Boy sewing follow up

All done! It's actually been all done for a week but last week we were to hectic too get any photos.


I've decided to try and relax a little in regard to posting photos of my children. How much cuter is this than this? Alot, that's how much. So nobody tell me any stories about finding photos of their kids in advertisements or fertility treatment testimonials ok?
Now that I remember those examples I'm getting a little nervous about it already but I'll try my best not to come back and delete these.


It has a bit of a "droopy drawers" effect but I don't think there's a way around that. At least not one that would be comfy for Tiny, and since children of this age are rather prone to actual droopy drawers it's probably best that the romper mimics the effect. I hate visible wet-diaper bulge. Hate it.
By the way, that is the same wheel barrow full of weeds, in case you wondered. It has not moved an inch since the day, two-ish months ago, when I filled it. Maybe I'm not winning that war after all.

Look what came today

It was meant for a surprise from The Mr for my Birthday but last night while looking over our bank account I inadvertently happened upon the charge. Oops!
I've been shopping/ saving for the last year and a half or so. My dear grandmother in law couldn't abide the thought of me serging on her old 3 spool Juki and generously started off my little cash hoard.
After placing her generous donation to the cause safely in the bank, I had thought to squirrel away the rest of the price without a problem doing alterations and things but I've only sewn $55.00 worth since I started to save! I was doing pretty regular business before the new serger idea came on the scene, I'm not quite sure what happened! I did turn a job or 2 away toward the end of my pregnancy so I suppose that has something to do with it.
Anyway, The Mr threw in what I lacked and now it's in its box on the floor just where the UPS man left it an hour ago. I started to unpack it but I decided to wait until the children are tucked safely away for the night before I go any further. I think that will be best for all of us.


Here's the old girl. She's been out of commission for a few months. I've only ever had one needle for her and it broke. I have to order a new one online and I'm horrible at remembering until I'm ready to sit down and work so I've never gotten around to it.
I had planned to find a good home for her once the new girl arrived but now I'm wondering if it wouldn't be just as well to keep her around, threaded up with black to save me a re-threading or two. Part of the allure of the new machine were the self threading lower loopers and how changing colors would no longer be much hassle, but the separation anxiety is throwing that logic out of whack.
I expect the situation will cure it's self once I try balancing 3 machines on the skinny end of the computer table that's been allowed for them. If not, I suppose some one will have to compare me to my Dad the pack-rat. That usually knocks enough sense into me to get rid of the excess in such situations.

Graduation crafts

Baby Girl had her Joy School graduation last evening. Never mind the fact that she'll be right back there next fall and likely the one after it since she is an October baby and so will not start kindergarten until she's nearly six.


This is our family flag. The flags went along with the unit on families. The children displayed their flags at graduation. We decided on the trampoline for our family image because we really like to jump together.
Once the trampoline was done we were all rather tired and lacking any further creativity so we left it at that. We would have liked to add a Latin phrase to make it a little more dignified but since none of us have studied Latin we couldn't manage it. I think the best suggestion of text for the project was "For the benefit of Mr. Kite" which would illustrate the Mr's love of the Beatles and my own love of random thoughts that make people wonder. But we left it blank.



The "Mortarboards" were my responsibility. I had quite a good time making them. I thought through a couple of things I could do to make them stay on the children's heads and generally complicate things but in the end I pretty much stuck to the instructions given in the manual. I did revise the method of sticking the flat part on the top though. The manual directed me to simply stick the 2 pieces together with elmer's. I have had enough experience with paper and glue to realize that never would have held, so I beefed it up a bit and all but one hat made it through the evening with no damage.
All in all the evening was a great success. Now Baby Girl keeps asking me when we are leaving for summer vacation. I've told her probably 50 times today that all summer vacation means is no more Joy School 'till fall so, basically, this is it but she keeps on wondering.

Glory

We've had a pair of rainy, magical days.
I went out yesterday into the beautifully overcast morning and felt the glory of the day. The sky full of clouds made the normally sun drenched scenery come to life. Since I've lived here my reactions to weather are quite often the opposite of what I expect, based on the experience of my previous life in the land of snow.
After Joy School, we went on a little trip to Target and on the way the rain began. It was a loud determined rain with giant drops falling as fast and the clouds could drop them. Baby Girl watched wondrously out the windows and kept me updated on which side of the car was collecting the most drops.
There is a new Stein Mart near Target and I was feeling so energized my the rain I decided we just as well go in as not, a quick run through the wet isn't so bad.
I must tell you, I really love my dear Dusty Miller. I loved him before but I love him all the more after our first rain storm together. I've never driven a car that stuck to a wet road so well, and I can get us all un-buckled and ready to run for it before I even open a door! I fold the console between the driver's and passenger's seats down and walk the the middle row where the children ride. Then I get them out of their seats, open the door and we all get out at once. I use the remote to close the door as we're making our way to the dry store. When the shopping is through, reverse all of that on the way back.
Divine.
I found this lovely place mat for $2.99 at Stein Mart. It was just the thing to make the surprise flowers from The Mr.extra special. I like it so well I think I'll get one or 2 more

We repeated the mass exodus from Dusty Miller again and went to Target. I've had my eye on these lovelies for Baby Girl and finally gave into myself and bought them.
I love her sweet little feet so much. I marvel at how they can be so tiny, slim and chubby at the same time.

