Baby Quilt III

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A Simple Vase for Toddler Picked Flowers

Here’s a little hack for anyone who may receive very short-stemmed flowers from the toddlers in their life.

Take an old spice jar (preferably one with a nice shape), wash it and remove the label and glue. Save the perforated inner lid. When you receive flowers from little children, fill the jar with water, pop the perforated lid on, and put the flowers into the holes – that will prevent them from slipping into the water, and will keep things looking neat and pretty. 

 Before I thought of this I used to balance flowers I got from my children on the edge of a small vase, or fill a bottle cap with water for the really short-stemmed ones, with varying success – what do you do?

George Pig, a Soft Toy

Sometimes I sew completely different things from what I usually do. My youngest turned two recently, and as he likes to watch Peppa Pig, and likes George Pig especially, I decided to make him a soft toy George. I found a pattern and step-by-step online, and though it was in Portuguese, it was clear enough for me to follow. 

The pattern called for felt, but I had to use my stash, so plain cotton it was. Luckily I had large enough scraps of the colours I needed, except for a slightly darker pink for the cheeks. Considering the materials I had to work, I had to make some minor changes, but they are hardly noticeable on the finished toy. It was all hand stitched, as I’m still without a working sewing machine.

One thing I changed completely was the tail. I wanted a really curly tail, so I drew a new pattern for it, and attached an elastic almost at the tip of the tail before I turned it right. After I’d stuffed the tail a bit, I pulled the elastic a bit, and the tail curled nicely. I believe the tail is Little One’s favourite feature, trying to hang poor George up by it all the time. 

I made the mouth and nostrils using embroidery floss, and when time came to make the eyes, I was running really short on time. Instead of making them from fabric as I’d originally intended, I decided to make them from buttons, one white and one black for each eye. 

 If it turns out that Little One can’t keep from trying to pull them loose, I’ll replace them with safer fabric eyes later – so far he’s far too fascinated by the tail to care about anything else tough.

It was an appreciated birthday present, which makes me happy.

A Peter Pan Costume

My Eldest just turned four. Before I had children I never really considered how important birthdays are to the parents, but now I couldn’t help but reflect on what have happened these four years, how sweet and adorable he was as a baby and toddler, and what a special little person he is today. I wonder what kind of man he will grow up to be, and hope I can guide and inspire him to always strive to be his best self.

Last week he had his first ever birthday party for others than family members, and a handful of children were invited. Having seen it on Peppa Pig (a huge favourite with both boys at the moment), he wanted a fancy dress party. He wished to dress as Peter Pan, and who am I to refuse a request on a costume?

I wanted to work from my stash, but had very little green fabric there. After considering for a bit I realised I had a green worn out knit top that had seen a lot of wear the past four years, as it provided easy access for breastfeeding babies.

I cut off the sleeves and turned them into trouser legs, with a gusset between them. In the end they reminded me a little of the Thorsbjerg trousers, but without feet. 

 

They are held up by an elastic at the waist.

For the tunic and cap I recycled an old cotton blend half circle skirt. The whole outfit was made with the measure-and-cut method, using one of Eldest’s t-shirts as a cutting guide for the tunic. As my sewing machine seem to have given up on life, I had to stitch the cap and tunic by hand, something I've been trying to stop doing, except with historical clothing. 

The cap is self-fabric lined for a bit of body. It has a “feather” made from some polyester-y fabric scraps, remains from when I made cushion covers a few years back. It’s stiffened with a piece of zip tie, and the edges of the two layers of fabric was then molten together over a candle. It makes a much more play friendly and endurable feather than a real one would have been, plus I already had the materials for it. The cap sits so well on the head that my boy can hold his head upside down without it falling off.

The tunic is cut on the bias, with pointed edges on both hem and sleeves. The collar is pretty standard, being made from two layers of fabric, and then top stitched. 

All the edges of the tunic were faced with narrow self-fabric bias tape, and all seam allowances folded in on themselves and neatly whip stitched.

