October 1, 2012 by Cate

Up for a Challenge

I love seeing something I’ve created put to use — whether it be clothing, a pillow, curtains, place mats, whatever! I just get such a kick out of seeing what was once a cut of fabric transformed into something useful and, hopefully, appreciated. My son is a wonderful recipient of my handmade creations. Whenever I make him something, he gets so excited, fists raised cheerfully to the sky with a big “alright, Mommy! Thank you!” shouted for me — and then three seconds later he’s once again totally engrossed in playing trucks or whatever else I interrupted. I realize his reaction is based more on the fact that he knows I love sewing and making clothes for him and his sister, than it is organic excitement about the fact that I’ve made him another pair of pants, but I love it, and, at some level, need it.

Remember those elephant pants I posted about a couple months ago? Well, here they are in action. Okay, so maybe sitting and reading isn’t exactly action-packed excitement for most of us, but it’s pretty good stuff for an infant! What a cutie-pie! I think my cousin needs to make another trip to Connecticut some time soon so we can all see this little guy again.

And while I’m on the topic of sewing for kids ….. it’s almost time for Kids Clothes Week Challenge, created by elsie marley. Hurrah!

I participated in my first KCWC in the spring and had such a blast. I did all my prep work (washing, pressing, reviewing patterns, cutting pattern pieces, and even a little pinning) in advance so I could spend all of my KCWC time actually sewing and creating. I can already tell I won’t be that organized for the Fall KCWC, but I’m still so excited that it’s just about here. Not familiar with KCWC? The boiled down description is that for each day during the challenge you spend an hour (or more if your schedule allows and you’re so inspired) making clothes for kids. It’s free, and you participate in the comfort of your own space and at your own pace. A whole bunch of people participate and many share their results in a flikr group. There is an elsie marley KCWC FAQ page if you are interested and want more details. I love that the “challenge” is not a contest to see who makes the best/most/etc. but rather a personal challenge to commit one hour a day to creating clothes for kids. And at the end of the week, your kids will be better attired! No need to get all competitive — just get to work creating!

Here’s a smattering of what I created in the Spring 2012 KCWC (fyi, you can click to enlarge a photo). I really feel that my sewing skills were expanded and strengthened during KCWC.

The dress fabric is from Michael Miller and the pattern was my own. I used French seams for a finished look and used pieces of a hand-me-down maternity shirt to create the underskirt. I loved this fabric as soon as I saw it, and loved the dress when it was complete. It’s so great when that happens. The dress didn’t fit my daughter when I made it because I’d intentionally sized up so that it would fit during the summer. Of course, then I spent a number of weeks hoping she wouldn’t outgrow it before the warm weather arrived. It all worked out and it fit perfectly for her brother’s birthday party.

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The pants and shorts are all based in large part on MADE’s Kid Pants pattern, which is an extremely versatile pattern from a talented blogger (which is a really lame and limiting description, because Dana does about a million things well). The shorts ended up being one of my son’s favorite pairs this summer, without me steering him that way, which was so great. The pants were perfect for those occasions when I was hoping for a more dressed up look for my son — like a family gathering (linen pants) and my daughter’s christening (seersucker pants) — and paired easily with a polo shirt. I really loved the way the linen pants fit him; it’s too bad he has already outgrown them.

The peasant top below was actually the first piece I made for KCWC. The fabric is an organic cotton print and just seemed so perfect for a little girl. This item actually provided me with my first alteration experience a la chunky baby. The arms were a bit snug for my daughter so I ended up opening the armband casing, removing the elastic and leaving as-is. The sleeves looked just as cute that way, and I’m glad I didn’t spend too much time on alterations since she has outgrown the shirt already. That is the downside to sewing for little babies — they grow so fast you don’t have nearly enough time to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

The diaper cover was the only diaper cover I made during KCWC, although I had intended to make several. I don’t know, I guess I just kind of lost my steam and diaper covers didn’t seem so inspiring after all the other stuff. Definitely the right call. If I’m not jazzed about a project I feel like that shows in the end. You’ve got to put some love in to get a lovely result.

