Last Year's Pajamas Affect This Year's Planning

As Thanksgiving approaches this week, and my thoughts inevitably turn today gratitude and the upcoming holiday season I find myself thinking about the upcoming crafting projects that I should have started weeks ago and now only have a few a weeks left to get finished before Christmas is upon us.  This seems to be something that I do often as I looked back over last year's Facebook posts I realized that I am even a little ahead of schedule this year if I start on the children's Christmas pajamas anytime before December 10th.

Last year I was a little bit over confident in my time management vs. project size and quantity skills and I found that it got me into a little be of trouble.  I had previously made a set of fish pajama's for my daughter using Simplicity Pattern # 2481.  You can read pattern review and how that project turned out here.  It was such a hit with my daughter and such an easy project that I decided it was perfect for making in big quantities and I would be able to make three sets for my younger three child without any problem leaving me plenty of time to tackle a bigger project for my pre-teen and teen girls that are now borderline women's size clothing making their gift projects take longer simply because of their size.

Well it took me a week with a busy house and five children to get the first set of pj's done.  Red with blue Iron Man.  My youngest son Jeremiah was obsessed with super heroes at the time and I was really hoping he would like them.  But it took a whole week to make one set of pj's which left me on December 15th.

After the Iron Man pj's were done I was ready for a pattern switch and I cut and sewed the pink nightgown for my oldest daughter next.  It was a vintage looking nightgown New Look Pattern #6163.  This is an out of print pattern that I actually rescued from my mother's stash before she got rid of all her sewing patterns because it was a nightgown I had always wanted to make for myself.  Now the pattern is too small for me so I live vicariously through my girls by making it for them.

Their project ended up being a big recycle/up-cycle project.  Since that summer I had gone through all my sets of bed linens and set aside the ones that were worn out from age and washing or from our previous cats getting them with a claw.  So I took those sheets and let the girls pick the ones they liked best without them knowing why I was asking.  Then I matched them with a little bit of fabric and lace for the fancy old fashioned collars and this project was all set.

One Tip: when working with lace, especially if you want a layered effect and plan to put on a couple different ones.  Save yourself some time and at least look at the lace that comes pre-sewn and layered together for you already.  I know it is hard to see in the photo but the pink night gown has a three layer lace that came all put together and it was super quick and easy to sew on since it only took once around.  The blue nightgown however is the opposite, because it has two layers of single layer lace and I had to not only figure out how to layer it so it would look nice but I also had to take double the amount of sewing time to put it one since each layer was sewn on separately.

Everytime I got tired of sewing pleats or lace and ruffles I went back to crawling around on the floor to cut out sewing patterns. This gets harder every year and is honestly not something I am looking forward to doing this weekend as I cut out and plan for this years Christmas pajamas.  Unfortunately if I lay out the fabric on my folding tables it tends to slip and slide around and the pattern doesn't get cut out well.  Anyone have ideas for fixing this and helping me get off the floor?

My youngest daughter's pajamas from this pattern were a fun little up-cycle that ended up adding more time to the project than I had planned on or expected.  Originally they pink floral and blue butterfly fabric was part of a bedroom window curtain I had made for my girls bedroom clear back in 2005.  We have since moved several times and it never fit any of the windows right so I figured it was finally time to reuse the fabric.

Well this required a lot of seam ripping that I eventually gave up on and ended up simply cutting out the seams altogether because it was faster than using a seam ripper on them.  Once I got this set cut out and ready to sew I cut out my son's ocean themed set of pattern pieces.

By this time I was ready for a break and my knees were so sore that it took a couple of days before I was ready or willing to get back down on the floor to cut out the next couple of projects.

Honestly I am not sure how I did it, but I spent the morning of December 24th putting the finishing touches on one nightgown and two sets of shirt/pant pajama set and I was able to get them finished and wrapped just before dinner so that the kids could open them as their Christmas Eve gift.

Sewing the day of Christmas Eve instead of spending it playing games, singing carols and visiting with family is not something that I ever want to have to repeat.  And so it has me thinking about this year and wondering if I need to either get started sooner, or pick a different project to make for the kids that will still show them how much I love and care, without pulling me away from them during the holiday celebration.

Artistic Pursuits of a Young Artist

So Kyrilene came to me this afternoon when quiet time was over. I had just finished telling all the kids to pick their next thing from their lists for school, and she says: "Mom, I need to paint. That is my job." I loved this and she had a great time watercoloring scribbles all over her paper.

