle their creativity, but when they build "a house" - watch out. Today the water was particularly wonderful. We just waded in a little, since I've got all three of them to watch, but it sure felt great, and the kids love playing in the sand and water.

Knowing I'm not at a size I plan to stay at, I haven't bought myself a bathing suit in years. I'm kind of figuring I could just make myself one when I get to the size I want to be at. Until then, I have an ugly suit I bought in between Lambchop #1 and Lambchop #2. It was the only thing in the entire store that fit my chest size (always a problem here in France). I have another one, too, but it was a maternity horror show (again, the only thing in the store that fit my chest - though it was in the US). It's blue and white gingham, which I could live with, but the top was like a skirt/dress thing. Not a pretty sight unless your under 4 years old, and in a place where women frequently go topless, it looks a bit absurd. Seemed like a waste to just throw it away, though, because even if I took it to the charity shop, no one would want it. So, I modified it to fit me now. It worked pretty well, and is very comfy since it has a bit of a boob shelf (unlike the one I bought here), which I really do need. I'll try to get a picture of it sometime to show you what I did.

Until then, I'll have to just show off our sleeping beauty. I decided to take a few shots in Sepia mode today. I guess I was feeling a little whimsical or something. The real reason I took this picture, though, is that my mom sounded like she was having a rough time at work these days, so I figured she could use a little pick-me-up (you know, since coming into work drunk off margaritas is probably frowned upon). Hope this brightens your day, Mom.

Another Sewing Frenzy

I seem to do things in spurts. One day, I'll wake up in the mood to have a clean house, so I'll clean like mad for a while. Another day, I'll really want to sew, so I'll do that for several days. It's been a while since I've really knit. Maybe it's the warm weather. Or, maybe it's the fact that my favorite recipient (me) is at an awkward size and doesn't intend to stay there. It's also at least partially due to the fact that all of my current knitting projects are at stages where any progress on them would involve actual thinking on my part. Apparently, I'm just not in the mood for that. So, I've been sewing instead. I've got a nice pile of projects that need my attention, so the sewing machine will keep me busy for a little while. None of these projects really entails much thinking, either, so I'm free to let my mind wander a bit while I work on them... wander toward possible knitting projects, perhaps... a knitting project involving some naturally dyed lace weight merino, perhaps (more on that soon).

For now, let's concentrate on the sewing. I did a little mending on the split crotch of some pants. Is my husband really that well-endowed? Impressive. Either that, or he needs to stop lifting his leg on stuff (oh, wait, that would be the dog I left behind with my parents when I moved to France - he now wears a diaper around the house... anyway, back to the sewing).

I also converted a homemade tank top into a dress (before shot is at the right, after is modeled by our sweetie). The fabric was a very small amount of those leftover cuts they often sell at the fabric store. So, it was really cheap, though I don't recall how much I paid for it. I really liked the stripes, so I made a little Burda pattern tank out of it (can't remember the pattern number) for Lambchop #1 a while back. It never did get much use, though, because if it's not pink or purple... I wasn't sure what I should do with it, but I've apparently gotten my husband into the habit of thinking about refashioning clothes, because he suggested a dress for Lambchop #3. Perfect idea. The color suits her well, and she's not going to complain that it's not pink.

I just did a little shirring around the collar to make it more her size and then did some around the chest, as well. After that, I added some rickrack around the bottom hem (something I'm still not so great at). It took me about 30 minutes in all, and I think it turned out well, though I'm considering adding a little more shirring on the back. It's a bit puffy back there, and I haven't decided if I like that yet. It's 100% cotton, and not particularly thick fabric, so it'll be a great summer dress for her.

The other sewing project I finished since my bag yesterday was the coin purse to match it. I whipped that one out pretty quickly before dinner. I decided I definitely didn't feel like waiting around till I had the time to go buy a zipper. I made a drawstring bag, instead. I really like it, and the construction of it was extremely simple.

I used the same fabrics for the lining and the outside as I had used for the purse itself, so everything matches. That's a first for me. It's kind of fun. The little coin purse fits nicely into the purse, and it's large enough for a few bills as well as some coins.

