Mix and Match

Courtney over at Versodile has just come out with some mix and match pattern packs. I love them! She has gusset widths of 2.5" and 3". There are rounded and tessellated shapes in various lengths, from 6" to 16". Any of the shapes and lengths with a corresponding snapped width can be combined to create symmetrical or asymmetrical pads, with any shape combination. Here's a batch I just finished up. Fun stuff!

I used different fabrics for each style.left to right, I used a cotton topper with zorb and flannel core, organic bamboo velour and a zorb core, cotton velour with zorb, flannel with zorb and flannel core, and cotton with zorb. The three on the left are made using combinations of the 3" width packs, and the two on the right are made using combos of the 2.5" width packs.  It was fun to try out new fabrics with these patterns, which are becoming my go-to since they're so easy to use and customize.

Although the tessellated patterns in the packs aren't perfectly tessellated (they won't fit exactly, precisely together like puzzle pieces), they're close.  This was a purposeful adjustment to the patterns so that more sizes could be made using the patterns in the pack, instead of needing to buy individual patterns separately.  I think that's a fair trade-off.  The other thing is, I just figure there will always be a bit of fabric waste when making just about any project, so it's not a huge concern for me.  

Courtney is also working on some new patterns on Spoonflower, as well as creating panels to be used with her rounded pad shapes.  Honestly, I still have no idea how all of the Spoonflower jazz works, and it hurts my brain too much to try and figure it out.  But if you're into it, by all means, check it out!

Cleaning My Sewing Machine

As I've been stitching the last few items I've been working on, I noticed that my bobbin thread was getting tangled and the tension was pretty messed up. The upper thread on my machine snapped a few times, and there were knots in the thread on the underside of my fabric.

This was an obvious signal that I needed to do some trouble-shooting. I had been changing out my needle regularly, so I knew that wasn't the problem. I also hadn't switched thread types or the tension settings. 

I realized that I've been sewing with a lot of linty fabrics lately. Flannel, fleece, bamboo velour, cotton velour, zorb, toweling, and the like. And of course, that's going to create a lot of lint and dust inside my machine.  I remembered it's been a while since I last cleaned out my machine, and that's one of the quickest ways to get my tension wrecked.

So I cracked that puppy open and went to work. And here's how:

My sewing machine came with a little baggy of parts, as do most machines these days. You may have seen some of the pieces and wondered what they were for. That little disc-washer-looking thing is actually a screwdriver. It's just the right size for reaching the little screws that hold the plate in place that goes over your feed dogs.  After removing the needle and the whole presser foot apparatus to get them out of the way,  I used the little screwdriver disc to remove those two screws, and then the metal and plastic pieces of the plate there.

The other important piece of equipment here is that little paint brush. It's a magical little lint brush.  I don't know how the magic works, but instead of pushing the lint around inside the machine, you actually use it to grab and lift the fluff out of the nooks and crannies. You don't want to just push the lint down farther into the machine.

Once I got the plate off of my machine, I discovered that it was just full of lint.  Of course.  So the next thing I did was to pull out the bobbin housing (is that what it's called?).  It's that black plastic piece in the middle there, that holds the bobbin and directs the thread.  Mine just lifts right out.  I gave that a good cleaning with my handy lint brush.  Once that was cleaned, I went to town for over a half an hour, cleaning every little crevice my brush could reach.  It was so bad!!  Look how much lint I got out of there!

Now, the thing is, you can certainly buy some canned air from the office supply or the fabric store.  The thing with canned air though, is instead of getting all of that lint out of the machine, it just blows it down further inside it.  That's a problem.  If that lint is already gumming up the works, what would happen if you just blast it down in there?  And what if you were to keep blowing more lint in?  Sewing machines are full of sensitive parts, and mine has lots of  electronic bits.  I just don't want to mess with that jazz.

So this is how it looked once I got everything all cleaned out.  So much better!  I certanily could have used a small screwdriver to take more of those pieces out and clean a little deeper, but frankly that just freaks me out.  I don't want to break anything.  I'm sure it's fine for someone who is more confident with machinery, but I'm just not.  Instead, I plan to take it in for some maintenance one of these days to get everything all squeaky clean and oiled.  Until that time, this is a good way to keep things running smoothly.  One other tip is to pull out your camera and take a picture or two of things as you take them apart, so you know you're putting them back together properly.

