Bluebirdbaby

Spring

Another test item emerged from the green room for a trial run on the little one. This particular design was inspired by a shirt a blog reader sent me that used to be her daughter's. How fun! These test pieces are made from muslin and whatever embellishments I have on hand. Little attention is paid to details when putting them together because I just need to see how the fit will be, so it goes quickly. The real deal will take much longer.

I wasn't planning on announcing every design I have for my spring shop update, but there is little else to report on, so I decided to give you one more sneak peak. This jacket will be made out of a linen blend. I am really loving the linen/cotton blends because they are much easier to wash than 100% linen and do not wrinkle as easily. Perfect for children's wear!

The little one seemed to like it, or maybe she was just overjoyed to see the camera pointing at her again. The jacket seemed to fit well and now I just have the task of making the pattern in five different sizes! But it's cute, isn't it?!

Week 4

Another one for the Six One Way flickr group. Such fun these are.

Things that are recently making me quite happy:

-This fabric (I know it's not new, but I love it)
-Another fabric love
-This movie (it's one of my favorites. we watched it last night)
-This photo (feels like something right from the past)
-This shirt (who can resist a cute bunny?)
-These note cards (feels like spring)
-This video (because I can never watch those dance moves without laughing)
-This song (okay the video is pretty darn fun too)
-This photo
-This dress
-This amazing photo and the story behind it
-This video (kind of made me want to rip my hair out and scream, but it's good)

So what are you loving at the moment?

Testing, testing

Oh dear, I think I've gotten myself into a little mess. My brain just keeps spinning. I am finishing up the last of the custom orders and starting on another project that will be announced soon, but am also trying to find the time to design some spring clothing. My notebook is full of ideas. Just when I think I've settled on something, it changes yet again. Oh my mind...why can't I shut it off?

These pants were made in an amazing 20 minutes. No serging required because they are test pants. I simply cut the muslin, quickly sewed it together with the machine, made pockets out of whatever scraps I grabbed first and here we have some capri pants! Not exactly what I was going for. I was actually going to make bloomer type pants that hit just below the knee, but I didn't leave enough room for the elastic. So these finished pants inspired another design that I will attempt tonight. It.never.stops.

I've spent the last month looking for fabric that will feel right for my next shop update. I'm still searching and waiting for swatches to arrive in the mail. It's quite an exhausting process! But I have faith that the end result will satisfy me and hopefully won't take that long to reach. I do know that whatever pants or shirts end up coming out of the green room, the little one will be quite pleased to wear. So I guess that's all that matters.

A New Challenge

I feel as though I'm in a bit of a photography rut. You know, being stuck inside with the same old things, then going outside to have everything look, well...white. It's been warm enough the past couple of days to go for our usual walk on this quiet road. I tried to challenge myself to see things that haven't changed in months in a new way. It certainly helped to have a gorgeous blue sky, a cute little one wearing my favorite hat, argyle socks with sneakers in the snow, and amazing scenery all around us.

So the challenge was good and I think it may have pushed me out of that rut just a tad. Although I look at these photos and am almost positive I have taken one like them in the past...

The point. Gosh, she's getting so tall. Another round of sleepers were outgrown last week and she can now reach things on the kitchen counter. (Did I mention she got three more teeth last week? So that's a total of eight in two weeks!)

A stop for some traditional snow eating. The sneakers were all we had after we realized her boots had gotten too small. I'm too stubborn to buy more winter boots when I *hope* spring is just around the corner.

The family portrait. Hmmm...kind of looks familiar, doesn't it?!

On the bike. I can not convey my affection for that hat. It goes with us everywhere and Alex even wears it to bed.

And I think by next summer she might be able to pedal all by herself. But for now she is content with a push from Papa while she points excitedly to our neighbor's house and hums a little tune.

Here

I realized yesterday was one of the first weekdays I have not posted since starting this blog. It felt odd not to sit down with my computer after the day had come to a close, working out my thoughts of the day's events by typing away at the keyboard. But it's late February, and really, there's not much to say. Custom orders are being worked on, teething tablets are being consumed like candy, laundry is being washed, meals are being prepared, books are being read, and we're trying to enjoy the cold and snow, no matter how far away green grass seems. 

Perhaps excuse the prior ramblings and just enjoy the picture. That's the sunlight at 5 p.m., hanging on a little more as each day passes. So you see? Spring really isn't that far away and soon beaches, picnics, catching fireflies, picking flowers, fresh tomatoes from the garden, laundry drying in the sunlight, and walks through the woods will follow. And then we'll be dreaming of snowmen, hot chocolate, cozy fires, mittens, and wool socks. So I think I'll just go on enjoying winter, because it really isn't that long, is it?