I Have Needs

Sometimes a girl just needs a new purse (or handbag, if you prefer). You know what I mean. I'm really picky about purses, though, so I don't even remember the last time I bought one. I hate thinking I got really suckered, and that's what I always think when I see the price of purses. They're never exactly what I want them to be, and they're too expensive. And, since I'm trying to make all the clothes and other goodies for the family, I figured I'd give designing my own purse a shot.

There are several reasons I decided to do this now. First, there's just no better time than the present, right? Then, there's the fact that I've misplaced the checkbook and my credit card holder several times lately. That's generally a bad thing. This fact makes the present a really, really good time to have a new purse. I actually haven't bought one in years. The last couple I had were hand-me-downs from my mom. She likes her purses. We don't have identical tastes, though. She prefers them larger than I do. I'd be perfectly happy with something that would fit in my front pocket, if that were possible. I think my favorite purse ever was a coin purse shaped like a backpack that had a key chain on it (Scooby Doo on the front, too). The backpack was the perfect size for my credit card, driver's license, some change and a few bills. There was even a little hook/clasp thing on it that allowed me to attach it to belt buckle if I wanted. It was ideal for the student lifestyle I had at the time.

Then children came. I haven't had a purse I loved since. I've got plenty of bags. They're all great for knitting projects, but my other necessities tend to get lost in the yarn and needles. What I really needed was a smallish purse with compartments and pockets to keep things organized. So, that's what I made. It's like a mini-messenger bag. I can just sling it over my shoulder or I can hold it like a messenger bag is usually held. It holds everything I need on an everyday basis, and it's just my size. Why didn't it occur to me before to make my own purse?

It's made of mauve corduroy that was leftover from a bag I made for a friend. The inner lining is some fabric that my mother and great aunt gave me recently. I'm pretty sure my great aunt must of gotten it from a garage sale. That, or it's some leftover fabric from a quilt my mother made. Either way, it was free to me, and the ideal match for the corduroy.

Every other bag I've ever made had very few embellishments and maybe one pocket. This one has two on the outside (front and back), two inner compartments and four little interior pockets (two of which have elastic on the top to hold their contents in a bit). I also had some fun trying out some new techniques. I've never really done any stripes on a bag before, though I do like the look. So, I cut some strips of the lining fabric and made a little design on the back pocket. I also sewed some pin tucks on the front pocket before sewing it to its lining. They aren't perfect, but I think it's a fun look, and it's definitely something I'd like to try again on a garment some time.

I've worked on it bit by bit over the past week, since I've had very little time to myself. I hadn't gotten much done till today. When we got the kids off to school, I put the baby to sleep and got to work. It took me many more hours than I suspected it would (what with all the pockets and embellishments), so maybe it makes a little more sense that purses can be pricey. I probably spent about 5-6 hours on the sewing and ironing of all the little pieces. The planning and cutting stage was significantly shorter.

So far, I'd have to say I like it. It fits a packet of Kleenex, my credit card holder, a checkbook, a diaper and some cotton wipies with extra room for other possibilities. There's even leftover fabric to make a coin purse. I thought I'd need a zipper to make it, but I'm now toying with the idea of using elastic or a drawstring so I can avoid a trip to the fabric store. We'll see how that turns out.

Yeah, Shir

I haven't had much time to write any blog posts in the past few days, but I can happily say that the little bag I made for the birthday party on Wednesday went over well. Lambchop #2 embarrassed his mommy a tiny bit, though. My intention was not to make it known that the gift was homemade. I'm proud of making things for my family, but sometimes, people don't appreciate handmade gifts the way they should. He was proud, though, and the second the little girl opened it, he blurted out, "And, and, and, my mommy made it, too!" Nobody heard him the first time, so he was forced to say it louder for everyone to really know how happy he was about it. Very sweet, and I do hope they all continue to be proud when mommy makes them things (though, I have a sneaking suspicion the pride will turn to shame some day at least while they're going through their teen years - we'll see). And, the ladies in the room actually seemed pleased and impressed by a handmade gift, so the world is not lost after all.

