the little project that could

alternative title: why do i think i can sew?

i never officially made a list of things i wanted to accomplish in the next few weeks (incredibly boring post you can reference here) but one of the many things floating through my crowded brain has been to make little mason some summer dresses and bloomers. no big deal, i have tons of cute fabric, and the best thing about little girl clothes is that they are projects that don't take up a lot of time.

insert laughter here.

i found a yard of really pretty fabric that had tiny red and yellow flowers on it- lovely. i grabbed an "easy" mccall's capri pant pattern. did the xl size, because i wanted mason to be able to wear them next year too, and cut away.

the pants were really easy to sew together. i mean, i had 4 cut pieces, and it was done. elastic in the waist, and grabbed my daughter to try them on.

and they came up to about her little bum crack. they weren't too tight, there just wasn't any more room in the crotch- they just stopped.

now, i have had this problem with pants more times than i care to admit. so, i did what i usually do (no, not scream and cry and tear my project apart- that's what i used to do) i improvised.

so i took out my elastic, seam ripped out my casing, and cut out about 3 inches of muslin to add to the top of the pants and give them more height.

if i were to call, lack of crotch room problem #1, here would be problem #2: i figured that since the muslin was the same on both sides, meaning in my head there was no wrong side, it didn't matter how i attached it to my fabric. so i sewed it on, pinned down my casing for the elastic.

it was at that moment, needle in the fabric ready to go, when i realized that my slight slip of the brain had made it so the right side of the bloomers was showing the exposed seam of where the muslin attached.

well here i am, already re-doing this bloomer project, and now, the casing is complete and i am what, going to rip out again?

nope. i sewed my casing and then flipped my bloomers over and ran a row of zig zag over the exposed edge (where the muslin and fabric met) tacking it down.

it looks raw and rad. and like i was too lazy to rip it out, especially when i realized- no one is going to see the tops of these bloomers.

ok- bloomers 1 done. sure, my waist measurement of the elastic was way to big, and has had to be readjusted 3 times. but they are cute.

so. in all my brilliance i decided that i must immediately tackle this bloomer project again, and outsmart the pattern.

in my first attempt they were to short in the waist and oddly long in the length, so when i cut out the next set of bloomers, i first added 3 inches to the top, and instead of the xl length, i did the medium length.

what a clever girl am i, right?

so, imagine my surprise when i complete the bloomers and go to start my casing that i realize somehow i have created the exact same problem. there was no crotch to these pants.

what?!?!?!?!

i was fairly annoyed. and sat staring at them, bewildered. so i decided, fine- i'll just add fabric to these and try this again (supervised). but then i thought- no. i won't learn if i keep "improvising".

so. argh. i took the bloomers completely apart. it wasn't so painful. i sat upstairs with the kids, watching them play (supervising the chaos) while i carefully plucked out seams.

then, took my fabric pieces back downstairs, and discovered my problem.

somehow when i was "following" the "easy pattern" i had somehow screwed it up and sewed my pants together upside down. the pant legs became my waist line, and the waist line- the legs.

and i am pretty confident (as all the pants i have made are to short in the crotch) i have been doing this on every pair of pants.

i tried countless times to re-read the pattern to follow it correctly. and just couldn't. i grabbed another "easy" pattern with a similar pant. nope. nowhere in the 3 steps could i figure out how on earth i had screwed up.

so, i grabbed the Little Stitches for Little One's (i think that's the title) and used amy butler's wonderful wordiness to my advantage. she had bloomer pants assembled in a different way, and i followed her instructions, and viola! bloomers that looked right!

this is an already long post, but i have to mention that both these bloomers were made to go with little dresses i had already made but that needed to be fixed, one was this christmas dress:

remember, i couldn't figure out how to do the elastic casing in the arms? hello wings.

and this pillowcase dress of mason's.

which has been changed now 3 times. the other two are here and here.

ok, i think that's enough talking about it- here's the final outlook, modeled by my beautiful daughter.