Fit For a King and Queen

Some of my favorite things to make are the wool felt birthday crowns. There are a few that slipped by without being mentioned here, so I'd like to give them their debut. I don't know why I love making them so. Perhaps it's because with every stitch I imagine the years it will be worn, the parties it will be a part of, and the memories it will instill throughout a little one's childhood. It's quite magical and I feel honored to be the maker of each special crown.

I've gone back and forth with the idea to add them to my shop. I guess because each one is so unique and is often designed by the future wearer itself, that I have decided I would only take custom orders for them.

My goal is to make each one different. Kind of like my motto for clothing. Each child is different, so each crown should be too! Just by the colors the child picks out, I can often sense a style that would suit the wearer. It's fun to choose the stitching and trim that will compliment the wool felt.

Although I typically love accepting custom orders, I have to stop for the next month. I'm getting ready to order fabric for my spring line of clothing and am really concentrating on designs. But if you would like to place a custom order with me, I will gladly put you on a list to get started on after my next big shop update.

And don't forget... this afternoon at 2 p.m. EST, the shop will be updated with two lovely bags! Enjoy your Wednesday.

Week 3 (and other things)

Another one for the Six One Way project. Have I mentioned that in the past week the little one has gotten five new teeth (four being molars)?! Oh yes. Hence the middle picture of the Hyland's teething tablets.

So I have some news for you all. First, I was interviewed by a business opportunities weblog and you can find the interview here. It was a lot of fun to do and hopefully you will find some new tidbits you haven't read before.

I have a new website that is up and coming. ShopBluebirdbaby.com will be launched soon, but for now you can see the little "coming soon" banner I put together. A big thanks to Stephen for taking the time to do the programming for my new site! I'm really excited about it and hope it will provide people with more information about myself and my Bluebirdbaby goods.

And lastly, tomorrow (February 20th), at 2 p.m. EST, you will find two new additions to the shop. These "Everything Bags'' are perfect for so many things. They feature three interior pockets, a key ring to attach your keys, sturdy construction, and a lovely button closure. There will be two different bags in this style, so be sure to check in tomorrow for the update!

A Sunday Afternoon Walk

I've decided my body is in desperate need of exercise. My extent of any physical activity now solely involves running around after a small, energetic child. That's it. Because it wears me out so, it must be enough exercise, right?  Sadly, I have come to realize that it's just not. But when to fit in this exercise?! I can't bring the little one; it's too cold and windy this time of year. Waking up before she wakes up to squeeze some physical activity in would mean I'm up at 4 a.m. No thank you. So I guess I have to just snatch up the one or two times a week I may be able to get out alone.

I used to be a runner and hope that someday soon I will get back into it. But walking is perfect for now. It allows me to marvel at the red apples still hanging from the apple trees; surviving through wintry blizzards, wind storms, and hail.

Or soak up every detail of New England architecture, staring longingly at the house a half mile down the road from us that I have completely fallen in love with. It's original broken windows, the peeling pant on the clapboards, the crooked front steps, and rotting foundation. But I love it so and often imagine fixing it up and  moving ourselves in. It's for sale too. Anyone want to be our neighbor?

The bits and pieces of life abandoned over the years; half buried in snow, waiting for nature's next season and to be enveloped in green grass once again. It amazes me to think of the history this land has. The people who lived here, who worked here, the animals that grazed the land,  and the children who ran among the trees. It's humbling to think that we are only a small piece of a very large picture.

The exercise was much needed and the breaths of fresh air revived my energy. It only seemed fitting to top it off with a slice of flourless chocolate torte, complete with homemade whipped cream. Yes, I think this exercise thing will become a regular occurrence.

Winter

"The cold is merely superficial; it is the summer still at the core, far, far within."
- Henry David Thoreau
jounral entry,
January 12, 1855

Jeans For My Girl

I bought heaps of material to make jeans using this pattern a couple of months ago. I will admit that all confidence I seemed to feel in the store when I found this pattern quickly seemed to disappear by the time I got it home. Jeans? For me? With buttons, a fly, and fancy pockets?! Surely I'm not that skilled with my sewing...

I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with trying to find clothes for the little one. I'm starting to dabble in shirts now because I can't find any in her size that I feel comfortable with her wearing. Jeans always seem to be too tight and not at all conducive to the amount of running, jumping, climbing, and dancing that goes on when wearing them.