It reminded me of a quote that I love and wanted to share: "We might as well declare that a child should not speak unless he put his words into poetry, as to declare that he should not draw because his drawings are not artistic." Anna Botsford Comstock

What an wonderful reminder that a toddlers self expression with paints is just as important to her as my own artistic pursuits and attempts are to me.  I need to give my children art supplies more and chores less.

A Toddler's Art Appreciation

Many years ago my Grandma Marilyn Cowley painted two canvases with children's toys on them.  Toys I remember playing with when we would go to visit her.  When she passed away several years ago, these paintings were something that I inherited from her.  Up until now I have been storing them and waiting to get them framed before hanging them up.

On a whim after our recent move I hung them up in our youngest daughter Kyrilene's room.  And she reacted in an amazing way.  Immediately she was telling me thank you for her pictures and describing them to me.  She is only two years old.  This has gone on every night for a month now, until yesterday.

Our A/C died five days ago and we have had all the windows open trying to keep the house bearable until the repair can come out to fix it.  Well yesterday we had a good breeze going and it managed to knock one of the paintings off the wall.  I decided to leave it down until the wind stopped.  Poor Kyrilene was beside herself lamenting the loss of her picture and wanting to know where it went.  Logically explaining wind and why we didn't put it back up went right over our little girl's two year old head.  Eventually I distracted her with a treat and this morning the first thing we requested was her picture.

Once I put it back up on the wall she was beaming her smile at me with tears in her precious little eyes and saying "thank you mommy, my picture" or over and over again with little toddler arms wrapped around my legs hugging me with joy.

I never expected my children to become so attached to paintings I appreciated because of my childhood memories.  Especially not the child who never even got to meet her Great Grandma in person.  I would like to think that they must have had a special relationship in Heaven before our little girl joined our family.

It also reminded me of the crafting heritage I learned from her.  Grandma was an artist in every sense of the word.  She was always creating something whether it was a new painting with her artist league or the Christmas ornaments she made each year for all of her extended family.  I always looked forward to our big family Christmas dinner and seeing what beautiful creation she had made that year.  She was an amazing example of someone who was not afraid to try making something new.  It taught me that you don't have to be afraid to try something you have never done before.  This lesson has helped me teach myself many things:  cooking, sewing, drawing, painting, scrapbooking, writing, canning, blogging, gardening and even homeschooling my children.

After 10 months of Withdrawl I Finally Get to Sew!

Well after 10 months or more I am finally settled enough I spent the day unpacking my sewing and doing a little bit of mending. I had forgotten just how much I enjoy to sew. Just hemming cut off jeans and sewing buttons back on was fun and I feel like I accomplished something. I will never recommend that anyone leave their hobbies entirely in storage while they move and sell a house. They are definitely my stress relief.

Typerwriter Art What a Talent!

While puttering around on Facebook this morning, checking in on family and friends posts and dropping notes to say hello I came across this news article that really inspired me.

Here is a man who faces challenges and struggles every single day of his life.  Yet he is inspiring people and using his talents and determination to create beautiful works of art to share with those around him.  I would never before have considered using a type writer of all things in the way this man can, but I am inspired by it.  So take a moment to watch this news story and let yourself be inspired too.  Then look at yourself and your life and answer the question he poses:

“What Can You Do?”

Just as Paul knows his gift for typewriter art is a talent from the Lord, each one of us has talents.  And it is our job to figure out what those talents are.  Once we know what we can do, developing and sharing those talents with others strengthens us and allows us to grow.

Thoughts While Mending

Okay I know and you know that my recovery process is not what this crafting blog is supposed to be about, but bear with me here.  As the dust from the recent trip to the hospital has begun to settle and the pain meds have started to kick in enough I can bear to sit up for longer then it takes to crawl to the privy,  I have had a lot of time on my hands to think.  And today something someone said to me as a reprimand really stood out and made me think.

“Tiffany you shouldn’t over do it like yesterday.  It will just make healing harder and take longer.”

