[vothgirl]

Or this:

http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/frances_newcombe/safari_moon/animalia_in_splendor

With some fussy cutting, a layette jacket out of this could be stunning!

So much fun stuff to think about as I sit here nursing in the wee hours 😉

[Sarvi]

Thank you, Nicole! You’re very kind.

Vothgirl, have you seen the Cotton + Steel collection? Some very darling prints.

[Tamara]

I was thinking Amboseli myself but I clicked the above link and now I am all confused! Such a hard decision!

I like both of them. And I think the tail idea would be so very cute – you could make it detachable so they could have the option.

[cybele727]

I just got around to reading that minimalist dressing article. I know for me, what drew me to O+S were the clean lines. The occasional gathers, ruffle, bow, peterpan collar, etc. doesn’t bother me at all. It is this impetus to dress little girls like fully sexualized adults or deep ruffles that make me think, “is this a clown costume?” that has driven me out of the stores and to my machine. My family knows that I will not allow my daughter to wear anything with words on it or glitter, just because most of it is inappropriate.

With O+S, I get to play with patterns and color and the “hand” of a fabric. With O+S I get flattering lines that do not take away from the her as a little girl. She wears her clothes and not the other way around.

Although she recently said she will no longer wear dresses, even though that is all she ever picks out when looking through a catalogue. Knowing there was more to it than simply “no dresses”, I told her I would no longer make her clothes then. (I do make her pants and shirts too, but I like an even mix). She gave me the stink eye (she’s a professional at the stink eye!) and said, “but I need pockets and I don’t want anyone to laugh at my underwear.” I replied, “I can add pockets, and you can wear the shorts I bought you under to keep your underwear private.” BIG SMILE! So compromise was at hand. Crisis averted.

As for my son, he’s a hard one- because of school and peer pressure. We have a very diverse school in terms of race, class, and ethnicity. 25-30% of our school is ESL. When he’s in an ESL mix class, no one gives two hoots what anyone wears. Some of those kids wear the same 2 outfits year round. These are often the poorest of the children in school.

When he is in the Special Education mix class (School is 25-30% special ed), those kids seem to care. Those kids are usually among the poor too, but they are American and aware of class/economics/social stuff unlike the ESL kids. So they tend to make comments about what kids wear, etc. During his summer camp (which is at school), he’s exposed to more general ed/spec ed kids where there is more peer pressure.

I put a polo on him and he complained it was too dressy. It wasn’t a “POLO” tm, but a polo and it wasn’t dressy in the least. Very casual. I told him he had a choice. He could wear the occasional polo without complaint OR I could toss every t shirt he owns and go buy short sleeve button downs and ties for him to wear every day in the summer to camp. He smiled and said, “I choose the polo.” I said, “Good choice.”

Well back to cleaning! Hubby took the fur baby and the kids to camp about 5 hours away, and I have been able to deconstruct our bedroom, clean it within an inch of its life, and reconstruct. It is always the room we never get to.

I also pulled out of the basement 5 big totes of books donated to the library, 4 contractor bags of clothes, donated to the church, and 7 contractor bags of garbage (donated to the nearest dumpster, when no one is looking). The rest of the house looks like a bomb went off. So, I have to make that manageable. Oh and somehow in 3 hours, we are celebrating my sister’s birthday here. Not sure how it will all happen, but hey, I will just go back to cleaning around the people who show up! 🙂

[cybele727]

EEK! I almost got that animalia for a garden party dress! 🙂 I love that print and may still get it!

[Tamara]

Sometimes I just absolutely DETEST living in a rural area! The reason this time? Well, I was all booked in for my 20 weeks scan next week and so rang the doctor to get that little form you need to actually have the scan and upon calling I was met with the answering machine telling me the opening hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It is Thursday today and they are not open! So it means that I had to call the medical imaging centre and reschedule my scan for the following week! I am disappointed indeed!

On the bright side though it means I can sit and sew something today before going off for the afternoon afterschool activities!

[cybele727]

OOH that would frustrate me.

[Nicole]

Jenny, I am having a good sort out at present too. The children are joking with each other not to sit still or mum will donate you to St Vinnies!

I hope you get in promptly Tamara. Perhaps request your 36 week growth scan referral now so you have it to hand?

Our Alpacas are off to a new home today. We have had them for five years and they been quite effective at protecting lambs from foxes but they do not like dogs and we are training up two working pups. They have traumatised one young bitch so badly she doesn’t want to work in the paddock.

They are off to a hobby farm and should have a lovely life.

[Tamara]

Nicole it has been so long between pregnancies that I didn’t even know there was a 36 week growth scan! Thanks for the update.