So the other day I made these. The material is slightly stretchy and I always tend to make the legs wide so they are comfortable for her. The rise is big because I needed something to fit over her new cloth diapers that are a tad bulkier than the old ones. However, they were all in the wash when I took these pictures, so the pants look rather large over those slim disposables!

The pockets are my favorite part. With contrasting stitching and three red (this is all the festivity you'll see here for Valentine's Day!) vintage buttons, they really make these jeans special. And best of all, she thinks the pants are superb and we got many compliments on them while in town!

*I'd be happy to take custom orders for a pair like these! Just contact me at erin@bluebirdbabyslings.com*

Week 2

Week 2: for the Six One Way project. (Definitely feeling really inspired by this right now!)

Thank you for all the kind, thoughtful, and encouraging comments on yesterday's post. Wow. You all amaze me sometimes. I know I'm not alone when I say how much your comments mean to me. They really truly make my day and can pull me out of the deepest rut. If you connected with yesterday's post at all, I urge you to go back and read through the comments. There are so many others who feel the same way and have many inspiring things to say. You all rock. Thanks for being here.

And guess what?! Sheila, the Bluebird Bag winner, never got back to me. So Sheila, if you're out there, please contact me!! If I don't hear from you by Thursday night, another name will be drawn! Thanks Sheila! The bag will be mailed later this week.

A little heads up: we are expecting a big storm (ugh) tonight and tomorrow with possible power outages. Please don't be concerned if I don't post on Thursday. Our little town is not on the top of the list with the power company, so it may be a couple days before we get our power back...

Play

Our wooden animals arrived yesterday and the little one was completely engrossed in play. It got me thinking about one of the most challenging parts of being a stay at home mom: having a very needy and demanding little one. A friend and I were recently talking about the amount of self-engaged play you should expect out of a 16-month-old. The little one is sorely lacking in this area. She's demanded my constant attention since day one (well, don't all newborns?) and I have been waiting for a gradual shift of imaginative play on her own. But she still needs my attention at all times.

There are days I put her to bed and still think I can feel those little hands pulling at my legs, or hear that distinct whine that lets me know my time washing the dishes, reading a book, or checking e-mail will soon be over. I've been told to ignore it, to let her figure out ways of entertaining herself, but the whining never ceases when I do this and instead picks up in intensity. I always give in and drop whatever I'm doing to sit on the floor amidst the toys, or plop on the couch with a favorite board book. As long as I'm sitting there doing absolutely nothing but watching her, she will play.

It's recently occurred to me that I spend almost the entire day trying to find time for myself; trying to get her to play on her own. That means whenever I sit down with her I am only thinking, "how long will I have to do this before I can get up and finish those dishes?" I am so fixed on her entertaining herself for more than a couple of minutes that I end up not enjoying the play time we have together.

Those seconds of playing with her new wooden figures yesterday quickly turned into minutes, then a half hour went by and I realized she was running around creating little stories about the animals. She was kissing them, making them "dance" on the floor, feeding them her snacks, tucking them under covers for a nap, and well, entertaining herself for a very good length of time. Is it the toys? Do the toys she has not inspire any self-engaged play? Or is it a developmental leap because she's getting older?

I suppose it doesn't matter. I was just beyond thrilled to see her interacting with her imagination. I think mindful parenting is something that comes and goes in my life as a mother. I seem to be able to "live in the moment" when I am not stressed or too busy. But isn't that when we need it most? For much of the day my head is either in the past or future. I need to be here: living each second as if it's the last I'll ever have. It really seems so silly to just tell yourself that e-mails can wait, dishes can stay dirty, who cares if I actually finish a book in the next year, and to just be in the here and now with my daughter. Because who really wants to look back and remember they spent their child's first years worrying about a messy house? Not me, that's for sure.

So here's to living in the moment. What could be a better challenge in the midst of a very cold and snowy winter?!

Little Things From the Green Room

I had the pleasure of doing a swap with Lizz from ZooLooNaturals. The little one is so incredibly smitten with our dog Macaulay, but due to a slow paralysis of his hind legs, he is not able to join us upstairs very often. I can tell she misses him and it makes our time with him even more special. It's hard to witness the aging of a beloved pet. A big dog going on twelve, he is still like a puppy in every other way. I can tell he is confused and scared about his sudden fight to control his back legs, and it's so hard to sit by and watch knowing I can't do a thing about it. So Lizz agreed to do a custom wooden figure of Macaulay! I think the little one will be very excited about it and I can imagine the play that will ensue.

So for Lizz I made a custom pair of pants for her little one. The yellow print is a heavy cotton and I love the look of it with the brown corduroy. I also included a little something extra, but unfortunately forgot to photograph it before packing it up.

