Sewing for a stranger that is YOU... let's talk FOUNDATIONS Part1

Foundations...yes as in under garments.

In a building the foundation is that starting point for the entire construction process. It is the heart of a building, provides for it's strength and stability as well as the basis for its style. It is not so much different in fashion either.

Bras and panties can make or break a garment. It is that simple. Want to look great? Get great foundation garments. I am going to break this into two separate posts, top and bottom if you will.

So...before my weight loss I was wearing a 48H bra. Once upon a time, a long time ago I had *normal* breasts...a LONG time ago. It seems with each child I went up another cup size and STAYED there. It made no difference how long I nursed they just never.went.away. I thought I had gone down to a semi normal size. I definitely did not fill out my formerly nice t shirt bras and digging through the bra drawer I did find an old 44DD that I could stuff myself into for a minimized look. I was hopeful I was going to be able to walk into any department store and find bras again in the 20-40 dollar range. So hopeful.

I knew prior to making a new wardrobe I needed to be sized...properly. I needed a bra that put the girls up where they belong, didn't flatten me and would allow me to measure properly for pattern sizing. I made a plan with my hubby to get a kid free trip into the city so that I could concentrate on getting some under fashions. Let's face it, it is not the most enjoyable of tasks but it certainly need not be a bad experience either.

I began at my old "plus sized clothing" haunt. There the gal whipped out a tape measure and threw it around me right on the floor. Over my clothes and all. She exclaimed "Oh! I am not sure I can fit you." Really? I  used to buy my bras here... I KNOW my breasts are WAY smaller...I tried a couple on and knew I could get better service. I still had two different options planned and was not going to settle. Next morning I went to Sears. Yes, I had an overnight in a hotel alone!. Usually Sears has a nice older lady who fits bras...she was not to be found. I grabbed a 44DDD off the rack and was not happy with the fit. Seems "uderarm boobs" are going to be my nemesis..... <sigh>

I finally went looking for a specialty bra shop that I got my HUGE nursing bras from. Turns out they had closed down and that is why I spent 40 minutes driving around and posting on FB a plea to find it. I had one more option...the "other" specialty bra place. It was fancier and more expensive and had less selection for nursing bras way back when, but I headed there.

I am SO GLAD that I did!

I walked in and immediately asked "What size do you go up to?" The lady replied with "I have you covered dear, we go to a P." P?????? Holy moley...um, ok.


She took me to a large fitting room, asked if I had been fitted before (yes) and explained her usual procedure and to please not be uncomfortable. I told her my concerns, where I had been at bra size wise (48H), that I had recently lost 40 lbs and have lots of weird jiggly places and no longer fit my bras and what size old bra (44DD)I had stuffed myself into.

She measured and congratulated me on my weight loss and disclosed she had lost 65 lbs herself and that she "got it". I think a brick lifted off my shoulder right then. She explained that the jiggly underarm boob stuff will move forward into the breast tissue in time. Then she told me to be PROUD. I had gone from a 48 band to a 42! Yay! I thought! That is "normal"....aka that is easily found in retail outlets.



Then I saw it....starting me in the mirror....





....isn't it so true?

Next up she says remember the alphabet is just letters...it does not define you. She tells me she thinks my cup is a H. DEFEAT....I am no longer "normal" again...oh correction....retail, non specialty shopping is gone again. Selection is gone. Choices are gone. She must have seen my shoulders slump.


"Dear....you have gone down 4 band sizes...that is HUGE! You have done SO MUCH work. Every band size you go down, your cup increases one. So yes, your old cup was a H in a 48. That would make you a L in your current band size...you HAVE done well!" Hmmmmm.....I am not quite convinced. She promises me she will find a bra that will make me look and feel AMAZING. IN my head I run through the alphabet... L, M, N, O ,PPPPPPP.

We start trying on bras. She is right there with the next one hanging it in front of me and adjusting things in the back while I put the girls in the cups up front. Some fit ok, others we try a different size (cup smaller or band bigger) and then we finally start finding a couple of brands who's styling and cups fit ME...MY shape, MY size. They are comfortable. They look good. The underarm breasts are minimized or gone. The bra does not move all over the place when I raise my arms. The bottom of the breast does not poke out, the band is flush against my skin. The brands are Felina, and Elomi. They are both European, German and French I think. there is an exciting arrangement and array of styles, COLORS and prints!

The girls are up where they belong!!!  She narrowed it down to 6 or so. A nude, a couple blacks, a red satin number (shown here in blue), and a couple "animal print", one pink the other brown. She left me to ponder and retry any I wanted to make a decision. I looked and felt best in the brown animal print. While I had never had one, I KNEW it was going home with me. She assured me it would only show through under the tight white shirts it was a pretty chocolate color not a deep black. It had a beautiful smooth cup so I knew it was going to be good for t shirts.  Next I was thinking to get a light bra as well. White or nude. When it came down to it though, it was not my favorite, rather it was the least of the group so it went to the no go pile. Red satin with hearts or a black....I decided on one of the Felina blacks.