Oh, and I learned something about my son while at the party. He appears to have some success with the little ladies. There were mostly girls at the party (Lili-Rose, Lola, Lili and Lila - if you can believe that) with a couple of boys. When we arrived, the boys were in one room playing with boy stuff and the girls were in another playing a game we have here at home that Lambchop #2 loves. He went right in and sat down to play with the girls. They seemed quite happy with his presence. I had already noticed that he gets the Beatles treatment when he arrives at school, with the girls smiling and screaming his name (no fainting, though). The birthday party pretty much confirmed it for me. He's a lady's man. I guess it pays to have two sisters at home.

Though the blog has been silent the past few days, I have been keeping myself busy. I did a little remake of a piece of clothing I've had for over 10 years. It was one of those crinkle skirts that were so popular in the 90's. I've always loved the fabric, but the elastic on the skirt was never very forgiving, and though it fit without me sucking my stomach in, it always gave me a stomach ache some how. Needless to say, it never got much wear. This week, I decided to give it a new life.

I have been fascinated by the idea of shirring for quite some time, but I hadn't found the appropriate project to try it out for myself. Then, a post over at Wardrobe Refashion got me thinking it'd be the perfect way to change this skirt into a shirt to wear this summer. I like the end result, but the best thing about shirring is that as my body shrinks a little here and there (I tend to lose weight gradually while breastfeeding till it mostly all melts away), the shirt will continue to fit. It even fits Lambchop #1's tiny chest size because of the elastic used in shirring.

The skirt looked like this in the beginning:

Nothing very special, but I always loved the roses on the fabric. I have never been a very frilly girl. I always tended toward t-shirts and jeans or simple skirts. As it turns out, though, I really do love flowers. I'm realizing this now, because the things I seem to have trouble parting with all have flowers (I've got another flowered skirt like this to mess with later).

I spent about a half and hour detaching the waistband with my seam ripper and got to shirring on the top section. Later, I added the black band around the top and the straps. I needed thick ones, because I'm not one who can go braless even with the elasticity provided by the shirring.

The shirt has gotten mixed reviews around here. Lambchop #1 loves it, mostly likely because it's the kind of thing that is in style these days. The hubbie isn't quite so fond of it, most likely for the same reasons Lambchop #1 loves it. I'm not 100% certain for several reasons. First, it's not my usual style, so it'll take some getting used to. Second, I'm a little afraid the high waist makes me look a little preggers. That's not the look I'm going for after having given birth 9 months ago, but if I suck my gut in to the point that I can no longer breathe, I admit, I look pretty hot. It's just a shame it's not convenient for that whole will to survive thing I've got going these days. I'll shrink into it, and for now, it's very comfy. The last reason I'm not too sure about this shirt is the slip factor. It might have a tendency to slip down a bit in the front, possibly exposing my girlimajigs (Or, should I say "girlimajugs"?). I think it'll be alright. I just need to watch when I bend forward. It's light and airy, though, so it'll be good for summer. and with all the shirring, it doesn't seem nearly as see-through as it did as a skirt.

Here's one last shot of it, taken by Lambchop #1. She's home sick from school and did a little photography for Mommy. Not bad, actually. A little blurry, but at least she didn't make me look fat like Daddy usually does.

Birthday Bag

Yesterday was Mother's Day here in France, and I had a wonderful one. I was awakened at 7:30 am by a very excited Lambchop #1 bearing gifts. She had been hiding them all week long and couldn't hold her secret in any longer. Lambchop #2 followed soon after with an offering of his own. Very sweet. I loved the gifts, too. When do kids stop making things for Mommy and Daddy at school? That will be a sad day, I think. Anybody who enjoys crafting as much as I do can certainly appreciate a hand-made gift from their own kids.

