Refashion inspirations

I just borrowed this book from the library: '1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse'. Really inspirational book. Lots of creative ideas. I of course like the 'Coutures + soft goods' section for refashioning ideas for myself. But the pictures in the other sections also inspire creative fashion ideas.

This book is all just pictures. There are no instructions on how to make the items. If you just like to look at pictures to get your own creative juices going, this is the book for you. Borrow it from the library first before you decide to buy it.

Swimsuit refashioned

Remember the teal swimsuit that I was thinking of refashioning? Well, it's done! Thanks very much to hubby who single-handedly put 2 kids to sleep. I was able to have some sewing/refashioning fun for an hour (it has been really really difficult to steal an hour for myself when having a raging toddler and a 2 month old baby!).

I had been doing a lot of planning and thinking before I took out the scissors for this project. It was a bit of trial and error: cutting some, sewing some, trying the suit on, cut some more, sew some more, etc. That's why I didn't take any 'during' pictures because I didn't know how I was going to do it and how it would turn out.

So a too-long one piece swimsuit:
Became a faux tankini suit!


Steps:
1. Try on swimsuit. Make a rough mark on where to cut the across the suit.
2. Turn the suit inside out. Mark the line to cut and cut it.
3. Try on the tankini top and the cut bottom. Note where else needs cutting. In this case, because I have a flat bum, I found the bum portion of the suit had too much fabric. So I decided to shorten the front by 1.5cm, and the back by 3cm.
4. Sew the tankini top and the bottom together again.
5. Try on the suit again to check the fit.
6. Topstitch the tankini bottom edge to make it look more like a real tankini.


The new suit feels more snug which I hope will not droop after being in the water. Now I just have to go swimming to see if it will perform as I wish!

One EC benefit - no more diaper rash!

I continue to EC my 2 month old baby during the day after each feed. I notice that she doesn't poo at night anymore when I don't EC her. Her diapers at night only has some pee in it. I help her to go to the toilet at night before 11pm, and then she doesn't poo again until I help her with it in the morning. This means that she is not lying in her poo at night. I just realized yesterday that she hasn't had a diaper rash for at least 1.5 weeks now, possibly because she doesn't poo in her diaper anymore. Very interesting development!

I still don't have a clue on when she pees. I'm still only helping her to the toilet after each feed, or when she is really really fussy. I could check her diaper every half hour during the day, but she really hates when I fuss with her diaper. She is really annoyed when I have to change her too.

ECing a 1.5 month old baby

I'm continuing to EC (daytime only) my 1.5 month old daughter. I would nurse her and then put her over the toilet and cue her. Most of the time she would pee/poo or both. Sometimes she doesn't but she would grunt and let out a wet fart. I think she is starting to understand my cues. I'm not quite sure of her timing for the pees/poos for the rest of the day. Sometimes I would take her to the toilet when it's between feeds and she is squirming but nothing comes out.

She is in diapers at night because I don't want to wake her. She does poo a lot during night time as well. I have looked up some websites that talk about nighttime ECing and it just doesn't seem to work for my daughter at this point. She wakes easily and it takes a while to get her to fall asleep again. Even a gentle quick diaper change wakes her up. Perhaps she will be a more sound sleeper when she is older.

So far I'm happy with the progress. She understands my cue and I'm saving a small amount of diapers. Plus she is not always lying in a dirty diaper (except at night). I'm not being too stressed about this ECing either. If I was determined to do it full time including nighttime I think I would be really stressed out. Let see where this EC journey takes us!

Refashioning a swimsuit?

I have had this teal swimsuit for a while. I love the colour and the fit when it's dry. However, when it was wet, the body drooped and it became way too long for my torso. I would dearly like to do something with it so that I can wear it.

So what do you think? Should I make it into a tankini top or should I try to somehow shorten the torso? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about doing this? Are there any websites/blog I should visit before I cut into the garment?

Infant potty training

Well, really it's training mama to recognize the timing and the cues for the infant to go potty. However, I'm not doing too well in the cues. My 1 month old really don't give any consistent cues. She poos while nursing and then kinda randomly peeing/pooing during the day. The only consistent timing I have is right after a feed. I don't even have time to burb her. I have to put her on the toilet right away, otherwise I will miss the poo/pee.

I read somewhere that the infant's poo/pee will be more consistent by week 12 (2.5 months) so perhaps I'll have better luck with the timing/cues then. In the meantime, I'll continue to put her on the toilet right after a feed when I have the chance.

I'm back to blogland

After an intense month of taking care of a newborn and trying to recover from the birth, I'm back to blogland. No refashioning to speak of for this month, but I did add lining to my son's bedroom curtains. He is very light sensitive and would not go back to sleep if there is any light (however dim) filtering from his curtains. The lining is not completely blacking out the room but is making the room slightly dimmer, especially now that the days are longer.

On another note, I just starting ECing (Elimination Communication) my 1 month old daughter tonight. I was going to start when she is 2 months old (after I have gotten enough sleep and that her schedule is more stable) but I thought I would try to tonight. I held her over the toilet right after a feed and she poo'ed. Woohoo! I know this is more work for me than anything. But she already has a few diaper rashes so I thought ECing her might help her poor bum. Even if I only do it after a few feeds during the day, that's still progress in my book. We'll see how that goes!