I knew these were pricey and as I am continuing on my weight loss did not want to get too many. She assured me I had room to go down in the bands and these should do for a bit. She made a customer card for me with exactly what worked for future reference, went over care instructions and congratulated me once again.

I left the store knowing I had had great customer service and had my girls well looked after now. My wallet was much lighter, but a good fitting bra is an INVESTMENT IN YOU.

YOU ARE WORTH IT!!

Now an assignment.

Every lady who reads this post. I want each of you to go to your yellow pages and find out your local specialty bra shop if you do not already know it. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT and get a FITTING.
I am not saying you need to spend a fortune there but you do need a proper fitting. EVERY woman does. Do that for YOU. These are where the best fitters are found. The ladies that KNOW their stuff and can best assist you hands down.  At least, be aware of what size you should be looking at and learn what makes for a well fitting bra and how it feels. We change as we age, after children and as we loose (or gain) weight. Have the knowledge so that even if you are able to buy off the shelf at a "big box" yourself, you know what is and is not working for you and look and feel great.

Now  for assignment 2. FYI, I am also doing this tomorrow when hubby is on afternoons and will update this post with photos. Go to your bra drawer and empty it on your bed.

• Remove all the nursing bras if you are no longer nursing.
• Remove all the bras that are missing one or both under-wires
• Look at the backs...are they all stretched out and practically see through? Ditch it.
• Try on the remaining bras...
• got bubbles and bumps at the nipple...toss it
• does it sit against your rib cage below the breast...yes, ok; no, put in the toss pile.
• is it over 5 years old? you KNOW what you need to do.
• is the top of the cup "empty" or does the cup cut into your tissue and give you extra breasts?...sing it...TOSS!

What are you left with? Anything?

Please do this for yourself. I now have 2 bras in my drawer. Yes, they are 42H. Yes, I had a mini crisis over that. YES!!! I feel and look great in them though! I also now know I can move forward in creating a wardrobe that will look equally fabulous now that the girls are "just right".

Next post will deal with the bottom half of the body. I promise it will not be as long either but will have equal importance!

Why do I "hoard" fabric?

I am seriously asking myself this question right now as I rearrange the studio.

I have moved fabric from one floor of the house to another. From one side of the studio to the other. From one shelf unit to another and so the list goes on. In the process I have come across fabric that I have had for several years but not touched.

This phenomenon is not limited to just one type of fabric...it covers the spectrum. Wovens. Knits. PUL. Cotton velour. Sherpa. Prints. Solids. <oiye!>

Tonight I began the process of my goal for 2014. Using up the fabric! I have cotton velour prints that I have no idea why I bought other than the sheer fact that they were cute. They were never earmarked for anything, did not fit any of my product lines at the time, so I clearly must have been adding to a hoarding problem LOL

So I cut into it....for MY kids...you know the cobblers kids that wear rags ;) Tomorrow is pajama day at school and I have always made my daughter new ones for the event and this year there are two of them at school so I whipped up two pairs of cozy jammies. Izzy got Pink Ooga Booga with hot pink trims and Ben got Sock Monkey with burgundy trims. 

They will both be well covered and surely warm. Maybe a little wrinkled too! As soon as I made them each one put them on "to try" and refused to take them off.

There I said it! I am sending my kidlets to school in slept in clothing. What do you think? Do they look like cherubs or little orphans?


PS

I must admit, there was not fighting getting ready for school. It went smooth as silk...or is that cotton velour? ;)

PPS...There is a giveaway going on. Sign up for our newsletter at newsletter@nechakonotionary.com and on Jan 1 2014 one of the subscribers will be drawn and get a mug rug sent to them.

Winding Down the Year

It is hard to believe that it is December already! Every year seems to go by quicker and quicker.

Here in Northern BC we are well into winter. While it has been quite pleasant in our terms, things are about to change and the snow is going to really add up in the next week. I am ready though. We have had snow since the beginning of November, but not much of it. Soon the kids will be able to cross the road and toboggan down their personal snow hill that the snow removal guys make. It gets HUGE!

Temps in the minus 30s mean the fireplaces are going and somehow a mood gets set as soon as they are. A feeling of warmth not just from the fire, but of comfort and well being as well. These are perfect days to have a pot of coffee going and a leisurely project on the go. Bliss is the fire going, the dog laying in front of it, kids sipping a cup of hot chocolate, the Christmas lights on and watching the snow fall and take on the colors of the lights in the dark as the ground sparkles with billions of diamonds shimmering. Yes, I do enjoy many aspects of winter and look forward to the coming weeks.