Yesterday, I had a seven month old little girl, who was congested and running a slight fever, fussing, crying and unable to sleep unless she was being held in a semi-upright position.  She weighs enough that after a major abdominal surgery last Thursday I am not supposed to pick her up or hold her for the next six weeks at least and probably closer to twelve if I strictly adhere to the doctor’s wishes.  But there is something about a mother’s love and instinct that is tenacious and doesn’t care what the Doctor says if it goes against what you think your child needs.  Even when it goes against everything a doctor tells you that you should NOT do in order to help yourself recover and heal.  After what felt like forever but was probably more like fifteen minutes with her Gramzie I couldn’t take it anymore and had to hold my little girl even though I am not supposed to right now. Those tears and cries broke my heart, so we piled on the pillows and hoped it would protect me while I attempted to soothe my little girl.  Eventually though my body could take no more and I had to once again give my precious daughter to her Nana who took her from me and promptly got her to sleep.  The moment her Nana swayed back into the room rocking Kyrilene in her arms the innocence in that little sleeping face began to melt all the pieces of my heart right back together again.

Exhausted and in pain I rested now that I knew my daughter was sleeping comfortably, and when my four other children arrived home from school I was able to sit up and hug each of them and ask about their day.  They were all chipper and after a quick snack dove into their homework.  Not long after that I noticed my six year kept sneaking in to “check on me” and give me another hug.  Sneaking I think because his Gramzie was trying to entertain and distract the kids for the afternoon while I rested.  By about the third hug I knew he needed time with his mom.  At which point I also knew I had a tough choice to make.  Over do it and pay for it with extra pain that night and probably the whole next day or send him back downstairs with his unspoken needs unmet.  We spent the afternoon playing UNO and Monopoly and my six year tromped on me, but I blame that on the meds.

Eventually their daddy got home and he called them all downstairs for dinner and I felt an overwhelming sensation of being caged.  Here I was hurting and facing another night eating what little I could in bed in my room alone.  The struggles with my health have become chronic over the last sixteen months since we found out we were expecting our youngest daughter and I was definitely feeling sick to death of hurting and eating dinner without my family at that moment.  So I said a silent prayer asking for the Lord to sustain me through the meal and went down to dinner, to the shock and delight of my entire family.  It only lasted 15 minutes while we ate and I had to have help getting back up to bed but for that moment in time we had our family back.  Since then I have been flat on my back aching and wishing the pain meds would just take the edge off the swelling and pain so when I was asked this morning how I was doing I  was honest and said I over did it yesterday and I am hurting today because of it.

So back to the reprimand.  Was it given in love?  Yes, she just wants me to take it easy and allow myself to heal.  But it also required a carefully thought out response as well.  Over this journey with chronic health concerns and life threatening moments it is no longer about the hope of complete recovery or all the things I will be when I am back to quote unquote “normal“.  For many who struggle with chronic issues they are the new normal and you have to learn to deal with, cope and hope even though they are with you every single day.  I realized yesterday with my daughter and my son that I have a choice.  Put off the needs of those around me because I am suffering or focus on what I could do to emotionally to lift them up and let the cards fall where they may.

Holding my daughter was about me telling her that I was here and I loved her especially when she was hurting.  Because even though my broken and bruised body wouldn’t let me do it for long, it would let me do it for a little while.  I love my children so much I am willing to personally suffer just a little more to show my love for each of them and isn’t that exactly what the Savior has done for each one of us?  Our Heavenly Father loves each of us so much that he gave us a Savior who suffered all things so He could bear up our burdens.  And if He loves us enough to do that then how much does He ache to hold and comfort us when we are sick and hurting ourselves; the same way I ached to comfortable my little girl.  Just as I could not turn away the need for love and comfort that my son so meekly asked for by checking on me, I also can not think of a single time in my life when I have gone to Lord needing comfort like my son came to me and have not been overwhelmed by feelings of His love for me.

Not for a single moment do I regret my choices and the extra pain I am in today because they are reminders of the love my Savior Jesus Christ has for me and the love I have for my family.  Did I over do it yesterday?  Strictly from a physical standpoint, yes I did.  Am I paying the price for it now?  Yes I am.  But from spiritual standpoint and loving the journey despite the heartaches yesterday was the best day ever and I would totally do it again in a heart beat.  I simply hope that others who suffer with challenges and chronic issues whether they are spiritual or physical in nature can learn one thing:

It doesn’t have to be fixed and we don’t have to be back to “normal” to continue to love and show love for those around us.

So I hope and pray that each of you will not put off the help and love you can give to others just because you are suffering too.  Each and everyone of us is suffering and struggling with something.  It’s how we choose to handle it that builds our character and makes us who we are.