Speaking of hand-made gifts, Lambchop #2 was invited to the birthday party of a little girl in his class. I'm not a big fan of buying junky plastic toys for kids that age. They get broken with amazing speed and efficiency, and since the kid in question is female, I figure a little hand-made bag would be better. I let Lambchop #2 raid my fabric stash, and he picked out some blue fabric with stars. My great-aunt gave me this fabric, which she most likely picked up at someone's yard sale. It's cute, and just masculine enough that my boy could get on board with it. That became the inner lining, the straps (which, as my husband pointed out, at their length, only one would have been necessary) and the front pocket. The outside of the bag is a portion of a jean leg. It already had the side seams, which I was happy about. Less work for both me and my machine, who likes to jam up on me when the fabric is very thick like that. All I had to do to the jean part was add an oval bottom to give the bag some roominess and a fun shape.

Since all the fabric was either given to me or taken from something old I no longer use, this was an amazingly cheap project. I'd say it cost me mere cents to make (because of the cost of the thread used to sew it). It's not perfect, since I didn't feel like measuring anything to make it. Lambchop #2 is very proud of it, though, and wanted to take it to school with him this morning to give it to the birthday girl right way (though her party is on Wednesday afternoon). I think we can fill it with candy before then just in case she doesn't find a bag very exciting.

And, this morning I couldn't help but snap a few shots of Lambchop #3 sleeping. I took way more than necessary, but that's the beauty of digital cameras - one is bound to turn out right. Here's the one I liked best (oh, and for you thrift shoppers, this is a thrift shop shirt she's wearing - it was in perfect condition).

Now I'm off to do some actual chores. Our dryer's heating element seems to have given out, so I'm forced to be both more frugal and more environmentally friendly. With a baby, it can be hard to make it out to hang clothes. I need to take advantage of Lambchop #3's nap really fast before she wakes up. Maybe I should consider installing some kind of baby swing in a nearby tree, because I really do enjoy hanging clothes (except when we've got high winds and I have to fight the line to hang them).

Happy Birthday!

It is now 12:01 am, so that means my husband has just turned... well, a little older. I never did figure out what to make with that elephant, and he told me he doesn't really do the apron thing at wine shows. Why? Would that make him a sissy? Nope, they're just for klutzes, according to him. Oh well. He says I could sew it to the bag he already has. I'm not overly excited about that, though, so I might just wait till inspiration strikes some day.

Soooo, instead of making something for him for his birthday, I finished my blue dress (installed the zipper and did the hem). It took me a while to get the zipper area just right. I should really take a course in zipper installation and blind hem sewing. Those two tasks always take me too long. Anyway, at least it's done, and when the weather decides to allow it, I'll wear it and feel pretty and really attention-getting (because of the color, mostly).

The other picture I'm going to show you is a little modification I did today on an old-lady skirt I got at the thrift shop yesterday (went shopping with Lambchop #1 for a mother-daughter outing - hit the thrift shop and the used bookstore). I paid 1 euro for this skirt. When I showed it to my mother-in-law in its original form, she looked at me like I was nuts. She's a lot closer to being an actual "old lady" than I am, and even she wouldn't consider wearing it. It was just a simple straight skirt several sizes too large for me. I suppose even I should have wondered why on earth I bought it. Perhaps the seersucker got me again. Or, perhaps, I saw the potential to do this to it. It was actually a pretty quick presto-changeo job. I chopped it off just above the knees. Then, I took a decent amount off the sides to make it fit me. Then, I sewed the little pleats in the bottom section and reattached it. After that, I removed the waist band and sized it down before reattaching it. A little ironing job, and it was done. I love it. I also got the shirt I have on with it on another thrift shop expedition. It cost me 1 euro, and I was really excited to see it's a Banana Republic shirt. I've kind of always liked that brand but never could convince myself it was worth the price.

Some other goodies were bought yesterday at the thrift shop, including a Hawaiian shirt to play with and a polka dot shirt I fell in love with, which is odd considering my past hate of polka dots. I'm working on changing my personal style (if you can call t-shirts and jeans that), because I'm tired of feeling frumpy. Before having three kids pop out of me after blowing me up like a balloon, I had a decent enough figure that I still felt feminine wearing t-shirts and jeans. Now, thanks to the jelly roll they left around my mid-section, I need a little help. Skirts and dresses will be a good start.

Always Listen To Your Mother...

Or not. Whichever.