Once I had removed all the lint I could, I put the bobbin case holder thing back inside and turned the flywheel to make sure it all still moved properly.  Then I plates back on and tightened the screws with my little screwdriver.

I replaced the needle and presser foot, and gave it all a test run with thread in the machine, and tada!  Everything was back to normal.

I first learned how to clean my machine by watching a video by So Sew Easy, which you can watch yourself here.


Just remember to be careful and slow as you go, and don't force anything to move if it's resisting you.  And keep in mind that cleaning your own machine is by no means a replacement for regular professional maintenance, but it will save you a lot of aggravation in between tune-ups.

Sewing Tips: Pinning Pads

The content of the "sewing tips" posts I'll be sharing might seem like "duh" information to someone who has been sewing for years.  Or for someone who has been sewing for year.  But let's face it, we all start somewhere.  There are things that I just did not know when I first started sewing things, and knowing those things would have made a tremendous difference in my finished projects.  (Also, apologies for the weird spacing and layout in this post.  Something went a little wild with the photo uploads and I don't know how to fix it!)

For this first round of tips, I want to talk about pinning, and more specifically, pinning together the layers in cloth pads.  These have lots of thick layers that tend to bunch and shift, and some good pinning can really help prevent that and save some time in the end.  It will also help to create a nice, smooth finished pad, that turns out a little more professional-looking.
 




















First, let's take a look at just how we're sticking the pins into the fabric.  In this first picture, I have 3-layer sandwich of flannel and Zorb.  When I first started making pads, I would hold the pin straight up, perpendicular to the layers I was pinning, then tilt the pin to the side to catch all of the layers as I came back up through the fabric.  That caused the top layer to pull out and the bottom layer to push in towards the center of the piece.  To avoid this, you want to insert the pin into the layers at an angle almost parallel to the fabric.  That will keep the layers from shifting before you ever start to sew.

 





















The next thing that I wanted to point out is that it's good to use enough pins to secure everything, but if you can stitch slowly when you move to your machine, you don't need a ton of pins for everything to stay in place. Start by using a few pins at the ends and center to secure your core, and then you can put the pins back in the same areas when you're pinning your core to the wrong side of your topper layer.

In this pad, I'm making a hidden PUL layer.  When I'm working with PUL, I like to use these clover clips instead of pins, so I don't make any holes in the laminate.  As with the pinning, I like to just use a few clips at the ends and a few at the wings, just to keep things from shifting.  The clips take up some space, and I like to keep my layers secure without having to stop every few stitches to remove the clips.  So I like to space them out just a little.

It's also a good idea once you've clipped all of the pad layers together, to flip it all over and check the back side.  As you can see here, that PUL layer will bunch up quite a bit.  One of the nice things about using clips is that it's really easy to just unclip one at a time, smooth out the back layer, and put the clips back, as you see in the next picture.

Smoothing out the PUL layer is something that didn't even occur to me for a long time, but it really makes a huge difference.  The finished pad is less bulky and it eliminates any weird bubbles in that bottom layer.  Once you've got everything all smoothed out and clipped back up, you can flip it over and move on to your sewing machine to hem, turn, and topstitch. 

Hopefully these tips were helpful!   Feel free to leave comments if you're looking for more tips or for help with troubleshooting. 

Pattern Review: Bucket Hat

I have a toddler with very sensitive skin, who refuses to sweat, so outside play in the summertime is really rough on him.  He gets a rash from sunscreen and he overheats really quickly, then takes forever to cool back down.  If I can keep him shaded and moistened, he can stay at a reasonable body temperature without burning.  I decided to make him a hat that I can wet down.  I wanted one with a wide brim that would also shade his lily-white skin.  Enter the bucket hat.

The Pattern: Reversible Bucket Hat Free Sewing Pattern

The Designer:  Oliver + S

I've never made a hat before, so I didn't know what I was looking for or what to expect.  I saw some super cute patterns for bonnets on Etsy, and almost bought them.  (I'm talking sweet little brimless bonnets with animal ears.  *sigh*)  In the end, I decided I've spent enough on patterns this paycheck, and a free pattern was the way to go while I decide if millinery is my cup of tea.  Or even my glass of milk.  I like fast projects that don't take too much concentration, so that was important too!