Re the poor little girl pup who was traumatised, can she be trained for the yards maybe? We used to always have two, one for the paddock and one for the yards but then the last time we had a pair they went next door and were never seen again! That being said they weren’t trained well and were treated like pets. Should we have pairs of dogs again it will be a totally different story seeing as the sign is ready to be hung up as “under new management”. Our current bitch is ok in the yards but useless as a paddock dog – she keeps going in front!

Yes alpacas are very good sheep guards indeed. I wish we had them to reduce the problems with the wild dog problem we have had recently. Glad they are retiring to a new home.

It helps to do a big plan and sort and clean, especially when a new baby enters the family. I did mine back in March when we moved. I am still yet to go through the toys though! Not looking forward to that!

[vothgirl]

I just ordered some Cotton + Steel prints for the layette for my friend who found out she’s expecting a girl, after she & her husband have pursued adopting two boys from Africa. Thanks to Sarvi for encouraging me to check them out!

Jacket: http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/sarah_watts/august/monarch_in_aqua

Jacket lining & binding: http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/cotton_and_steel_house_designer/dottie/dottie_in_gelato_gold

Pants: http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/timeless_treasures_house_designer/ophelia/ophelia_dot_in_pewter

Bodysuit: probably a neutral/cream flannel using the jacket lining fabric for the neck trim and placket.

I think they’ll make a really nice combo! Can’t wait to get started on my 5th outfit from the Layette pattern! 🙂

Cybele 727, I did end up ordering some of that Animalia print to make a roller skate tunic for my toddler 😉

[Nicole]

Gorgeous Patricia!

Well, my beautiful Beamish boy has just headed off for his formal. He looked very dapper in a grey wool suit, grey shirt and aqua tie, to match his partners dress.

The formal is a few towns away, so Jed is dropping a carload of them there and another dad is doing pick up and they are all going to swag it in town tonight.

I made muffins for their breakfast. I will post a link and share the recipe, it is so good!

[cybele727]

I can’t wait to see the Roller skate in the animalia!!

Nicole, a formal! Wow. I will cry at the first one. I cry at every milestone. These kids just brand our hearts.

I haven’t been able to start my sewing yet for the garden party. I have been consumed with reading the reports of all the tests that the school did on my son. The language they use is so deliberately obfuscating and inaccessible to the average parent.

It was a bloody battle and there were some bruised feelings, but hopefully we are all on the same page regarding helping my son. Short summary: my 8 y/o performs between 2-5 years ahead except in writing where he is like 2 years behind. I just want to get him to grade level and growing appropriately- solidly average and legible is my goal. But he’s not a “problem in the classroom” and he’s “smart” so they aren’t “worried.” Last year was a real battle as his teacher couldn’t “see it” and I was the mom with unrealistic expectations. Now having done battle with momma bear- with her reams of advice from education lawyers, literacy specialists, and neuropsychologists, and more paper then we can ever dream to back it up, we are both on the same page.

They rarely expect a parent to appear, let alone ask them things such as what is your confidence factor in the day to day administration of the test. (He was given the same test twice 2 months apart by different people… in the subtests there was as much as a 40 point swing, which is not insignificant. If they use these snapshots as a way to determine eligibility for special education services, I want an explanation of the wide swing in results and which one they are relying on.)

In the end, I believe I got them to be proactive about his writing. The one part I enjoyed was them saying nothing was really wrong, but there was a relative weakness in x… and then me passing around page after page of writing examples collected over the school year and summer. The shock these teachers made and their horror that this was “acceptable” convinced them.

Now, I get to sew, which sew releases stress! (Especially work stress- which is like Jerry Springer live.)

😉

[with love Heidi]

Cybele, I hope you get a good outcome for your son! I work with a number of these kids and intelligence/smarts is great but there can be so many other issues holding them back, especially if they are struggling with writing!

[Tamara]

I am so glad you have been able to make headway and that the school seems to now be turning to the same page as you are on Cybele. It makes a refreshing change to the frustrations we face when we are finally being listened to.

We received our report today after the assessment took place three weeks ago. There were some delays thanks to the teacher not following up promptly on her questionairre but I am thrilled to announce that I can finally sleep soundly at night knowing that I am right in the knowledge that my child does not fit the diagnostic criteria for any sort of disorder that school thought he may have had. There are deficits though but these are treatable and can be improved upon so that means my child’s quality of life at school will also be improved upon. I have a phonecall followup with the psychologist to discuss the report and her recommendations and then I can have that meeting with the teachers to inform them of the situation and commence my own potential bloody battle of bruised egos and final defeat and compliance. That will equal sweet victory for sure!

Now we can turn our attention to actually working towards improvement and an overall turn around of attitude and performance at school for my boy. And quite frankly I am very glad.

[Tamara]

I watched Bicentennial man last night. It isn’t my favourite Robin William’s movie but after hearing news of his passing this week, it was nice to watch a masterpiece starring one of my favourite actors. May he now rest in peace!

Nanoo nanoo! Maybe he’s returned to planet Ork?