141. Stop

I can't remember if I've mentioned here that I'm the yearbook editor for Louis' elem. school.  Well, this is the last full week before the book goes to print, so I've spent all week tracking down the 27 or so faculty, staff members, and kids who missed photo day and photo make-up day last fall.  I've dragged around this yard of blue cotton broadcloth and a roll of masking tape all week, to set up impromptu backdrops in sunny hallways around the school.  And I photographed the morning safety patrol crew, as above, and a few of us will spend the entire morning photographing today's track & field day, which is a huge, school-wide event.

There are a host of other teeny, tiny details, too, like making sure pages are numbered and a there's a 0.25" border around the artwork on each page, etc.  And bigger details like rounding up the last few pages that volunteers are putting together.

Don't get me wrong -- this yearbook has been a waaaay fun volunteer project and it's been a blast working with some very cool parents.  But I've got a fun new dress to show you that I finally finished Wednesday, and no time to pick accessories and take pics for you, so it waits until the yearbook is done.  Thanks for helping me stay connected through your blog posts and emails this week!  Miss you and see you again soon!  :)

P.S.  During weeks like these, I also turn to my three fave teen bloggers for quick inspiration:

• Sea of Shoes
• Childhood Flames
• Style Rookie

136. Pop Quiz answer and an Earth Day class project

The answer to yesterday's pop quiz is: You never know!  I appreciate all your comments, and have had similar ideas and strategies.  It's really a universal experience, isn't it?

You probably guessed I was in line when I wrote that post, and this time I chose the faster cashier with million-item-cart-lady ahead of me.  By the time my cashier got to wrapping the breakables, she signaled a nearby back-up cashier to open a third checkout lane, and I got served right away, to my pleasant surprise!  This almost never happens.  Like some of you, I inevitably pick what ends up being the slowest line, no matter how much or how little thought I put into the choice.

This long checkout line scenario, almost no matter the day or time of day, is one of the reason I avoid the craft store except for that inevitable, once-a-quarter purchase.

Thank you for playing along and commenting!  

*****

This is for Cindy and I'll be quick.  Last week I worked on an Earth Day project with Louis' class.  Each child brought in an outgrown t-shirt they wanted to give new life as a reusable bag.  Two weeks prior, I started receiving the first of the bags and prepping them by:

1. Cutting out rectangles based on the size of the shirt and orientation of the design, if any.
2. Sewing 3/8" twill tape to the top of the rectangles to reinforce where the handles would be attached.
3. Cutting and sewing grosgrain ribbon handles to each rectangle.

Another mom brought her machine to the "sewing station" we set up in class, and we helped the kids sew the three seams to create their reusable fabric bags.  It took about 50 minutes for the two of us to work with about 18 kids.  The bags turned out cute, and the kids were sooooo excited!  Here are a few:

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

I've been awfully quiet about Christmas this year.  No hyperactivity, no complaining, no frantic rushing around.  (Lots of singing and humming Silver Bells and Rudolph, though.)  Part of it is that I knew I'd be out of town often from the start of the holiday season, so I planned ahead.  Dear Shauna hosted a silkscreening party at her house on Dec. 10, and since I was in town, I made sure I had a plan and was there.  I silkscreened some Illustrator-doodled flower motifs in turquoise ink on these creamy organic soy jersey scarves...

I had never felt soy fabric before, and this knit jersey is just heavenly soft!  I purchased 2 yards and cut the entire length into six 10-inch wide scarves.  I spent A LOT of time cutting right on those ribs to make sure the edges were as smooth as could be, and they came out beautifully.

I also have lived near an Austin store called Bead-It for about 5 years, maybe more, and never once stopped in till a few weeks ago.  I picked up some neat new beads and findings, and having just monkeyed around with jewelry making and beading before, I put together a few little combinations of pendants that I liked.  Sometimes the most important part of the gift-giving, to me, is presentation.  So I drew a young gal on a 3x5 card, punched tiny holes at her shoulders, and cut in to those holes from the side of the card so I could "present" this gift in a manner I was happy with.

Part of me feels a little left out of the holiday stress, but it becomes crystal clear at this late hour that stress-free preparation is a natural extension of our tradition of a stress-free Christmas Day.  Unlike how I was raised, Christmas begins with opening the first present whenever the mood strikes.  Not after a formal breakfast, not when every last family member arrives, not after the perfect family picture has been taken next to the Christmas tree,  but whenever it happens.  Louis shows genuine gratitude for each and every gift by telling the gift-giver what he likes about the gift, and then he plays with it for a good hour or two.  We encourage him to be a gracious gift-giver, too, and to participate in that process appropriately.

