Time

It has been a long time since I posted anything.  And I really don't have an excuse.  The kids have been here and gone.  Sean has been here and gone.  I've been doing a lot of sewing in the last few weeks.  Today I made Jillian a pair of shorts.

Or at least I hope they are for Jillian.  I used a pair of her shorts to make a pattern.  If they fit I might try to make some more - for her and for Holly who ends up in really short shorts sometimes because of her itty bitty waist and long legs.

A few weeks ago I made a doll blanket for a friend's 1 year old daughter's birthday gift.  We gave her a doll to go with it - I used some of Jillian's old receiving blankets.  I have 4 more pieced together waiting for me to decide how to finish them.  I have no idea what I think I'm going to do with 4 baby doll blankets.

I made a top for Holly.  I've promised the girls both dresses, but the fabric they chose from my stash wasn't enough to make a dress from.  So I tried drafting a pattern for a top for Holly - and ended up adding the two bands on the bottom after she tried on the first part because she wanted it longer.  I'm not sure she likes it at all.  She felt like the top gaped when she bent over, but she did pose for me and wear it for awhile that afternoon.  I was pleased that it fit her as well as it did and guess I will mark it down as a lesson in pattern drafting if nothing else.

 I have made Jillian about 10 pairs of training pants from old t-shirts of Sean's.  Even these pink ones, which were the first I did and therefore not finished as well as the rest.  I improved upon the pattern I used from the internet after these.  They all fit pretty well but need elastic to wear them without a diaper cover on top.  I'm intending to turn most of her diapers into training pants because the homemade training pants are a little more absorbant than the store-bought ones.  I'm thrilled to have a use for the pile of old t-shirts, too.  But I think 6 pair of navy panties with some kind of fire department emblem on them is plenty for a little girl. 

After the training pants - or in the midst of the pants when I needed a break - I made Jillian a couple of shirts.  The parrot one I tried to make just like a shirt she had that I love the style and fit on her - the orange one with butterflies.

And once again I think I learned a little bit about pattern drafting from doing it.  And I do like the outcome, but I'd change a few things the next time.  I'd make the bottom band narrower and the sleeves puffier and a few other things.

The first top I made for Jillian was just like the one she's wearing walking on the benches Sean made for the grape trellis.  Then I tried to make one a little bigger out of the parrot fabric, but it turned out smaller - lesson in pattern drafting - so I altered the shoulders a little.

And tried again with more fabric.

 I think it still didn't end up bigger, but she can wear it.

As a side note to my sewing catalog - when we went to the bithday party for the 1 year old, Alan attached himself to the birthday girl's mom and dad. We went to a park and then for pizza.  Alan wanted to ride with them to the pizza place.  Then halfway through eating, he moved across the porch to sit beside Megan.

 He really is a sweet boy.

Sean took Alan and Jillian to Tennessee to see his mom and grandpa while my mom took Holly to Chicago with my sister-in-law and niece and Julia was in Disneyland with her BFF from Arizona.

So the 3 days or so that I was home completely alone got me started on the sewing projects.  And kept me sane I think.  I don't remember the last time I was only responsible for myself for any length of time.  It was nice, but I kept thinking I heard someone.  And I kept startling when I thought maybe Jillian was in the seat behind me and then she wasn't.  Or when I made a loud noise and hushed myself before I remembered that no one was napping.

Now the 3 big kids are with Oliver.  (Jillian announces every so often out of the blue "I want Holly," in her cute not completely clear way of talking.)  And Sean is out of town for work.  (She also says she wants him, but not as often as she wants Holly.  Go figure.)  So I've got the house half torn apart in attempts to clean things out.  And I've got some other projects in the work... I'm hoping Sean's trip lasts long enough for me to finish.  I stay up too late and wake up early even when I don't have to.  So I don't know why it's been a month since I blogged.  I think I have a lot more to say, but I'm not sure I've found the words yet.