I got in the mood to change my hair yesterday. This used to happen to me quite a bit. I was a hormonally imbalanced teenager. Cutting my hair was what I did at least once a month. I always did it myself. So, I've gotten pretty good at messing with my own hair when the mood strikes me.

Yesterday, I was kind of in the mood for something drastic. Not purple hair kind of drastic, but chopping off my bangs kind of drastic. I just couldn't convince myself to do it. So, I asked my husband. He gave the usual husband opinion of, "Don't do it if it's going to bug you the whole time it takes to grow back out, because I'll have to hear about it." Yeah, helpful, huh? So, I did the only other thing I could think to do at midnight. I called my mommy in another time zone. She's the ultimate non-advice giver. It's actually a personal motto of hers not to give out advice. I told her I needed advice, and she immediately told me she might not have any to give. So, I presented her with the dilemma. Her response was typical Mom. Wait till morning, wash and style your hair, and then see what you want to do. I went to bed thinking Mom was pretty darn smart: #1, she didn't actually give any real advice, so she can't get in trouble for giving the wrong advice, and #2, she told me to sleep on it. Not bad advice to give at midnight, really.

Here's the real problem, though. I woke up to a house without water this morning. The pump wasn't turned on, and the cistern went dry. You didn't think of that, did you Mom? So, now what? Well, we ignore Mom, naturally. So, I took a deep breath, held it in and chopped my bangs. It took all of 2 minutes to drastically change my hair. And, I think I like it, though it needs to be washed and styled to be sure (and I've been told I've got a couple more hours till there will be water). So, what do you think? Please excuse the paleness (I've not been brave enough to go outside much these days with the 50 mph winds whipping through our property these days). The silly poses there's just no excuse for. Like I said, it needs a good washing and styling to not look quite so stringy, but I'm thinking it's a change for the better (I know, you didn't see the before shot).

Okay, now for the important stuff. I did quite a few little sewing projects yesterday and this morning (and one semi-big one). I fixed a nursing bra that I like to wear but whose clasp had snapped. You don't really need to see that, so we'll move on to the baby stuff instead.

First, let me apologize for the orientation of this picture. I've rotated it in iPhoto, but it doesn't seem to want to show up that way when I upload it. Sorry. You'll have to live with it this time (apparently, I couldn't live with it - came back and fixed it later by quitting and reopening iPhoto, in case you ever need to know). This is a little outfit I was given when Lambchop #1 was still in the belly. It was a garage sale special, and I know Lambchop #1 got some use out of it. She even gave the little bib a couple of nice stains. That's why I took the bib off (well, that and the fact that I'm not a huge bib fan). I didn't really want to throw the whole outfit away. Maybe I'm a sucker for seersucker. So, I detached the bib part and added a little rickrack to spice it up a bit. I think I like it better this way. Maybe it's not quite so fancy but it's more my style. And, since the outfit was free and that's most likely less than 20 cent's worth of rickrack, it's a pretty frugal restyling job.

Next is a little shirt I bought on sale a long time ago for 2 euros. I liked the cut, and I was planning to add some embroidery and give it to my sister-in-law's daughter. Only, I don't embroider and am unlikely to learn anytime soon, and the kid's now too big for it. Luckily, I had a girl. And, even luckier I have another sister-in-law who sent me a really cute collection of ribbons she bought a while back. I was able to dress the shirt up nicely with this one.

I was going to show you a before picture, but I didn't remember to take one till I already had the bottom section pinned down. I think you can picture it without the ribbon around the collar and bottom to get the idea of how plain it was before. I think it's really cute this way. Thanks, Aunt Dis. You gave me the perfect tool to fix this shirt up.

Here's a close-up so you can see the ribbon a little better. Perhaps it doesn't look like a professional installation job, but it'll do. I'm still not a pro at attaching ribbons, rickrack or bias tape, but I'm learning.