I browsed Pinterest for a while and this hat pattern kept coming up.  I would see a cute hat and click on the link, and almost every single time it was some variation of this pattern by Oliver + S.  I figured, if that many people were using the pattern, it had to be pretty good.  And it is!

The pattern is just 3 basic pieces - the top, the sides, and the brim.  Assembly is really easy and fast for the reversible hat.  With this pattern, you can use your imagination for all kinds of embellishments and variations, or you can just keep it simple like I did.  And it takes very little fabric.  It took about 2 hours to complete, from the time I hit the print button to the time I clipped the last threads of the finished project.

I am really lazy about hand stitching, so I was happy to see a blog post describing how to assemble the hat using just your machine.  You can find that tutorial here.  

My toddler claimed the hat so fast that I didn't get to take pictures of it until his nap time later in the day, when the hat had already been doused with the hose several times, which is why it looks a bit crumpled in the photos.  I'm pretty impressed with how well it holds up to the abuse.  I chose not to use interfacing for the brim, since I wanted to use it as an air conditioner, but the finished product is a nice, crisp looking hat, that I'm sure would keep its shape really well if you actually follow all the directions. 

The pattern has 4 sizes, which fit an 18" head (0-6 months) to a 21" head (6-8 years), so I will absolutely be making hats for my other littles as well.  I've got some butterfly fabric that is just begging to be a hat for my youngest daughter.  

The Oliver + S website has lots of free patterns and excellent videos and tutorials, which are great for anyone who is learning to sew.  They also have a book called Little Things To Sew. It's full of sweet projects that look simple to whip up.  

Now if only the hat came in teen sizes, I'd make one for my daughter to take to camp this summer!

Pattern Review: Under Wraps Cloth

This is the first pattern for a reusable menstrual pad that I paid for, instead of creating myself.  I decided to get it because I wanted a nice, long pad pattern for right after this baby comes, during that very beginning postpartum time when you bleed the heaviest.

The Shop: Under Wraps Cloth

The Pattern:  Under Wraps Bundle 9, 10, 11, &15 inch Overnight Post Partum Mama Cloth Menstrual Pad Sewing Pattern (Sorry, I don't have a current link for the bundle, but her patterns are available in the Etsy shop linked above.)

I'm going to tell you right up front that this one was a bummer.

 

As described in the pattern name, this was a bundle purchase, with several sizes of pad patterns.  They range from 9" long "liner" to a 15" overnight/postpartum size.  I had looked at several different shops, and this one looked like the best option available for my needs at the time I purchased it for about $13.  I liked that it had so many sizes, because within the first few days of having a baby, there will be a lot of bleeding, but by the time the bleeding stops, you really only need a liner. 

My favorite thing about this pattern bundle is that for the topper, the designer has created a way to incorporate two different fabrics (as you can see in the pictures).  A softer, wicking fabric is a really nice idea during that postpartum time, when you're more tender.  So this pattern shows you how to create a window of that softer fabric, like minky or velour.  That saves a little cost, so that you don't have to use a really large, odd-shaped piece of that more expensive fabric.  I chose to use athletic jersey for that part.  Now, the downside of this is that it's really hard, at least for me, to keep that piece of fabric attached, and really hard not to mess up the overall shape of the topper once it's all cut.  After trying a few different things on a few different pads in this pattern, I discovered that the easiest method for me was to attach that window piece to the outer piece using Wonder Tape.  Just a little tip if you decide to try this pattern.  I also liked the shape of the finished pads that were pictured on the pattern.  I tend to prefer a rounded pad.

Okay, now for the not-so-awesome.  The fact is, this pad is way, way too wide.  As you can see, the snapped pad measures approximately 4 inches across. Four inches! Mercy!  Just for reference, most people find a comfortable width to be between 2.5" and 3".  Most postpartum pads measure about 3" across for a snapped width, and some as much as 3.5".  Unfortunately, I didn't realize how terribly wide this pad turned out to be until I had made multiple pads.  I wondered if I was just over reacting to the size, so I tried it on, and the bunching that happened was a story by itself. 