the bloomers are a bit long- and honestly, way to big in the waist, but i have already shortened the elastic.

the traditional ties of the pillowcase dress were impossible to keep tied and on her arms. so i cut them off and made simple straps with elastic thread.

can you tell (in these terrible photos) how much more straight legged these pants are? the dress is still a bit "wing-ed" but looks better.

the oddest thing about the 2 different bloomers is that i do like the style of the red and yellow floral ones. they look almost like pants. i think i may try and trace the pattern (upside down) and sew it together the correct way- so that i can make little pants for boys. the green daisy bloomers look a little girlie, but i do think that a little smaller and they'd make good shorts for henry or campbell.

we'll see, now i am off to try my luck at another project. i want to make each of the kids a little cinch bag, something new and special to fill with car toys and treats for our future road trip. 12 hours, 3 kids. yikes.

i sew!

and i have been sewing more. which means that my living room corner is currently lost to a pile of fabric. i tend to think that if i am going to prep (pick out and cut fabric out) for one project, then why not do 10? this thinking has lead to a huge pile of unfinished (due to lack of interest) projects.

but still, sometimes just playing with fabric is half the fun.

my pictures aren't great, but i really love this bag. i had wanted to make a simple black bag for awhile now (try over 2 years- which was how long i have had this fabric) and i had been planning on following a pattern, but then i thought- well, i think i can come up with something on my own.

and presto- i did.

3 series of pleats here at the bottom of the bag. if you look closer in the top picture you can see that the sides of the bottom of the bag tend to stick or pucker out, i decided to not curve or gusset the purse, and i am very happy with how this turned out.

2 small pockets for organizing.

one little pleat at the top of the bag- and i did pleat the lining as well. the bag needed a little something else, so i just traced some petals on felt and threw together this little prototype flower. once i did one, i figured out how i could better do them (you know simple things like matching your top-stitching thread).

more sewing projects to come! when motivation strikes that is.

oh, and seeing that i did come up with this bag from the juices in my brain, technically this is something i could sell.

technically.

the jacks are gone.

there are some people who really don't watch tv. some aren't interested in it, some don't own a tv, and some just have better things to do with their time (and believe me, i can imagine if i completely cut tv out of my life- or any electronic stimulus for that matter- i would a valley of time open to be filled), sadly i do not fall into that category. i love tv.

not all tv. i don't watch everything on the "tube" but i enjoy to relax at the end of a tired day, and since i have become a parent everyday is a tired day and i have found that sometimes sam and i can muster nothing more but than to enjoy each others company and follow some plot line along.

i grew up in a family that watched tv (and we all still do) and i have unbelievable mad skills in television trivia. seriously. i know more about tv shows that i don't watch than people will have about shows they do watch.

it comes from reading a lot of tv guide as a child, and genetics i know i inherited from my dad. he has the ability to basically place any actor/actress/director in any work that have done. i have taken that skill and added other abilities to it as well.

if they have a tv only jeopardy, well- i'd be rich. which is sad to write that i would only be rich on jeopardy based on tv knowledge, i'm definitely not "dumb" but i am not a genius.

just skilled in retaining really useless knowledge.

why a post about tv?

because something should be said about how in 2 days, 3 legendary (well in my opinion) shows ended their reign. one that was planned years ago to end in 2010, one that decided mid-season to conclude, and one that was utterly given the shaft by the stupid nbc and if i didn't find 30 rock to be so stinkin' funny i'd swear off the network completely.

sorry.

LOST, 24, and law and order, are over. LOST has been said to have changed the way people see television with creative plots, characters, and just utter awesome-ness. 24 was ground-breaking in the idea of doing a show that occurred in real time and staring a chuck norris'esque character that couldn't be stopped: jack bauer. and then there's my favorite: law and order, which aired on network tv for 20 years.