New Leopard Felt Mask Design

I found some time yesterday evening to do a little bit of crafting and design work and I discovered something.  I should stop sewing when I start to get tired.  My first project was a cute leopard mask. which I managed to finish right around 7:30pm after my boys and the baby had gone to bed.  I was on a roll and in the mood to keep designing so I started into another design for Wasp from "The Avengers".  I worked at it and sewed and redesigned and cut felt clear up until about 10:30pm when I was ready to scrap the entire thing and break into tears.  I was exhausted and unhappy with the entire design.

Fortunately I have a very supportive husband who recognized the signs of exhaustion that I was in denial about because I quote: "Just want to get this right".  He convinced me to set it aside and come back to it another day when I am feeling less tired and more fresh.  So here is my new leopard mask design now available at Our Cozy Creations on Etsy.  And Wasp you may ask?  More to come on her when I figure out what needs to change with her design.

So a note to myself and any other crafters who tend to find themselves frustrated late at night while working on a project.  Take a break, get some sleep and start again fresh another day.

Insomnia a Chance to Reflect

Ever since my three month stint in the hospital last year with pregnancy complications I have suffered from really bad insomnia.  As I am sure many others have suffered with this issue for various reasons before me and will continue to after me it has caused me to take time and reflect in the wee small hours this morning.

I would have called my day yesterday a failure and said that I actually managed to accomplish nothing.  Not a single task was completed as far as I was concerned when I crawled into bed last night in my first attempt to sleep.  But then my husband with his constant loving humor started cracking jokes and reminding me that I was not allowed to beat myself up, I already had been by ongoing health issues.  So he tried to point out that I had accomplished more then I was giving myself credit for.

First, all my children were alive, well fed, and had clean clothes.  Is this an accomplishment when it is something I do out of love for them even on the days that I feel at my worst and isn't something I consciously think about because it is second nature?  I am not so sure.

Next, I pointed out that I had attempted to do laundry today and it wasn't finished.  His response was but your daughters willing worked on it today without complaint and you washed and dried six whole loads.  That is something.  Immediately my rebuttal was but they aren't folded or put away so it isn't complete right?  This was the nugget of wisdom gleaned from this for me:  "Tiffany" he said "laundry is an unending cycle so it must be counted each step along the way."

Then he asked me a question:  "Why do you refuse to take credit for all the good things you do?"  Selfishly I wanted to continue my little pity party and so I said very determinedly "because after 34 years it's a very ingrained habit so why change now?"  Well the joke is on me because he responded as he often does with things like:

I've braided my nose hair for the last 34 years, why stop now?

I'm in the habit of snoring when I sleep so why change now?

I love to shave my back hair into patches like a chess board why change now?

I've done cocaine for the last 34 years why change now?

I've smoked all my life it's too late to change now.

As we laughed over the silliness and absurdity of all these statements, because they would never apply to my husband at any time in his life I began to understand his point.  Just because something is a habit or you have always done something a certain way, doesn't mean it's right or even that good for you.  It is so easy to be over critical of yourself and not remember the good you do at the end of the day, because so often we simply live in the moment and at that moment I was tired and hungry and hurting.  But it reminded me of a song by Hilary Weeks called "All The Good"

"While my weaknesses all shine

And I forget

Until He patiently reminds me

I forget about

 The good things I've done

The kind words I said

The tiny victories that no one sees

And the changes I've made

And when the count comes in

As I'm adding up the day

In the midst of the "coulds" and "shoulds"

Help me remember

All the good"

 

So I reflect this morning on the good I need to remember from yesterday:

• I snuggled with my six month old daughter
• I helped my daughters learn how to happily work hard as we washed and dried six loads of laundry
• I helped lovingly direct my kids cleaning efforts so they could be done with their bedrooms in time to go swimming with their dad
• I patiently helped my daughter sew her own superhero mask even when she interrupted my attempt to finish a dress as soon as her sister went to sleep for her morning nap
• I remembered to make lunch for myself and eat it (trust me this is an accomplishment)
• I allowed my daughter to learn and develop her skills in the kitchen and cook lunch even though it would have been faster if I had done it myself

 

Did I develop talents yesterday?  I sure hope so.