After a busy season I welcome a bit of a lull to focus on family. Still there is much sewing...just for the family! Pajama Day is later this week so the kids will be getting new jammies ASAP!. I found a darling pattern that I want to sew up and surprise Izzy with and also do one of the reversible hoodies from Fishsticks Designs for her as well. Ben needs some pants to go with his cool hoodie that I made during the testing phase of the pattern. The whole family should have new jammies for Xmas Eve as well.

This year is coming to a close. But so much newness is on the horizon. New hope, new goals, new directions.

I have been tearing the studio apart the past few days. Several things need different organization. I need to build something to house all of my thread and need to deep clean behind shelves etc and make some decisions about what I am going to use various fabric types for and figure out a new layout for them as well. Some I need to make a difficult decision about and get rid of. I am already planning some packages for Boxing Day! Really...who needs 5 TOTES of scraps?? Yes, there will be a Boxing Day sale.

I am setting up a newsletter list to communicate better with customers. Facebook is finally admitting that fewer and fewer are seeing posts and are stating it is only going to get worse. I want to build a reliable tool to communicate specials, giveaways, sales and happenings to my customers. This seems the best option given the current climate. You can sign up by sending an email to newsletter@nechakonotionary.com . Please put Nechako Notionary in the subject line. If you would also like to get info on BB Butts Diapers our parent label, please put "both" in the subject line. You will only get one email which will then include information on both labels. Newsletters will never be more than once a week, and only during certain events. More often, you will receive one email a month containing our newsletter.

This month is about soothing the soul, setting up for the next year and getting things in place to make new goals and strive to achieve those goals.

I thank you all for being along for the ride as we built over the past few months. I look forward to a year of real growth. I wish you all the best of the season and hope you all build one special memory with your family in the coming weeks.

From my family to yours....

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Irons ~ A Sewing Geekery and Gagets Review

An iron is a pretty integral part of any sewing studio and most projects.

As I was gathering my supplies to go to Fabric Fest I read on one of my class lists "wooden iron". I immediately had panic...it would take up too much room in  my suitcase, add weight, would allow me to bring less back with me. I was visualizing some big, heavy, takes up lots of space item fashioned out of block of wood. Off to google to see if I could get away with not taking it and "improvise" something possibly from a hotel room. Silly me is all I will say now!!!

A "wooden iron" is a favorite tool of Eleanor Burns. For good reason too! This little teeny takes up next to no space little tool is THE BOMB!

I used it throughout my class with her for the Kylies Kits Quilt. Rather than hopping up to the ironing board set up, rub this nifty tool over your seam and you can move on to the next step. From the manufacturer... Excellent to press seams open or to one side or crease fabric instead of your fingernail or iron. Use for applique, paper piecing and quilting. Carry in your hand sewing kit. Set next to your sewing machine. This little tool is available in both a left and right handed version. I found mine on Amazon and they are in the $5- $6 range.


Now my "regular iron" has been giving me fits for AGES! There has been no steaming for I have no idea how long and the reservoir leaks so I had been keeping an eye open for months to see if I saw something suitable. In forums various names had floated around as "good" including Rowaneta and Shark. Up here my choices are limited so it was on my list to keep an eye out for while in Vegas if I had the opportunity to get some shopping in.

Then I saw her!!! Oh my LOVE at first sight! Let me introduce you to the Oliso TG1600 1800 watts Smart Pro Iron.

This is some poor random lady standing next to me :) We had fun!

Up and down! It has FEET!!

Ben crashing around in the basement proof!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this iron. Did I mention I LOVE it?

First the features that "work" for me.

• 12 foot cord. My iron plugs in under my sewing table bank and this cord length means I can move my board back away from my chair reducing the risk of injury while increasing my overall room to work in.
• the FEET. Seriously this is the BOMB! As soon as you lift your hand from this iron it raises up on a set of feet and your fabric and board cover are not at risk of scorching. It takes a little bit to get used to not "tipping your iron up" but believe me you do get used to it and it is an amazing feature.
• Extended Auto Shut Off. With the feature of the feet they have been able to allow for an extended period of heat. No longer do I need to "bump" my iron to turn it on again. It is fully hot like it was 5 minutes ago. It will shut off after a period of 30 minutes of inactivity.
• Board Stability. this has long been an issue in our home. With my sewing studio in the basement where the kids can also play, w have previously experienced a couple episodes of the iron got knocked over and turned on and melted/scorched...insert: fabric stack, ironing board, carpet. In fact, when I saw this iron my first consideration was that I could sell my hubby on approving the purchase with this one safety feature alone. It has been that much of a concern to him.
• Steam...it has OODLES and OODLES of nice hot steam and a wonderful glide on the fabric. NO LEAKING.