Remembering all that I did during the Spring KCWC makes me feel like I better get serious about my goals for Fall 2012 KCWC. Yikes. Time to make a list…

August 28, 2012 by Cate

Coming and Going

Change is a happenin’ around here. In the span of two weeks, we have welcomed new neighbors, and said “farewell” to my stepson and his girlfriend as they set off across the country to put down new roots on the West Coast. These two events were unrelated and their timing was coincidental but I couldn’t help but think of the saying “whenever one door closes, another door opens.”

It’s hard sometimes to know which is more difficult to do — say hello, or say goodbye. Both are quite capable of brewing up some level of anxiety. The hellos can easily trigger a bit of self-doubt. “Hi new neighbors, can we be friends?” Chewing your lip, you’re thinking, are we cool/fun/smart/friendly/all-of-the-above enough to be friends? And then there’s the realization they will be front and center for all of your bad habits and the inevitable meltdowns. Enjoy the free show — it’s bound to be entertaining!

But, in our case, we’ve lucked out and the anxiety level with this welcome was quite low. Our new neighbors are actually a family that we’ve known for a few years and really like. And, jackpot, they have children just about the same age as ours. When the house was on the market and various prospective buyers stopped in for showings, my husband and I would sometimes entertain ourselves by envisioning our potential neighbors. It was like window-shopping in reverse — us in the window, looking out, making predictions about the people touring the house, the likelihood they’d end up purchasing it, and what kind of neighbors they’d make. It’s ironic, and comforting, that in the end, our new neighbors end up being not so new after all.

We welcomed our neighbors (ahem, a couple weeks late) with a welcome garland. Have I mentioned how much I love making garlands? So easy but fun and a great way to get creative.

They make an easy party decoration.

Or colorful kid’s room decor, too. Felt, thread, scissors, machine, and you’re good to go. Cut the desired shapes and feed them through the machine in a line.

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Goodbyes are tricky – even when they are good goodbyes. You want to be truly excited for the person you are sending off, but you’re also battling with your selfish desire to keep that person close. Before their move, my stepson and his girlfriend were living in Boston. Not exactly next door to us here on the border of New Haven, Connecticut, but certainly close enough that a road trip of a couple hours could resolve any longings for home. Of course, admittedly, we didn’t take enough advantage of their proximity. We talked a lot about making day trips to Beantown, but since a day trip anywhere with young children requires almost the same amount of planning and travel gear as a month’s vacation, we were much heavier on the talk than the action part of the equation. But still, California pretty much erases the possibility of a spur-of-the-moment trip for dinner together. Thankfully technology will help bridge the gap.

It is exciting that they are moving to California. I have never traveled farther west than Chicago, so I can live vicariously through their travels westward. And, now I have a really good reason to visit California! I also admire their boldness in leaving behind family, friends and jobs here and starting completely fresh in a new place where they have no connections. It’s almost like the geographical version of “why climb that mountain?” Why move to San Diego? Because it’s there. I guess that in the twenty-something crowd that can be called a spirit of adventure. I’m betting that a similar move by parents with young children and corresponding responsibilities might be called something more akin to a dereliction of duty, or at the very least frowned upon greatly by the grandparents. Still, it never hurts to daydream.

They are headed West on a meandering route that includes some visits with friends and family and a little national park called the Grand Canyon. So I returned to my humble bag-making beginnings, and sent them off with a tote bag of road trip essentials. Well, actually, I forgot to include a couple rolls of toilet paper; hopefully I didn’t jinx them with that omission. But I did include maps! And then my husband asked, “do people even use real, paper maps anymore? Don’t they use their phones for that kind of stuff?” He’s probably right. But in my day-dreamy, romanticized version of a cross-country road trip, maps seemed so appropriate and relevant. Maybe they’ll be good for something else? Killing a bug or two, makeshift umbrella, stand-in for the omitted toilet paper, you never know?