Nourishing A Daughter's Talent for Crochet

My oldest daughter Seriah amazes me each day.  Over the last couple of months her self-discovery in the crafting world has been full of bumps frustration, and fortunately success.  In the beginning of April just after my second surgery she decided she wanted to learn how to crochet while her Nana was here helping me out with childcare and recovery.  She tried patiently to listen as her Nana went over the basics and got her started; and I listened to words I knew nothing about like slip stitch, single and even double crochet.  Once she got the hang of it she wanted nothing to do with an actual pattern and set off to create her own masterpieces.  These included: a variegated rainbow sleeping bag & pillow for her stuffed kitty cat, a bracelet, ring, and hat for her four month old baby sister.  She even designed a play toilet and made up her own stitches.  I will never admit to understanding what goes on in her head I mean a toilet???  I can't explain it, but she was creating and discovering a love for crafting.
Can you believe for not following any kind of a pattern my daughter was able to create something so cute and interesting for her sister? 

So I asked her if she could learn to make anything in the world she wanted to what would she like to make.  Her answer as some of you with girls yourself might guess:  Elsa, Anna and Olaf from Disney's Movie "Frozen".  Which she has been in love with ever since the movie came out last year.  So I hit pinterest and tried to see if there was anything out there that would help with this request.  You can check out my Disney Movie Frozen Board here for tons of costumes, crafts and party ideas.  I found 3 patterns that looked pretty good for a novice crocheter like my daughter and were reasonably priced.  You can find those patterns by Sahrit Freud Weinstein on Etsy here:  Olaf, Elsa & Anna Patterns.  I think they are some of the cuter patterns available and for a great price, I couldn't beat that someone else had already done the design work and directions.  She was stoked and went on a Nana-granddaughter date to go buy the supplies she would need for them.

Immediately she set to work on Olaf.  Choosing the largest crochet hook I own and with her loose stitching I predict he is going to be pretty big when he finally gets finished, but she insisted that she wanted him big so I "Let It Go"  HaHa.  Then the frustration set in.  Her Nana showed her how to read the pattern and sat next to her for the first several rounds.  Once it was dinner time the evening filled with normal things like meal prep and clean up, bath time and bed time for the kids.  When all was said and done Nana and I didn't get back to checking on Seriah until the next day.  Where lo and behold she had finished off and stuffed the bottom snowball for Olaf.  This left much to be desired, since she had quit reading the pattern and hadn't bothered to try decreasing as she was supposed to, she just zigzagged her yarn across the opening and called it good.  I spent at least fifteen minutes trying to help her understand why following the instructions was important and ultimately had to take out about half the work she had done and find her place on her pattern again.  My poor girl was completely deflated and her Olaf project has sat in her crafting basket ever since.  But when I ask her about it she continues to promise me to finish it after her next project so I continue to hope.  Otherwise I will probably make one of them for her come Christmas time in the hopes of inspiring her again.

In the Bible we are taught:  "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

I firmly believe this goes hand in hand with the parable of the talents.  Which if you missed that post you can read it here.  I remember growing up as a kid dabbling in or watching my mom dabble in so many different crafts.  I think it gave me the confidence to be willing to try most projects at least once.  And I am truly enjoying trying to nourish that willingness in my own children knowing that if they see it and learn it now it will stay with them when they are adults.

Why I Blog

This last year I have been blessed with a new appreciation for life.  My youngest and last child was born December 2013 and the miracles of God and modern medicine saved both my daughter and I, allowing me to continue to raise my kids and enjoy my family.  This has given me a brand new prospective on day to day living and I have finally realized that when Christ taught the parable of the talents just maybe I was dismissing or hiding a few of mine from lack of courage to share or fear of what others might have to say about it.  I was like the man with one talent.

"And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine."
Matthew 25:25

My husband commented to me yesterday as I sat watching and pausing, drawing and re-watching Disney's movie Frozen; so I could come up with what I was going to use to make the costumes my oldest 2 daughters had been requesting "I so admire your talent sweetheart.  You have the ability to see something and transform it into something all your own that is beautiful."  I looked at what I considered to be a horrible and rough drawing of Anna's coronation outfit and laughed at him.  "My drawing isn't a talent, it looks terrible."  We then had an interesting discussion about talents and what they are.  And by the end of it I began to understand that maybe I have a few more of them than I have given myself credit for and that I no longer wanted to be afraid.

"Then he that had received the 5 talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two."
Matthew 25:16-17

So regardless of what the world may think I am determined not only to further develop my talents whether they be two or five in the hopes that someday I will hear what these servants heard:

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
Matthew 25:21

Thus my blog is born.  And I will share my crafting journey and discoveries along the way with the world and anyone who happens to stumble across my little niche in the hopes that you to might discover your own hidden talents or be brave enough to try and increase the number of talents you already have.