And no matter what I tried, I just could not get the pad to look as pretty in real life as the pictures looked.  That's probably because I am definitely not an advanced sewer, and I think this is a more advanced pattern.  So keep that in mind when looking at purchasing this one.

As you see in this picture, this is a loooooong pad.  15" is almost the length of my hand and forearm together.  Good for postpartum, but it would be much too long for me to use again as an overnight pad once a regular cycle returns.  

Overall, this was more of a "lessons learned" pattern for me.  I learned that I really need to look into the gusset width of the finished pad before buying anything.  Oops.  I learned that some pads are harder to make than others, and if it looks "fancier," that means more advanced skills.  I learned that I really, really do like the idea of that window of softer fabric, so I found a way to change the way it's attached to incorporate into a new design that I made for myself.  I learned that Wonder Tape is basically magic.  I learned that I'm more interested in making pads that are going to be a good overnight length for me, so that I can use them again in the future, and not just as a one-time deal.  I learned that I don't like making pads that take a long time and have a lot of details.  And I learned that I was okay with paying for patterns instead of designing my own, once I had done my own research into the patterns.

If you like a wider gusset (snapped area), maybe this pattern would work for you.  Or if you're comfortable with manipulating patterns to better suit your needs, this could certainly be adjusted to be more narrow.  I just didn't want to bother, and felt like I shouldn't have to manipulate and adjust a pattern that I'd paid $13 for.  There are some really ingenious ideas in this pattern.  It was very professionally put together with lots of good pictures and clear instructions, and a digitally created template for cutting and taping together.  (Sometimes you'll get a hand-drawn scan when you buy a pattern, which was not the case here.)  If you're interested in learning to add that window of additional fabric, this might be a good choice for you.  But in all honesty,  because of that monstrous width, I will probably never use the pads I made from this pattern, and I feel like I wasted a lot of good materials on it. 

Pattern Review: Mamma Can Do It

Next up in this series of reviews for reusable cloth pad patterns is a quick and easy one.

The Shop: Mamma Can Do It
The Pattern:  Cloth Menstrual Pads Sewing Pattern

I was pleasantly surprised by this pattern.  Honestly, maybe I'm becoming a pattern snob (?), but this one looked overly simple.  Like, so simple it can't possibly be any good, right? I was also leery of the wrap-style wings, having only ever tried tab style.  But the way this pattern was designed made for an incredibly fast pad to cut and assemble.  Another reason I was hesitant to buy this one was that in the description for the pattern when I was looking at it, the best thing I could see about sizing was "3 pattern sizes from light days to overnight."  This didn't give me a whole lot of information.  I contacted the seller to ask for more specifics, and it did take her a few days to get back to me.  (*She has since updated the description for more clarity.)  Since the pattern was pretty inexpensive, I decided to go ahead and get it while I waited to hear back.  I was shocked to discover that the pattern actually included nine sizes, from a 7" pantyliner, to a 13" overnight size!  Hooray!

I loved that while this pattern grew in length, the width of the core didn't change.  That makes it consistent for fit in the gusset area.  Also, the size of the wing didn't change considerably from the smallest pad to the largest pad, and that will definitely help with any bunching issues with the undies.  The rectangular core for this pattern does not extend all the way from one end of the pad to the other end.  I actually liked this, because it makes the pad a little less bulky.  And it was a breeze to just cut the core with a rotary cutter.   I also liked the way the curves were designed on the pattern, because they decreased the amount of adjusting I had to do with lifting and lowering my presser foot.  It would be a great shape to serge, if I was more proficient with my serger.  And that would make for an even faster, leaner pad.

The pad measures just about 2.75" across when snapped, which is a really comfortable width for most women. 

I actually ended up giving this specific pad away as a gift, just because I'm still not sure how I feel about wrap-around wings!  But I'll end up making more for myself so I can give this style a shot.  

Overall, I was impressed with this pattern.  I was really pleased with how fast and easy this pad was to make.  It's a great design for stash-building for someone who is just starting out, because it's so quick and simple.  Really pretty much a no-fail design.  The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and you can't beat the price ($5) for a pattern with such a large range of size selection.

Applique Onesies

My crafting goes in topic spurts. Although I've mostly been working away getting ready for my baby's arrival, there are still gifts to be made! 