When the costume was finished and it was time to try it on, Eldest said that he needed a belt, like Peter Pan has. I didn’t have one short enough for him, but a thin braided belt wrapped twice around his waist worked well. For the pictures he also wore his medieval shoes – they are already on the small side, he’ll need new ones next year. The costume on the other hand is a bit too large, so he can use it for a long time.

He was really happy with how the costume came out (though pretending to be angry in the above picture), and I couldn’t have been given greater praise than his happy and excited face when he tried it on.

A Nursing Friendly Nightgown

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Plaid Dress with Matching Skirt

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Looking back on 2014

This year has flown past! So many things have happened, but as most of them have concerned my personal and family life, not that much of it has been said on the blog. So what have happened….

We moved to a new town, a year ago Friday. Amongst other nice things (such as good friends only a one minute walk away) it also meant I got a sewing room – what a luxury! As we don’t have money to spend on storage at the moment, it’s a bit of a mess, with fabrics, notions, period clothing, etc. everywhere, but still - happy me!

 The mirror still on the floor, parts of my folk costume and some 

14th century hoods hanging on the door, lots of white linen and plain cotton in the shelf.

 Hats, some fabric (coarse linen for a gambeson, wool for period clothing, fabrics for contemporary projects), 

a loom for weaving tapes and ribbons, boxes with UFO:s, my seldom used sewing machine, 

this and that.... The cupboard is filled with striped, checked, and reproduction print fabrics.

I was pregnant and very tired for the first half of the year, and so didn’t get all rhat much sewing done, but I did manage to sew:

 an early19th century shortgown

 a sewing roll inspired by local folk costumes

 a babynest for the baby to sleep in

 a patchwork quilt for the baby

I also, thanks to a cousin and a sister who modelled them for me, got pictures of a couple of dresses (the Pre-Raphaelite Medieval, and the Elvish Maiden) I made years and years ago, but never had decent pictures of.

Then little baby H arrived, and pretty much everything had to adapt to his needs, and economy was still a factor. Being a student family with two young children, that is not surprising. We didn’t go to any events this summer, at least not any that we bothered to dress in historical clothes for. One can still take pictures though, and when the baby was a week old I swaddled him, dressed myself and B in our 14th century clothes and took some pictures.

I also got some sewing done:

 I finished my Hobbit outfit UFO

 got a lot done on an 1840’s outfit; a shift, bum pad, cap, collar and dress

 made some 1840’s baby clothes; a petticoat and a dress

 and a witches bonnet for Halloween – I don’t mind spending time in more than one fantasy world ;)

I’ve also hosted a sewing class with a friend (in the green silk dress), sponsored by the event Thomanders Jul i Lund: eight women with varying experience in historical sewing made 1840’s style shifts, stays, petticoats and dresses. It was an educational experience for me, who never taught a sewing class before. Some of the ladies (as well as little H and I) are in this picture. The styles of their dresses cover pretty much all of the 1840's - don’t they look wonderful? Unfortunately I don't have a picture with my friend/co-teacher Maja also in it, as she had a pet emergency that morning.

Picture (c) Lena Birgersson.

Not my most productive year, sewing wise, but not the least so either. Even when I wasn't sewing myself, I was kept busy being a co-moderator in the Historical Sew Fortnightly (HSF) Facebook group, and will continue being so next year, though of course, the challenges will be monthly now (HSM). Hopefully I'll be able to complete more challenges myself now :) 

 

For Christmas Tobias gave me this book that I’ve wanted for a few years. The title can roughly translate to “The Tailor, the Seamstress and the Fashion” and is all about how the making of women’s clothing in Sweden changed from being a men’s business to gradually becoming a women’s business. It also has diagrams of stitches, seams and patterns taken from period clothes.

This year have been very much 19^th century for me, as I’ve felt a bit burned out on the 14^th century – last year I sewed like mad to get ready for the season, and never got to attend a single event with my group, and that just made me sick of it all. Now though, I’m beginning to feel the pull again, so hopefully there will be more medieval things in the coming year.

