Wordless Wednesday: Saggin'

It's finally official- Mayer is mostly potty trained. I'll admit, it's a little bittersweet. I will miss the cuteness factor of the cloth diapers, but not the laundry! (Even though both boys are still wearing cloth diapers/ trainers to bed.)

 

Thank goodness, at least I can make him some cute t-shirt boxer briefs.
The problem is without cloth diapers, he doesn't have anything to help hold his pants up!

 lil' gansta
It's really hard to play when you have to hold your pants up.

Right after I took this picture, he let go of his pants and they fell down! :) Playing in puddles is also a good way to hide when you have an accident.

"No potty, Mommy!"
My baby is growing up!
 

Wordless Wednesday: Flag Football

 Tate and his cousins Drew and Julianna decided they wanted to play football. They were attempting to tackle each other, so I introduced flag football. Every play still ended up with tears, but not because someone was hurt by a tackle.

 Mayer decided to join them.

 So all of their flags were the same, they talked Papa into using his socks. When he asked to play, they made him have 2 flags.

 Once Mayer discovered someone could take his flag, he started holding on to it! He's also carrying a shield.

 Applecheeks!

Sewing Project Updates

I thought I would post some of the projects I have been working on lately.

 I made some of the tiniest diapers ever! Seriously, they look like doll diapers, but they are really for my cousin's twin girls. I used the newborn version of this pattern. It was the first time I used it. I really liked it; I just hope they are big enough! Let me give you a comparison...

 they are slightly smaller than my mama cloth.

Buzz doesn't photograph well, but he's modeling anyway. I also made a matching wet bag.

I have been wanting to make a t-shirt dress or skirt out of some KU t-shirts I have. Everything I have seen looks too co-ed for a mommy in her mid-30's. After talking with a friend about some of the recycle projects I have made, she told me about a designer that  makes clothing out of old t-shirts. It sounded right up my alley, but out of my price range. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, so here was my inspiration...

 

 Tate was using his artistic eye and only wanted to take a picture of the flower.

 Michael was less enthusiastic about taking a picture of the skirt for me.

This is the best shot of the finished product. It was my first time doing a lettuce edge. It definitely isn't perfect, but it is super comfortable... and free!

I have some other finished projects, but no pictures. I prefer to take pictures of the finished product on someone, but when I make something for myself, I have a hard time finding a photographer.

Besides loving my new machine, I have also been enjoying my new work station. Now I don't have to sit on the floor to measure and cut. It was my Papa's drafting table. My dad and brother cleaned it up and put it in the office for me. The top is covered with metal so I can write measurements or notes on it with a dry erase marker. There is a drawer for patterns and miscellaneous supplies. I need a better way to store my fabric, but the cardboard box works for now.

#freefromtrash Sweater

 Day 21: Sweater

I have used scraps from a felted wool sweater to patch holes in the boys' jeans (the pair on the right).

I have made longies and soakers out of wool sweaters.

Mayer had some felted wool leggings. They were my favorite. (Ignore the giant Twizzlers lol)

These and Alisa Burke's embellished socks (Also the chance to use my new sewing machine) were the inspiration for my leg warmers.

The stitching on the inside of my cowboy boots bother my legs, so I wear them with men's tall athletic socks (very attractive). The leggings I have worn them with are now pilled where the threads have rubbed on them. 

 I used an XL felted wool sweater and a piece that I had cut out to make a soaker for Tate, but it was "too scratchy."

 The sleeves were a bit large. I cut 2" off the top and made a band around the top. Of course it is similar to a waistband which I have issues with. I measured just below my kneecap and made the band 1/2" longer to account for the seam allowance. I thought it was still pretty wide while I was sewing. Then I remembered I was supposed to make the band about 1" smaller than the length I wanted. Too bad I couldn't use FOE (fold over elastic), it makes things so much simpler. ;)

It's still pretty big, even if I want to slouch them down over a pair of leggings.
I apologize for not modeling them with my cowboy boots, but it IS 100+ degrees outside!

Even though they aren't exactly what I wanted, I will still wear them. On my next pair, I will make a few changes. I'm thinking I need some with lace on the top.

Free From Trash Challenge

I decided to participate in The Eco Chic's Free From Trash challenge. I won't post everything on my blog, but will try to post a link to twitter, instagram or Pinterest when I post my project 366 pictures... which means I need to catch up on posting those! Over half of the items usually go in our recycle. We are so blessed to have single stream recycling in such a small town!

Day 1 is probably my favorite. I have made a lot out of old t-shirts and have a PInterest board dedicated to other projects I want to try.

Contour cloth  diapers

cloth inserts and also some mama cloth

I have even tried to make some cloth trainers... twice. Here's the first failed attempt. This pair is made from a t-shirt using the XXL Katrina's Sew Quick Soaker Pattern, which was difficult to pull on after I lined it with PUL, a layer of bamboo fleece and a bamboo soaker. It didn't have enough room to add extra inserts to provide enough protection for my heavy wetter.