Now on to the big project of yesterday. I spent most of yesterday's sewing time on this one. I really love the way it turned out. I also love the fact that didn't buy anything new to make it. A while back, most of the grocery stores agreed to stop handing out plastic bags with groceries. Instead, they make you purchase slightly sturdier plastic bags and these funky material (plastic tarp stuff) heavy-duty bags. They're reusable and exchangeable, but they still irritate me. First, you have to buy them. Second, I used to reuse the other plastic bags for trash - now I have to buy trash bags so where am I doing any good for the environment?? And, third, they're really not all that sturdy, and it's a hassle to exchange them. I'd much rather have a pretty cloth one made from leftover fabric from my stash. So, I measured one of the store-bought ones and made my own.

Here it is:

Any Ikea shoppers may recognize the gray and black fabric to be a shower curtain. We bought one with a gift certificate we were given. Our shower stall is narrow, and the curtain was too wide, so I cut it and saved the excess material. The purple lining is some canvas that I used to make curtains for the bathroom (so this bag really matches the bathroom well). I had leftovers since it was double-wide upholstery fabric. The strap is made from a strip of fake leather I had bought for use as slipper bottoms (I changed my mind about the slippers, so I never used the fabric). I am very happy with it and can't wait to go shopping in style.

It's huge, too. Take a look at the inside. Imagine all the stuff you can fit in there. I just hope it'll be sturdy enough. I can't picture it falling apart as easily as the bags they sell you at the store, so I figure this will be fine.

Now, I have one last thing to show off before your eyes glaze over (don't tell me if they already have - I'd prefer to remain delusional). It's a little shot of my knitted cardigan tank. It's coming along nicely, and I thought I might be nearing the point where I should start the arm holes. I wasn't sure, so I steam blocked it a little with the iron to check. Here it is blocking.

You get a much better idea of what the lace will look like here than you got the last time I showed it to you. I love this lace. I think it's so pretty. I can't wait till I finish this cardigan. I guess that means I should really work on it more often, right? No big deal. I'll still have time before it gets too hot. With all the wind we've got these days, it's not yet the right weather for it. Anyway, see that band of lace that continues all the way up the edge? That'll be the button band. I'm kind of anxious to see how it'll look with the buttons going up it.

Well, I'm lucky today, because I get to hitch a ride with my husband to the fabric store to finally get a zipper for that blue dress. I'm also hoping to make a little stop at the thrift store. I have the excuse that I'd like to dump some old clothes, but we really know that I just want to feed my new thrifted sheet addiction.

Partay!

We had a fun-filled weekend. We were invited to a party at the home of another vintner who has been a friend of my husband's since he was a kid. It ended up being a potluck, so we tried all sorts of interesting dishes. I made what turned out to be the fastest dessert I've ever made. It was based on a recipe labeled "fast" in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It should have been made with corn syrup, peanut butter, brown sugar and puffed rice cereal. I didn't have half of those ingredients, so I substituted wheat syrup (because I've never seen corn syrup here), chocolate and corn flakes. It turned out quite well and took a whole ten minutes to prepare. I'd show you what it looked like, but it was all eaten up at the party.

The two older Lambchops and I got to wear some new clothes to the party, too. I wore my new wrap skirt and kimono shirt and felt very pretty the whole evening (which is quite a feat when you're sporting a post-pregnancy body like mine). Lambchop #1 wore a dress that used to be mine. It was always very much a mini-dress on me. I altered the torso section of the dress, and she looks great in it as a long dress. I think she felt very pretty, too. She certainly looked pretty to me.

Lambchop #2 wore a pair of jean shorts I made him. I actually cut out the fabric for these last year but never got around to sewing them, so imagine my surprise when I found they still fit him. I was thinking I'd have to make them girly and give them to his littler cousin. My husband tells me they are so plain, they look homemade. I think he might be right. I could add some contrasting stitching here and there to spice them up a little. I may actually do that, because the side pockets could use some reinforcing.

On a totally unrelated side note, I love this picture of him. His little girlfriend from school is hiding behind him in the background. We were at school on Saturday morning to watch a show put on by Lambchop #1's class. Later, he went out to the playground to play with some of the kids from his class whose parents opt to send their kids to school Saturday mornings (School is optional on Saturday mornings at their age, but it becomes mandatory in elementary school - they get Wednesdays off, though.) Anyway, he and this little girl adore each other, and it just cracks me up to see them together.

And, one last, great tidbit from the party that I don't have a picture of...