If you think that I bought these for my child without checking to be sure there was not a pair round about that would fit me you are mistaken, and probably haven't gotten to know me very well. They only have these in toddler sizes. The less cute, silver sandals in the toddler section run through to girls sizes but these stop somewhere around size 9 leaving me no hope whatsoever.
When Target was all said and done we went to McDonald's. I climbed into the back seat one last time and we had a car picnic before driving home.
Dusty Miller told me it was 50 degrees out side. 50! on May 21! It was fantastic. I even got a little chilly later in the evening. It's so nice to get a little chilly in late May!
I was glad to be out in that storm, splashing through puddles and watching the rain drops and hail stones come down all around us, but I've forgotten to tell you about the Hail.
There was Hail. It started just as we clamored into Dusty Miller after Stein Mart and stopped before we got out again for Target. I really don't think I would have appreciated it all if I'd been shut up in the house the whole time.
Today we did stay in. We scrubbed bathtubs, organized fabric, ate popcorn, did laundry and read books. That was a good sort of a rainy day too.

I shall whine over doll clothes no more

At long last Tuesday night I came up with a little frock for each doll that I wasn't ashamed of. I'm not all too proud of them, but I'm not ashamed and that was the best I could do at that point, such a state was I in.

Baby Girl Doll got this yellow plaid seersucker. Incidentally I have plans to make the actual Baby Girl a summer frock of the very same as soon as I get myself some elastic thread.
The dress is not much to speak of but I am fond of the grosgrain ribbon threaded through the square yellow buttons. Those ribbon threaded buttons rescued that dress from complete imemorability.



I made Baby Girl's dress first and thought it was a tad short so I made Bestest's longer and it looked rather mu-muish to be sure. I do think the color suits her though. The second dress is as forgettable as the first.

I've thought it trough and deciphered my trouble with doll clothes. I always set out to make a doll and then as I'm at the finish line ready to relish the completion of the project and move on to a new one, I remember I've got to clothe the doll before sending her out into the wide world, and here the drudgery begins.
My aim always ends up being to come up with something as quickly and simply as possible. There is not much scope for imagination in that.
Also, I loathe bear seams. I tolerate serged edges in finished garments when I must, but I don't like them either. Getting all of the seams out of the way in such a small project is challenging. The biggest problem is, french seams and full linings make the clothes awfully thick for being so small. It's also some trouble to get into all the nooks and crannies sewing things closed but I rather like that aspect of it.
I have a plan. I will learn to like making doll clothes yet. I'm going to set out to make some clothes independently of doll making. I shall sew for Baby Girl's existing dolls or dolls dreamed of yet unborn. Maybe I'll seek out a swap to join. I am determined to enjoy it at least a little.

Really now!

I can't figure out what my problem is with doll clothes. I've been working all day and the only fruits I have to show for my labor are an abandoned ill shaped t-shirt, a some what less ill shaped dress that will at least be suitable for Baby Girl to adopt on behalf of her own dolls, and a bodice, fairly well constructed though it lends a somewhat linebackeresque air to the wee doll it is meant for.
I've held myself here, forging back to the machine whenever my mind wanders until I can bear it no longer. I promised Baby Girl the dollies would be ready for Bestest tomorrow, and so they shall, but for the moment I must give up.

Warning- this post is not for the weak of stomach!

Yesterday I was in the food court at the mall and there was a girl wearing a "class of '10" t-shirt and awful denim underpants with a slit about an inch to the left of the left back pocket that equaled the length of the pocket in question, allowing for a generous view of side cheek.
So I'm sitting there enjoying my lunch when she comes into my line of vision. Just then, she plunges her hand down the back of her miniscule shorts and gives her thong a yank. This was no discreet melvin picking, aside from the unabashed plunge down the shorts there was a definite wrestle to right the deeply lodged thong.
There was no reason for such a display, the bathroom was yards away and it wasn't busy, I know, between brushing squaw bread out of my braces and a 3 year-old who is obsessed with the child size toilet in the family bathroom I made 3 trips during my visit to the food court.
Maybe the worst part? After situating her lingerie she placed her thong-y hand in the (as far as I know) un-thonged hand of her boyfriend and walked away.
I hope he'd already finished his lunch. Or, at the very least, he had something he could eat with a fork so the actual food didn't touch his bottom-soiled hands.