This morning I made these little guys for my cousin and friend:

This was the first time I've made applique onesies, but they've been on my mind to try out for a while. They were darn easy!  That's good for me, because I end up with lots of baby gifts to make.

There are lots of tutorials and patterns on YouTube and Pinterest. You basically just cut out the shape in a double-sided fusible interfacing, iron it onto the fabric of your choice, cut that out, and then iron the fabric onto the onesie.  You can topstitch the pieces down like I did here if you want. It's not necessary, because let's be real - how many times is the baby actually going to wear these before he outgrows them? But I like how the contrasting-colored stitching makes the applique stand out. (You can't see it very well in the picture, but I used white thread on that blue and white fabric.)

I found the pattern for these little ties here.  And here is a bloggy tutorial.

The online pattern has two sizes, a 3-6 month and a 2T.  I didn't love how thin the smaller tie was, so I just shortened the larger one by an inch. I also trimmed the top portion just a bit to make a more concave shape to fit the neckline of the onesie. Easy-peasy!

How-To Videos: RUMPs

I started making my own cloth, reusable menstrual pads last year. If it's something you're interested in, it's really very easy to do if you have some basic supplies and sewing skills. And if you're just learning to sew, it's a good project to learn on.  (The pads in this photo were made using a pattern by Versodile, which is available on Etsy.  I'll be doing a review on the pattern at some point.)

As I looked into the idea, there were some videos that I watched that really gave me the confidence I needed to get started. And since then, I have come across a few more that have really helped me to improve my technique, speed, and create more "finished" pads. I'm listing the videos here that have been the biggest help to me.

These first few are by Amy Nix.  I love her.  She has several Facebook groups that you can join for support and information on the topic.  If you look her up on YouTube, you'll see that she has loads of videos about materials, tips, and using upcycled items from around the house if you don't want to invest in any specialty fabrics yet.  These are just the 3 that got me started.

How to make your own basic symmetrical pad pattern:

How to make your own asymmetrical pad pattern:

How to sew your own pad:

Okay, these next videos have helped me take it up a notch.  I started out using flannel and a hidden PUL layer, like Amy demonstrates.  Since then, I have been trying out some higher end fabrics (more exotic I guess), that are harder to work with.  I also wanted to increase my speed and although I've been happy with what I was making in the beginning, I wanted to see if I could make something of a more professional quality.  The videos put out by Courtney of Versodile really helped me with those goals.  And here those are:

Of course, Courtney has more videos, but these were the three that have really helped me out the most.

I hope these are as helpful for you as they have been for me!  Questions?  Ask away.

Pattern Review: Versodile

Well, I've been testing up a storm on these mama cloth (reusable menstrual pad) patterns.  I don't have any idea what I'm going to like once I start needing them again, so I'm making lots of styles and lengths and combinations for absorbancy and things.  My current goal is to find patterns that are fast and easy to cut and sew, and that create a nice looking finished product.  I also know that certain widths are not going to work for me.  That part won't usually come up in these reviews, though, because I realize different widths are better for different people.  The only time I'm going to mention it as a problem in a review would be if it just seems like the width is totally unreasonable.

This pattern, though.  Winning in every way.  

The Shop: Versodile
The Pattern: 10" Tessellation Cloth Pad Sewing Pattern

The designer, Courtney, created this reusable menstrual pad pattern to work with some tessellated fabric that she came up with and will be selling on Spoonflower.  Honestly, I have no idea how Spoonflower works or what it is, but I had come across Courtney's how-to videos on YouTube, and they basically blew my mind.  She gave some tips for stabilizing stretchy fabrics and keeping seams straight. So I felt the need to give the pattern a try. I contacted Courtney with several questions, and she was just great.  She answered all of my questions, very quickly, and was a huge help with some troubleshooting for general pad construction patterns that I had (not related to her pattern).  One of the things I learned from her was that this pattern can be used with any fabric you would normally use.  Although it's designed to work with her specialty fabric, it's not a requirement.  And the shape of the pattern really reduces waste.  (You know - because it's tessellated.)

