[Tamara]

Oh my heart has jumped into my throat at the very thought! But I need to know what he was doing in order to have this accident? Surely he wasn’t trying to slide down the bannister? It is bad enough when a five year old has the hook of an umbrella caught in his mouth but I cannot imagine how wretched I would feel in your shoes Melanie! Thankfully there is no head injury to deal with or paralysation. Pureed food you can deal with – remember the days of weaning? And it is only for a few weeks. I take it he is your daredevil? He is a very lucky young man that is for sure! Thank God it wasn’t worse.

It is almost 7.30 and I have until 11am to challenge myself to construct the majority of this tractor costume before going to the final woodwork class of the year. I have candy canes to give out but depending on how they behave (because we have a relief teacher) I may just keep the, for the teacher to give out instead. So I had to ease Noah’s fears of wearing a tractor skirt by reminding him the other boys are wearing boxes and his would be better to sit down in. I have what I want for each side drawn out and I got him to ho,d the pieces of wood around his body last night as I showed him what is going on each side just so he could grasp what is in my head. So it will require some applique but that is no big deal. I can get the placements of all the features made up and stuck on and sewn them all on at the same time then work on the wheels. The teacher asked for compact because of the stage size and I think we will have a long skinny tractor not a wide skinny tractor. We have boxes but they are either too small or too big and personally, even though they look womderful, it is a bit too playschool for an almost year three boy to wear – even it is ten times cheaper. I will mast likely have excess fabric which will be good. Maybe he will need to dress as a jockey next year and his coliurs can be john deere green and black?

[Tamara]

Oh my spelling is SHOCKING!!!!

[Mama_Knowles]

Oh my! I will be praying the little guy. : ( I hope he will get better very quickly!

[mcholley1]

Wow! That’s so scary! I can’t imagine! Glad it will all mend. I hope he likes tv! My kids will eat potato leek soup. Not sure if it will go through a straw?

We are recycling dresses for the holiday too. We’ve had a busy year of family weddings and parties and have a closet full of choices thanks to mostly grandma’s sewing. I do need to make a “daddy-daughter dance” dress before Jan 10. I’m thinking something shiny! I lean towards a classic European vibe personally. But, I don’t want her to feel like she looks too different from all the store bought types I’m sure her friends will be wearing. I need to fabric shop.

[Tamara]

We had one of the year sixes prancing around with this blue tutu dress at school today. The dress was on a hanger but she said it was for graduation of year 7’s – she’s year 6! Anyway it reminded me of the very real need to start putting the ideas away for next year when it will be our turn to dress formally for the graduation dinner. It looked like something for the school formal!

I have cut all the pieces needed for the tractor and took the tyres to school to turn through during lunch. One of the kids at the table in the library asked what was I going to blow them up for -she thought I meant blow them up with a bomb- and I explained it wasn’t that kind of blow up I meant to stuff them and make them look blown up as you can’t drive a tractor with flat tyres! I hope to complete the whole thing tonight. I even cut the side pieces of wood to size during woodwork so that it would save a bit of time. It is all about the details now so while I am waiting for the kids to get home I will seek out the steam a seam sheets I have stashed away somewhere and begin the process of attaching the pieces for appliqué, allowing of course a certain amount of give at the top for the rod pockets.

[Sarvi]

mcholley, I know what you mean about looking different from other kids. There must not be any character shirts and leggings (girls) or cargos (boys) left in this city. Ah well, at least I can spot her in crowds.

[Mama_Knowles]

That’s my two younger ones as well mcholly and Sarvi, I never buy them any character shirts or play jeans. (Sarah does not know that stores sell premade clothes, hehehe) I love it now that we are by my relatives and but they are forever asking what size does the two younger ones wear. I try to be nice and tell them that I much enjoy sewing for the two of them instead of buying store bought clothes. I guess the don’t like my style?? Oh well I shall sew any way!

I did finish up Caspian’s tea party pants suit now onto his shirt today, I am also thinking of making Jacob a new sketchbook shirt as well. My boys have been asking for new mama made clothes so I would love to make them. I also need to finish up Caspian’s puppet theater too.

[Tamara]

I have the same issue with relatives buying for my two, especially Imogen. They seem to think that just because she is eleven she has to wear teen type clothing. I just keep saying that the will come and it is coming very soon where she will dictate the style she chooses. Fortunately the latest dress of the store bought variety is not even considered on the list of things to wear.

I have just stuffed the first large “tyre” for this tractor costume. It is that puffy there is no way I can machine sew the “hub” on so I will just have to stitch it on by hand. It is coming together nicely but I do wish it would be done faster. I had to help with some sheep work this morning so a small chunk of time was taken away. I am still yet to make a checked sketchbook, some jeans for Noah and a sparkly skirt for Imogen, plus teacher gifts before tomorrow night.

