Checklist

I was looking at the list I made in October, the list of crafts to do. I did finish about half of the items. That's pretty impressive as far as completing my lists go!

1. Hat for a little friend (done)



2. Hat for another little friend (done)



3. Baby quilt (done, and I love it!)



4. Pillowcase for Mae (I know this sounds simple, but I'm doing something a little more elaborate!) (done, and posted in an earlier post)
5. Waldorf doll for Zee...I finished Mae's earlier this year. Thank goodness for foresight! (done, and now I'm making several more for friends)

And that is what I've finished. And below, what I still need to do, if I ever get to it.

6. Hat for myself
7. Clothing to make for Zee from our new book
8. Doll house to put together...hopefully in time for Christmas!
9. Zee's quilt...that I started two years ago....


But add to that list....

10. Finish spinning my Zen Strings fiber. I've almost finished the singles, and I can't wait to see it plied! From this:



To this:



11. Lace Shawl. It's pretty good considering that it's my first lace! There are a few mistakes, but nothing major.
12. Far Away, So Close shawl. I'm still waiting on the wool for this one. This will be for me, and it will be the very first item I've ever knit for myself! I'm making this with Sugarbubbie superwash in the Chrisalis colorway. I'm so excited!
13. Spinning fiber I ordered from Nurturing Threads. Planning to make beautiful Ridinghood Sweaters for the girls for next Christmas (in Glitter for Zee and Ancient Grove for Mae).
14. Several more Waldorf dolls for friends. These are so much fun to make!




That list is in no particular order. I'm getting to each project as I find the time for it. Which is slow-going with my kidlings! But I like writing out a list to help keep me on track.

Oh, I forgot that I made Owlet sweaters for the girls for Christmas, and they were such a huge hit! So now I'm planning to knit them sweaters for each Christmas.

So there it is! A lot done but still a lot to do. And speaking of things to do, it's time to put the girlies down for naps!

Thankful for able hands, loving hearts, and happy girls.

A little more time....

In the Springs!



Yes, Jay has decided to extend his contract for a year.

Well, it wasn't so much that he wanted to, but he thinks it is the best decision for our family. You see, he was on the promotions list. But in order to actually get promoted, he has to have one year left in the Army. So he either had to extend for a year and get promoted, or decline the promotion...which would effectively end his Army career. Now that wouldn't be terrible in itself, but if something should come up in the next several months...we need to have the option for him to stay in. So promotion it is! I will be pinning him next week!

We are actually in the midst of another huge decision regarding the Army. As an E-6, he will be eligible for a rather large reenlistment bonus. The problem is that his unit will be deploying. So if he reenlists, we will receive a lot of money, but he will have to leave the girls and me. It sounds like a no-brainer, don't do it. But it's a large sum, and it could set us up for financial freedom. Jay thinks it's a good idea, but a piece of me dies thinking of him overseas fighting. It was hard enough the first time he did it, when we had only each other and no children. But now...I don't think I can let my girls' daddy go. It's too much to even think about.

In other news, I attended a DONA workshop two months ago, and I am currently working on certification to become a birth doula. I pray that this is the start of my journey towards midwifery! I feel such a calling in that field, and God has really given me a heart for all things childbirth-related. I'm taking it slowly. I know I have written earlier about the possibility of medical school, but after much thought and consideration, I think my goal is to become a certified professional midwife. Though I'm still not ruling out medical school in the (distant) future.



My girls are absolutely the heart that pumps my blood. Their smiles, giggles, the sweetness that they emanate...it defies description. Mae is learning to talk, and she has a fiery temperament to match her flaming hair. Her hair that is turning curly as she grows. She is proving to be a petite girl, but so was her red-haired ancestor (my great grandmother). So it makes sense to me. Zee...she is awesome. She just started taking a dance class, and can I say that it's the cutest thing I think I've ever seen? And her sense of humor is really developing. She is also a bit of a sneak. The unfortunate (for her) part of that is that she's not a great sneak. Her hiding spot seems to be under the dining room table. It's hilarious to see her crouched under there though. And when I ask her what she's doing, she inevitably gives it away..."Nothing!" Ummm hmmm. And to see these two girls together? Pure joy. Zee really takes care of Mae, and Mae worships the ground Zee walks on. And as much as Jay and I wanted another child, this is the real reason we did it. Not for ourselves, but for them.



