No sew sewing month

Last year I made Toby a no-sew blanket. The kind where you take two pieces of fleece and tie knots all around the edge. IT's so simple and makes up a really wonderful blanket. Last year he got Curious George. This week he started a new daycare, at this daycare the kids get to bring their own blankets. So Toby and I went to JoAnn fabrics and he picked out his own fabrics. Well, he picked one fabric. As soon as he saw the monsters he lost interest in everything else, so while he stumbled underneath the weight of a giant bolt of fleece "to pay the ladies mummy" I quickly grabbed something to contrast the monsters.

Honestly, I have been looking for an excuse to make another one of these ever since I saw this alternative method of tying on pinterest. I'm a bit OCD about somethings and so the neatness of this really appealed to me.

This is the contrasting fabric, it was both a blessing and a curse to have such a geometric pattern. The square helped me line up the size and shape of the blanket, but really messed with my mind when making the cuts around the edge.

I measured six inch squares in the corner - I usually just cut what looks right. I measured six inches all the way around and used a piece of wood to guide my cuts, which were made painstakingly precise.

Instead of tying the two pieces together, you make a loop - this would be why the cuts need to be more accurate.

At the end of the day I did like the way this looked with the loops, however my thumb was numb for two days because of the precise cuts and it took much longer to cut and loop then it usually takes to cut and tie. Looping was easier than tying and could be done on the lap quite well.

The verdict? Nice if you are so inclined, but otherwise not really worth it. The finished products are so simliar as to make the extra effort a tad redundant.

My boys at seven(teen) months

And just because I know y'all were curious about the pants conundrum from yesterday. Here's my visual aid to a chunky baby and active toddler:

This is Charlie at seven months old. 

This is Toby wearing the same pants at seventeen months old.

Did you like the y'all? I'm testing it out. I'm told there's a plural for it, y'alls or y'all's depending on what you are talking about. I'm intrigued. 

What I wore - just on Wednesday!

Usually when I participate in What I Wore Wednesday over at the Pleated Poppy, I have spent the week before carefully planning outfits and taking somewhat flattering pictures.

Today I decided to participate because my boys and I are all wearing something that was made with love and given that it's also National Sewing Month it seemed appropriate.

So I give you the home made Pinault family!

Charlie is wearing pants that I made for Toby, Toby is wearing a sweater made by his Great Grandma and I am wearing a dress made by my mum. Aren't we a cute bunch.

Note that Toby was 18 months old when I made him these pants, and they fit his brother at seven months. Waist size is comparable for baby chub and an active 18 month old, but the pant length? My is Charlie a tall dude!

Election Debates #1: Intelligent Design

It's an election year so inevitably I find myself throwing my religion, the liberal media and my heart up in the air and seeing what I come up with. Abortion, gay marriage, intelligent design, it's all up for grabs. So what do I think? Let's see if I can open some vigorous debate.

For a while now I’ve been toying with my thoughts on intelligent design, where do I really stand? Since I was 16, and madly in love with Cmdr. William Riker of the Starship Enterprise, Until quite recently I was a believer and advocate of intelligent design. To be precise, of a young Earth, the 7 days of creation kind of intelligent design. I also enjoy looking at the science behind things, the patterns, the developments, the growth. So 14 years later, raising a curious son in America instead of England, and working in the school system, I often find myself asking my 16 year old self some questions. It seems a young man called Aidan Dwyer in New York state has given me another way to get to grips with my own thoughts on the subject, though not necessarily a new one. Using an oak tree as his model, he designed a solar installation based on the Fibonacci sequence, he found this sequence helped the Oak tree achieve it’s growth. He won a 2011 Young Naturalist Awardfrom the American Museum of Natural History. One of my English G+ friends posted this article under the heading “God got there first again,” which got me thinking again.

I still advocate Intelligent Design, and while I could easily believe in seven literal days of creation, I no longer think that God would limit Himself in that way - would you? When I posted this on GeekMom last year, a science type led me to some scripture that I can't for the life of me remember. That God himself points to the stars as evidence of Him. The Stars. Those things that travel at the speed of light which disproves the idea of a young earth. 

I know a lot of people scoff at my beliefs, I scoff at quite a few of theirs, but hopefully we can all respect each other’s opinions and persons enough not to get rude about it. Hmm, what world do I live in? Ah yes,the 24th Century! Quite honestly, I think that the writers of The West Wing put it best in the show’s final season. Using the presidential campaign to broach the subject, the democratic nominee, played by the dashing Jimmy Smitts quipped “I believe in God, and I’d like to think he is intelligent” as a way to broach this tricky subject. Later, in a classroom setting, he was asked to talk more about his position and I think the show’s creators handled this ticking time bomb of a subject with remarkable aplomb. They put forward the notion that science is science, it is based on things we can touch and calculate and is therefore taught in school as an academic subject. Scientific theory is debated and discussed in the classroom. Intelligent design on the other hand is a system of thought based on belief and faith, not on things that can be calculated. It has no place being taught alongside scientific theory. It is something that is taught in the home, at ones place of worship, it is based on a system of beliefs and should not be taught in schools. Or as Jimmy puts it, “can’t we agree that the inclusion of non-scientific explanations into the science curriculum of our schools misrepresents the nature of science?” This episode aired as part of the show’s seventh season, in October 2005.