Yes, I'm reversible

Let's hit the road!

So, go west, young man (and woman). Have a wonderful experience and never stop looking for the next adventure! Just don’t forget to write and call and send lots of pictures.

August 22, 2012 by Cate

Celebrating: Truck Themed Birthday Party

Last week we celebrated my son’s third birthday. Since this was his first birthday with a full-time stay at home mom, I felt it was my maternal duty (ha!) to get my act together and be organized and prepared and present an appropriately themed party for him. But let’s face it, he was going to have a good time with or without a theme and supporting decorations. We have enough family gatherings and he has a unique placement in the family order (i.e., a gap of 18 years between him and his nearest cousin) that he has come to easily enjoy the excitement and attention-getting aspect of such events, and has been quick to realize he can usually get away with a few things during the hubbub of celebration (like an extra juice box or helping of chips). I suppose the party planning was more about challenging myself to see if I could actually do this kind of thing. I’m not giving Martha Stewart a run for her money any time soon, but I think it came together pretty well and it was fun to plan. I thought I’d share a bit in case anyone else is considering a truck-themed party for their little one.

Selecting a party theme for my son’s third birthday could not have been easier. He thinks trucks are the best. This obsession started in the fall and has been holding steady with no end in sight. There is good and bad to this. I’ll admit I think it’s kind of cool that “flatbed” and “excavator” are mainstays of his vocabulary and that he can explain to me the purpose of outriggers on a crane truck. But, it also means that he wants to spend ninety percent of his time at the playground in the sandbox with the trucks. YUCK! Go ahead and put me on the bad mommy list, but I don’t like sandboxes. Eeeew, they just seem so dirty. Ask a cat to explain the difference between a sandbox and a litter box, and it’s going to be a very short conversation. When the nearby park with the sandbox was closed for over a month this summer due to major renovations, I didn’t shed a tear. And now that it’s open again and has a gorgeous new jungle gym with the latest and greatest amusements, he’d still rather occupy the sandbox. Ugh.

So the truck theme was a given. Theme in hand, I was determined to conquer the greatest uncertainty of all — the guest of honor. Despite all my ~~bribes~~ best efforts, I can barely get him to nap anymore. Obvious indications to the contrary, he insists he doesn’t need to nap and refuses even my compromise offer of “quiet time” each day. I knew a well-rested child would offer a better chance at party success, but unfortunately the week leading up to the party yielded but one nap. As anyone who spends time with young children knows, tired children are the most unpredictable creatures ever to walk this earth. Okay, slight exaggeration, but allow me. Tired children are capable of mood changes so swift and inexplicable they put PMS to shame. For example, a tired child’s reaction to his birthday cake might vacillate between trepidation and glee within a twenty second time span. Case in point:

Get me outta here/Yippee!

I carried the truck theme from invitation to wardrobe to table. I made his shorts by following Dana’s tutorial for Kid Pants with a Flat Front and shortening the length, and used Rae’s pocket tutorial to add back pockets. I chose a Moda truck fabric (Ten Little Things Trucks, Navy) and paired them with a freezer paper stenciled shirt intended to look like a road work sign emblazoned with the number “3.” (Please forgive the wrinkled shirt below. He’s not the most willing model, so I need to strike when he’s willing, wrinkles or not! I bartered an episode of Caillou for these shots.)

I had fun playing with desserts and the truck theme. We had a pumpkin spice cake, by request from the birthday boy, which I decorated as a road sign to match his shirt. We also served “broken pavement” (saltine toffee, addictive and definitely not health food!) out of the back of one of his dump trucks, and “spare tire” mini glazed donuts. I considered using plastic toy shovels for serving the food, but ran out of time to shop for some. Probably overkill, and I think they may have been too cumbersome anyway.