One of the things that I loved about this pattern was that it included not only the template for the topper, backer, and core, but it also includes a template for a stitching line.  This is placed on the back of the topper fabric and traced on, and then when you're ready to do your stitching, you just follow the line you've drawn instead of maintaining a particular seam allowance in relation to your presser foot or sewing machine.  This is a dream for assembling pads, because there are so many layers involved that they can get pretty shifty, so it can be really hard to get a nice, straight seam. Especially for someone like me.  And that will really effect the finished product once it's been turned and topstitched.  Because of this stitching line, my finished product was probably the nicest looking pad I've ever made.  (Of course, that ice dyed organic bamboo velour helps too!)  Because this was a pattern with all straight edges, that saved me some time with cutting, which I appreciated.  Those straight edges and the stitching line made it so that I just didn't feel like I had to be so careful with the cutting.

 

Although this pattern is for a 10" pad, my finished product turned out to be close to 11" long.  (I don't know if that's due to my fabric choice, though.  OBV is really stretchy, as opposed to the flannel that I used in my other tests.)  It's also nice and trim when the snaps are closed, measuring just 2.5" across the center.  Here it is with my hand for size comparison.  *I have smallish hands.

 

I just really loved this pattern.  It was well-designed for waste reduction and quick, easy cutting and assembly.  Although there are a few extra steps involved (like drawing the stitch line), I found that it added very little time to the process of creating the pad, and the additional effort was well worth it.  It doesn't create a pad that's as "fancy" looking, so I had moved it to the back of my stack of patterns to try.  Fancy is fun!  But I'm so glad that I decided to move ahead with it, because if it turns out to be as nice to wear as I think it will, it will definitely end up being one of my favorites.  In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to get her 13" pattern too, to use for when the baby comes, and then for overnights.  And I'm glad I did, because that one offers additional features that weren't included in the 10" version. 

If you'd like to take a look at Courtney's how-to videos for assembling this pad, just click the link above.  Got any questions for me?  Feel free to ask in the comments.

DIY: Reusable Nursing Pads

I recently made a few video tutorials for contoured reusable nursing pads that I thought I'd also share here.

I've been using reusable nursing pads for the last 2 babies, but didn't like the styles.  Mine were all purchased on Amazon.com, before I really got into sewing much.  They are flat circles, with a serged edge.  They worked fine, and I never had any leaking issues.  The problem was that because they were just flat, you could really see them through my clothes, and they flattened out my poor chest pretty badly.  They were not flattering or discreet in any way.  Once I started sewing, I looked into making my own, but the tutorials that I found online were almost all the same style.  I did find a few tutorials for a "contoured" nursing pad, but the contour was created by making a dart.  You would cut a triangle out of the side of the circle, then stitch the triangle closed.  This made a cone-shaped nursing pad.  I really didn't want to look like a breastfeeding, 1980's/1990's Madonna.  So I recently did some research. I hunted around online and purchased and tried out some patterns.  Some of them were awesome, and I'll share links another time.  

I wanted to figure out a pattern that would be free, easy for a beginning sewer to make, one that would be discreet (with a real contoured shape, not a cone shape), effective, and that could be made with readily available and inexpensive materials.  Once I got the videos done, I realized there were a few things I could have done a little differently (like cutting the pattern from just one piece of paper), but whatever! You'll get the idea.

In the videos, I show you how to make your own pattern, cut out the fabric, and assemble the pads.  And I talk a little bit about fabric choices.  I haven't learned yet how to edit videos, so these are a little on the long side. But they're broken up so that you can watch just the segment that is relevant to you at the moment, and creating your own pattern and pad will go much faster than the videos!

And here they are, in viewing order.

Creating the pattern:

 

Cutting the fabric: 

Assembling the pad:

About Me: An Introduction

I thought I'd take a minute to introduce myself, and tell you a little bit about me.  I had hoped to do this for my very first post, but things didn't go according to plan.  I guess that's one major part of me - I generally don't make solid plans or schedules, because life around here never seems to go the way I plan anyway.  :)  

I'm Kate.  I'm an LDS (Mormon) wife and stay-at-home-mom. I am very religious.  I have 7 kids, and am pregnant with #8, who will be arriving in the fall.  This is a large family, even by Mormon standards, and we do a lot of adapting.  

