CHICKPEA SEWING STUDIO

what to do with Finn...

... in the pharmacy queue:

 

It works brilliantly!

(those are terrible phone pictures I know...)

Can't let go of my Petit Bateau

I am not too sentimental when it comes to keeping things for posterity, my happiest days seem to be spent chucking things. But a few of Finn's outfits I can't let go of, usually Petit Bateau pajamas. Still, they take valuable dresser space and we can't have that.

Yesterday I took action and transformed the tiniest pj into a t-shirt :

All it took was cutting the fabric as low as I could and hemming it up first with a strait stitch and then with a zigzag. I really hope it will fit him at the shoulders, it would please me enormously to see him wearing these stripes again. Even if his dad calls him his little prisoner when Finn wears them.

The things we make ourselves

I want to thank all the people that took time to leave me a comment this past few days, I am really touched by your enthusiasm with my dyeing experiments. I have been lousy for months at answering most comments personally and I decided to answer questions in the comment section instead of directly to the sender. Just rest assured that I read and enjoy everything you write here.

xoxo

Back to business!

Last night I started knitting my hand dyed yarn into Isolda's Snapdragon Flip-top mittens. I was overwhelmed with the sweetest feeling of achievement. Looking at the variations of the yarn form little clouds of color in the knitted stitches, was ridiculously exciting. Pointing to the tiniest of spots, look, look! It reminded me of the drunken joy I feel when Finn learns new things. The uncontrolled clapping that follows... If knitting my own yarn makes me feel this high, I am going to do a lot more of it, while I wait for the little one to amaze me by pointing to his nose.

 

a quilted pillowcase

Before I forget, I want to thank all of you, nice readers for leaving so many, so detailed, so good comments on the traveling post bellow. We learned so much from you and made a few adjustment to our plans, such as ditching the car seat idea. I have  been shopping with a completely new list, made from your suggestions. In that spirit I decided to sew Finn a travel pillow. So far I only have the top of the pillow case, but it's quilted and squared, so most of the work is done. I am going to add a large zipper on the side, because I can see Finn wasting time away opening and closing it. I could even hang a toy from the zipper pull.
Quilting pebbles is not very intuitive, but the result is certainly rewarding. Using the Bernina Stitch Regulator (BSR) has made the process a cinch, the tension and stitch length remaining perfectly balanced. My favorite part is that I don't have to use my foot pedal at all, when I move my quilt the foot starts sewing on it's own. A small scale project like this one lets you use the foot to its full potential and I will be very sad when I have to give it back. The Sewing Republic might have to bear with me for a while longer!

Surviving baby+plane travel

I am taking a break from knitting to humbly ask for your mommy's best advice: How do you survive a ten hour flight with a 17 month old baby that generally won't sit still?

I should preface by saying that we are taking our car seat inside the cabin, so that Finn can sleep and generally be restrained properly. The pediatrician told me to visit a dollar store to buy a wide array of little toys and wrap them in paper. But were is the fun in that? I am not a fan of dollar stores, not since I suspect everything to be laced with lead. I guess I see those stores as anti crafter/handmade too. I bet Finn would feel completely opposite, he generally shows no interest for any of the toys I make him... Later maybe (hopeful sight). Still, I am been making the rounds and have not found quite as many goodies as I hoped, so far only some baby Playmobiles and the little wooden guys above. I need to make the wrapping really interesting to get more than five minutes out of those. Beyond the bribing, any idea? any life savers? Please share your thoughts, pleeease!

On an other subject, I just discovered the free magazine LMNOP, it's really pretty and inspiring. So far I noticed a lot of product placement, but that's fine with me, as long as the products are original, plus the mag is free so that makes up for any mercantile tendencies. I am still unsure what the best way to read it is, 39 pages are a bit much to print, but reading on the screen is not how I like my glossies... It would be so nice to hold a nice crisp copy while sipping a cool drink in the shade. (I suspect that Martha Stewart is behind it all, just from the font on the cover, and the general quality of the web site).

Baby pants take two. Trying to imitate...

When I saw these charming boy pants made by Ulla, I knew I wanted the pattern bad. But as luck would have it, it's from this book, all in Danish, not at all obtainable in the time compatible with my impatient self. So I am back looking at what I have at home and staring intently at the blown-up Flickr picture.

I think I found what I need to start in the French Book I used for these shorts. The key I suspect is to use a pattern with no side seams and a wide enough leg to accommodate the pleats darts at the bottom ( I know the word pleats is wrong here but I am having a complete brain cramp).
It's tracing time right now, on freezer paper, while the new yards of denim I bought on Sunday gets pre-washed... I wonder what I'll use for the contrasting band and bias?

Fabric covered letters: Modpodge experiment.

Before I begin, here's for you cat lovers. Courtesy of friend Senta.

This little guy is turning one very very soon (March 1st). Unbelievable.

The question comes to mind, what I am getting him?
Here is the idea, I will cover cardboard letters with fabric using Modpodge. This has to be one of the greatest brand name ever invented, I can't take my eyes of the bottle!

A spare change friendly project, and a deadline long gone...

Sara sans-H brought Seams to Me here yesterday, the second to last project screamed 'Spare Change' . I almost immediately started sorting and cutting my precious squares, You'll need 20 squares for hexagons and 12 for pentagons, I think I'll make my pentagons all in one fabric ( maybe...). It's going to be a lot of Y-seams and therefore will be my Christmas present for Finn, just because. I am so excited to use off my precious squares!

I need to do something today, now, this very instant! my swap block for busy little quilt bee. It must be about one month late, bad swapper you.

I am on it! See:

It got finished while writing this post and I just love love love it! ( how not-so-humble of me, sorry!).

I have been feeling a bit intimidated by everybody's charming wonkiness and getting a sewers cramp, but just decided to do my thing and the super straight cross look so precious to me, I want to make more! 

Teething: a cruel and unusual punishment.

Are we finally sleeping through the night? NO.

After much progress in the land of nod department we are back to square one with a vengeance!

Days of tears and screams, his voice all broken up. Feeling powerless and then for an hour or two everything is back to normal.

It's hard being a parent but harder being a baby, don't you think?

Thank you for the advice!

OK! That was a lot of advice I received, But you know what they say... Don't ask if you can't take it

I really appreciated everybody taking time to tell me a bit of their own struggles and small victories. I will definitely take inspiration from all of the comments. 

From where I stand it will probably look like this: 

Take a bath later, 

eat some solids later, 

still have some breast milk around 10-11 pm,  

try to cut out the night feeding little by little, giving him less and less milk.

If all of this fails, let him cry himself to sleep.

I just want to clarify a few things about yesterday's post. The little schedule I wrote down is really set by Finn, not by me. I do breast feed him on demand, it's just that he won't demand it so much any more. This by itself is a huge problem as my milk supply is not getting the message. Sometimes I will offer him the breast in desperation and all he does is look at me with either revolt or disgust!  And with all that said the pediatrician wants to see him eat more solids! That would be about three containers a day plus two tablespoons of rice: DREAM ON.

Most of the time lately I feel that I have no clue whatever I am doing with him. Setting up this little time table helps me keep sane and guarantees he gets fed, something he is not particularly vocal about these days. 

Last night he must have overheard this conversation, because he did only wake up once in the early morning and then didn't really ask for food until 7 am. Thomas took care of him and I barely noticed that I was sleeping alone. I woke up once to the sound of the rain ( bliss!!!!!).

It's my turn tonight, I am probably de facto on duty so we shall see. Maybe all he needs is more beer just before bed ( just kidding, I am not that negligent yet).