I made a pair of leggings out of a maternity t-shirt, just to see if I could do it. I added the sleeves to make them longer, but I don't have a picture of the finished product.

I made a maxi skirt from 3 of Michael's white undershirts.

My favorite things to make are boxer briefs for Tate (and eventually Mayer) and yoga pants for myself.

 This is the first pair I made. It is a size 3T. The pattern and tutorial are from Sew A Straight Line. Tate loved them, but they only fit about a week because he is growing like a weed! He is as tall as both of his 5 year old cousins... good-bye hand-me-downs! :(

I used my printer at work to make the original pattern larger. These are 4T/5T. Instead of a regular elastic waistband, I used Babyville Boutique's fold over elastic. I LOVE FOE! I have a horrible time making waistbands and FOE has saved me from multiple tries to get the fit just right. The biggest problem with my new FOE love is the price. It is more expensive than regular elastic. The only place in town that carries any FOE is Hobby Lobby and they only stock the Babyville Boutique. It is $6.99 for a package of 2, which isn't horrible if you have a 40% off coupon.

Here is the first pair of yoga pants I made. The post even mentions I was having trouble with the waistband. I think I tried 3 different times to fix it before resorting to FOE.

Day 2: Both boys loved the bubble blower. The idea came from Pinterest.

Cloth Trainers #4: Back to the Drawing Board

So my "Cloth Trainers #3: Finale" post was a little premature. After more than a month of staying dry virtually every night, Tate is back to being wet almost every morning. The EcoPosh trainers are definitely not enough protection for him. The absorbency with the Joey Bunz Premium Hemp Insert and TPU lining isn't enough to stop a nighttime leak from a heavy wetter. If I cover it with fleece (because he won't wear wool), then it is enough to keep his sheets dry.
I won a GroVia trainer and was excited to try it, but the results are still the same-- wet sheets in the morning. I have tried it with AppleCheeks bamboo double fold insert and another time with 2 Thirsties Hemp Inserts. Neither was enough absorbency. In the picture, I used a toddler prefold as the insert. I stuck a premium Joey Bunz hemp insert over the top of the trainer and covered with fleece shorties. Eventually he told me it was hurting him. I suspect it was digging into his chunky thighs, so I have no idea if it would have been successful.

We have been using some supped up undies with fleece shorties. I even ended up covering one pair with fleece so it's more like an all-in-one pull up style trainer. Those were working and still do most of the time, but sometimes it still isn't enough. In a desperate move I even put a toddler prefold and the Joey Bunz inside a pair of regular underwear.

 Here's what goes under the fleece: 2 layers of OBF (organic bamboo fleece) inside on wet zone, outside covered with 2 layers of flannel, 4 layers of OBV (organic bamboo velour) and 2 layers of flannel outside on wet zone

 "modeling"

I will have a few more experiments to try and at least one other failed experiment to share. Any ideas or suggestions for a heavy wetter are more than welcomed... cloth only, of course! :)

Wordless Wednesday: Fun with Ruffles

 Diaper cover for a friend's daughter using a modified version of this pattern.

 Made my own pattern & leggings for my niece, Julianna.

I also made a 2 way skirt/ dress for myself and my other niece, Lily.

 Good-bye, old friend! 

My mom finally took back her sewing machine that I have been using... there is a positive side to this story, hopefully coming soon!

Project 366: Day 112-113

 Day 112: The Great Cloth Diaper Change

Thank goodness for baby-wearing! Mayer wanted to be held while Michael and I were trying to get things ready for the busy day. Luckily he was happy in the Ergo!

 The Great Cloth Diaper Change at Sweet Cheeks, LLC in Wichita, KS. I submitted the picture to GroVia in an attempt to win 1 of 1000 free diapers they were giving away for the event. Unfortunately, the first time I sent it, I had the wrong email address and I think I missed out.

 Mayer watching Tate's soccer game.

 Tate and I practiced soccer, in the backyard, after his game.

 

 Day 113: First Bike Ride

Mayer got his first ride in the trailer. Whenever we've gone on bike rides before, Tate rode his bike and I either pushed Mayer in the stroller or wore him in an Ergo. The wind ended up being pretty chilly, but he seemed to enjoy it. We rode 9 blocks to my brother's and sister-in-law's to check their chickens for them.

 On the way home, Tate decided he'd rather ride in the trailer with Mayer. Michael's bike had a flat, so he walked... he also attempted to ride Tate's bike! The picture isn't very good because both of us were moving when I took it.

 I found these at the store. I LOVE dill (it's a serious addiction according to my family)! I must say they are pretty tasty. Even Mr. Picky, Mayer, likes them. Between the 4 of us, they didn't even last a week in the cabinet!

 Tate wanted to learn how to "hot-scotch." He asked me what the rock was for and I didn't actually know. I searched for the rules and I very surprised to find so many! Instead of trying to explain, I just let him make his own.