Misc Ramblings – Page 21 – a hippie with a minivan

When all else fails…

The burner that I use the most on my stove stopped working last week… I am starting to hate this range. I spent all November of last year without an oven, and with the water damage and holidays coming up, I just don’t want want to deal with this right now…

So I ignored it. That didn’t work.

I called a repair man to see how much it would cost for him to see what the problem was… and then upon hearing the cost… I said I would call back… and I didn’t…

That didn’t work.

I looked online to find the problem myself and when I saw the prices that a new element would cost it made me almost faint… I decided to wish really hard that it would repair itself…

That didn’t work either…

So I did what any sensible person would do. I went up to it turned it on and when it didn’t turn on I got frustrated and hit it…

and guess what…

It worked.

One-wet Trainers (for EC) Tutorial

Wilhelmina has now been diaper-free and using one-wet trainers since she was about 5 months old. One-wet trainers are great, they are underwear with a bit of absorbency so that a miss doesn’t mean a mess. They are however quite expensive between 15$-20$ each. Because I can sew, I can’t justify buying them.

I made quite a few pairs before finding the perfect design for us and I am really happy with the ones that I now make. They stay up well, have no bulk, and fit and look like underwear.

The underwear itself is made from a stretchy knit fabric (I have even used old onsies) The Soaker has a layer of flannel, a layer of Zorb or another absorbant material and a layer of PUL. You also need braided elastic for the waist and fold-over elastic for the leg openings.

You can download my pattern here. (I don’t mind sharing, but please don’t use this to sell unless you buy a license which is at the end of the post) These fit Wilhelmina at 5 months and were still fitting at 18 months when we stopped using them…

First cut the pieces out… giving yourself a 1/2″ seam allowance around all sides except on the fold. (btw… If you want to make these bigger just add more seam allowance.)

Next cut out the pieces of the soaker. One flannel, one PUL and one of your absorbant material and then a smaller rectangle of the same to add a bit more absorbency without adding bulk.

(here is the flannel, I forgot to take a pic of the other pieces…sorry )

Sew the absorbent material together and add a few lines of stitches going across the middle. This makes it less stiff and contours the body more instead of the soaker sticking out…

Put the soaker together by placing the flannel on top and the layer of PUL (shiny side in) on the bottom and sew the pieces together (serge or do a zig zag stich around the edges)

Now that the soaker is done, it is time for the underwear.

Sew the three pieces together. (the largest part of the crotch piece fits onto the back piece)

Next is time to put the elastic in the leg holes.

(This is Fold-over elastic if you are wondering)

Fold the elastic over one end of the leghole edge and stich it down, then using a zigzag stich pull the elastic slightly while sewing it down the leghole edge.

It should look like this when done.

The do the same on the other side.

Next place the finished soaker on the underwear piece with the round part on the front of the underwear. Using a zigzag stich, sew it in.

Now the soaker is in…

With the right sides of the underwear together sew and/or serge the side edges.

Almost done!

Measure your little ones waist and then subtract about 10% and cut the braided elastic to that length. (Wilhelmina’s waist is about 17 inches so I need about 15 inches)

With the underwear inside out, sew the elastic around the top edge. Again using a the zigzag stich, and stretching as you sew. (the ends of the elastic should meet or slightly overlap)

Finally, turn the underwear right side out, fold the elastic over and sew it down, stretching again as you sew.

Your done!

Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!

___________________________________________

Not everyone can sew or has the time to do so, so if you want to make these One-wet trainers and sell them, you may purchase a license to do so.

-One Limited Commercial License = One pattern / tutorial

One License must be purchased for each person who makes or sells the tutorial / pattern (so if two people are making them for an etsy shop of craft fair, both must buy the license)

I still retain copyright on the tutorial / pattern itself.

Lastly, when selling or listing the item, design credit must be given to A hippie with a Minivan with a link to this site or pattern.

Also, if you wish you may send me the link to your shop so that I can send people to you!

By purchasing the license, you agree with the terms

Thank you! and happy sewing!

20.00

And then there was one…

I have been nursing non stop for almost 8 1/2 years… and nursing 2 or 3 for more than 6 years of that..

Xavier nursed through my pregnancy with Colin and then again through my pregnacy with Khéna and weaned himself at around 5 1/2… Colin did the same, though he weaned just before Wilhelmina was born, a few months after his fifth birthday as well…

I thought Khéna would do the same and nurse until at least 5, but in the last few months he has pretty much weaned himself. He will be 4 in two weeks. Though he still asks once in a while he nurses only for a second or two and can go a week without asking… so pretty much I am back to nursing just one again… It is a bit of a shock. With the way Khéna loved to nurse and the frequency that he was nursing during my pregnancy, I never would have thought that he would be the youngest to wean..

So here I am… one last baby, one last nursling…

thinking…

I want to move… but the thought of moving is so daunting.

We moved out of the city to have a yard, to have a bit more space, to have less noise and to have our own place. We moved so far out of the city because it was the cheapest option, cheaper even than renting. But rents have gone up, home prices have gone up and we are still a one income family with 4 kids instead of 1.

I have long wanted to move back to BC where I was raised, but Simon’s stable job is hard to leave behind when there is a family to take care of. After SMUG (the Summer Montreal Unschooling Gathering) I realized that we were really missing out on a community. The people I love to be around, that share the same interests, whose children are my children’s friends are all far away. Though I try to get out to Montreal often, it is often not often enough and I feel that my kids are really missing out on having a community and having those friends on a regular basis.

So, we have been thinking abour selling the house and moving back to Montreal. Even if it means renting again and no longer having a place of our very own. So after the work is done in the house we will be thinking about putting it up for sale. It makes my palms sweat thinking about it though… Selling a house with a family of six living in it, packing boxes, downsizing when we have little space as it is.

I do think that it would be worth it… won’t it?

Have you moved? Have you went from owning to renting? Have you downsized with a big family? I would love to hear stories, opinions and have suggestions…

House Rules…

The other day, the boys and I were talking after an exhausting morning of siblings fights… We all know that we have unwritten rules to follow in our relationships with others but we decided that it made sense to wrote them out and put them up on the wall as a reminder.

We all sat down and talked about them and figured out what were the best rules in the house so that everyone could live happily together.

Here is what we came up with:

It’s working…

There are no “consequences” and the only reward is that things are going much smoother in the house… It is reward enough…

when something is happening that is ‘against the rules’ a simple reminder is all that is needed. I never was a lover of having “rules” but I have to say that I am enjoying the atmosphere around here much more these last few days..