It is pricey but not insane when compared to a Rowaneta. Retailing for $200 US, one can often find it at a "show price" around $150. Mine also came with an additional year of free warranty through the show and they will honor the warranty even though the iron is now "Canadian" without issue. Believe me, I checked this fact out.

Super happy with my purchase and as much as I absolutely despised ironing before I enjoy it now.

Fabric Fest Day 2

What an amazing experience this is turning out to be!!

My first class of the day was children's Pattern Drafting with Liz and Elizabeth Evans of Simple Simon &Co. These two gals, both named Elizabeth married two brothers and now have the same name. Imagine airport security when they travel together O.o

See all those lines? Yes, I know it is not the best photo but see all of that? I made that!! It is a "sloper" of a bodice front and back for a size 6 girl. It actually has loads of information and is the first step in pattern drafting. 

These ladies were great at translating the somewhat Greek mythical language of mathematical formulas into understandable and usable information.

I am so glad that I took this class and will soon be putting the information to good use. During the class, I won a really beautiful piece of vintage trim that I am going to work into my first project using my newly gained (emergent) skill. (Insert trim photo)

Lunch was next. Each meal (and lineup, class, elevator) I am meeting new people. Today was several ladies hailing from Texas and Utah.

While I was eating my lunch a lady came up from behind, threw her arms around me and said "you are my FAVOURITE person in the room!" There were 300 ish people in this room <blush>.

I instantly recognized her as one of the  instructors when I turned around. She started going on about how she loved my top, how it looked amazing on me and how she was so pleased to see HER FABRIC on me! <blush brighter red>. I did not correlate that Amanda Herring was the designer behind the fabric I was wearing. We took a photo ( insert Amanda photo) and I will forever feel so thankful for that exchange. I actually had many compliments on my outfit which had teal capris on bottom. For a gal like me, these small things are huge. I thought I would feel very out of place but I do not.

Shortly after that exchange I won a pattern in a random draw. 

This would look so darling using the (camping) line from Riley Blake that has just come out. 

The keynote speaker was Eleanor Burns. I admit, not being a quilter I really had no idea who she was. I know my quilty friends will think that a) I am insane and b) have sinned on some level. She is HILARIOUS though! 

I had picked my next class simply because I liked the brightly coloured little quilt it made called Kylie's Kite. Now I was excited for it to begin as it was being taught by Eleanor Burns.

Aside from a broken bobbin on a $3800. (USD) machine that made me have to resew about 40 seams the class was fabulous! Eleanor even came around and signed all our patterns. She has been in the quilt design business for 35 years and I suppose she is the Paul McCartney of the quilt world. (Insert photos of quilt).

This evening we all had dinner together and enjoyed a fashion show. There were so many beautiful quilts as well as clothing... Even a wedding dress! I will add all those photos from the camera when I get back home.

The most exciting part of the Fashion show (for me) was the reveal of Bonnie Haysom's fall line for Fishstick's Designs. I am one of her pattern testers and will be working on these really cute items over the next couple of weeks.

So very many beautiful items were shared today. I have a trillion ideas swimming in my head and should really be counting quilts (rather than sheep) and falling asleep.

Goodnight from Vegas!!

Getting Ready!

In 24 hours my journey to Las Vegas begins. I am so excited to be headed off to Riley Blake's Fabric Fest.

Why? So very many reasons why!

For the past few years I have been saying  that when Ben went to kindergarten I would take a hard look at and evaluate BB Butts Diapers. I knew that was when I would (finally) have  hours in my day to dedicate to pushing a business forward. I have held back from expansion a couple of times to be the mom I wanted to be for his preschool years.

Several months back I came across a Facebook post regarding Fabric Fest. I scanned it quickly and commented to my hubby sitting next to me about how cool would it be to go to Vegas for an event like that?  This is where I get to brag about what a lucky lady I am.... He turned to me and said... GO! I was to tell him when he needed to take time off to care for the kids. My retort... No way! Don't be silly! I could never. We are talking International travel.....

I could not help to look at the class list...drafting, embellishing, a quilt top caught my eye, social media ...

Before I knew it, I had a schedule planned and figured out how much it would be to fly from my remote Northern community...I was getting sucked in.

Then I realized it also fit into my overall timeline goals and into the developement plans for Nechako Notionary AND Ben starting school!! Did you know I have had little people at home (preschoolers with a few years of homeschooling the eldest) for TWENTY years!?!

 When hubby asked when he needed to book off the next day I knew this was a gift I could not, would not pass up.

I am not 100% sure what I will get out of this trip. I do know my eyes and ears will be wide open soaking it all in and that I will have much to come home with to further my business goals. 