I've been promising an outfit for my niece in Utah. She's going on three now and her mother informed me that she only likes "comfy" clothes. So a soft pair of flannel pants and a matching cotton shirt should do the trick. The little one still loves her "squirrel" pants and insists on wearing them when our little visitor climbs up to the deck to eat the birdseed.

And isn't this shirt lovely? It's made with organic cotton by Speesees with a flock of birds on the front. It came from one of my favorite places: Edith & Edna in Portland. Above is the little one pointing to the birds. She loves it as much as I do. Now if only they came in bigger sizes...

It was a fun night

The dress held together, my bag went for over the asking price, I didn't eat a single morsel while I was there (I had no idea what the ingredients were and I wasn't going to risk it), wandered around taking pictures, listened to some great jazz by the "Midcoast Monster," bid on two gorgeous handmade cutting boards (oh, how I love tiger maple) and ended up being lucky enough to take them home. It was a really fun night.

A Little Brown Dress

Well, it's done. Finally. After about five hours of work. I apologize for the headless shots. I'm in a phase where I'm really disliking my hair. It had to be chopped off postpartum due to my hair loss and I'm still a tad bitter about it. But we're really not looking at my head here anyway, right? Let's focus on the dress. How do you like it with those dark brown tights and ballet flats? Kind of fitting I should be dressed in shades of brown for the Chocolate Festival Saturday night.

I'll admit, I'm not a good one with patterns. This was particularly challenging due to the neckband and sleeves. If you notice on the pattern I was going for the ties on the ends of the sleeves, but even after three tries I couldn't get them to fit up my arm after sewn. Did anyone else have this problem? I just cut them off and did my own thing. It works.

I successfully finished my first invisible zipper. Can't really see it there, can you? That would be a good thing. It called for a 20" zipper, but all I could find was a 16" zipper so I improvised a bit. The original length of the dress was about six inches longer when I started but I ended up making it shorter. I may take in the sides too for a more fitted look.

The back of the neckband ended up being slip stitched because I had no idea how else to finish it. It took me a good hour, but it's done and I think it will hold up better now.

I definitely think I will use this pattern again. Perhaps a shirt with the same style neckband. I think I need to shift away from solid linens to a subtle print. Just to mix things up a bit.

Have a wonderful weekend! See you back here on Monday.

Redo

I'm much too tired to do a typical post. It's been a week of lousy weather here and we're experiencing a bit of cabin fever. Cloudy days can really shift my mood. I feel lethargic, unproductive, unmotivated, and my mood tends to be on edge. But mostly I'm just tired.

I have managed to find the energy to work on the dress for Saturday. Above is a picture. Oh, the neckline... so much work. So many times did I take that apart and put it back together again thinking "this must be it; this has to work!" only to find out, once again, that I didn't do it correctly. I still have the inside to hand stitch into place, and I'm not really sure that's how it's supposed to be done. Pattern lingo and I (the one who typically makes everything up) don't mix. I'm thinking because I chose this brown linen that I either look like a monk or like I'm wearing a potato sack. Monk or not, it will be worn on Saturday after all this work. You'll get the full view tomorrow...

Oh, and how to you like the new look? I thought it was time for a banner change. I had a compilation of three winter scenes all ready to go, but after this week of lousy weather I decided I've had enough of winter! Pudgy little fingers playing the piano? Perfect, if I say so myself.

And the Winner Is...

Thank you for all your Bluebird Bag love! 75 comments...that's a lot of writing! I managed to get all the names written down while the little one kept herself entertained with bowls full of snow in the sink.

She had a bit of a hard time choosing only one. She wanted a handful, but after a few tries she finally picked a sole name out of the bowl.

So the winner is Sheila, commenter #27! Please e-mail me (erin@bluebirdbabyslings.com) with your address so I can get this bag out to you. Thanks to everyone else who left a comment. I loved reading each and everyone of them. You can be sure there will be another giveaway in the future.

And have you all seen the Six One Way project? It's amazing and their photographs are so inspiring and captivating. I joined the flickr photo group, adding the mosaic above. Expect to see one of these a week from me. It's such a great challenge and adds to my goal of noticing the little details of our lives.

Welcoming Home Friends

Our neighbors just returned from their yearly trip to Cambodia to do some amazing work with the foundation they started. I hope to interview them soon about their work for a future post. They truly are a very inspirational couple and we've been so lucky to have them as friends and neighbors. I decided to put aside my work in the green room for some baking while the little one was napping. I used my favorite gluten, sugar, soy, dairy, egg-free chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's amazing and always produces delicious results.