Sewing Patterms purge

I have been purging my huge collection of sewing patterns today. I have been collecting a lot of patterns in the last 15 years. I didn't realize I have lots of patterns that are very similar! How many princess seam jacket patterns does one need? Also, my body has been completely altered after being pregnant and nursing for a year. Some of the patterns just no longer fit my body size or shape. Some of them weren't even cut! Oh well! One has to be ruthless when it comes to pattern purging. A quarter of my patterns have now been purged. The local charity shop will really appreciate it, I'm sure......

Shorts for hubby - Simplicity 3763....Sweatshop now closed!

After all the sewing/refashioning for myself and my son this year, I thought it's time for me to make something for a very very important person in my life - my dear hubby! I started making a pair of pants for him using simplicity 3763 late last Summer. But alas! Morning/afternoon/evening sickness for the first 4 months of pregnancy prevented me from finishing it. So finally I have finished the shorts in time for this summer.

I made 2 pairs of shorts with this pattern, using an Olive cotton/poly twill and a Beige cotton/poly twill in my stash. I made some changes to the patterns for both pairs of shorts.


1. Olive shorts - I made a functional button fly by drafting my own extra flaps for the fly. I added an extra waistband to the shorts because of some miscalculations. I also added a drawstring to the elastic waistband because hubby likes that. The shorts were easy to make. I didn't read the instructions. However, hubby thought the shorts were too long and he didn't like the seamed pockets on the side. The drawstring is a long shoelace in my stash.


2. Beige shorts - The fly this time is pure decorative. I drafted new angled patch pockets for the shorts. Due to another miscalculation of the placement of the pockets, I added an extra elastic waistband with drawstring to the shorts. I also shortened the shorts by 3 inches as per hubby's request. The drawstring is the other shoelace in my stash.

It was tough going because I'm really pregnant and it's really difficult crouch on the floor to pin and cut fabric. But I'm glad it's done and hubby has another 2 pairs of shorts to wear this summer. And it's good that I'm stash busting!!

I think the 'Lovenicky barefoot and pregnant sewing sweatshop' is finally closed for the next few months........:-)

Nest cleaning

Just some minor contractions today. I guess I'm not giving birth yet! So I took some time to clean up my closet. Boy, do I have a lot of clothes! I have been sewing for myself and my family for more than 10 years. About 60% of my wardrobe were made by me. I find it really hard to part with stuff that I made. They were well loved and used over so many years. But how much clothing does one really need? I'm still continuing to add new clothes that I sewed and refashioned to my closet. I think I should take the advice from those organization gurus: take one out before you put a new one in.

But how does one part with a nice wool suit that one has made and worn at work, and received compliments for? Or that special occasion dress that one made for a wedding and worn a couple more times to various Holiday parties? I can be much more cold-hearted in donating shoes that I haven't worn but clothes/accessories that I have made.......I guess I need some professional organizer help with this!

Do you have any suggestions/ideas for me to purge some of my me-made clothing/accessories? I have already given some of my creations to friends/family whom I knew would enjoy those items. But I still have a lot. What should I do?

Contractions as a sewing motivator

I had some painful Braxton Hicks contractions early this morning. It lasted for about an hour. All I could think of was, 'we are not ready!' We are still in the midst of setting up the new room for our toddler, and I hadn't started making summer shorts for him yet.

So what does a heavily pregnant woman do when she has painful contractions? Race to the sewing nook of course! LOL! I quickly took out stuff from the refashioning pile and started cutting out shorts patterns for my son with the tried and true Simplicity 3765. I just shortened the length of the pants pattern.

For some reason, while concentrating on sewing the shorts, my contractions became less painful and less frequent. And 2 hours later I have finished 4 pairs of shorts (Bermuda length so that if he falls he won't scrap his knees that much) for my son! Woohoo! Funny how some Braxton Hicks contractions can be a real motivator for sewing!From left: 3 reclaimed t-shirts, 2 reclaimed boxer shorts from hubby, and jean shorts made a while back from fabric in my fabric stash.

Adult splash pants to Toddler splash pants - Simplicity 3765 Again!

Yep, I did another refashion again, even though I said I was going to stop and take it easy. However, this time it was out of necessity.

The teacher at my toddler's nursery school said that the weather is getting warmer and more rainy. So he now needs splash pants, not snow pants, to go outside and play. I thought I would have to go and hunt for a pair of 2nd hand splash pants for him. But then I remembered that I had a 2nd pair of splash pants that I hadn't worn for a while because I needed to fix the waist elastic.

So I did a simple and boring refashion of my splash pants to my son's splash pants, using the tried and true Simplicity 3765 pattern.

Steps:
1. Cut off the waistband and the ankle zippers on the adult pants
2. Resew the zipperless pant leg together
3. Cut along the inseams
4. Place the pattern on the pant legs and cut.
5. Sew the pattern pieces together
6. Apply elastics to the ankle cuffs and the waist band


Voila! Another quick and easy refashion for my son. It took less than 2 hours and my son has been wearing it every school day since.

p.s. It's funny how the before after pictures look almost the same!