I also feel like it will recharge me. It is the beginning of a new me.. The grown up, pushing 50 me. The me who gets to tune out the cartoons that makes a mom looney and focus on what will make me tick like a fine Swiss watch.

This is a new era of my life. I can not think of a better way to celebrate the last era or to begin the discovery of next.

Viva Las Vegas... Be ready for me!

Time slips away

I'm not sure how the last two weeks have gotten away from me and where exactly that they went!

Actually, when I think about it I do! My hubby had another week of holidays and this time come hell or high water we wanted to get our fence completed after many delays. From weather (rain and extreme heat) to puking kids (and hospitalization of one) and then our son's severe burns there was delay after delay in this project that we were wanting to have completed back in early July.  I am happy to report finally we have a fence.  There's little bits to complete still...the gate, ripping boards to fill in the gaps that didn't quite make full board width and we still have the yard to resurface but we are getting there. We did 40 of these sections...board by board, by board.I'm proud of my husband and I'm proud of our ability to work together even if there is the occasional spat through the process, at the end of it all we can look at each other with our arms around one another and look at what we've completed and say "hey we did this!" We are stronger as a team than we are as individuals that is for certain!

I sit here and long for some sewing after such a busy couple of weeks outdoors. I did complete the set for my niece and I forgot that I had not shown a picture so here it is.

It's a perfect gift for new mom, even one who does not cloth diaper.

I was also able to use another new pattern and sew up Izzy another new dress. I am trying various patterns with my own kids prior to offering them in the shop. This is another from {SIG}.

In the meantime, last Friday, I got to make a trip into the city all alone. I actually had time to peruse a fabric store without a child!! I was able to shop to my hearts content. At first I didn't think I was going to come out with much more than a few notions needed for Fabric Fest down in Vegas but I did end up tripping on a fabulous selection of fabrics. Better yet they were 70% off !!! With these I intend hopefully in the next couple of weeks to get a few outfits made for me. They are rayon blends for the most part and they should travel well and pack easily. I'm hoping to make couple of skirts, couple of tops and a jacket of sorts, shawl my guess is more like it, and have a couple of fashionable and coordinated  outfits that are lightweight at the end of all this.

I will get some photos tonight and start in on this since we have storms rolling through this evening. It will be grand to be back in the studio after being out of it for a week or so!

Something for Izzy

A few weeks back as I was scrolling along I came across a really sweet dress that called out to me and Izzy happened down the stairs and saw it over my shoulder. She immediately started squealing and jumping up and down...really she did, I kid you not. She begged for me to make it. The Maysen was not even at testing phase yet. Astrid was simply giving a sneak peek but we all went crazy and begged for tween sizing...then bugged her some more, begged a little more, and flat out DEMANDED it LOL.

Then it was announced there was going to be a `Mash up` contest. That is where you take two or more patterns and alter your design utilizing qualities from each. Right away again, I KNEW what I wanted...the Delany and Maysen combined. Hey Astrid....got that Maysen Tween out yet??

Finally the pattern was released earlier this week and I have it purchased! I have had another crazy week of tending to our burn patient Ben so I am behind the 8 ball and did not make this weeks goals on time. The deadline for the mash up contest was noon today but that is ok...I am sewing for me (aka my kids) this summer...for my pleasure, not accolades. It is my birthday today and I am going to live guilt free and extend MY deadline to Monday...because I can!

I have my pattern printed after fixing the printer and realizing I bought the WRONG INK......AGAIN!! Thankfully a good shake and there was enough in the old cartridges to eek this one out.

I want this dress to be soft. I am envisioning great summer wear but also winter wear as well with a simple white t shirt under. I have just the fabrics in mind...yellows, greys and white. The high low skirt of the Maysen adds current styling, a ruffle bottom and for the bodice I would like a closed back with the three way big bow cross over ties. Sounds like a mouthful doesn't it? It is going to be SO FEMININE!!!

The sewing of it was simple. It still astounds me all these years later that a few shapes can become a pretty garment. I had to wait until this morning for Izzy to see the results, actually she had no idea I was making it so it was a lovely surprise hanging on her bunk ladder.

I used the standard bodice of the Delaney, but rather than button holes that I felt would compress the straps too much I added vertical loops and the 3 way cross over big bow option. On the Maysen skirt, I did not remove the suggested 3 1/2 inches for the ruffle, but rather left it to compensate for the short bodice. I did make this a size larger than normal so it will get good wear.  Sad to say but in less than 12 weeks we will have snow on the ground.

Project line up

Today as I sit in hospital for the day getting my gamma globulin transplant which we call my GoGo juice, I have time to plan out my next few days of projects.