Can you read that recipe above? I hope so. I'm much too lazy to type it out. Basically you mix all the wet ingredients separately from the dry. Combine and stir well. DO NOT taste the batter. It is absolutely revolting and you will never believe the cookies will actually be edible. I use this mix which I think provides good results. I also use agave nectar or honey in place of sugar. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes or so.

They look like real chocolate chip cookies, don't they?! They taste a lot like the real ones too.

So when the little one awoke, we packed up the cookies and a card I made (using a photo of Fred's lovely woodpile) in her favorite basket, grabbed a cookie for the road and bundled up.

We took a lovely walk down the road to drop off the "welcome home" basket. The little one insisted on her bike and not the stroller or carrier. Thank goodness it has a handle for me to push it. We had a great visit with Fred and Kitty and heard some fabulous stories about their trip. And to top it off, they loved the cookies and didn't have a clue they were gluten-free until I told them.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the winner of the Bluebird Bag giveaway!

Stage Curtains DONE!

I just had to post a picture of the most massive project I've ever worked on. It's finally done and ready to be FedExed tomorrow. The curtains are not crooked, my camera was tilted. The shutter speed was so slow I could literally count to five before I heard the "click." But you get the idea...

*Big sigh of relief*

In the Green Room

About two weeks ago I was commissioned by someone in Colorado to make stage curtains. I picked out a beautiful dark green velvet with some gold trim, and have been working on them for a good week now. They are so long and wide that I've had trouble measuring, cutting, and sewing. Above is a picture of me sewing a finished edge, with a mass of fabric in my lap. It's been a good challenge figuring it all out.

I think the end result will look mighty impressive on the stage. They look like the real deal. I wanted the curtains to have a professional look to them in hopes that it will make the children performing feel extra special. They will be finished tonight and shipped out tomorrow to be up and ready for their first performance on Saturday. How exciting...a little bit of Bluebirdbaby on stage!

All of a sudden I've been bombarded with requests for birthday banners. I made one for Elisabeth's first birthday and decided to make an extra one for my shop shortly after. They take a good deal of time to make, so I haven't really had a chance to add anymore, but I've been more than happy to accept custom orders. I finished the one above last night and I think the birthday boy will be pleased with it.

And remember the dress that didn't fit? It's off to a new home, but I still haven't been able to find another one to replace it. I'm so particular now about clothing, so I've decided to make one. The only problem is the event is this Saturday night. I'm thinking that cute dress on the left, only a longer length. I have some light brown linen I picked up this weekend that I plan to use.

And won't these new ballet flats go swell with it? Not entirely practical for a snow and ice covered wintry Maine, but they are very comfortable. Now if I can only finish the dress in time...

A Bluebird Bag Giveaway

Have I bored you enough with craftless posts?! After my last shop update I needed a moment to breathe. I've been very fortunate to have some custom orders roll in, so I've been busily working on those and haven't had much time for anything else. A month ago I got this idea to make a sturdy canvas bag with a bluebird on it. I am not in need of another bag, but still felt like I had to get this idea out of my head and make it a reality.

Two lessons were learned doing this:
1) My serger definitely has issues with thick material
2) All cotton webbing is not the same

But, I am pleased with the end result. It's not perfect by any means, but so very functional. A trip to the farmer's market, toting books home from the library, lugging around diapers and sippy cups...it's the perfect bag for any of these.

I hand painted the "bluebird on a wire." I was very fortunate to find cotton webbing online that matched exactly.  My color choices were really about what I had on hand, but then again, I love chocolate brown and blue together. Stephen thought I was a bit loony for choosing these colors, but I assured him they were "in." (They are, right?)

The cotton webbing was a find on Etsy. I was under the impression that all cotton webbing was of the same thickness. Oh no, not this stuff. It's like a band of steel runs through it. It's so incredibly thick!! There was no way I could do my usual "turn under and finish edge" deal, so I had to serge the ends to keep them from fraying. Again, serger was not happy. Even my trusty pal seemed to put up a fight.

And guess what? It's "Elisabeth approved" and I think she will be sad to see it go. But it will go to a new home next Wednesday morning. Just leave a comment on this post by next Tuesday 9 p.m. EST. And who knows...there may be more things in the bag too!

And totally off topic, but I know there are some vintage Pyrex lovers out there. I picked 8 of these cute tea cups up months ago. When I brought them home Stephen rolled his eyes and they've been sitting unused ever since. So the first person to e-mail me at erin@bluebirdbabyslings.com will get them.  Taken.Thanks! I'll even pay for shipping.

Have a great weekend!!