I saw my husband dance for the first time. This is something I've never witnessed before, because every time we go to a wedding or some other party, we've got small children who conveniently impede such activities. This party was what they call a Balfort (not sure about the spelling there), which comes from the local endangered language of Occitan. It's basically a party featuring Occitan folk music and dances. The music sounds very Celtic to me, and it involves a lot of dancing where everyone dances together in a circle or in two lines facing each other. At one point, there weren't enough men for the dance, so they asked him to do it. He appeared to have fun, and I took this as a sign that I should be the one to drive home.

He did a couple of different dances with everyone. One of them was a circle dance, where you switch partners each time you make a turn around the room. It was fun to watch. He looked quite a bit like a he was playing rugby and ready to catch a ball at any moment. I didn't take pictures, though, because I figured if I made fun of him, he might never dance with me if and when we're ever at a party or wedding without babies in tow. The funniest part of it all was the fact that Lambchop #2 seemed to have really gotten the gist of all the dancing. Daddy came over breathless and sweating after that circle dance. Our son looked up at his father and said, "So, you've danced with all the ladies now, Daddy?" Perceptive little guy, isn't he?

And lastly:

As I type this, Lambchop #3 is experimenting with maneuvering her way around the room by sliding around on her tummy backwards. She pushes backwards with her arms and moves around in reverse. She just hit the laundry basket, though, so she'll be stuck unless she figures out a way out of there. That's a funny age.

It Fits (And She likes It)!

I think maybe she's practicing her circus routine or something for this picture. I don't know. All I know is that chocolate Easter egg in her mouth makes her look like a chipmunk. Anyway, the good news is my efforts weren't in vain. She seems to like it. She looks cute in it, at least.

And, next up is a pair of shorts I made for the baby. I did this last weekend but she dirtied them before I could get the evidence. You can tell from these two projects that I've been playing with the decorative stitches on my machine.

This pair of shorts started out as my t-shirt. It first became a badly-designed skirt for the big girl. Through all this, I left the original hem intact. I just used a particular stitch along the edge of the fabric to get the scallops. Then, I put some elastic thread in the bobbin and sewed a couple of straight lines to make it gather a bit around the leg. Tada! Quickie bloomers. I like this style and will probably try it again soon.

Here's the full view (but you don't see the shorts much):

Tonight, I put together some jean shorts I had cut out for my boy last summer. He couldn't sleep, so he sat next to me and watched a while. I had him test a leg partway through to see if they might fit, and I think I may get lucky there. They're all ready for him to wear tomorrow morning.

And, one last little picture to please the fambly. I find it funny how we all look like we're sprouting up out of the bed sheets. Too bad my arms aren't longer. I could have gotten all of my munchkins in the picture with me.

Circus, Circus

Lambchop #1 went to circus school this year with her class. They spent a week learning all kinds of acrobatics. Then, they came back and spent lots more time practicing to put on a circus for the parents. That's happening tomorrow. I got the invitation a few days ago, but with all the sick kids and other messes, I seem to have misplaced it without ever getting the chance to read it. I had the hubbie check with the teacher to find out what time it will be tomorrow. Good thing, too, because he also learned she needed to wear either something blue or something red. This is a five-year-old girl we're talking about. If it's not pink or purple, it doesn't get worn. So, why would we have any blue outfits lying around here?

Wait a minute! This gives Mommy the perfect excuse to make something on the sewing machine. Good thinking. In fact, I've got plenty of blue shirts from my drab phase. I'm trying to get rid of them all, anyway, so I pulled out a particularly blah one and got to work on it. Here's the end result. One long-sleeved t-shirt gave me this entire outfit.

The pants are made of the sleeves. I just laid a pair of capris pants down on the sleeve and was happy to see they were just the right length and width. Then, I cut the crotch seam area and left the side seams and hem intact. That meant I only needed to make a waistband.

The shirt comes from the body of the original t-shirt. I kept one side seam and the hem again. I realized later that the original shirt dipped lower in the center of the bottom hem than on the side (curved hem), and this meant that one side of Lambchop's shirt hem is higher than the other. I'm going with the words "design detail" to explain this. Those asymmetrical hem-lines are all the rage at the moment, anyway.

