goings on

Some weeks are more challenging than others. Some weeks it can be a little harder to find those little moments of happiness. When you seem to be in a rush, but nothing seems to get done. When the kid's seem to do nothing but fight. When you know you need to spring clean the cupboards because all the contents fall out when you open it.

But it is not the whole story of this week. There has been some yummy homemade crumpets. Quite handy when you haven't done the shopping for well over a week and there is no weet-bix left.  

Daffodils picked on the weekend are cheery regardless of the ups and downs in the home.

I even managed a little sewing in the form of repurposing an old organic cotton jumpsuit. Cutting off the long sleeves and bottom press studs. Started cutting a dress from this book.

The arrival of a new book that I've been awaiting for quite some time. Link for "the book" here.

Proof reading our local school cookbook.

Fresh lemon loaf just like my mum made it.

Thank goodness for little things.

nappies

Lately I have been thinking about my nappy "journey". The nappy experience has been a different one each time around for me. First time around, as a young mum of 23, I intended to use cloth nappies part time. But I soon fell into the ease of disposables. I didn't even know anyone that used cloth. But six months in, I did begin to use cloth, at the same time doubting whether it was worth the money saved. If only I had had the support from the internet back then.

With Julia I used disposables exclusively, telling myself I did not have the time to do cloth nappies.

However, this time around I decided early on to use cloth nappies. With the support I was previously missing now being found on excellent websites and the world of blogs, this time around it has been a far more pleasant and rewarding experience. Though I generally use my homemade pre-fold nappies and old-fashioned white towelling squares, I also have a small assortment of modern cloth nappies that are handy for when we go out. There is so much more available these days than when I had my first two.

We are on tank water, so water is quite precious in our home. But with a nappy wash being only every second or third day, we have not noticed any significant decline in our water supply. We also use a water saving front loader.

While I was pregnant I made about 24 pre-fold flats in the newborn size, using the pattern instructions from Soulemama's Handmade Home. These worked remarkably well, looked quite pretty in all their stripes and florals, and cost me next to nothing. Now I am using them as boosters to other nappies, as they are too small.

Recently I decided to make another batch using the larger size in the book. I used several old flannelette  sheets for this project.

Once all that cutting was done I zigzagged around the edging and sewed through the layers. Yes, still too nervous to pull out the overlocker!

So I now have an extra stack of twelve nappies to add to the stash. These ones are lovely and soft, roomy, can be worn a number of ways, and they are quite satisfying to make.  You will need to pop a cover over the top when in use. 

Though it did take me two weeks of sporadic cutting and sewing, it really is a fairly quick and easy project, and would be perfect for a beginner sewer.

What is your nappy story?

this and that

Enjoy your Tuesday!

weekend : day trip

A Fathers day drive. Driving over yellowed plains. The clouds turned a stormy blue and played shadows over the hills. Bursts of sunshine popped through. Unexpected bunting. The eerie beauty of a once grand town. The faded grandeur of old abandoned buildings. Pies and caramel slice at the local bakery. A menagerie of old characters. A park filled with daffodils. A good day.

baby kerchief

After a week or two of sewing some practical items (I'll post about that next week) I was itching to do a quick, done-in-one-session project. With all the gardening and subsequent watering being done around here, it really needed to be an extra quick one.

I've had Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby for quite some time. I thought I would try the bib kerchief project which looked extra quick and easy.

 

Which it was. Basically a distorted triangular shape that is hemmed. Though I have to admit that I had a little drama with sewing the narrow corners. My machine doesn't seem to like tiny strips of fabric, or perhaps it is just a case of the worker blaming her tools.

(Booties by Little Poppa. Similar available here)

The kerchief can be used like a drool bib (while looking quite fun and stylish ) or as a headscarf.
This is a great project for using up scraps. I used some Japanese fabric that I recently bought on sale, as well as a few vintage sheeting pieces.

Safety note - as with items that tie around the neck, be careful not to leave baby unattended.

Hope you all have a marvelous Friday.

on baby food

When my eldest, Luca, was a little baby I had never heard of baby-led weaning.  I read many of  the mainstream baby books available and thought I knew most of what there was to know about anything in that first year. At six months on the dot I began introducing rice cereal, later progressing to bland pureed vegetables and fruit.  Trouble was, Luca never really enjoyed these first foods and it was nine months before he was eating three meals a day. He was very fussy with his food and only seemed to enjoy those little bottled sweet baby foods that I brought with us on outings. This fussiness with food continued well into toddlerhood. I remember well the frustrating rice cracker fase.

Fast forward eight years and this time around things have been a little different.

After a friends recommendation, and some reading here (the original book here), I had a different view towards baby food. Baby led weaning encourages first foods to be finger foods. Foods that baby can pick up and eat herself, such as toast. With no mention of rice cereal.

It encourages a more relaxed approach to weaning onto solids, while of course still continuing to breast or bottle feeding. In our experience we slowly worked our way up to eating more and by about eight months Violet was enjoying three meals a day. Her high chair lets her sit with us at the table so we all enjoy eating together.

Baby led weaning encourages the baby to learn to feed herself, rather than being fed with a spoon. Mainly finger food, but in time, baby learns how to feed herself with a spoon. Violet is still getting the hang of this spoon business, and she seems to prefer to scoop it up with her fingers. Which is fine.

Interestingly, it is claimed that babies that feed themselves are far less likely to be fussy eaters in the long term. One thing I do know is that Violet really loves her food. Far more than my other two did at this age.

Favourite foods include pear, toast, buttered bread, weetbix dampened with milk, soft fried egg, chunky vegetable soup, pancake, pasta, yoghurt and avocado.

But, essentially it is also about saving time, as Violet just has a little something of what we are having for tea.

Be warned though, this way of eating is not for the faint hearted.  We've had a few little spluttering epidodes as Violet has been learning to eat. As for the mess...my goodness! And just remember that there are some foods that aren't suitable and need to be avoided.

But overall it has been a positive experience. And Violet is loving her food, which is really what it's  about, isn't it?