Birth Routes

Beyond just signs of Spring

I've been slowly watching the green appear, it was never really gone, we didn't have much of a Winter this year (see none at all), but this is fresh new green. 

Cherry blossoms have been on the trees for weeks, buds are everywhere, crocuses have seen better days. I'm waiting on tulips now, there isn't much of a wait or anticipation of Spring this year. It was here just after Autumn.  

As I type this, every window is open, we are in T-shirts, and we've just finished our Spring cleaning. Our dog is shedding all of her unneeded soft coat. 

 

You need not worry about me missing Winter this year, for on Monday, I'm putting myself ahead one hour to visit my loveliest friend Julie, where I presume it's still Winter. 

Sewing Sling

This is my first ever handmade sling! I made it from a thrifted flannel sheet. I just loved making it, it was fast, easy and came out very pretty. I followed the pattern/instructions in Handmade Home by Amanda Soule, of www.soulemama.com At first, the instructions seemed incredibly difficult to understand (I'm visual person and would have loved more photos), but after a youtube video, I understood the folding and got to it. 

I added a pocket, and I'm all around pleased with it. Very little wasted fabric (which I adore), very easy to make corrections if need be. 

 :: Happy Weekending ::

 

Quietly waiting and growing

I've had a quiet and very introspective weekend. I've been to the edge of happiness and filled with sadness and growth. I flowed between emotions like the wind through trees, not stopping to look at what the weather was bringing in with it. 

  

Tonight, we shall have some chocolate. I'm not huge on chocolate, but this packaging was so beautiful I couldn't resist. 

 

Filling our home with a warm smell.  

 

Scratching out a tune, I couldn't hold back my joy. I know that when I am content it spills into dance and music. 

 

To be shared this evening. 

All stocked up for this brand new cycle. I feel great things for 2010, so I'm not worried if I takes us more time to become pregnant. We have our whole lives to be parents, it will happen, soon. We've added to our list of things to try this cycle, including Vitex (chaste berry) and Borage oil for me, Zinc for him, and Pre-Seed for us both. 

This time waiting has me building strength and tuning into my sensitivities. Sharing and learning, trusting and moving forwards. I feel so much right now, I'm deeply inspired by it all. 

Photo credit: Robert at Lost Swell

Simple draw string pants

These adorable (if I do say so myself) pants are simple elastic waist pants sibling. 

It is taking everything in me to not make another pair. This house needs a clean, but all I want to do it whip out these simple pants. Really, I could make these all night. So satisfying. 
 
These are also made with cuffs that turn up, but the edges aren't as pretty as I had hoped, so they might stay down. Made from a vintage bed sheet. 

Simple elastic waist pants

A couple weeks ago I had a bobbin trantrum around this very baby pant project. I've been trying to gig deep and just sit down and finish the little pair of pants. I fixed the bobbin (which was actually not the problem, I just threaded the machine wrong, silly me) when making M's birthday gift, yet still was feeling like I couldn't muster the courage to fix the pants. There was alot of emotion tossed in those pants, they were from my husbands softest T-shirt and marked the cycle we didn't conceive. 

Today I sat down and after about 20 minutes of trying to repair the mess I had made a few weeks ago, I made it worst, sewing the seems outwards in one spot. I threw in the towel. 

Robert graciously gave me 4 more shirts to work with, and here is what a calm sewing session can produce. 

Simple elastic waist pants - these are 12-18months in size. 

I made them out of the sleeves of Robert's old button-up shirt, keeping the cuffs attached. Here they are rolled up. 

Used the pocket from the front of the shirt as a sweet little bum pocket. Here you can see where the sleeves used to button up. 

The cuffs fold down to add more wear from these simple cotton pants. 

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the buttons and cuffs on the back, but I've grown to adore the reused look. These were so quick and easy to make, I'm not sure why I couldn't figure it out in the first pair. I'm sad to see the originals are just a pile of cloth now, but hopefully I can turn them into something soon. 

For the pattern of these pants, I traced a pair of pants onto cardboard and cut out the two pieces. Sewed up the legs, from cuff to crotch, then crotch (I hate that word) to waist. Folded over the waist while the pants were inside out and sewed the waistband. Threaded in some elastic, sewed the elastic together and finished off the opening. So simple. Took maybe 30 minutes, but most of that was ironing. Here is a pattern if you don't have a pair of baby pants around the house. 

Now, must continue trying to craft up this baby, so I don't have to hang items up on our easle.