Then, all that was left was to add the scallopy stuff on the hems, collar and armholes to make it more feminine and something she'll be more likely to wear after this circus show, too. I figure, if nothing else, she'll have a new pair of pjs for the summer.

I'm all excited about how well it turned out and can't wait to see her in it. It was very cheap, considering the original shirt is a man's shirt that I had picked up for next to nothing after Lambchop #1 was born. I don't remember what I paid for it, but it wasn't much, because I remember it was on clearance and I refused to pay much back then for clothes that wouldn't fit me for very long since I was sure I'd lose that pregnancy weight some time. Considering how much use I got out of that shirt myself, the whole outfit basically only cost me whatever amount of thread I used, plus the bit of elastic for the waistband, both of which I had on hand. I think it took me a maximum of 2 1/2 hours to make it all from start to finish. It could have been much faster, but the scallops take a while to sew. In my opinion, they are well worth the time and effort for the effect they give, though.

My New Home

First off, please excuse the picture. I realize it's not so great. The bathroom is not exactly tidy (you see where I still need to install a little curtain under the sink to hide our diaper changing supplies), and I don't have a full-length mirror, so you're looking at what I see when I look out the bathroom window at night. It's not a bad substitute for a mirror, really, but it's not ideal. Anyway, on to my new home.
I know what you're thinking. "Didn't she just move a few months ago?" Well, we didn't move, but I've got a new home. It's this outfit. Seriously, I could live in it. I love it that much. I spent my day designing the skirt and making both pieces yesterday. I even wore it out last night. I feel so comfortable and feminine in it. It was good to wear it out, too, because I got to see some of its flaws, which I fixed tonight. The shirt needed to be taken in a bit at the waist to show that I do actually have some curves, even if I am a little overweight after the last pregnancy. And, somehow I had reversed one of the skirt's panels and sewn it in backwards. Oops. The grain wasn't going the right way, so I fixed that tonight.

I love everything about this outfit. It's light and summery. The skirt is made of some linen fabric I've had around for quite some time. I meant to make some pants and a shirt with it. I even bought the pattern to do it, but that was back when I first learned how to sew, and I accidentally bought a pattern that was too small for me. I'm sure I could tweak it to get it to come out my size, but I've wanted a skirt like this for a long time. It's just such a flattering style and so feminine, and the wrap idea was something I added when I saw how easy it would be to make a wrap skirt. I'm pleased with how perfectly it fits. It's a very comfortable style.

The shirt is made of a thrifted sheet. I bought six different sheets for 2 euros one day, and I've been playing with the cheap fabric ever since. This particular one was the sheet I liked the most when I first saw them. Some of the others have grown on me more and more, so now it's a toss-up. This one is actually the one that gave me the idea for a wrap shirt in the first place. The colors and design (which you can't really see here) reminded me of something a kimono would be made of. So, I got out that nice book I mentioned so many times before and set to work to make myself one.

All in all, this project was a great experience. I learned many things along the way. Of course, I learned to make patterns, which is no small feat. I also learned to do a blind hem, and I improved at least slightly with sewing a straight line, which is way harder than one would suspect. I also learned to adjust the fit of a garment, which will be handy if I ever find any shirts or skirts I'd like to modify. Good fun - all of it.

Oh, and just for a little more fun... look who Lambchop #1 and I caught peeking in our kitchen door this afternoon. Yes, the window needs to be cleaned (it's got hard-to-remove-gunk left on it after the house was built), but look at him. Cute, huh? This one was actually kind of small compared to others I've seen around here. I'm not sure what he was interested in up there, but he sat up nice and pretty to pose for the picture.

Hamming It Up

I grabbed Lambchop #1 for a little photo shoot when she got home from school this evening, because she had worn her new outfit today. I worked late into to the night on that shirt (a.k.a. the monkey on my back). What I'm most excited about, though, is that the crotch seam of the pants seemed to hold up finally.

Here are the photos from our shoot. She was in the mood to play around, so I thought I'd show you what a little clown my girl can be.