Thank you for reading my blog this past year - I hope you are all well, and will have a Happy New Year!

14th Century Clothing for Pregnancy, Motherhood and Infancy

When the last week before my due date was coming up I thought it would be fun to see if my ordinary yellow kirtle could still be worn. It could, after a fashion. Laced loosely, and hitched up over the bump it worked well. It did look quite a bit like some medieval images of heavily pregnant women.

Four years ago to the left - before marriage and children.

A week before the due date of my second baby to the right.

 

While I was at it I thought I might as well take a few pictures, so I improvised a tolerably 14^th century looking (or at least neutral) corner in our bedroom. I did the same thing all over again a week after our second son was born (Announcement!), now with both my little ones as models as well. Baby didn’t mind being swaddled at all – the fact that he slept through the whole thing might possibly have had something to do with that. How he would like it when awake I can’t tell. B liked his cotte that he never got round to wearing last year, as all our events were cancelled. This year we haven’t even planned any, what with the baby being so little and all.

Anyway, here are some of the pictures, telling the story of a heavily pregnant, late 14^th century woman, the beginnings of her labour, the quiet time after baby’s arrival, and her being back on her feet. 

The skirt is quite a bit shorter in front as it's hitched 
up over the bump, but the dress is still quite wearable.

Ready when you are - come out baby!

Baby is wearing a linen coif, swaddled in one of my linen veils, wich is secured by wool tapes. 

The "14th century bedroom", with a baby on the bed.

Mother of two, the older one wearing a long cotte, the little one swaddled.

Mum is wearing the same old dress...

I had wished to have done something more, like being in a real location, having my friends pose as helpers, like in so many medieval illustrations of childbirth, but this was better than nothing. I call it a study of taking tolerable pictures of ones historical clothes, without any location and hardly any props.

Our youngest son is so far an easy baby to care for. He's a dear, and fits well in our family. I can't help but kiss him all the time. The labour and delivery was easier than the first time, and well functioning breast feeding has been established much quicker. Having two children to love and care for is a true gift. Tobias and I have been greatly blessed.

Baby Quilt II

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Babynest

The past few years I’ve seen lots of people in Sweden making so called babynests. It’s a clever thing to create a cosy sleeping spot for babies, where they don’t have to feel exposed on a big, empty space, like in a cot. It’s also supposed to be safer to co-sleep with baby in a babynest than without, and you can put it pretty much anywhere, or bring it along when travelling. It is, I believe, originally developed for babies in neonatal units, but have since been adapted for healthy, full term babies as well.

I wanted to make one when I was expecting B, but never got round to it. I improvised with a rolled up blanket in a pillowcase, which worked all right, but this time I wanted the real thing. As we have three floors in our house, and I like to keep my babies close, I want an easily moved sleeping place. I used this description (only in Swedish) for a starting point, but deviated slightly. For one thing I hand stitched the whole thing, so I worked in another order than the description said. That way I could work on it sitting on my bed watching a movie, or next to B, snuggled up closely, when he was watching a movie. I only used materials I had at home, so it has cost me nothing but time at the moment. The fabric, for example, came from a worn out duvet cover, that still had some sound areas. Instead of just throwing it into the bin, I used the good parts for this project. That the material's been used for so long also makes it very soft for baby to sleep on.

The function is quite simple: a padded bottom surface, and padded sides that are controlled by a drawstring, to change the size of the nest as baby grows. 

Laid flat.

Slightly gathered, but not yet tied.

 

Tightly gathered and tied, the ties neatly and safely tucked away.

 The drawstring tied at the bottom, before the ties are
wrapped round themselves, so baby won't get tangled.

The whole thing can be tossed into the washer at need, but I plan to make little sheets (including protective ones) for it, to minimize the frequency of that. Just need to think of a clever way to keep them in place, as there is no mattress to fold them round…. Buttons or ties are at the top of my mind, but we’ll see. As the sides of the nest cover the spot where I would attach the sheets, there are good chances baby will never get bothered by them.