Because of this, and because Louis gets a lot of gifts from a large extended family, opening Christmas presents takes several days.  I know this is unusual -- friends whose family's wrapping-paper-ripping frenzy ends inside of 22 minutes marvel over how calm and enjoyable our Christmas mornings are, and family who visit initially assume that low-key means low satisfaction. But that's simply not true.  We've just found one way for our family to de-emphasize the quantity of Christmas and get back to the quality.

I wish you every chance to fully honor your traditions, longstanding or new, as you celebrate this joyous holiday with those you love.  Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The girl who looks like a boy but is really a girl

I've been out of the loop!  Not a lot of sewing going on, and no picture-taking of the sewing going on, so no sewing post yet.  Later this weekend I'll post a photo of the latest shirt refashion.  But for now, an update on what's kept me away from Blogland for so long...

Louis started Kindergarten Monday!  I spent last week fretting and preparing.  When Monday morning came, we were set and Louis was a champ.  He walked straight in the classroom and settled right in.  No tears from either of us, though I felt nauseous a couple times.  And he had a really, really great week!  Success!

Louis came home that first day and said, "There's a girl in my class who looks like a boy but is really a girl."  I asked if he knew her name, and he didn't.  

The next day, after school, he recalled an encounter with said girl on the playground: "Mom, I made it to the third monkey bar on the playground today.  But the girl who looks like a boy but is really a girl?  She made it all the way across the monkey bars by herself!"  I asked if he knew her name yet, and he said no.  So I suggested he find out the next day.

Wednesday, after school, I asked Louis if he found out this little girl's name.  He said, "Which little girl?"  At which point I had to respond, "The little girl who you say looks like but boy but is really a girl."  To which he replied, "No."

I'd seen this little girl, and for the record, she neither looks nor dresses like a boy.  Her hair is a long pixie/ almost shag, super-cute, but she's pretty feminine.  So I asked Louis, "Why do you think she looks like a boy?"  And he said, "Her hair is short."  I pointed out, "My hair is shorter than hers.  Do you think I look like a boy?"  Louis said, "No.  But she's really strong."

WHAT?  Chauvinism is permanently etched on that Y chromosome from the point of conception?

I said, "Yes, but I'm really strong and I'm not a boy."  He fell silent.  No other logic to rationalize his instinct.  Today I finally asked Louis' teacher what this little girl's name is.

Alex.

In A Blue Room

We read a lot in our house, and we have read a lot of kids books in the last 5 years.  A LOT.  This one was published very recently and it's lovely.  As a parent, I think this book works so well because (a) it is simply written, (b) it is beautifully illustrated, (c) it slows the pace of the day down just right for bedtime.  It is the perfect last book of the day for our active boy!

For me, though, I internalize that a comforting bedtime ritual is a great way to honor oneself -- in the book, it's about treating the senses to relaxation (fragrant flowers, soothing bells, warm tea) and allowing the physical to affect the mental and emotional.  How many nights have you spent trying to block out the many stressors of your day, forcing your eyes shut, trying to turn off your brain, peeking at the clock every few minutes to see how many hours of sleep you'd get if you fell asleep right now?  For me it's been too many.  

Honoring myself through dressing stylishly more often?  Check.

Honoring myself by regularly preparing and eating nutritious and delicious meals?  Check.

Honoring myself through a soothing bedtime ritual that satisfies the senses and sets things right for a peaceful night's sleep?  Working on it...

A whole lot of little projects

Since my last shirt refashion, I've found myself a bit unfocused, kind of fluttering from one small, neglected project or idea to the next:

• Louis' thermal knit monkey pajama tops
  Why do I even try to sew knits? I cut this shirt out months ago and it's languished in the garage. The thermal knit has no bounce, so when you stretch it out, it stretches until you wash it and stick it in the dryer again. Contrast that with the ultra-rigid behavior of the lovely brown knit I chose for the neckline binding. Don't I know better by now? No. Plus, my mysterious and enigmatic serger, which was on best behavior for my last 2 refashions, is completely on the freak again. Knits are not a priority at this point!
  
  
• Freezer paper stenciling
  I wanted to find something fabric-related to do with Louis that would offer a finished product that was very close to his original vision, like our art quilt from several months ago. I've silkscreened but it is not young-kid-friendly, so I went looking for something simpler. It amazed me how many tutorials are on the web for freezer paper stenciling, given there are all of three or so steps involved, which probably speaks to effectiveness of the process and how late I am to trying this out. We piloted the technique on a very small scale, then went after something a little more ambitious -- Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I need to stencil one of these for me now!
  