I will admit that my view is slightly skewed, I come from a country where Religious Studies is/was a mandated class up to the age of 14. I would leave RST and go straight to Biology or History class. We learned about Judaism, Islam, the many different shades of Christianity to name just the big three. I was taught by a Jew, a Quaker and an atheist. I visited mosques and cathedrals. I was exposed to all religions as academic subjects, as part of our history. Life application was not taught, that I had to pick up outside of school and didn’t until I was 16. Personally I think knowledge leads to more tolerance and it’s a shame we can’t teach these things to our children in the US, I already lament it in Toby’s public education.

I have often heard it said that there is a fine line between Freedom of Religion and Freedom from Religion. Can of worms? Certainly, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to raise the level of debate in this country.

Post modified from GeekMom August 2011.

One Yard Wonder - Toby's Third Birthday in Space

 

 On a recent visit to Z Fabrics in Portland, I discovered two new books, one of which has already been put to good use.One-Yard Wonders: 101 Sewing Projects Using Cottons, Knits, Voiles, Corduroy, Fleece, Flannel, Home Dec, Oilcloth, Wool, and Beyond.

Toby had decided that he wanted a Space themed birthday for his third birthday party, funny as his first birthday was space themed too.

Well this book had a space-bean-bag-toss inside. So of course he had to have one. It took me a while to get around to making it, but once I did it was remarkably easy. I also discovered how much fun a glue gun can be!

I love it when I find things I want to make, and then actually take the time to make them. I love it when this coincides with a visit from my mom, so I have this wealth of sewing knowledge and practicality on hand for when I am nervous about something. She helped me cut things out but mostly stepped back and let me find my own way. Still, it's so reassuring having her there to offer advice when I'm doing things like this.

You basically take a canvas, cut holes in it, cut matching holes in a fabric of your choice and sew pockets to the holes. We ignored some of the instructions, instead of using elastic to attach the fabric like a sleeve, we stapled it down. You could stick to the instructions and make many covers, but I plan on making several permanent ones, it seemed more sturdy for such little hands.

Toby has difficulty with colors, so I think I'm going to make one with different colored pockets to help him learn which is which.

National Sewing Month

Somehow I got to the second half of September without knowing that it was National Sewing Month. This shocks me for two reasons. Firstly, I'm a sucker for theme days/weeks/months and like to participate in all the ones that interest me. Secondly, I have done more sewing, and more adventurous sewing and more shopping for sewing supplies in the past two weeks than I usually do. This month I discovered a new fabric store, found two new pattern books that are to die for and bought the most expensive fabric I have ever bought. I also woke up one morning and did a quick t-shirt refashion before going out in it for the day, seriously, the same day. So without even knowing it I have been participating gotta love that.

Many months ago I took stock of my life and decided that I had to not worry about letting hobbies that I enjoy fall to the way side. I enjoy lots of things and so I had to not fret that it's been months since I made an Amigurumi for a friend, and let go of the fact that Charlie's baby scrapbook hasn't made it past day one yet. 

Sewing is not something that I have always done, and it's not my go to craft for relaxing. It is however one of the things that I find wonderfully challenging as a crafter, and one of the things that makes me feel most productive.

So for the rest of September I will attempt to show you what I have inadvertently been up to this month, and what I'm about to get sewn up in.

I promise I am not becoming one of THOSE bloggers

I swear! I am not becoming one of those bloggers who insists on posting pictures of their feet. But come on, these socks are cute!We went to a Rustic Overtones concert a few weeks back and this is what I wore, on my feet anyway! The shoes are a Kohls love from years ago, the socks came from Korea, when my virtually-sister-in-law went there this year. I would love to visit Korea, but only if I could go with Alan Alda and Mike Farrell. And my Dad. If Alan Alda and Mike Farrell came with me, Dad would have to come too.

My inner Everything

I was channeling my inner Meg Duerksen last night.

As my parents are in town, Husby and I took advantage, off we went to Red Robin for dinner, Walmart to pick up snacks and then erm well, the Walmart parking lot in the fancy rental van to watch a movie on the in-car DVD player. Seriously. There was nothing playing we wanted to see, but we had a movie at home we've been wanting to watch. So we folded down the middle seats, grabbed a blanket and threw on the movie. We live in Maine, so I was thinking more rocky shoreline and ocean view for our parking spot. But, Walmart worked too.

 While in Walmart picking up Sour Patch Kids and Soda, we swung by the paint aisle to pick up silver spray paint for a Third Birthday Party Project. Well, I audibly gasped at the sight of all the options. Magnetic paint, white board paint, chalk board paint. And so cheap! Oh my goodness. I remembered Meg talking about her love of all things spray paint, so I decided to buy some bright orange and re-do a folding church chair, we have many of them that would look so much better if painted.

So watch this space...