I’m also working on a patchwork quilt for the little stranger. B got one when he was born, which he still sleeps with every night and every nap, and I want every baby (be there only ever two, or many) to have one.

A Little Announcement

At least one of you guessed that the indisposition and weight gain I mentioned in my last post had the same origin.  It is indeed so; if all goes well we will receive a new little member to our family in early June.

The gingerbread family is of my own making. We thought it would 

be a fun way to announce, and in keeping with the upcoming season.

I’ve felt quite ill for the past two months, worse than I did with B. It’s slowly getting better now though. I’m praying for an easier delivery than last time, and as sweet, healthy and clever a child as little B is, but in it's own way. I’m very much looking forward to having a new little baby again, though I find my almost two year-old as wonderful as any child could hope to be. He’s developing new skills and making new discoveries daily, and has such funny little ways and habits. Each age has its charm, and that is as it should be. 

Mystery Project

For a couple of weeks we’ve had snow here (it’s snowing again tonight), and though I know the snow has caused a lot of trouble in the traffic, I’m so pleased. I love the look of snow, and how it adds a little brightness to the dark afternoons and evenings of our northern winters. By four in the afternoon it’s pitch dark here, and where my sister and her family lives, much further north, it hardly gets light at all at this time of year. Hopefully the snow will stay over Christmas. The snow does hinder one to get around with the pram though, so we’ve been home a bit more than usual lately. 

My baby just had his first birthday. How fast this year has passed! It feels like we’ve had him in our family forever. His first teeth finally poked through (so far I’ve not been bitten when nursing…), and he learned to walk for real a week before his birthday. He doesn’t really speak yet, but wants to know what everything is called. I think he’s building up quite a vocabulary for when he will.

I’ve not been idle since last I posted, but I don’t really have anything fun to show for it yet.

I began working on a dress from old curtains in November, but was then interrupted by another, more intriguing, project. My 15 year old sister is going to a Church youth conference after New Years, and one of the dances is themed “Disney”. She asked me for help, and as I was pining away from the lack of fun costumes to make, it really came as a blessing.

I won’t tell what costume I’m making just yet, but will give you a sneak peak. 

 Feel free to guess though ;)

Not Much New

At least not much new to post about. I’m currently working on my new winter coat, in delicious wine red wool. The picture does not do it justice at all. If all goes well it’ll be beautiful. Not sure if I’ll get it finished this winter, though….

I’m also sewing on my long neglected regency stays, when working on the coat isn’t doable for some reason. I have the bust gussets sewn in, and am working on all the cording on the front piece. 

I try to get the last boxes unpacked, and enjoy the candles shining in the evening darkness. I love autumn.

Little B is walking around, pushing a chair for support. He understands most of what we say now, and find enjoyment in the praise he gets when doing what we ask him to. He’s a delightful, sweet, clever, loving little person, smothering us with very wet kisses. I’m so happy to be his Mum, and lucky to be a stay at home Mum.

I’m thrilled that Sewing with Babies is being shared! For the moment I can get a few stitches done every now and then if I do my sewing standing up (if I sit down I must be doing something fun, and B will want to be part of it, which is not always possible), or having him in my lap, and explaining what I’m doing (“the needle goes down through the fabric, then up, and SWISH goes the thread! Down, up, SWISH!”).   

Tobias and I are watching the Wartime Farm series, and it’s as delightful as Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm was. I want to make a down quilt just like the one Ruth made.

And that’s it really. I hope you all have a pleasant autumn, and hopefully I’ll have something interesting to post about soon.

Sewing with Babies - a Blog Award

I know a lot (most?) of you who read my blog, or whose blogs I read, sew. I also know that many have little children. Being able to find time and energy to pursue ones interest in sewing, while caring for the physical and emotional needs of ones children, is not always easy. Lately I’ve found it increasingly difficult, and sometimes frustrating. To encourage all of you out there who, like me, try to find time, but also try not to feel like failures, nor get upset when not succeeding, here is a blog award just for you!