• Sewing fabric crowns
  Almost 2 years ago, right after I started sewing for real, Louis and I decided he would be Max, from the book Where the Wild Things Are, for Halloween. I sewed his white monster outfit using a New Look kids' footed pajama pattern but couldn't find a fabric crown pattern to save my life! I drafted one, being someone who loved Geometry in high school, and kept the pattern. Never made another one till now, though, and we are happily fabric crowning our week away. These are so great for using up fabric scraps, especially the ones you really, really love and must use in a worthy project. What's more worthy than something that declares your royalty?
  
• Sorting out my next shirt refashion
  I keep reminding myself that I bought 4 shirts for $1 each during my Florida thrift excursion, and the whole point was to make them into something I will wear, not to avoid them in the closet like other clothing items I currently own meeting the same neglected fate. I am working on the poly-cotton blend tuxedo shirt next. Heaven help me.
  
  
• An early birthday present for myself (or late, depending on how you look at it)
  More on this in coming weeks. :)

Next post: tuxedo shirt refashioned into a new shirt for me.

Refashion 1: Messenger Bag from Shorts

I found Wardrobe Refashion a couple of years ago. I admired their goals and really, really wanted to "take the pledge" but knew I wasn't ready to give up buying new clothes. As I've sewn more and been increasingly dissatisfied with the quality, sizing, and selection of RTW, I now feel more ready to take the pledge. I emailed Nikkishell, the admin and mastermind behind Wardrobe Refashion, to sign up several weeks ago and didn't hear back till last night, when I received my invitation to be a guest author on the Wardrobe Refashion blog.

Fun! Since refashioning according to their pledge is part of my Mid-Year resolutions, I'm all set to go. First up: turning some cotton/ nylon ripstop shorts of Louis' into a messenger bag.

Last fall, I sent these shorts to preschool as part of the required change of clothes we parents of little ones send Just In Case. Amazingly, Louis never needed them, so they were returned to me at the end of the school year in the very same ziplock bag I sent them in many moons ago. Of course, they are a size 3T and much too small for him to wear now (lucky he didn't need them, right?). There's something about these shorts that are so bright and cheery, and obviously the fabric can take a beating, because I think he was 2 years old when he first started wearing these and they still look brand new.

I'd been saving them for a project, and here we are. Like many kids, Louis is a treasure hunter. When we go on walks, we sometimes spend much more time nosing around, exploring, digging in the dirt, rather than actually walking. These shorts have two nice zippered welt pockets, which seemed a good idea to keep for those tiny crystals. They also have two pseudo-gusseted back pockets, for the bigger rocks and maybe a pen or pencil. I wasn't sure what to do about the strap -- make it out of the self fabric or go with a cotton webbing from my stash? Come on, it's just a messenger bag! Make a decision! OK, go with the self strap.

The hems were nicely double topstitched so I cut them off, picked apart enough of the seams, and sewed them together and used this piece as the strap.




When it came to the curvy crotch seam, I admit that really, really wanted to unpick the flat-felled seam, sew it straight, and re-flat-fell it... but knew that if I slowed down too much I might not finish this project. So I "pleated" the crotch seam down. I did nothing fancy with the new bottom hem of the bag -- just a simple straight stitch and a zigzag to help with fraying.

I really wanted this to be a good project for Louis and me. They were his shorts and they were going to become his new bag. He LOVES to use scissors so after we measured and marked the cut lines, I handed him the scissors. He said goodbye to his shorts, actually waved, and made the cuts. The he got really sad and needed a hug! Almost cried. I was so surprised -- never imagined he would feel so strongly about refashioning his clothes. But I think he likes his new messenger bag and will start to develop some good memories carrying it around. Especially if I fill it with candy.

Poetry Saturday: Superheroes

I challenged my 5-year-old to write a song with me this week, but it turned out more like a story. Here it goes, as dictated to me (with some of my editorial ka-ka in the last sentence to try to tie it up neatly and quickly):

A long time ago, Superman was the superguy. The Hulk was fighting Spiderman. Spiderman wouldn't win because the Hulk could jump too high.

But Spiderman got better and better by practicing and Superman came to help. Batman came to help, too, and the Hulk had no idea. Suddenly a flash of light blasted through the island. It was Abomination, coming to help the Hulk.