My crafts are coming along well. I've taken up a new craft though (imagine that!): spinning. As in spinning fiber into yarn (the picture above is my own handspun, from Corriedale roving). It's amazingly meditative. And well, I'm doing something not a lot of people know how to do. And I like that! I've also been working on a lace shawl that I've promised to Zee (she won't mind all of my mistakes). My sewing machine has been fairly neglected these last few months. It's the ebb and flow, knitting versus sewing. Soon the call of my machine will be too strong to resist, and I will leave all of my fiber and needles for the sweet hum and steady stitches that make sewing so satisfying.

Thankful for: snaggle-toothed toddler grins that melt your heart; random hugs and snuggles from Zee, who knows exactly when you need one the most; Jay taking care of us and putting us first, showing us how much he loves us by making the right choices, even when they are hard. And for God who is constantly giving us strength to continue on this path we call life.

One Craft Down

And a ton more to go.

I finished Mae's pillowcase last night. I did kind of log cabin type of thing for one side (somewhat based on this), and I used a super soft minky material for the other side. That way, one side will be decorative and the other side will be functional. All in one pillow! So I don't have to clutter her crib to make it look a little spunkier. Here are pictures:





Now onto more projects! My goal this weekend is to finish the baby quilt and have it sent out. I won't post pictures of that until later though, as it's a surprise for the recipient.

To knit or to sew?

It seems that I can't agree with myself on this one. It goes in phases...one where I prefer sewing over knitting and vice versa. Maybe it has to do with the seasons? This fall has me knitting more than I've ever knit before. I'm making hats, hats, and more hats! For friends and for my own little lovelies. But while I'm camped out on the couch in front of some blah television show, knitting and purling, I wish I were down stairs getting more acquainted with my sewing machine. If only there were more time in the day....

I have so many more projects than I have time:
1. Hat for a little friend
2. Hat for another little friend
3. Baby quilt
4. Pillowcase for Mae (I know this sounds simple, but I'm doing something a little more elaborate!)
4. Waldorf doll for Zee...I finished Mae's earlier this year. Thank goodness for foresight!
5. Hat for myself
6. Clothing to make for Zee from our new book
7. Doll house to put together...hopefully in time for Christmas!
8. Zee's quilt...that I started two years ago....

So yeah, quite a lot of stuff, and most of those projects need to be done by Christmas. So with that list looming over me, I'm off to start work on one of those projects! I will try to post pictures as I go about finishing my list.

Colorado

It's been a while since I've updated! We finally left Georgia on the first of September, and we made the long trip across the country.

Leaving Georgia was hard for me. There are so many wonderful memories wrapped up in that little brick house...our first house, the birthplace of Mae, growing our family. I was so excited to start a new phase of our lives in Colorado, for sure, but it was not easy to leave my home.

Before heading to Colorado, we all drove up to Pennsylvania. The rental house that Jay found for us in Colorado doesn't allow pets, so our dog and two cats were going to stay with Jay's parents for the time being. We had a lovely time visiting them, and Pennsylvania was beautiful. Jay surprised me and took me to Lancaster County. He knew I had always wanted to visit, and we weren't sure when we were going to make it back to Pennsylvania, so he decided to take me this time. It was lovely, really lovely. I'm as addicted to technology as the next person, but I think I could fall in love with the simplicity of life without all of these gadgets.

One thing we found out on the drive to Lancaster County was just how much poor Mae hated riding in the car. We drove up from Georgia in the middle of the night, so she slept the whole time. But the hour long drive to Lancaster was not easy for my poor baby. After that trip, we decided that Jay would drive out to Arizona with his father and Zee, while Mae and I would catch a flight from Harrisburg to Phoenix. It was hard saying goodbye to our pets, but we knew it wasn't forever. I was worried how Zee would take it...Moose is her best friend.

Our visit to Arizona, to see my family, went as well as could be expected. My family can be somewhat volatile, but everyone seemed to be in good spirits for the most part. I was terribly stressed, so I was the one behaving badly. We had an early first birthday party for Mae, and it was great to see so many people come and show their love for us.