3 shows, 3 main actors that ruled all by the name of jack.

i really love that name.

i have yet to watch the finales of 24 or law and order, but that will happen soon enough. i think its said as an adult to watch things end. bittersweet maybe. it's a reminder about growing up, putting a "remember when" on the beginning of sentences sam and i will start:

remember staying up till 2am watching all of day 1? (24)

remember crashing in hotel rooms on vacation, never leaving the room (not for why you think) but because the hotel had cable and tnt does law and order marathons every other day?

remember constantly battling out our lost theories hours after the show would end?

thank goodness for tv on dvd. i have good memories of these shows simply because of who i watched them with.

its weird to think that this new baby will be born in a "jack-less" world....

just kidding, i am not that weird.

well, i did just blather on an entire post about television.

hmmm.....

forever changing.

remember how happy i was to have a tiny little room for my sewing? that didn't last. the room is still there (currently my fabric habitat) but the practicality i had hoped that room would provide, well... it just didn't. someday a sewing room will be wonderful- when i have the opportunity to truly shut myself off for hours at a time, but honestly, right now i just don't have that. so if i "want" to sew (wanting.... hmmmm.... some days i really just want to lay on the couch, vegging, and dreaming of all the things i could create) i need to be where my children are. it's not a bad thing at all, pretty soon i'll be teaching campbell to use a seam ripper because i believe my sewing will go quicker if i don't have to constantly fix a mess-up.

i am already getting side-tracked with this post.

back to it- the original sewing space i had created has moved. one of my favorite features of our new house is the separate dining space we have created. i will be very sad when this room slowly disappears into the great room remodel we will have- but that is a future project. in this room, we eat, the kids eat (these things do occur separately at times- for sanity sake), i home-school campbell and mason, the kids color, and i craft. this room was technically a bedroom, so it has a wonderful closet that holds all of my crafting supplies and all of my home-schooling books.

at first (sorry, no pictures) our round table was in the center of the room, and we had a hollow box acting as a seat bench (this was full of my crafting supplies). however, this room is small- and having the table center made it incredibly frustrating to navigate around the room.

anyways. when sam was gone earlier this month trying to climb mt. hood (it just didn't work out) i moved my sewing machine in here (and all that goes with it, iron and ironing board) and set it up on the table, and for the second time since we've lived here: i sewed.

and that's when i realized, i have to be near my sewing machine to sew.

um... duh, but i think you get what i mean.

so, sam brought down the sewing table and pushed our round table into the corner. my ironing board is often set up in a separate corner- but when i am really having a sewing lapse (or company over) i can put it in the adjacent closet.

so know, when the kids are taking forever to eat their meal, or working on a project- i can sit close by, prepping a project, running a few stitches, or whatever else my heart desires.

it is already a wonderful fit. and already the table has evolved.

the closet

the sewing table, stage 1

stage 2: adding a little fabric flare

stage 3: getting more of the practicalities there.

my hope is to hang wonderful fabric covered bulliten boards on the wall above my sewing machine, to pin fabric and other wonderful sewing inspiration.

i have been creating, and will share soon.

fabric is a girls best friend

i love getting mail! real mail. where something is waiting for you in your mailbox that isn't asking for money from you. i get a lot of emails. and a lot of facebook messages. but rarely is there something awaiting me in my mail box.

so imagine my utter glee when a small package was sitting in my mailbox last night! we had just gotten home from our 4 hour drive from yosemite (post and pictures to come) and were pretty tired, but i just had to check to see if any important mail had come.

so not only was there a little package addressed to me- but it was full of the most wonderful thing: fabric!

my favorite thing about blogging is that you meet people you might not have met. i think i have said before that it has kind of become the next generation of pen pals. you are able to connect and encourage and develop friendships.

i met christina through her wonderful blog: the sometimes crafter , although that title is very underrated- this gal is always crafting. through her creativity i have found new creative wings myself.

but even more than that- i found a great friend! i love that comments on blogs turn into emails, that turn into friends giving advice, sharing stories and laughter, and encouragement.

if you haven't seen her blog, you really should- it's awesome.