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The party favors were mini tape measures bagged in clear favor bags tied with black, white and gold ribbons. Seemed to fit the truck/construction theme well enough. I piled them in the back of another toy dump truck. However, I didn’t place the party favor truck in an obvious location and forgot to remind people to take one — silly mistake. We’ve since been handing them out as we catch up with folks post-party.

I never know how best to put out the utensils for a party when serving buffet style. I hate rolling them in napkins and tying with ribbons; it seems so inconvenient to make your guest struggle with a ribbon in order to get to their food. I found these really neat chalkboard buckets in the dollar bins at Target. I envision a lot of great uses for them, and couldn’t resist breaking them in at this party — they use buckets at construction sites, right? I used a yard of Michael Miller fabric (Tot Town Dig It, White) to form a makeshift runner for the sideboard. I didn’t actually bother to sew a runner since I was really just using the fabric to highlight the truck theme and protect the wood; simply folded it to hide the raw edges. My son loved this fabric when he saw it in my stash and was trying to put in on as I gently explained I hadn’t actually made anything with it yet and so there was nothing for him to wear!

Chalkboard buckets from Target for a dollar! Holla!

I think overall it was a fun time. At the very least, my son was amused that mommy was placing his trucks all over the house — even in places that he’d never be allowed to put them — like, on dining tables! And despite his napless weariness, he put on a good show as birthday boy. He slept well that night.

My daughter’s birthday is in November. I am looking forward to a girlie theme next time around. I should probably start planning…. What birthday themes have you tried or enjoyed? Any tips for convincing a child to take his nap?

Goofball Birthday Boy says the cone is his birthday hat!

July 25, 2012 by Cate

Hey Baby

What is it that makes babies so appealing? And not just your own baby being appealing to you; I mean that strangers going gaga in public over someone else’s baby reaction that babies so easily elicit. Is it the cherubic faces, little fingers that grab onto yours without hesitation or judgment, coos that sound extraterrestrial, chubby cheeks and limbs made for kissing? Or is it more than the physical? Perhaps they force the recognition, consciously or not, of the importance of life, and family, and carrying on, and symbolize hope and potential. I’m not sure. In fact, at the risk of turning this into a confessional, I’ll admit I didn’t understand the whole baby “thing” until about 4 years ago.

Some people seem born to procreate; it’s as if they have an innate understanding of how personally transforming parenthood and children can be. As my family is often quick to remind me, I definitely was not born into that category. Picture the person that rolls her eyes every time she hears a baby cry and is quick to apportion blame on the parents (it’s possible, pre-motherhood, that on more than one occasion I muttered “what’s wrong with those parents?” upon being subjected to a noisy baby in a restaurant, airplane, mall, anywhere). Yep, for a very long time, that was me. And then it all changed, and after years of feeling quite sure that I did not envision myself as a mother, I decided I wanted to have a child. And then another. And I feel lucky and grateful to have them. No regrets.

And I even get excited about other people’s babies now, too. No, I’m not the crazy lady who is pinching stranger babies’ cheeks in line at the deli, but I do get a thrill from babies. I think maybe it’s that they serve as a reminder of how much I love my own children and how much joy they bring me (that is, when the toddler is not testing me with new, highly creative, insanity-inducing shenanigans).

It’s wonderful to see that thrill and baby-joy in others, too. This weekend I met my cousin’s four-month-old son for the first time, as he made a whirlwind tour from North Carolina up to New England for introductions to family and friends that had so far known him only in pictures. But what Facebook and emails can’t convey is the powerful conversion from cousin to mother, from aunt to grandmother. It was fantastic to gather with family and meet the newest addition, and so amazing to see how easily and completely my cousin, her husband and my aunt wore their new roles. Hey little guy, you are changing lives already!

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Cotton print pants (fabric: Laurie Wisbrun for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Urban Circus Elephants). Pattern pieces drawn by tracing a pair of my daughter’s pants.

Freezer paper stenciled onesie.