I have an order to do for my niece who is a new aunty. She comes to me often for baby gifts and this time it is a sling bag, wet bags, wipes and wipes bits. These will all be made under the BB Butts Diapers label using these fabrics 

It is sure to be a stunning set!

Next, Ben needs another Run Around Romper. I am going to make this one according to pattern and Lindsay's directions. It will be a "good going out" one. He is still going to be awhile before he can wear waisted pants as outer wear but did find a pair of Jammie bottoms that I made him that the rise was above his burns.

Poor Izzy got left out of the Kids Clothes Week sewing so her turn is here. I got two {SIG} patters and am hoping to mash them together for an epic feminine dress to suit her impending tween years.

Friday is my birthday and the deadline for the {SIG} challenge. I am hoping to get all this done by then!

Will I get it done?

Will you please subscribe to this blog? While it is rooted in sewing and crafting I will be sharing awesome recipes, some tutorials as well as snippets from our life and my journey as I develop a new season in my life.

Kids Clothing Week recap and why it came to a halt

It all started off wonderful. Over the weekend I put thought into the needs of the kids for back to school wear. We held an evening shopping spree right in the studio! Each child was told to go to a specific section of the stash (the shelves are organized by fabric type) and pick their favored fabrics for a t shirt, for a dress..etc.

What I ended up with was a cutting table stacked with an eclectic mix of fabrics and a chicken scratch list of what each was selected for.

An interesting mix it was of boy, girl, wovens, knits, flannel.

Monday saw something come up... Honestly I forget now but, oh yes, it was the mad dash of cleaning, organizing, touch up painting for an appraisal that made sewing take a back seat and simply not happen. Tuesday the appraisal finally did happen and that evening I got down to business.

I started off on Ben's list. My 5 year old dynamo is heading off to kindergarten and was in need of school worthy gear. I figured to start with the basics... Undies that he will wear. I have spent the past several months working with him to wear this basic piece of clothing and explaining societal expectations in regards to going commando.... On the kids set that is ;) Bonnie's  Fishsticks Designs Undercover Boxer Briefs pattern is my go to for him. He picked the prints, I the coordinating solids and we were finally off to the races for Kids Clothing Week sewing!

8 pairs of boxers were made. The first ones off the serger went onto his tush as soon as they were done. A quick iPhone pic in the basement studio was taken and we were off again. 

Next up were some matching tanks. Great as a summer top, summer pj top or winter undershirt. I recalled seeing there was a free tutorial on the Fishsticks Designs blog so I headed there and printed off the PDF. I had to upsize the pattern but that was easy and an hour later he had three new tank tops to match the boxer patterns.

Wednesday saw menial chores, some running around to take kids to and from day camps and then finally some sewing in the evening. This time a Fishsticks Charlie Hoodie. I love how this one came out! The pattern is uber simple and turns out great results! The pattern is dual purpose as a regular T or the hoodie. BONUS!! It is also on sale right now and Bonnie is hosting a sew a long as well!!

Thursday after morning camp drop off for the oldest I decided to squeeze in another Charlie Hoodie since it was obviously going to be well loved before Ben went to his afternoon camp session.

I am not sure which one I like more!!

A short time after this photo was taken I was shaken to my very core. I sent Ben upstairs ahead of me as I folded the shirts up and I stopped along the way to go to the washroom. In that short of time the unthinkable happened.

I heard screams...guttural screams that I will never forget. I bounded up the stairs to see my boy doubled over lunging towards we with utter fear and horror in his eyes. I was trying to process what was happening and thought he had a knife or something in his belly. I grabbed him, laying him on the floor to quickly assess and saw no blood. Then I saw he was wet and red. All he had on was his undies as he had left the hoodie downstairs, and it suddenly all came together... Is it hot Ben? YES HELP ME MOMMY PLEASE HELP ME. 

Just typing this I am shaking, with tears streaming down my face. I have never, nor do I ever want to again, her such desperation in my child. I got him up to the shower and he began to calm down until he was at the shivering point. I had to make a decision to take him to the hospital or not and told him I had to turn him to look at him and in a glance that decision was made when I saw skin sloughing off of him. 

I wrapped him in a clean towel and out to the vehicle to go to the hospital. I knew we would be in the trauma room before the ambulance ever left the station. His screams and pleading grew rapidly as he no longer had the cooling of the shower.

We arrived and he was immediately on a stretcher and being tended to. They got him pain medications as fast as they could even if at the time it seemed an eternity. I had to call my hubby at work to come to the ER...he called as he was running to the truck and all I could get out is Ben was burned...Ben was screaming, writhing, and begging with his eyes in ways I had never seen nor heard.and hung up on the poor man leaving him to his fears for a 60 km drive.