oh, that's right- why am i gushing on about christina? because she was the sender of this wonderful little fabric bouquet. just because. i am super excited, so touched, and now trying to search my mind for a project that will adequately use these beautiful fabrics (i mean other than placing them all in a vase and just staring at them on my sewing table- which i will do until i use them!)

thank you, thank you so much for such a wonderful gift to me, it made my day (well it will probably make my week!).

i am so excited that in just a few short weeks we will actually get to meet in person!

it's coming.

well maybe not today, but if i have baby #4 a week early (which is the plan) then really, its less than 15 weeks till we abandon the crazy of 3 and enter the mad world of 4 kids ages 4 and under. yikes. i am not sure which is more "yikes" worthy- the 15 weeks to go, or the 4 kids. although, newborns (my newborns) just sleep and sleep and sleep. and nurse. so really, its just working around that. i am not nearly as terrified with this baby coming as i was with switching from 2-3, i am really excited to meet this mystery baby. i am 99% sure most days what the baby is, then i start to doubt myself. i am planning on one specific sex, but will be absolutely shocked (like, are you sure that's my baby? shocked) if it comes out differently. i am pretty stinking excited about the nice 6 week break sam will take when our new baby comes. we've been saving up our starbucks stock, plus the money he'll get from the state, and it will make for a wonderful 2 months of baby-hood. we are planning on taking the family to zion national park sometime in the beginning of october (when it is apparently the best time to go). i've already told sam that we are driving super slow to get there- it will not be a drive there in one day kind of stint. we will probably stop through las vegas (where i have technically never really been) and find one of those fantastically cheap hotels (because they really want you to gamble, and let me tell you something- while in new orleans we went into a casino and i absolutely hated it, money tends to stress me out- when i am not trusting- and i just can't seem the appeal in playing a game where they take your money) and maybe do something fun with the kids.

15 weeks to go.

when i was new to blogging and pregnant with little henry i did a big weekly countdown with goals and such for each week, and quite honestly, i think it must have been very snooze worthy for the few readers i had (so snooze worthy it isn't worth posting a link to those old posts- i just put worthy/worth and posting/post in the same sentence, hmmmm) but i like having a countdown of sorts.

so instead of having many separate goals per week, i will probably just have a goal a week. or maybe just 14-15 goals- well, lets say 15 goals- here's #1: pick goals.

phew. better get started on that one. they probably won't be weekly, simply because i have the crazy notion that one will be something radical like: sew all Christmas gifts in July.

i'm not crazy. sewing all gifts in july might be crazy, but in all reality, with the amount of gifts i make- christmas is just knocking at the door.

so, that's about it- 14 "things" to accomplish, to represent what little time i have left before the baby comes. it will be really hard to just stick to 14, because already i am thinking, well how about 14 things to sew, 14 things in the house, 14 things to cook....

stop mary, stop.

and i will. because henry is crying in his bed, and mason is crying outside.

wish me luck sticking to 14 things, because seriously, the head is swimming!

outings.

the weather here has been crazy. i am pretty confident that in a few short weeks you will hear the never-ending complaining coming from my mouth on the heat. our new little house has energy efficient windows and ceiling fans. i need to find a window that will open correctly for our little ac, because i have never been fully pregnant during a summer in california and i am very much afraid.

monday it was beautiful. high 70's, clear skies- the kids played outside all day. and then monday night the storms came in, and yesterday it rained all day. and today it has done pretty much the same (with the exception of wild hail storms).

so when i just before 7 am to ice cold feet on my nice warm back (campbell) and realized the dreadful rain was going to keep my energetic kids bouncing off the walls, i decided to do what i really never ever do. venture out with them.

if this blog serves as any kind of AA- mine would be this: ATGOWMKIPA

translation: afraid to go out with my kids in public anonymous (side note, i spelled anonymous correct my first attempt!)

hi, my name is mary.

it's true. i am constantly afraid of the crazy that will occur. and because my fear is becoming "that women" everyone is a store is looking at as she drags her screaming child away from something..... well, i prefer to stay in my own 4 walls and watch the madness occur without any judgement.

