Fabric Mania

Check out this gorgeous new Moda fabric. The line is called Wonderland - designed by MoMo. I found it this weekend and I also scored some wide whale olive/lime green corduroy to match that was 40% off. I'm envisioning GC wearing a cute Japanese-inspired top made from the circle fabric, a corduroy skirt and tights. For the first day of kindergarten, maybe?? Now that I think about it, I should have gotten enough fabric to make a "mommy and me" version. Lordy, what's happening to me?





I went to my favorite local fabric store on Saturday, Treadle Yard Goods, to get half a yard of lime green gingham for a skirt I'm making (for myself!). Nina, a very nice woman who works there, swooped in and grabbed GC. She held her while I shopped and even changed her diaper!! Can you believe it? Talk about service. No wonder it's my favorite store in the whole world. I left with 6 1/2 yards of fabric. Ugh.

Fussy

First baby clothes project
Originally uploaded by Lemonade Bags

No, not my baby girl, but rather this kimono outfit (see photo). It's not quite done, but close.

Please don't think I'm complaining. My sincerest gratitude to the designer, Tina Givens. Drafting a pattern is no easy task for sure, but ugh! I knew I was in trouble when the directions read: "Sew piece H to piece F", but there was absolutely no piece H!! What the heck?

I ended up making a number of changes to the original pattern and probably should have made more. I omitted the big collar because I imagined my babe trying to latch on to it the whole time. Eventually, I dumped the sewing instructions altogether and just did it my own way. And there's a reason why the front and back of pant legs are not identical. Where is my baby's butt going to go?? Not to mention the rise isn't high enough to make a waist band. Okay, enough griping.

Sewing this outfit has been a good learning experience. I made continuous bias strip for the first time and that was super cool. I also feel more confident making changes to patterns and I have a new appreciation for what goes into drafting a quality pattern. Regardless, the outfit is really cute, no?

GC is frowning because I've dressed her in blue. The other photo captures Paul on the rebound from illness.

Baby girl is 4 weeks old today. While I'm wickedly tired, I'm also sad that the newborn phase is quickly fleeting. Isn't it funny how the firstborn seems like an infant FOREVER, but subsequent children grow so rapidly it makes your head spin?

My wonderful homebirth midwives came over today to do the well baby check. "GC" weighed in at an amazing 12 pounds 1.6 ounces. That's my girl! It's no wonder my back and shoulders are a little sore.

My boys have been quite sick during the last few days. Alex had strep (caught it from me), days of high fever and then some nasty cough thing. Paul had a radically high fever and some projectile vomiting. Great weekend. Well, it wasn't all bad. I managed to get two patterns traced. Amy Butler's Lounge Pants from In Stitches for me and a kimono outfit by Tina Givens for GC. I'm so excited for both projects and will post photos when finished. Seriously, I've been waiting my WHOLE LIFE to sew clothes for my daughter, just like my mother did for me and her mother did for her.

In other news, I took the plunge and purchased a postal scale today. The last time I sold something on Etsy, I ended up standing in line at the post office for 20 minutes with a 3 yr old and a 2 week old in tow waiting to ship the package. I promised myself, never again! It's so liberating. Yes, it's the little things in life that give me joy...