We finally headed up north to Colorado! We spent the night at my grandmother's cabin in northern Arizona, then we did the long drive from there to Colorado Springs. It was an interesting drive, but very stressful because of poor Mae. She was not pleased, to say the least. After 13 long hours of driving, we finally arrived to our new house...and no utilities! Jay had set up the utilities before he flew back to Georgia, but the utilities company never switched the account over to our name, so the utilities were turned off. So we spent the night camping out in our new house! And the utilities company promptly fixed the problem the next day, and the movers also showed up and delivered all of our stuff. And we have a lot of stuff! Too much!

Since then, I have slowly been unpacking, and we have been exploring Colorado Springs. We purchased a family membership to the zoo, and we've been USING it. We've taken the girls up the train to Pike's Peak (not the best idea we've had!), and we've driven around, getting a feel for the geography of our new town. Jay decided to get out of the military after all, so we will be leaving Colorado next spring. So I have a lot of stuff to pack into a few months! We did not take advantage of Georgia, and I learned from my mistake, and we're making the most of our time here in Colorado.

One new thing for me is snow. We had our first snow fall not long after arriving in September. What a shock! I did not care for it at first, but now after several snowfalls, I'm starting to really enjoy it. The beauty of the snow dancing and fluttering towards the grounds is something to behold. I might grow to love it after all!

We have been trying to find a new church home while we're here, and we tried a new church today. It was quite the experience! I loved the architecture of the church from the outside, so we decided to give it a try, not knowing that it was a gospel church. We really loved the service there, but...it was LOUD! Our ears were ringing for quite a bit of time afterwards. I think we'll go back next week...Jay actually really got into it, and that's the first time I've seen him truly ENJOY a church service in a long time. The pastor was great, very animated, and it was probably the first service where I didn't have to concentrate on keeping my focus on the sermon. I truly enjoyed it as well. And what was great...with all of that noise, it was okay if the girls made noise as well!

What I'm thankful for today: a warm home in a cold place, Mae learning to fall asleep without nursing to sleep, Zee being the funniest little girl imaginable, and Jay, without his love and support, I never could have done this move.

This and That, Copy Cat

Okay, that's from a Miss Pattycake song.... It just popped into my head!

This is just another story to demonstrate how darn sweet my Zee is! I decided that we could make some cake yesterday because I heard that you could use cake mix with soda. Instead of mixing all of the ingredients called for on the back of the box, you just pour in a can of soda instead, then bake as directed. I wanted to try out this theory, and I happened to have purchased a box of chocolate cake mix just for this purpose.

But...I couldn't find the mix anywhere. Zee asked me what I was looking for, so I told her I was looking for the cake mix. So she said, "Mommy, you can use my cake mix!" Then she ran out of the kitchen. I had no idea what she was talking about but thought, okay, she can go get her "cake mix" for me.

Then she came running back and said she couldn't find her cake mix either. So I continued searching and didn't think again about her mix. But a few minutes later, she yelled, "I found it!" And she came running to me...with her toy whisk.

She handed it to me so solemnly and said, "You can use my mix, Mommy."

And it just about broke my heart with the sweetness of it. Oh my...what am I going to do with that girl?! She has such a compassionate heart, and it makes my heart full to see it and experience it.

And May? She is just as sweet and cuddly as ever. She loves to snuggle and will sit on my lap all day long, if I allowed her to. She started walking about a month and a half ago, so she's quite busy and on the go. But I love how she takes time out of her day to love on whoever happens to be around. She is quickly creeping up on her first birthday, and I've been feeling very weepy. It's so bittersweet to watch my children grow.... I love this baby stage so very much, and I can't imagine ever being ready to leave it behind. But at the same time, I love watching my girls grow and learn and become their own little women. It absolutely amazes me to see such distinct personalities in my two little girls. I never realized the extent to which it was possible for my body to carry unique people. I guess I always thought of children as an extension of their parents, but I'm realizing more and more that's not the case. Jay and I can guide our children, but in the end, they are unique in all the world (isn't that a line from Le Petit Prince?). We can plant the seeds in them, but we can't make it grow.