You all know how this usually works:

- Post the text below, describing the award (you are of course welcome to use either of the images in this post on your own blog)

- Link back to the person who gave you the award.

- Describe what you do to make sewing possible, and still have a happy and content baby.

- Pass on the award to three (or more) sewing and blogging mothers of small children.

Recognizing mothers who try (and now and then fail) to find time to create something beautiful and/or useful with needle and thread, between feedings, nappy changes, laundry, nursery rhymes, and baby kisses.

The ones I want to have this award are:

My Mum, Monica, of Creating This and That. Though no longer having any small children (my youngest brother is eight years old) she’s had eight little ones, and always prioritized our needs before her wishes (be they scrapbooking or sewing). No, I do not deny that having a little time to do what you enjoy now and then is a necessity – but it’s all about balancing whose need is the greatest at any given time. She’s my role model when it comes to being a mother, and a woman and wife too.

Sarah Jane of Romantic History, as she’s been my hero in this particular area for years. Even before I had my baby I was amazed at how many beautiful clothes she managed to produce with three small boys running around the house.

Fellow 14th century reenactor Petra of Drömmen om det Medeltida Livet. The Middle Ages means no machine sewing, so she’s got her work cut out for her, with a little baby wanting her attention.

Amy of ADay in 1862. She creates beautiful 1860’s clothes (and shoes) for her little girl.

I hope you will like my little award (a small award from a small blog), and will pass it forward. We all need a pat on the back now and again!

Baby's Wool Hood

I have gotten far less sewing done than I had hoped lately, but quite as much as expected, as B is teething and thus rather clingy from time to time, my poor dear. Nothing for it but to give him a lot of attention (besides singing and playing, he likes reading – will he grow to be a bookworm like his parents?) and cuddles when he’s awake, and try to get house work and sewing done when he’s sleeping – which because of the aching teeth has been less than usual. Thank Heaven for modern pain medication when things are bad, or he’d hardly eat or sleep at all some days. I know all mothers (hopefully) feel like this about their little ones, but B really is the most adorable, lovable, beautiful and sweet baby boy in the world. I am so blessed to be his mother.

Anyway, this morning I finished B’s wool hood. It’s made of the same fabric and in the same style as my London hood. Now, buttoned hoods seem to have been more of a women’s fashion in the 14^th century, but after carefully weighing the pros and cons, I decided to make it buttoned anyway. A buttoned hood is much easier to put on and take of, especially if B should happen to sleep, and the clothes of very little children don’t seem to have been all that gender specific. 

I wanted to line the hood in wool, as linen gets cold and icky when damp, and our Swedish summers are chilly and wet as often as they are hot and dry. As the weather forecast for our event next weekend looks rather less than promising, warm, comfortable clothes are an absolute must. I wanted very soft, non itchy wool as lining for the hood, and ran into the perfect thing in a charity shop a while back. It was a fine, thin, soft, 100% wool scarf. 

 I sewed the lining to the hood in the same way as in my own hood, and as the scarf was brown, and the lining in my hood is brown, we will have a sort of Mummy and Baby fashion thing going on. That was certainly not the plan, but one uses what one has at hand.  

 

What I had at hand wasn’t all that much, so the hood is pieced here and there.

The hood closes with thirteen small, self fabric buttons and buttonholes. I didn’t feel like measuring where to place them, nor how big the buttonholes should be, I just wanted to get the hood over and done with, so I placed pins at roughly even spaces, cut and sewed. Neither did I care on witch side the buttons and buttonholes ended up - it wasn't a thing one seems to have thought about much at the time. Not my prettiest work ever (I doubt two buttonholes are the same size), but it’ll hardly show on a child in constant motion.

The whole hood is hand sewn, of course, using waxed linen thread. It is pretty large for B at the moment, so he ought to be able to use it for the next couple of years as well.