Endings and Beginnings

We're in such an in-between stage right now -- we've finished school, we're waiting to move, we're halfway (plus!) through this pregnancy. So many things coming to an end, so many things about to begin. In the midst of such limbo, I've done the only sensible thing: sew voraciously. My sewing machine has been whirring away for the past few weeks, with a threefold mission. First, catch up on all the sewing I didn't have time for during the school year. Second, satisfy my nesting instincts by stitching little things for Kit and "big" things for mama. Third, distract myself from all of the pre-move prep I probably should be doing... Though, to be fair, I've done a good bit of decluttering already and very little of the packing is my responsibility (they'll literally pack your trash!).

While we wait, we're soaking up our last memories in this wild place. We've made some new friends in our last weeks here, like this tiny killdeer nestled into Rosa's little brown hands:

 

Some boys at church found this quail mama nestled deep within a bush:

Or this sweet little goldfinch that nested in the tree by our house: 

She was always on the nest when I checked, and then one day she was gone. My suspicions were correct...

Our last week of school was relaxing, mostly finishing up projects we never got around to during the school year. While I do struggle to find motivation for hands-on projects and experiments, this year I graciously grew a baby to augment our study of human anatomy and growth. *wink* I hope the littles enjoyed learning about the body as much as I did -- such an amazing masterpiece of God's design!

I'm sure doctors wish they could just velcro organs in place...

To my relief, the littles have been thriving, even without the normal school schedule. I had envisioned boredom causing all kinds of problems, but they've been playing together much better than I'd anticipated and spend a great deal of time working on various Lego creations.

It's no surprise that helicopters are a favorite build!

Flowers are a welcome sight in the desert, and every spring I'm surprised by how many roses there are:

Meanwhile, I get to try to eat my lunch without feeling guilty...

Back to sewing... here's my list of projects from the past four weeks, assuming I haven't missed anything:

• 9 pairs of boxers for Laddie and Scout
• Maternity/nursing friendly swimsuit for Mama (briefs, skirted leggings, and top)
• Maternity/nursing nightgown and shorts for Mama
• 3 upcycled skirts for Rosa
• Upcycled dress for Rosa
• 2 pairs of upcycled denim shorts for Scout
• 3 sleepers/rompers for Kit
• Newborn gown and hat for Kit
• Tiny sweatshirt and pants for Kit
• Upcycled denim shorts for Kit
• Upcycled linen trousers for Kit
• Altering a homemade skirt for maternity
• Changing several of Scout's long sleeve tees to short sleeve (my favorite hack to extend the life of winter shirts not worth passing down to the next child!)
• Various mends (mostly turning Rosa's holes-in-the-knees leggings into "shorties")

Some of those projects were much-needed, others were just for fun. I think it's probably time to retire the sewing shears until we move, but I'm grateful for a most satisfying spree -- it's rare for spare time and motivation coincide so nicely.

Some of those projects will get their own posts (eventually!), but I'll share a few smaller ones here.

My poor little boys were running quite low on undies after trashing a few pairs recently that had shocking holes. I'm trying to purchase more thoughtfully/ethically, but it's hard to justify spending a lot on underwear, however organic or fairly traded! Fortunately, I'd tried the Stitch Upon a Time Boxerwear pattern for Little Man, and it worked great for the little boys, too. I might have to redo a few waistbands at some point, as the yellow knit on these pairs for Scout just isn't very stretchy. But I spent less than two dollars on thrifted knit shirts (combined with a few scraps from my stash), so it was well worth the "investment."

I recently found a women's 3X maxi skirt at the charity shop, which was basically just yardage waiting to be upcycled. It was made of that "traveler" fabric that doesn't wrinkle, I think it might be called ITY in the fabric world? Anyway, I tucked it into my basket (on basket day, everything you can fit inside is only $7, which brings the cost per item on a full basket to about $0.30), thinking it would make a great maternity skirt. But as I mulled it over, I realized two things. First, I have a black polka dot skirt out of virtually identical fabric that actually works well for maternity. Second, the skirt was so large that I could probably get an entire dress for Rosa out of it. And so I did! I used a free tee pattern as a basis for the bodice, but ended up changing it significantly (less at the waist, rounded cap sleeves). The skirt was an easy draft -- it's probably a 2/3 to 3/4 circle skirt, since I flared it as much as my fabric would allow. A few facings later, and all was ready to assemble! The fabric turned out to be a beast to sew -- my machine wanted to eat it at the beginning of each seam, and it also made my needle skip stitches. So much of it was sewn twice! It's a "plain Jane" style, but it looks so sweet on Rosa and I think it will last her a while.

Here a few more upcycled projects -- two pairs of shorts for Scout on the left, both made from the same skirt (and I fit a pair of shorts for Kit on the leftovers! Love those 90's denim skirts...). The upper pair is from the Olli shorts by Misusu, which I got for free by joining their Facebook group. I omitted the pockets this time, to conserve fabric. The lower pair is a free shorts pattern from Tiana's Closet, generously offered in sizes 1-8. I made the 4 (Scout's age), and they turned out great! I did add a little faux fly detail, just for fun. 

Rosa got three new skirts, too, as many of hers were worn out or outgrown. These were all simple to put together, since they're variations on a rectangle with an elasticated waist. From top to bottom:

1. Gathered denim skirt upcycled from a thrifted skirt. I salvaged the existing buttonholes and hem, and cut down the length. The leftover fabric was used for the new waistband -- the fabric is gathered into a solid waistband in front, but the back is elasticated. I topstitched the front waistband, but only had to do one new buttonhole. New coconut shell buttons to replace the hideous plastic "faux metal" buttons! 
2. The bottom half of a Wiksten Tova tunic that I made in 2018 and was no longer wearing. I wanted to keep as much length as possible, so I stitched a white cotton facing to the waistband and flipped it to the inside to form the elastic casing.
3. Tiered skirt made from a luscious tencel fabric, which I salvaged from a favorite dress -- the seams were fraying on the outside, but the skirt fabric was still in great shape. I cut strips out of the skirt, reassembled them, and did a simple elastic waist (with a row of eyelet at the bottom!).

With summer well on its way (and feeling like it's already here), I'm eager for all that's coming -- we're going home and moving forward at the same time, and I'm ready for familiar faces and places as well as new adventures (I'm trying not to think too much about the dear people we're leaving behind here...). And summer is the last full season before we meet little Kit in person, Lord willing, as he'll hopefully be joining us early in the fall. 

Endings and beginnings.