I like (love) making things.  I have a lot of physical and mental health challenges, and I find that having a creative outlet really helps my level of happiness and my ability to cope with my personal challenges in a positive and productive way.  Most of the time, the things that I make are gifts for people.  Occasionally I'll make something for myself, but I find a lot more joy and get a lot more pleasure out of it when I can use my talents for service and to express my love for others.  Normally the things I make for myself are more functional, but of course I try to make them pretty too!

I love learning how to do new things and finding new things to create.  I used to have a prolific garden, make amazing homemade bread, raise chickens and rabbits, make and wear aprons, bottled and dried and stored my own produce, cooked in dutch ovens, built my emergency food storage, cooked my food from scratch, and all kinds of homemakey things.  I also attended and graduated from cosmetology school when I had 4 kiddos and was in the process of adopting #5. I loved doing those things, but I have since had more kids and more limitations, and those kinds of things are just too much work to be enjoyable any more.  Over the last few years, I've been working with crochet, metal stamping and jewelry making, polymer clay stuff, hand lettering and chalkboard lettering, container gardening, and sewing things like dolls and doll clothes, baby items, reusable cloth pads and nursing pads (mostly for myself - there's the functional part I was mentioning), and a few other things.  

I was once asked how I even think of these things to try.  I guess the answer is really that I usually have someone on my mind that I feel like The Lord is directing me to serve.  It might be someone who is going through a hard time, or someone who I read about online who seems like they could use a lift, or a relative, friend, or an acquaintance who may be going through something or are just on my mind.  I pray about how to help them, and for help to find what might be meaningful to them.  And then I do research.  I look online and keep my eyes peeled and heart open until I see something that catches my attention and sticks with me.  And then, if I don't already know how to do it, I learn!  Most of the time I'll look at YouTube videos and blog posts, and sometimes I will pay for a class. And if I find that it's something I like, I do more of it.  Consequently, my crafting areas are getting a little packed.  Haha!

I am not a "crunchy mom" or a "sports mom" or anything.  I just do my best to parent and teach my kids in the best way I can for them as individuals.  I know there are a lot of people out there who make things by hand in order to save money.  I am soooo not one of those people.  Luckily, if I'm ever in a position that I need to do that, I'll be able to.  But right now I don't need to, so really I just do it for pleasure.  I feel like I have been particularly blessed to learn how to do and make a lot of things, and my hope with this blog is to be able to share some of what I've learned.  Hopefully it will be helpful to those reading it.  There are plenty of things that I've had to learn on my own, through trial and error.  I don't do Facebook, so that eliminates a lot of resources for tips and helps.  Hopefully I'll be able to contribute some things here that can help others avoid some of that trial and error stuff, and offer a resource for people who like the same things I do.  I hope to offer tips and reviews and instructional stuff, and a little bit of Q&A.  And hopefully I can make it fun!

So, here's a picture of me:

 

Yep, that is one filthy mirror!  I wanted to give you a picture of my reality, and not some fancied-up, unrealistic selfie. So here I am, no makeup, and a dirty mirror.  (I did actually do my hair that day. Yay!  This is an accomplishment!)  The thing is, we all have to make choices about how we will spend our time and energy.  And while I love having a clean home, the truth is, cleaning is just not where I am ever going to choose to spend my time if I can help it.  I would rather be enjoying my family or making stuff!  We certainly do clean every day - we pick up once a day and do the dishes and laundry and vacuum the floors and all that, but things like washing mirrors or windows, or keeping the house immaculate?  Yeah, no thanks.  I am one crabby mama when my focus turns to keeping things clean instead of loving people.  I find that striving for an immaculate home makes me selfish and mean.  So, immaculate is out and reality is in.  I even tried hiring housekeepers once, and that was not worth the expense to me.  

I guess that's me in a nutshell.  There's certainly more to me. LOTS more.  But I don't want to completely bore anyone.  Maybe there will be more about me as this blog progresses.  Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions or things you're interested in learning more about, please feel free to leave a comment.

Pattern Review: Sweet Dragon Patterns

One thing that I really enjoy is sewing things from patterns that I've purchased from Etsy sellers. I get almost all of my patterns there.  I value being blessed to stay at home to take care of my kids, and I like supporting other women who are trying to do the same.  Buying patterns and handmade goods from Etsy sellers is a great way to do that.  I also like getting a good value for the money I spend, and the types of patterns that I buy usually run in the $1-$5 range.  I like being able to pay just a few dollars for one pattern that I will really use again and again, instead of $10-$20 for a book of patterns that I will mostly not use.  And don't get me wrong, I'm by no means a penny-pincher!  I'll gladly spend the money on something that is of value to me, and am way too tired to truly bargain hunt. 