Cooling, medication and support was all that could be done at first. The codeine did not have much effect on him so he was given morphine as well. The same dose my at the time teen son received and was snowed for a good 8 hours. This little mini boy however did not bat an eyelash. It did however eventually give him some relief and allow him to calm down a little.

Once the medications took effect, they began assessing him and dressing his burns. His belly was open in places, and was developing large blisters above the pubis. First degree burns from the navel down to the groin/hips. Second degree the size of my hand. His privates were almost entirely spared thankfully and for that alone, he did not have to be transferred to Children's 800 km away.

Both his legs had burns from upper thigh to below his knees. Again a mixture of first and second degree. He was able to be sent home a few hours later with instructions to return if we had any issues managing his pain and to be back first thing for reassessment and burn dressing changes.

It was almost like the feeling of bringing a new baby home... The relief and fear all rolled into one. What am I to do with this delicate creature?

You love on them of course and tend to their every whim and tell them a million times over that you are so glad they are going to be ok with hardly taking your eyes off of them.

It was not until I was home again that I was able to piece together what had happened fully. He had been on a hot chocolate kick that day. There was a small amount of water left in the kettle so it took literally seconds to boil. He had poured it in a kids thermos. I guess it was quite full so rather than grabbing it with his hands he decided to be "safe" and use my canning jar tongs to lift it. It spilled all over the front of him. This all happened in under two minutes. The time it took me to relieve myself.

His undies  that had been made a day earlier likely saved his privates as they were two layers of thick interlock and absorbed most of the boiling fluid so it did not directly contact his skin. As a result he had very minor burns on his penis and as I said that kept him from being transferred to Children's.

He slept right there in that chair the first night, well it was almost midnight when he finally slept even with all of that medication as well as scheduled Tylenol and Advil, with ice packs. Up at 3 and 4 then for good at 6.

I started looking at what to dress him in. Waistbands were out, dressings had to be considered, heat entrapment needed to be considered as well as protection from sun of all his delicate skin.

With some help from a great bunch of ladies in a Facebook group I am part of I was able to locate a pattern that would meet his needs and fit him too! 

The Cottage Mama (Lindsay) has the Run Around Romper pattern that goes up to a six. While hers utilizes wovens and is fully lined,  I knew I wanted to use knits and would have to have something lighter. With a few alterations I was able to make Ben a romper that covered everything, was easy for him and most importantly comfortable and gave him modesty. Let's face it, commando under one of daddy's t shirts as a dress was not cutting it for a boy his age.

These are his uniform and we have made a few so far trying out some different variations such as a ribbed neckline. After the burns are healed, they can be "hang out clothes" or even jammies.

He IS getting better. He is pretty mobile now, and is actually now able to walk and we have ditched the wheel chair.

It is amazing to see the progression of healing each day. Most of the bandages are getting smaller with the exception of his right leg. It turned out to be the worst and I admit I was surprised when I saw it the second day. But today almost a week later, we were told we can do dressing changes at home now rather than the hospital every day. This is where being a retired paramedic comes in handy! We will see the doc every few days. 

So, Kids Clothes Week Sewing happened, but not anything like I had planned. Poor Izzy was not gotten to. Ben got over half of what was on his list, but of course can wear none if it until he is healed again.

I ended up not "entering" any of my pieces as I had not gotten good shots of them and my model is now out of commission. But I participated...as best I could... And it really was a pleasure to sew for my child. Final count is 8 boxer briefs, 3 tank tops, 2 hoodies, 3 rompers. Hopefully the fall edition will go much better. 

There will be more sewing over the next couple weeks. He needs to be inside, not getting dirty, can not get wet, and needs to stay out of the sun all during a HOT summer! So... Sounds like the basement studio is the place to be! 

Watch our Facebook page for updates as we go along! I will do another post once I work through more of the goal list... 

Thank you to everyone who sent a thoughtful message, shared ideas, and just generally gave a little love and support. You are all loved back.

Fall planning

A few times a year I get to meet with a really lovely lady. Noeline is my favourite fabric rep hands down. Over the past several years we have also become friendly so I really look forward to seeing her and tonight was no exception.

I had a plan going into the meeting and I had a little shopping list of sorts. Now that I am taking my business in new directions and have new goals I was going to step out of my comfort zone. I knew I could count on Noeline to help me get to the place I needed to be.

I ended up choosing two fabric lines. One is bold. It meets my goal of having a line based on the boldness of the Pantone Fall Fashion color report.

This is Soho by Sandy Gervais. It will be rounded out with deeply saturated solids in teal, plum and chocolate. Maybe the chartreuse as well!

The next line I got is softer, and younger at heart.

Wren and Friends is soft but warm. The main is actually a border panel and I think it will look darling on dresses and even ladies tops. The multi chevron will look darling in some boy's items. This group will also be rounded out in solids in tangerine and chartreuse and the soft teal.