All of this is really humbling to me, and it's definitely something I try to keep in mind while I raise my children. Because when the days are long and the frustration grows, I have to remember -- they are people too. And the most special people at that. I just hope that I can nurture them in all the ways they need to be nurtured, but also let them lead themselves when the need that freedom. It's really very hard work, especially when I want to hold them close forever.

Girl's Sundress Tutorial

Sooooo...this is my first ever tutorial, and I'm not quite sure how to go about it, so please forgive me if it's not exactly cohesive. And please feel free to tell me if I need to make any changes, or ask me if you have any questions. So, without further ado, here is my tutorial.

First, a few notes.
1. I'll try to make sure everything is labeled, but in case I forget:
a. All measurements are in inches.
b. The seam allowance (abbreviated SA) is always 1/2" with the exception of the gathering stitches.
2. I did not follow my own instructions and wash/iron my fabric, so it's kind of wrinkly in the pictures. Sorry!
3. I've really put a lot of work into the tutorial, so if you use it and post your finished dress, please give me credit =). That's all I ask!


Must Have Materials:

About 1 yard of washed and ironed fabric (I prefer lightweight 100% cotton prints, but it's really your choice)
Coordinating thread
Elastic thread
Scissors
Ruler
Buttons (about 5/8" in diameter; these go inside the dress, so purely functional, not decorative)
Iron
Ironing Board
Spray bottle filled with water
Hand sewing needle

Optional But Really Useful Stuff

Self-healing mat
Rotary cutter
Clear wide ruler
Extra bobbin
Seam Ripper (get friendly with it...if you're like me, you'll be spending a lot of quality time with it)
Straight pins
Water soluble fabric marker
Measuring tape
Chopstick (yes, you read that right)

Okay, I think I got it all!

Now let's get started! First, grab your kid and measure. A measuring tape is handy but not necessary. If you don't have one, or if you have kids (like mine) who squirrel away all of your earthly possessions, grab a string and use that, then measure it along a ruler when you're done wrapping up your kid with it.

Measurements:

A = chest measurement (at its widest circumference)
B = from armpit to desired waistline
C = from desired waistline to desired hemline
D = from chest over shoulder to shoulder blade (this will be the strap length)
E = desired strap width (about 1" is good, but you can go wider if you'd like)

Mathematics:

I know it's probably been awhile since algebra class, but finally your math teacher's predictions that you would indeed use algebra someday are coming to fruition. We are going to measure and cut our straps, bodice front, bodice back, and skirt, but we need your little one's measurements to figure it out. Here are the equations:

Straps (cut two):
D + 1" (add another inch or two if you want it to criss cross) = length
(2 x E) + 1" = width

Mae's dress: 3" by 10"

Skirt (cut two):
C + 2" = skirt length
(3 x A)/2 = skirt width

Mae's dress: 25" by 11"

Bodice Front (cut two):
A/2 = width
B + 1 = length

Mae's dress: 9" by 4"

Bodice back (cut two):
A - 2 = width
B + 1 = length

Mae's dress: 16" by 4"


That should leave you with this:



With right sides together, pin the two bodice back pieces together along the width. (Forgive me, but the fabric I used does not have right/wrong sides, so you can't see it in my pictures!)

I like to clump my work together, so I also pinned the straps at this time. Fold them in half lengthwise with right sides together, and pin along the length.

Top left are the straps pinned together, bottom left is the bodice back:



And you can also pin the skirt together now...with right sides together, place the two skirt pieces on top of each other. Pin the length of the skirt on both sides. These will be the side seams. One trick I learned from heirloom sewing is to sew in the same direction each time. So I pinned my skirt a little funky so that I will sew from the waist to the hem on both side seams.



Now, for the straps.... With a 1/2" seam allowance (SA), starting on the folded edge, sew one short end until you have 1/2" left, making sure the needle is in the down position. Lift the presser foot and pivot the material so that you will be sewing down the length with a 1/2" SA. Sew all the way to the end, leaving that short end open. It should look like this at one end (where you pivot):



And like this at the other end:



Do the same thing with the second strap. Next, cut the SA close to the seam:



Then turn the straps inside out. This is where the chopstick comes in handy. Mmmmmm, sounds like a good enough reason to order Chinese!