After a long battle of epic proportions, Hulk and Abomination emerged victorious, for their combined strength eclipsed the speed and agility of Spiderman, Superman, and Batman.

And today I am improvising an Abomination hat for Louis, with the pointy ears. I penciled out a muslin and, if all goes well, I will have put one last project together for the monkey boy before my next trip.

A Cheerio's Life

Tonight, at dinner, my little one starts out, "Mom, can I tell you about a Cheerio's life?"

I was intrigued, but the follow-through was not nearly as impressive as the lead line. The very short plot involved a cheerio that falls into water (like the water in his vintage aqua tupperware cup) and drowns. That's it. But he sure got my attention.

First Sewing Project: Little Pillows

Louis has asked me since he was about 3 years old if I will teach him to sew. And the formula in my mind was:

3-year-old boy + active little fingers + lead feet + needles + scissors = big trouble

So I held off for a couple of years. He was content finding little objects to stick to the magnetic pin bowl, cutting fabric scraps with thread nippers, and "adjusting" the sewing machine tension until a few days ago. He asked again if I would teach him to sew, and, being the mom who always tries to find a way to say yes, I said yes.

Couldn't I make it safe to sew up a few mini pillows together for his action figures?

We went to the scrap basket and pulled out a few scraps of Louis' choosing, I cut them into small rectangles, marked a sewing line on three sides with the blue fabric pencil, and we hit the machine. Louis LOVED controlling the foot pedal and steering the fabric, watching until we'd sewn to the end of a blue line to stop sewing, lifting the presser foot, turning the fabric, and continuing the stitch. His favorite part: cutting the threads with the thread nippers. He stuffed his little pillows and we sewed them shut. And after we'd finished three pillows, his action figures had a pillow fight.

And then Mr. Incredible settled in for a nap.

I love you and I like you

I think the original idea for this "art quilt" was planted in my head by this SouleMama post from way back when. Louis wrote a birthday message for his dad in pencil on muslin, and I (painstakingly) sewed over his letters with green thread. The sewing wasn't so bad, but the pulling threads to the back and tying and trimming them got tedious.

It has been so long since I tackled any quilting project that I assumed I would remember more than I did. Specifically, the quilt binding was a hot mess. It took me probably a full 45 minutes longer to finish this project than it would have if I knew where to find those great instructions from a quilting book several years ago. Thank heaven for About.com's mitered quilt binding instructions.

So this little guy is just under one foot square, and has a custom Louis message: "Dad, I love you and I like you. Louis"

Delicious.

Potty Talk

I could write a book on this. My son, almost 5, has a promising career in communication if someone will pay him to create contractions and compound words using only "potty" and unpleasant words. A compound potty word would be something like "peebuttboogerhead". My sister has assured me that this will go away when he's about 12. Only 7 more years to go.

Yesterday, Louis was playing the Bunnytown games on the Playhouse Disney site, and he got to customize his bunny's fur, outfit, accessories, and name. He could have named that bunny Fluffy or John, but he chose something entirely different:

Zilker Park Kite Festival 2008

I had to drag both my boys (the almost-5-year-old and the almost-37-year-old) to the festival this year. After parking no less than 300 miles away and walking there, the little one claimed his stomach hurt from hunger and he couldn't walk much further. So we stood in a line only 8 miles long to buy the boy a corn dog. With real meat. Not much veggie fare there.

Anyway, it was totally windy, which is perfect for a kite festival, right? We wandered around and admired the many, many kites, beautiful and colorful. We saw more 8-mile-long lines and ran into a couple of friends similarly bracing against the wind. We saw the kite tree of death.

After not too long, with just a greasy, animal meaty corn dog stick in hand, the boy declared he was done and ready to go. With the extreme wind and nearly-raininess, I had to agree. So we were only there an hour and a half but it was a quality time. We rolled.

I love Austin. Is that a dragon in the sky? Yeah, that dragon, the one next to the kite?

So with the wind and the rainy-ish skies, I was reminded how spring is springing, with just the tiniest hint of winter past. And as we got back to the car, 300 miles away, I saw the my favorite green, which is the green of new spring growth, in the grass next to our car and in a tree across the street from our car. And so inspiration begins.

Helloha

This is our word of the week. Louis crawled into bed with us yesterday morning and said, "Helloha, Mommy." Knowing that he's been getting into Lilo & Stitch on the Disney channel, I asked, "Do you mean 'aloha'? That means 'hello' in Hawaiian."

To which he promptly insisted, "No, it's 'helloha'."

So, helloha it is. And helloha to you!