but today was different. sam's heading out for 4 long days as he climbs mt. hood (he climbed last may, but didn't summit-aka, make it to the top) and i just knew i couldn't start my alone time already frustrated by the unfortunate side affect the rain causes my children.

so where did our great adventure take us?

first we stopped and had coffee and scones with sam. all of sam's customers love seeing the little mini sams as we come into the store. its fun. and i really needed more coffee. had i not got the perfect spot right in front of his store, i might not have braved the pouring rain. after fueling up we headed to:

target.

but we did go all the way to roseville (45 minutes away) and as we started our jaunt in the store, i let campbell and mason each pick our a very inexpensive toy. it was their preemptive reward for behaving (and this really worked, because they were very content). i "helped" campbell select a 97 cent toy car (because he really doesn't need anymore toys) and mason got a tiny little baby doll (that had a backpack with a bottle and keys).

2 happy toddlers, and one baby strapped to my chest. he really can't be there much longer, his new sibling won't love being kicked and squished by a big brother.

from target- to winco. i know, we really know how to have a good time. but we needed some staples, and i kept thinking that strapped to me and in a grocery cart was better than watching them tear our house apart.

it was slightly better. the kids were happy, eventually campbell had to get out of the cart to make room for more groceries. he kept suggesting food, but didn't get mad if i said no. we had one moment that i was sure was going to turn into the biggest disaster in the world (a kind of disaster that would have me never venturing out again). i turned from grabbing something canned to see campbell with the biggest GLASS jar of pickles you could imagine. it must have been the grace of God that i made it to him and the glass before disaster occurred.

by the end of grocery shopping, henry was flipping out in the sleepy wrap. no big surprise- he was 3 hours past a much needed nap, and had created something quite unpleasant in his diaper. as i was loading my groceries up onto the belt (wait, i never remember this part of grocery shopping- oh yea, sam does that) and then packing my groceries into bags (again, what? oh yeah, sam....) i did at one point think briefly about leaving the paid groceries where they were and fleeing.

you see, i had put henry in the empty cart so he would stop fighting me for freedom. only to realize how quickly i needed to be filling the cart with bags of groceries. i somehow trapped my purse strap in the sleepy wrap making it unable to get him back in it (all the while having the most foul smell in my face) and to top it off campbell kept trying to push the cart away from me.

but. no horrid screaming incidents. no potty emergencies at the wrong time. no meltdowns.

of course, as i exited winco it had started to rain. no worries, i had the perfect george spot. i was able to keep my groceries dry, strap in campbell and mason, and then change henry. of course, my back was absolutely drenched as i changed him, because the foul smell had exploded everywhere- including his clothes.

however, groceries got loaded (even though i was willing any bystander to take them so i wouldn't have to deal with them, as i remembered- sam usually loads them in the van and unloads them for me) and we headed off to (don't judge me) wendy's for lunch. where after finishing my food, i went back through the drive-thru for a frosty for me and the kids.

everyone was very happy.

we filled up the van with much cheaper gas prices, i started "a bug's life" and watched henry and mason fall asleep for part of the drive.

pulled into grass valley about the same time the sky opened up and started a downpour mixed with rain and hail. sure. i ran into the house, switched out of my flip flops and unloaded the groceries while the kids watched their movie. then headed back to sam's store (really just to drive around while the kids happily finished their movie) and while we were there, lighting filled the sky as the same time thunder crashed above and then: HAIL. it was awesome.

awesomer that i had to drive home and unload the kids in all of it.

but we survived. i survived. and now i sit for a quiet moment, and share the great adventures we had today. the house is a little bit messy, the kids are "napping"- hey, they are in their beds and not fighting at my feet, that is fine.

maybe i will be able to handle 4 kids. i figure if i don't practice letting campbell walk around on his own, release a little of my fear and trepidation on going out in public with my crew, then i will just completely isolate myself instead. and that isn't good for me or for the kids.

however, if you hear any "crazy red-headed woman what looked like a small daycare" stories on the news, just smile and maybe pray :)