Anyway, I purchase all kinds of patterns, from crochet patterns, to doll and toy patterns, to reusable menstrual pad patterns.  As a general rule, the patterns I get from this source are really fantastic.  Sometimes there are things I wish were a little different or more clear, or things that I wish had been made more clear in the description.  And every once in a very great while, I end up with a pattern or product that just doesn't meet my expectations.  With this in mind, I'd like to share here some of the patterns that I find, and review them.  I'd like to share what I like, and maybe what I wish was a little different.  Nobody is perfect! These reviews will never be intended to bash or judge a designer or their skills, but to offer my observations and experiences about the patterns and purchases, and any interactions.  Hopefully the information will be useful to some of you.  So, here we go with our first pattern review!

The shop: Sweet Dragons Patterns

The pattern: 13 Inch Flared Top Pad

Price: $3 for an instant download PDF file

  

This pattern is for a reusable menstrual pad.  These are also known as things like reusable maxi pads, mama cloth, RUMPS, etc.  Although you can quite easily make a pattern for these on your own, which is what I have always done, I wanted to try out some different sizes, shapes, and materials than what I normally use. 

I had recently purchased a more expensive pattern set that I wasn't completely happy with, so before purchasing I sent this seller a private message, asking her a few questions about dimensions.  I wanted something that would measure 3" or less across the center when the snaps are closed.  The seller responded almost immediately, which I really appreciated, and answered all of the questions I had.  She was very helpful.

Okay, so here is a picture of the pattern, once I downloaded it, cut it out, and taped the pieces together:

As you can see, There is a pattern piece for the topper/backer (the piece with the wings), and a pattern piece for the core.  The piece for the topper has an outline for where the core will rest on the fabric during assembly.  Those dotted lines on the core pattern were are not from the designer.  I added them myself after trying out the pattern, which I'll explain in a bit.


This is the finished product that I made from the pattern: 

I like to turn and topstitch my pads, but this pattern was not designed for that method.  Because of this, the size of the core pattern was slightly bigger than it was comfortable for me to sew.  This wasn't a design flaw, it was just a preference thing.  The pattern instructions didn't have any pictures to follow, but they were clearly written.  Most patterns I've seen will have some kind of a photo tutorial included.  This was fine for me, since I've made lots of pads before and knew what to do, but it might be a problem for someone who is using this pattern to make a pad for their first time.

I also wanted to include a picture with the snaps done up.

This is just a size comparison with my hand.  As you can see, when the snaps are closed, that center gusset area is probably a finger and a half wider than my hand.  After assembly, it measures about 3.25" across.  This will definitely be too wide for my comfort.  (Most people find a gusset width of about 2.5"-3" to be the most comfortable, no matter what size and style of underwear you use.) The pattern is designed for you to do some stitching and then cut away extra core material.  That seemed like an extra step to me, and I've had better success with the finished pads using another method, which I used here. That partially accounts for that wider gusset.  And that's where those dotted lines on the core pattern come in.  I really did like the size and shape of this pattern for my intended use, so I just went ahead and made a dashed line on the core pattern that brings the sides in 1/2" from the perimeter of the topper.  That will reduce the width of the gusset, and allow more wiggle room for using a turn and topstitch method of closing up the pad. (Again, that's not what this pattern was designed to do - it's just my preference.)

All in all, I would say that this pattern was definitely worth the $3 that I paid for it.  I will really like the design when it comes time to use it.  The adjustments I made were minor, and only for my preference, not because of an issue with the design itself.  Although there weren't any step-by-step photos, the instructions were clear.  So if you're good at following directions, or you've made pads before, they will be easy to follow.  If this is your first time making a pad, this might not be the pattern for you.  The rounded shape made stitching quite easy and fast, because I didn't have to stop and adjust at any corners.  The designer/seller was great to work with.  I will definitely be buying more patterns from her, and gave this pattern 5 out of 5 stars in my Etsy review.

Hopefully this was helpful information for you!  Please feel free to ask me questions!