A few more solids to work with some lines I already have round out the purchases for the evening. 

Now the waiting. These fabrics will not be released until October!!

Working Towards a Launch

As I sit and contemplate what it is that I hope to accomplish this fall and anticipate a visit from my favourite fabric rep, I am taking a hard look at "the stash" and how to best utilize it and make it work forward into the new directions.

I admit, in previous fabric buying jaunts I have not had a plan and have been haphazard at best. There have been mistakes and regrets in the purchases I've made in the past. 

But this doesn't necessarily mean that they have to continue to be mistakes and regrets. I can fix them. I can make them better. I can work them into a new plan, into a new business moving forward  and turn them into a profit rather than a liability.

Today as I sat downstairs in the studio on a straight back chair in front of the walls, literally walls, of fabric that I have I started grabbing some certain fabrics to form a plan. Some I had to two or three that could work together but didn't quite have what is needed to pull it all together.

 As I re-examine these fabrics I saw that I had different fabrics from different lines that could work into a new plan and then could identify what I needed to fully round out a set of fabrics. In the photo below I need a blue co ordinate. With that I can see dresses and even a blouse for ME!

Moving forward I want to have some sets of seasonal feature fabrics. This will be a selection of fabrics that I will use on the product lines in each season and I'll work with them until I exhaust them. Some may be past fabrics reworked or with new coordinates added, others will be brand spanking new releases, some may reflect an upcoming season or holiday.

I now have a list formulated of some pieces of fabric that I would like to find to round of some of these sets and then a plan working forward for the fall season of some colors and styles that I think will be a hit with customers.

Of course this is all subject to change when the fabric rep places hundreds of beautiful swatches in front of me, but I'm hopeful and confident that with the plan some of the basic needs will be met.

Let's face it, we all like to have a little fun and get our shop on! Believe me, I am no exception to that rule :)

Where has the past 2 weeks gone?

Oh! I know! I have spent the bulk of it (or so it seems / sew it seams?) at my daughter's school. 

The Wizard of Oz is finally all over. The project itself seemed like a life season. One that began in September. One that filled our home with song and lines of script. "Lions and tigers and bears!"..."oh the Jitterbug, do wah do wah do wahhhh"...


With twice weekly after school practice, lunch time practice once a week and about two Saturday practices a month, to say the kids get committed would be an understatement. To watch the journey of these children, especially the younger ones, bloom into confident youngsters in a gift in itself.

This year, I signed on for the costumes. Had I actually put some thought into it and watched and refreshed my old brain about the WoO, I may not have. Alas, I did though, and did overall, enjoy the adventure. I got to be a bit creative, and to sew without patterns. The one commercial pattern I did use needed the most alterations (go figure). Through the process, I got to know some amazing ladies better, and also dabble in non diapering sewing ideas and thought processes.
There have been many compliments about the costumes. I am somewhat embarrassed (uncomfortable with flattery?). Some items I am happy with, others I feel like I shortchanged. I had been ill for the better part of the winter and did not get to spend quite the time I would have liked to but overall, I must admit I was pleased with the appearance on stage. There were some mom's who took on their own children's costumes and did FANTASTIC which I so appreciated! Maria (Tinman) and Judith (Glinda) were both overall, my rocks and sanity savers on many fronts...we need to do lunches more often too!

Our principal/director/SUPERWOMAN is purely amazing in all that she does each year for this production. I am not sure that I will ever be able to express my thoughts about what she does for children and community. What she has done for my daughter. For me. I look at what the school was when my eldest was there under a different administration and now and there is simply no comparison. I would not want my children anywhere else, under anyone else's leadership and role modeling. Thank you Libby. I know you will never read this paragraph, but thank you.

I really enjoyed sewing DIFFERENT items and using different materials than I might normally also. The lion was made from two blankets I found at Value Village and some mop heads. I LOVE that he was upcycled!!!! I also, more than ever, fell in love with my industrial machines and their ability to deal with THICK fake fur with ease. Not loving so much that I need to still "de-fur" the studio. It keeps showing up LOL

I still have many photos to upload so that I can post and am awaiting some from another lady. Mine sadly did not turn out as nicely as I had hoped. My shutter speed was too slow with the lower lighting and no flash. Here are a couple however and I will post more and talk about some of the individual costumes in another post.

My beautiful daughter who I do all of this crazy stuff for! Love you my girl! She has so much fun doing the plays and I can not believe the confidence that she has. No nerves at all even being in front of a few hundred people. 

PLEASE, If I ever squawk about needing a new hobby (after I use up my thousands of yards of fabric) please point me in the direction of photography. I NEED TO IMPROVE! I have so many blurry and ruined photos from this play :(

AND......That's a WRAP ;)