I have only come in to have lunch. The kids are home because I got inside the house at 9am from the yards so it was too late to drive them to school. Fortunately they are so tired they are just having a veg out day.

After lunch I want to make the front piece of the costume and attach the appliqué (I might not even sew them on yet), do the other three tyres and assembly the four pieces together. Then I will cut and sew that shirt.

[Mama_Knowles]

I do hope you post pictures Tamara!

The puppet theater is done, done, done! Oh I ma happy to say this. : D

Todays big task is to make the puppets and puppet bag to hold them. Wish me lots of sewing time and luck before the kiddos come home from school!

[Nicole]

You are such a doting mummy, Sharon.

I cut two more Tea Party dresses tonight for gifts. One in Tula Pink and the other a butterfly print as requested.

I hope I get them sewn tomorrow.

Next to cut is a denim SeaShore dress for my niece in a gold printed chambray. I hope that will appeal to her. She is 12.

[Tamara]

Tyres are stuffed and attached. Had to cut a cardboard tube for the decoration at the side that’ll represent a sort of exhaust pipe and another piece of wood for the frame because I didn’t have another wooden coat hanger.

All I have to do now is attach the straps and the funnel/ exhaust pipe thing. The straps will be attached with safety pins simply because of the wood being enclosed it will make it far too difficult to stitch with the machine. I might even leave the funnel off yet depending on how it goes.

I still have the shirt to do and Imogen wants a skirt so I will be busy busy tomorrow. I might have to scrap something yet. The time is just running away!

Oh yes I will post pictures. It will be so worth the effort!

[Sarvi]

Sharon your style is so sweet and you pour such love and care into it! Well, in the end, they’re *your* kids. If other people want to dress children they can go make some of their own.

Justsewit and all you uber productive ladies, I bow before you. If I make one project a week I feel as though I am blazing through it; you all seem to crank out a few pieces a day and all at such a high level!

[meleliza]

Thank you all so much for the support. It was scary! About last year – it must have been when he was tall enough to actually lean over the bannister – he developed this awful habit of running down the steps with both hands on the bannister way out in front of him and he will lean his head waaaaay over. I tell him every day not to. He nearly fell a few times but caught himself. This time I was right there in the kitchen getting dinner and was opening my mouth to say don’t lean over the bannister and down he went. Fast and hard. The night of, I was so busy being calm and collected for him, paying attention to every thing the doctors and nurses said. It hit me the next night, that he could have snapped his neck. Could have died. Or worse. And I’ve been walking around in a daze ever since, begging him to eat and not quite knowing how to get anything done.

Yesterday, however, I bought a little half yard of this: http://www.joann.com/david-tutera-fabric-chiffon-ribbon-rose/12124624.html#prefn1=isProject&q=david+tutera&prefv1=false&start=4 and I whipped up a lazy days skirt variation with some poplin for a waist band and a few layers of tulle underneath. I had to use hem tape and hand sew the hem, but it has a very nice soft almost bubble hem. I added a little bow at the waist to cover the seam where I pieced waistband together. It will be a surprise Christmas present for Kitty. It’s really adorable and really, it cheered me up and I think broke me out of the daze. I think things are uncertain until we follow up with the specialist on Friday, but I can just get on with things until then.

Thanks for thinking of us, ladies! It’s really nice to know there are a few more mommies out there who care. Thanks for the menu suggestions too. I will run them by him. 🙂

[Sarvi]

I know what you mean about how it hits you the day after — so glad you work able to get your mind off it for a while with a pretty project. I guess on the plus side, he will listen to you from now on? Hoping for the best possible news on Friday. Hang in there.

[Tamara]

Prayers for positive review on Friday coming your way Melanie! Oh! I could visualise just exactly when I read your post. He won’t be doing that again I hope! The risks kids take thinking they aren’t risks at all!

I took the costume in this morning and everyone raved over it. Unfortunately it started coming apart so if you see masking tape in one corner it is to hold the wooden rod in their casings. I didn’t allow quite enough fabric overhang to sew it successfully by machine. I am hoping it survives the rehearsal.

Pictures I will take tonight during the performance. That’s if we don’t have a repeat meltdown session with the other child – she had a huge falling out with a friend who she has to stand next to in choir. The music teacher changed the song at the last minute and there are two boys who are playing up during the class item rehearsals. I spoke with the teacher this morning to give her a heads up and I have all fingers and toes crossed she comes home from school in a better mood.

She was even complaining over the lack of gorgeous costumes this year but hey, she is in the senior years of primary school and not everyone has the desire to dress as a christmas ornament! I will still try and make that sequinned skirt today – no guarantees though as apparently there is a family meeting scheduled!! I will just have to make my excuses and go and sew to try and cheer up my child who is longing for the holidays to start.