Press the straps, then topstitch all around (stitch really close to the edges).



Now, take one bodice front piece and lay it right side up. Place the straps where you would like them to lay (the inside edges of the straps are 3" apart on Mae's dress). Place the open end of the straps even with the top edge of the bodice piece.



Place the second bodice piece directly on top, right side down (so the two bodice pieces are right sides together). Pin in place, especially making sure to pin the straps in place.



With a 1/2" SA, sew along the edge where the straps are flush with the bodice top. It's hard to see in the picture, but the seam is at the bottom of the picture, NOT at the top where the straps are coming out.



With a 1/2" SA, sew along the length of the bodice back.



Press open the bodice front and the bodice back.



With right sides together and lining up the seams, place the bodice front onto the bodice back. Pin into place and sew with a 1/2" SA. These are the side seams. Press open the seams. The first picture only shows one side seam pinned, but make sure you do both. When it's done, it will look like the second picture because the bodice front is not as wide as the bodice back.





Now, fold the bodice down so wrong side are together and the straps are out. Press. This is the entire bodice top.



With a 1/2" SA, sew the skirt's side seams. I used my serger here, but your regular straight stitch will do fine here.



Adjust your stitch length to a basting stitch (the highest stitch length on your machine). Sew two rows around the top of the skirt, the first with a 3/8" SA and the second with a 1/4" SA. You can get away with sewing only one row, but I prefer two because it's stronger. It will look like this:



Pulling the bobbin threads, gather the fabric until the side seams match up with the side seams on the bodice. The bodice back is much longer than the bodice front, so match up the back first. Tie off the bobbin strings once you have the skirt gathered to the correct width.

Place the bodice top into the skirt, with right sides together. Match up the side seams and pin.



Adjust the gathers so they are spread evenly and pin, pin, pin. I like pinning. A lot. So I pin the heck out of my stuff. Turn your stitch length back to the normal length you use. With a 1/2" SA, sew the skirt to the bodice. When you turn it right side out, it should look like this:



Press the skirt with the bodice/skirt edge down towards the hemline. With the dress right side out, topstitch the skirt just below the waistline.





Starting just above the waistline, about 1/8" of an inch up, use a ruler and a water soluble fabric marker to mark even lines on the bodice back, from one side seam to the other. Continue marking rows up the bodice back in increments of 3/8" until you reach the top of the bodice. It's kind of hard to see because I used a blue marker on green fabric, but you can kind of get the idea:



Now, wind your extra bobbin by hand with elastic thread. Take care not to wind it too tightly or too loosely!



Remove the bobbin with your normal thread and replace it with the bobbin with elastic thread. Leave your regular thread in the needle, so when you sew, the top thread is regular, and the bottom thread is elastic.



With the right side up, starting at the line closest to the waistline, sew along the marked lines. Make sure you backstitch at the start and end of each row, and cut the threads between rows. It will start to gather and look like this:



The elastic thread will be on the inside of the dress bodice:



Head over to your ironing board and spray the bodice back. The elastic thread will shrink up and gather. Press with the iron on a hot steam setting to help it shrink. It will look like this when you're done:



Now hem your dress however you prefer.

Almost done!!! Mark where you want the buttons to be on the back bodice. I do this by lying the dress flat and putting the buttons about 1/2" in from the inside of the straps, on the second row of elastic from the top. This works well for criss-crossing the straps, but you might want to move the buttons just a tad further apart if you don't plan to criss-cross the straps.



Mark on your strap where you want to buttonholes, making them about 1/8" longer than the button's diameter, and stitch them. If you've never used your buttonhole feature before, PRACTICE on scrap fabric first! I'm still not great with mine, but oh well...I can get the job done. I place two buttonholes on each strap so it will be more adjustable. You can see them in the picture right above.

Last but not least, this is very optional, if you'd like, you can sew a ribbon around the waistline. Sew it across the bodice front from side seam to side seam so that it doesn't interfere with the stretch on the back bodice (otherwise you might have a hard time getting the dress on your kiddo). If you want, leave enough ribbon at the side seams to pull back and tie in a a bow in the middle of the back.


And voila! You are done, and you have made a lovely (if I do say so myself) sundress.

Here are some pictures of my cuties in their dresses: