tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20877346071306609452024-02-18T20:38:44.427-06:00Dilettante HomemadeSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.comBlogger292125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-19815141261627499792015-07-15T13:02:00.006-05:002015-07-15T13:03:34.761-05:00Blog Abandonment and Where to Find Me
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Obviously, I haven't really been doing this blogging thing lately. It's been very nearly a year, and I think that pushes things over the line from "blog break" to "blog abandonment." I still don't plan on this being a forever goodbye to this space, but I also don't have a plan to come back to it any time soon. </div>
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If you're still interested in seeing what I'm up to these days (including lots of sewing, cooking, gardening, and adorable children), I'd love to connect on Instagram! I'm <a href="https://instagram.com/dilettantesarah/" target="_blank">dilettantesarah</a> over there...let's be friends. ;)<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-15151182369803252612014-09-05T16:48:00.004-05:002014-09-05T16:48:59.303-05:00Ahhhhhhhhh!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made Quinn this little monster guy for his first birthday. (One! My baby is one! Oh my goodness!) He could not care less about it, much preferring to spend his precious time putting small inedible items in his mouth, but Adelaide loves it and has adopted it for now.<br />
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It's the Koji pattern from the <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781584798583?aff=Sarah.Dilettante"><i>Wee Wonderfuls</i></a> book. I challenged myself to work only with what I had on hand for this project. The corduroy is from an old pair of Adam's pants. I have <i>so many </i>old clothing items sitting around waiting to be fabric-harvested, so this made me very happy. The wool felt is left over from when I made Adelaide some play food a couple of Christmases ago. And the argyle quilting cotton has been sitting on my shelves for years.<br />
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The pattern came together nicely and didn't take too much time. It's sturdy. And kinda cute, despite the wonky facial expression it ended up with. (I tried to get that mouth on straight, I really did, but...)<br />
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I have to keep reminding Adelaide that she can't keep Koji forever. Someday Quinn might actually want him. So she's requested one of her own.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-26988495729572132872014-08-29T09:44:00.001-05:002014-08-29T09:44:13.534-05:00Do-it-yourself deodorantIs this something I've blogged about before? It might be. But I've tweaked my recipe and my method, so here we go (again?): Homemade Deodorant.<br />
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It's at this point that you're thinking either "Yes! Awesome!" or "WTF? Gross." If it's the latter, I hear you, but stick with me for a few while I attempt to change your mind.<br />
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It is cost-effective. What does "regular" deodorant cost these days? I'm honestly not sure because it's been so long since I bought it, but I'm thinking it was upwards of $3 per unit a few years ago. And if you get fancy hippie deodorant, it's even more expensive. The ingredients for homemade deodorant aren't expensive and you can make a ton of deodorant with your relatively small investment or use the extra ingredients (coconut oil! baking soda!) in your kitchen or for other body products.<br />
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It is quick easy. It seriously only takes a few minutes and you are not going to screw it up. I think it's easier to whip up a batch when I run out than it was to remember to stock up at the grocery store in a timely fashion.<br />
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It's good for you. The ingredients aren't going to creep you out. There's no debate over carcinogens or hormone disruptors or blah blah blah. If you're like me, you stress out over this stuff sometimes...and now there will be one less creepy mass-merchandised body product to stress out over.<br />
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Of course, none of the above is going to sway you if the stuff doesn't work, and this is where many of you will be skeptical. You don't want to be stinky. Well, I don't want to be stinky either, and I love this stuff. Of course, if you're used to using antiperspirant, this won't be what you're used to. You will still sweat. But, hey, your body <i>needs</i> to sweat. Sweating is healthy. But this deodorant will keep you from stinking. Cross my heart.<br />
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So let's roll...<br />
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<b><u>Homemade Deodorant</u></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients </i><br />
1/3 cup baking soda<br />
1/3 cup arrowroot powder<br />
10 drops tea tree oil<br />
1/3 cup coconut oil<br />
1/2 teaspoon shea butter<br />
1/2 teaspoon beeswax<br />
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<i>Directions</i><br />
In a small bowl, mix baking soda, arrowroot powder, and essential oil.<br />
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In a small pan, add coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax. Melt over low heat, stirring often.<br />
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Once the mixture is melted, remove from heat and pour over powdered mixture. Stir thoroughly and pour into jar. Leave lid off until cool.<br />
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To use: Apply a small amount to each armpit with your fingers. I like to let it dry a couple of minutes before putting my shirt on, but that's not really necessary. If it is very hot outside and mixture is too liquid, keep it in the fridge for some extra nice armpit cooling.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-42020264980765486132014-08-07T21:18:00.001-05:002014-08-07T21:18:04.700-05:00gleeful on-the-go romper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is Quinn's Gleeful On-the-Go Romper. I sewed it up for Kids Clothes Week, and I even took photos of it right away. The delay from that step to this one is inexplicable, but I'm going to take a leap and blame the children. Cool? Cool.<br />
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I love babies in rompers. <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com/2012/08/kill-me-with-cuteness.html">L-O-V-E!</a> I based the top on the envelope neck tee from the <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781596681620?aff=Sarah.Dilettante"><i>Growing Up Sew Liberated</i></a> book. I drafted the bottom half based loosely on a romper Quinn already has. I fussed around trying to figure out the crotch snap situation for awhile, finally settling on sew-in snaps.<br />
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And, you guys? It totally worked out! The romper fits! It's cute! The snaps hold! It seems like the boy is comfortable! High-fives all around!<br />
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The photo shoot, though...O.M.G. It mostly looked like this...<br />
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Or this...<br />
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And then we got photo-bombed. Puppy on the loose! (Don't worry. We made sure it got back to our neighbors safely.)<br />
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Oh, and another thing I love: this fabric. It's one of the knits from <a href="http://www.artgalleryfabrics.com/cgi-bin/fabricshop/gallery.cgi?Category=103">Caroline Hulse's Gleeful collection for Art Gallery Fabrics</a>. So cute! I wanted to make Quinn something for Kids Clothes Week that fit the Kid Art theme, but I didn't feel like letting the baby loose with any art supplies. I figured fabric with a bit of a kid-art vibe was the way to go, and I immediately thought of these adorable and sunny doodle lines. I stalked various online fabric shops hoping to be able to order it in time for my KCW sewing, and it was available just in time! Hooray! (I ordered it from <a href="http://www.hawthornethreads.com/">Hawthorne Threads</a>, and it came super quickly. I was so excited.)<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-23450222387266603612014-07-25T08:25:00.000-05:002014-07-25T08:28:19.372-05:00KCW Days 1-4: Adelaide's Wild and Free Geranium Dress<div>
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The first thing that came to mind for me when I learned that this week's theme is "Kid Art" was letting Adelaide loose with some fabric paint. She gets some art project fun, I get some adorable hand-painted fabric, and we get to collaborate on making something in the sewing room. Win, win, win.<br />
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She did an awesome job with her fabric painting (no bias here, nope, not at all). There was no end project in mind when I doled out the materials. I picked this mystery fabric out of the remnant bin at JoAnn Fabrics ages ago. It's got a linen-ish thing going on, but I don't know what it actually is. Looking at my stash, this is what seemed best suited for a three-year-old's experimental fabric painting. I really let Adelaide do her own thing with the fabric paint, though I tried to keep about three colors in her tray at a time to avoid having everything turn to brown from overenthusiastic color mixing. </div>
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Her finished piece definitely had a border-print vibe, and my mind went straight to the Geranium Dress pattern. I asked her what she wanted to make with the fabric, and she didn't know, so I made the suggestion and she agreed. </div>
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The bodice is some chambray from another project. It happened to match some of the paint perfectly.</div>
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Adelaide even picked the buttons herself.</div>
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As I've mentioned here before, Adelaide isn't one for fussy clothes. I have to make a real effort to not treat something like this too preciously or she will NEVER wear it. I have to check myself: what is the point of a kid having clothes if I'm going to get bent out of shape when they get grass stains or ice cream on them? I'd a million times rather her wear something lovely and stain it (or rip it) than never wear it. She's my rough-and-tumble, garden-loving girl, so if she can't wear something for all that entails, it's not worth making. </div>
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So here she is, watering the garden in her brand new dress. Perfectly Adelaide.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-40821700963307706742014-06-24T11:10:00.000-05:002014-06-24T11:10:11.007-05:00Gingham Portfolio Top<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm back with a little selfish sewing today. I made my first <a href="http://www.sewlisette.com/patterns/portfolio">Simplicity 2245 Lisette Portfolio Tunic</a>. This pattern has been covered extensively all over the internet already, so I'm not going to bore you with too many details.<br />
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I made a top for my first go-round. Of course, this means the coolest feature (the awesome front pocket structure) is missing, but I wanted to check the fit before committing the extra time and fabric on a dress version. I'm glad I did, because I don't feel like the chest fit is quite spot-on yet.<br />
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I did add a little length (2 inches, I think), because I like my tops to be a little on the long side. That was definitely a wise choice, because I wouldn't wear this if it were any shorter.<br />
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And if I'm ever again thinking of making this pattern in gingham, please stop me. The pattern matching is not possible (or maybe it is, but don't tell me about it, because I don't want to know that it's just me) -- I made some effort but eventually gave up -- and the non-matching kind of drives me bonkers.<br />
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Overall, I'm fairly happy with this top, though. It's not perfect, and I'd investigate a few tweaks before making it again to see if I could make it a bit more flattering, but it's comfortable and breezy and I'm a sucker for gingham. It's a good just-a-bit-dressier-than-a-T-shirt summer option.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-18724811118745712092014-06-17T16:42:00.000-05:002014-06-17T16:42:51.907-05:00Pajamarama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I like sewing pajamas for the kids. There are just so many upsides:<br />
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1. Instant gratification: Most pajamas are a pretty quick sew. They're not complicated. They don't involve a lot of extra fuss. Some rather basic knit or woven fabric, a bit of elastic, and half an hour...ta-da!<br />
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2. Low-pressure sewing situation: They're pajamas, so they don't have to be perfect. As long as they're comfortable and don't fall apart, it's a win. Cute is a nice bonus, but if it doesn't work out, I'll live.<br />
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3. Frugality: The pajamas in the post were really inexpensive to make. Like free (well, unless you factor in my time, but even that wasn't a lot). Pajama sewing is perfect for recycling old grown-up clothes. It's not always (or even that often) that sewing is really "cheaper" than buying (not that it should be or needs to be!), and it's a nice bonus when I can make a summer pajama wardrobe for nothing rather than shelling out $ at Old Navy or Target or some other god forsaken hell hole.<br />
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4. Guaranteed wear time: Sewing for the kids is a risk. I've made some cute things that live exclusively in the closet. BUT! Take the number of pajama items in Adelaide's drawer, factor in the tossing turning toddler sweat and the spilled breakfast items, and multiply by the (ir)regularity of my laundry routine. All the jammies get worn at some point. ALL OF THEM.<br />
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Okay, on to the show-and-tell.<br />
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Adelaide already had the polka dot pajama shirt, but the matching pants are getting too small now. Luckily, I had leftover fabric...just enough for some shorts. These are the Sleeping Johns from <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781596681620?aff=Sarah.Dilettante"><i>Growing Up Sew Liberated</i></a>, just shorter. I made them in a 4T so my little 3-year-old would have some room to grow.</div>
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The green and pink shorts were made from some of my old (huge and falling apart at the waistband) pajama pants. I used the free <a href="https://oliverands.com/free-patterns/sunny-day-shorts/">Oliver + S Sunny Day Shorts</a> pattern in a 4T. (Adelaide measured between the 2T and 3T, but for pajamas I wanted to err on the side of baggy. I think it was definitely the right choice here.) It was a super easy and quick pattern, and they look really comfortable. Oh, and let's talk useful stuff for a sec: flat felled seams. Not that difficult on something like this and makes the shorts so much more sturdy. It's a little extra step I'm glad I took.<br />
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The pink shirt was just one of my old ill-fitting tops. I think I got it in high school and stopped wearing it about shortly post-college, but I held onto it hoping to re-purpose it one day. Only a decade and several moves later, that day has finally come. TOTALLY WORTH IT.<br />
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I took the seam ripper to the sides and some of the ribbing, then I redrafted the armholes and took the sides in (not quite enough, though). And then I reattached the ribbing I had undone and crossed the straps at the back. It was still too baggy, so I pinched a little pleat into the back. I didn't want to re-hem it, so it ended up really long. More of a nightgown. But that's cool, because why not?<br />
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Pajama sewing for the win.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-48303602020086328682014-06-09T21:27:00.001-05:002014-06-09T21:27:20.332-05:00Q is for QuinnI've actually been sewing up a storm lately, not that I've managed to post about it for my <strike>millions of adoring fans</strike> handful of occasional readers. Sometimes there's only time for the sewing OR the blogging, and the sewing is going to win about 87% of the time (highly scientific/mathematical reasoning behind that number, by the way). This is why I love Instagram so much: fast and easy sharing of the things. (I'm @DilettanteSarah. Say hello!)<br />
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I've got some backlogged projects is what I'm saying, and I have already taken pictures of some of them even. So let's get rolling. Today I bring you a throw pillow for the rocking chair in Quinn's room. I made this way back in March, back when my baby still occasionally let me rock him before bed, back when he was only at a 10 on the squirmy wormy ball of energy scale. Now he has turned the dial up to 11 and the chair goes untouched. But hey, at least it's got a pillow on it, am I right?<br />
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I hand drew the Q, and I'm quite pleased with it. My appliqueing skills are not stellar, but I tried to really take my time and I think it turned out okay. My decision to use some leftover baby-wale corduroy with a bit of stretch, on the other had, turned out less okay. At least, that's what I'm blaming for the rather ill-fitting nature of the cover. Although, now that I think of it, the pillow cover I made for Adelaide's room back in the day didn't fit that well or snugly either, so maybe I just have problems.<br />
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Anyway: Pillow cover! Sewn! Photographed! And bloggily delivered to you with love!<br />
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I hope to be back very soon with some summer pajamas for Adelaide (already have photographs, so that should be easy enough one would think) and a blouse for myself (that I have already worn out into the world twice but have not yet photographed*).<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*This may very well be the first time since I started blogging that I've gone about wearing something (or, heaven forbid, allowed the children to wear something) before photographing it. I mean, I am a mess. I just cannot be trusted to wear something without ruining it. BUT. I actually need some new summery shirts and it takes me ages to get photographs of myself wearing anything. Because it is the worst. Adam is a good sport and will happily snap away any time, any place, so I've got that going for me. But the rest of the process is me scrambling to find some clean pants that aren't ill-fitting and that at least kind of go with the top I made, me trying to decide whether my unwashed hair is too unwashed, children sitting at our feet (best-case scenario) fussing about the lack of attention they are getting for FIFTEEN WHOLE MINUTES OH MY GOD THE HORROR, and the supreme awkwardness of feeling like the neighbors are watching the whole thing and wondering what the hell I am doing with my life. So, yeah, I kind of procrastinate the photo shoot a bit.</span></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-22463544604369960322014-05-07T14:19:00.003-05:002014-05-07T14:31:28.755-05:00Navy Plantain TeeI love sewing for myself, but I'm rarely overly pleased with the results, at least not in that I-wear-it-all-the-time way. I have no use for clothes that aren't really darn comfortable, at least not on a regular basis. And I also don't really like to have to spend time each day thinking about putting an outfit together. What I really want to be able to sew for myself are just some good, flattering basics. But, man, that's hard. At least for me.<br />
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With that in mind, I decided it was high time I tried sewing myself a T-shirt. I had seen some really cute versions of the free Plantain Tee by Doe and Deer, so I decided to go with that. It's a scoop-neck tee with a slightly flared bottom. I used a very stretchy jersey from my stash, bought at JoAnn fabrics. I don't remember exactly what it is, but it's one of those Sew Classics types that they always have in stock.<br />
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I had fun sewing it up. It was fairly easy, once I get my machine settings right for the crazy stretchy fabric.<br />
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I'm not sure how I feel about the results though. It's just not quite right on me. For one thing, the fabric is just too slinky. It's comfy, but it's not very flattering and shows every bump and undergarment strap. I'm breastfeeding and wearing nursing tanks, I've grown two kids, that level of detail is not really going to work for me. (These pictures are the least lumpy of the bunch, and it took some doing to weed the others out.)<br />
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I also think the armholes may be too big. Actually, I may have wanted a smaller size altogether. I don't know. I definitely think the flared bottom is just a bit too unfitted for me and I'd be better off with something with a more defined waist.<br />
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But I don't know...It feels nice on even if I'm not happy with how it looks in the pictures. And I'm very happy with how the sewing went. I may try again with a few modifications, or even modify this one a bit to see how it goes. At any rate, it'll be fine around the house or with a cardigan over it (and I love me a cardigan).<br />
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I'm in the middle of sewing another shirt for myself right now, this one a woven tunic, and I'm having some of the same issues. I'm finding it really difficult to find patterns that look comfortable and fuss-free but also flattering on me (is it the C-cup? the hips? just the nursing tanks?). Sigh. If you have any awesome pattern suggestions, please, help me!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-84691584511712795542014-04-23T13:19:00.001-05:002014-04-23T13:19:01.199-05:00KCW Project 2: Space Ranger Bimaa Hoodie<div>
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<i>Hey! I'm finally wrapping up my Kids Clothes Week posts! Go me!</i></div>
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There's something I neglected to mention about Adelaide in my last post: <i>Toy Story 2</i>.<br />
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She is freaking gonzo for that movie. As in, she is constantly pretending to be Woody or Buzz or Jessie (but usually Buzz these days) and assigning everyone else around her roles as well. (Poor Quinn is often relegated to the role of Mister Potato Head, but such is the plight of a little brother, I suppose.)<br />
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So I had the idea to make her a space ranger hoodie, and I immediately knew that I wanted to go with the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/125543459/bimaa-sweater-pdf-sewing-pattern-hoodie">Bimaa pattern</a> by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/LouBeeClothing?ref=l2-shopheader-name">Lou Bee Clothing</a>. I found some awesome quick-dry jersey at JoAnn Fabrics for the blue, green, and purple. The white is just the stretchiest white jersey the store had, but it's not as great as the quick-dry stuff.<br />
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The shirt sewed up pretty quickly, and I'm very happy with it, though the 3T fits a little long on my smallish almost-three-year-old. I didn't do the suggested edge stitching around the face opening, but I think I might go back and do it, because it's looking pretty floppy. On the other hand, Adelaide doesn't mind it, so maybe I won't bother.</div>
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I drew and cut a freezer paper stencil for the control panel on the front. Rather than paint all the buttons on, I decided to sew on a few real buttons, which I think worked out well. Plus it's an extra selling point for Miss Picky. A hood, buttons, AND a space ranger theme is pretty much hitting up her whole want list. All that's missing is a set of pockets and a matching shirt for her brother -- then this would be the holy grail.</div>
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I'm happy to report that Adelaide loves it! It's probably my biggest sewing win for her so far. She's wearing it right now, even. Hooray!</div>
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Yet, despite the fact that she loves wearing it, the photo shoot was nutso. She was happy enough to stand in front of the camera in exchange for some fudge, but not without some pretty intense hamming. I took about 100 photos, and the ones above are pretty much the only ones in which she played it straight. Mostly, it was like the photos below: crazy cakes. But, I must admit, they're pretty awesome. Maybe she knew exactly what she was doing.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-86660373212521729762014-04-17T18:40:00.000-05:002014-04-17T19:03:16.078-05:00KCW Project 1: There's Always Room For Ice Cream Tunic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kids Clothes Week is, of course, over by now. But it takes me awhile to get a post up these days, so here you go.<br />
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First, let me just tell you a little bit about Adelaide. She is almost three. She loves digging. She loves dancing all crazy to Michael Jackson tunes. She loves wearing jeans because that's what cowboys wear. She has very strong opinions. And she never wants to wear anything fussy, meaning she's kind of a T-shirt girl (chalk it up as a "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" thing).<br />
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Before I knew her so well, way back when she was either in utero or a teeny tiny baby (I can't remember for sure), I saw this super cute <a href="http://www.sewlisette.com/fabric/">Lisette</a> ice cream/popsicle fabric at JoAnn's. I snapped it up with plans for making an adorable little dress at some point. Well, once that kid got on the move and vocal about her likes and dislikes, I decided not to waste the time or fabric on something she probably wouldn't enjoy wearing.<br />
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These days, particularly during Quinn's naptimes, Adelaide likes to hang out in my sewing room with me, playing with fabric scraps and wooden spools while I work. It is fantastic, seriously, one of my dreams come true. Sure, I end up getting less done than I would all by myself, but the other day she asked if she could sew something on my machine and my heart melted into a gloriously mushy puddle.<br />
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One day, she spotted the ice cream fabric. And it was love. Cue weeks of asking if I'd made her an "ice cream shirt" yet, even with some very polite "please" action thrown in for good measure. That kind of request just cannot be ignored. So, despite my reservations, I decided to place Adelaide's Ice Cream Tunic at the top of this season's KCW list.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure what she's doing to Big Bird here, but it seems menacing.</td></tr>
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I went with the <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/">Made By Rae</a> <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2012/12/geranium-dress-sewing-pattern-is-here/">Geranium pattern</a>, making it with the cap sleeves, tunic length, side seam pockets, and plain neckline. It sewed up really nicely. The pattern was great, very clear. And the size 3 is a great fit for my smallish nearly-3-year-old.<br />
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It's pretty stinking cute too, though I may be biased.</div>
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Will she wear it? Time will tell.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-86429989392926648932014-03-13T14:06:00.001-05:002014-03-13T14:06:07.104-05:00Quinny's floor blanket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I always like to lay Quinn out on a blanket for his floor time, partly to keep him out of whatever crumbs and fuzz are hanging around our floor, partly to help define a safe zone for Adelaide to reference (no riding the bike on the blanket! no jumping on the blanket! gah!), and partly to protect the rugs from the inevitable spitting up that Quinny brings to the party. Of course, now with all the rolling and scooting going on, he finds his way off that blanket pretty quickly, but still.<br />
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Six months in, I figured it was time to make the poor neglected second child his own floor blanket like the <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com/2011/07/blanket-for-baby.html">one I made Adelaide</a> when she was a baby. Super easy, super quick, and very functional. </div>
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I thought I had batting left over from Adelaide's blanket, but it wasn't quite enough, so I used some mystery batting that I had inherited. I kind of melted it with the iron a bit, and it puckered up a bit differently than the stuff I'm used to. Also, if you take a close look at my "quilting," it is a hot mess--just a few oddly placed lines of stitching in the middles of a few of the squares to hold things together. </div>
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But who's looking that closely, right? Well, except for the baby playing on it.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-74113677265340867622014-03-01T16:10:00.000-06:002014-03-01T16:11:10.042-06:00KCW Days 6, 7, and beyond: Cozy Flannel Robe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started this robe during Kids Clothes Week, but after the week ended, robe unfinished, I kind of lost some momentum. Finally, it's done and I love it! I want one for me!<br />
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I really wanted to make Adelaide a fully lined flannel robe. Guess how easy it is to find a pattern for that, especially in her teeny size 2? Yeah, not easy. Burda 2662 was all I found, and as small as it goes is size 3. I went with it, and it's kind of huge on the kid, but I think it's big and cozy in a good way. Plus, now it'll last a couple of years.<br />
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Fabric was another challenge. This robe calls for nearly 3 yards of each fabric. So, looking at all the nice flannels that kept catching my eye, we were talking somewhere upward of $50 in fabric for a two-year-old's bathrobe. But then I stumbled upon a sale bin of precut flannel at JoAnn's, $5 for each three-yard bundle, making the total a beyond reasonable $10 of fabric. And I am really happy with this flannel so far. It feels substantial and is incredibly soft. I wanted to cozy up with it while I was working with it.<br />
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This was my first time sewing from a Burda pattern. It was a very simple, basic pattern, but I was a bit thrown by the pattern markings since they aren't quite the same as what I'm used to. I only sort of followed the instructions but, with something this basic, that worked out fine. Honestly, the worst part of this project was tracing the pattern pieces. It seemed like it took forever and, because the markings weren't my usual, I was always wondering if I'd traced all the correct markings for the size. But the sewing itself was easy as pie.<br />
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As you may or may not know, depending on your personal life experiences, trying to get photos of kids <strike>at all</strike> in handmade stuff can be a challenge. On the one hand, I want some documentation before my work is all wrinkly (because I don't iron unless I'm sewing) and stained (because children). On the other hand, I don't want sobbing children who grow up to tell their therapists all about how my sewing and blogging ruined their childhoods. (I kid. Sort of.) So it's always a compromise. What I get: her standing somewhat still while wearing whatever it is that I made. What she gets: everything else. And Adelaide had some strong opinions about this one. She felt strongly about the wearing of bunny ears. She also insisted that she hold her brother's Raggedy Andy. Furthermore, no photos would be taken without "a treat" immediately following the shoot. Well played, Adelaide, well played. After about 100 photos, she was willing to try a few sans ears so that the hood could be pulled up, and when she put the doll down to mess with the hood, she forgot about it. And I got a few photos styled a bit <strike>less awesomely</strike> more simply. Mama patience for the win.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-9247852706079233222014-02-17T16:33:00.001-06:002014-02-17T16:33:46.434-06:00A new hat for New YorkAdam and I went to New York for a few days, leaving the kids behind with family (thank again, you guys!). Let's just say that it was awesome. It was our first time in the city, and we managed to cover a lot of ground, but I'm already plotting a return because there is just SO MUCH.<div>
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Before the trip I set a new personal knitting record by completing something in only a week. I knit slowly and get distracted, so a seven-day turn around is very nearly miraculous. But bulky yarn is the best, and knitting in the round isn't as scary as I feared, so I managed to finish Adam's waffle hat in time for us to leave our own cold and snowy region for a different cold and snowy region.</div>
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I was really happy with the yarn, some Malabrigo chunky. It had a nice firm-but-squishy thing going on that felt good to knit with. And the pattern was great too. I still consider myself <i>very</i> beginner level, and this had a couple of challenges (knitting in the round! a slightly more involved stitch pattern than I've used before!) but was still easy enough that I could chat a little while working on it and not lose my place.</div>
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Hat details on Ravelry <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/SarahEWR/close-knit-waffle-hat">here</a>.</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-83834298029603990242014-01-31T15:16:00.000-06:002014-01-31T15:16:33.410-06:00KCW Days 3-5: That time the baby stopped sleeping<a href="http://www.kidsclothesweek.com/"><img alt="kid's clothes week" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/staticSite/button-jan14.png" /></a><br />
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Let's just say that I am not quite as far along on my KCW sewing as I had hoped to be at this point. First, I picked a pattern that, though billed as "easy," has taken me FOREVER to trace and cut. We're talking about a kids size 3 that uses nearly six yards of fabric. So much fabric for such a tiny person. So much tracing. So much cutting. I had allotted a couple of days just for tracing and cutting because fitting in an hour a day is a great goal and all, but I definitely can't achieve it every day, even for a week. But then the baby decided that sleep was for the weak, and the wrench, it was thrown into my rather modest plan.<br />
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I know that when the going gets tough, the tough are supposed to get going and all that. But let's be real: sometimes when the going gets tough, you stay in pajamas for two straight days, pour yourself an adult beverage at 7:30 each night, and collapse in front of the television for the way too brief period between child-bedtime and grown-up-bedtime. Because I<b> <i>love</i></b> my kids, and I <b><i>love</i></b> being home with them, but c'mon, hanging out with a baby who is AWAKE SO AWAKE all day long, and who is not even terribly happy about it, is <b>hard</b>.<br />
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But today! Oh, today! Mister Quinn decided that maybe he could be friends with napping again, or at least give it a chance for an hour or so. And I finally finished cutting all my many yards of fabric. So, Adelaide may get a bathrobe by the end of the week after all.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-42363808159815559532014-01-28T14:30:00.001-06:002014-01-28T15:29:35.218-06:00KCW Day 2: Reversible Hooded CapeMerry Christmas, Adelaide. I finally finished your cape. Mother of the freakin' year right here, folks.<br />
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This is the Red Riding Hood from Oliver + S: Little Things to Sew. It's a size medium, which is supposed to fit up to age 4. It was bound to be a bit big on my on-the-small-side 2.5-year-old, but that's the smallest size for the pattern, so I went for it anyway. She wanted a hood, and this way it ought to be wearable for quite a while.</div>
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I used a couple of quilting cottons I picked up from JoAnn Fabrics. The red is just a normal solid, though it is somehow also the most fuzz-attracting fabric in the world. I must have lint-rolled the thing five times, and there's still stray thread and cat hair clinging to it. The starry lining isn't my usual cup of tea, but I really like it. In fact, I like it so much that I decided to make the cape reversible just so the lining can be the star(s)--see what I did there? yeah, sorry--sometimes. Making it reversible was super easy: just put a button on each side. Bam! Reversified!</div>
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Other changes I made: I moved the little arm holes up about an inch, which helps the fit if your kid is smaller than the pattern's intended wearer. I also top-stitched all around the cape at the end. The prime reason for the top-stitching was sparkly silver thread. I bought it because it was shiny and wanted to use it. It's pretty subtle on the cape, though, not as glitzy as it was in my head. But, as Adelaide exclaimed, "now it's fancy!"<br />
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As for the pattern: I would totally recommend it. If you actually focus and work on it, this project is pretty quick and easy. Everything came together really well, and both Adelaide and I are happy with the results.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-31839174513047401352014-01-27T14:38:00.000-06:002014-01-27T14:38:20.750-06:00KCW Day 1: Getting Started<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.kidsclothesweek.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kid's clothes week" height="200" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/staticSite/button-jan14.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Some bloggers have stuff all finished and ready to show off. Some have all the washing/tracing/cutting prep work done and are ready to dive in. I have a load of fabric in the dryer and a half-finished Christmas present.
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I'm working away on the Red Riding Hood from Little Things To Sew, which I started as a Christmas present for Adelaide. Obviously, I'm a bit late on that. But I'm almost done! Finally! It's actually a pretty easy and quick project, I just keep getting distracted by things.
Like laundry. And food. And adorable babies.<br />
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Speaking of which, I hear Smiley Guy waking up. More tomorrow, I hope!
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-80900995417805125632014-01-06T17:50:00.001-06:002014-01-06T17:50:55.036-06:00Keeping warm in the kitchen<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>You may have heard: it's kinda cold out. Like schools-closed, work-canceled cold. Perfect for some baking. <br/>
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The children (and the husband) all napped at the same time this afternoon, and I found some peace in the kitchen. <br/>
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<a href='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-itGkBxwIoZ4/UstBOIL1k2I/AAAAAAAAAWs/GYyEU0tBltk/s2560/1389052193305.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-itGkBxwIoZ4/UstBOIL1k2I/AAAAAAAAAWs/GYyEU0tBltk/s288/1389052193305.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 216px;'/></a><br/>
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Sipping some warm cider while making bread dough, to the sound of nothing, was pretty much heaven. <br/>
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Pumpkin muffins were also on the agenda, made with some homemade pumpkin puree.<br/>
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<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LwNh5xZaFb0/UstBRcoa_CI/AAAAAAAAAW0/hgVI9G9y_PA/s2560/1389052219553.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LwNh5xZaFb0/UstBRcoa_CI/AAAAAAAAAW0/hgVI9G9y_PA/s288/1389052219553.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 216px;'/></a><br/>
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I used a slightly different pumpkin-cooking method than in the past (<a href='http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/10/make-your-own-pumpkin-puree/ '>this one</a>). It was awesome--not at all watery, which is often an issue for me. I think the key is to roast it dry rather than steam it.<br/>
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I had a helper for pumpkin prep yesterday. She's a pretty cool buddy to have. <br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifufSwoflgBvl78bDZNeJ_vIc1OgbXZfw6QZ9qXVodZOQf9Vzi1jwm7od9BcPhElK-3UzwFuR5zOIBZlKX6pFigwNmFkOqV3q8IqOA_cAgsIflruS-L_35Z3mtW01cY7Zt-2ExcZnqjNQ/s2560/1389052230852.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifufSwoflgBvl78bDZNeJ_vIc1OgbXZfw6QZ9qXVodZOQf9Vzi1jwm7od9BcPhElK-3UzwFuR5zOIBZlKX6pFigwNmFkOqV3q8IqOA_cAgsIflruS-L_35Z3mtW01cY7Zt-2ExcZnqjNQ/s288/1389052230852.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 212px;'/></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-49003416602728946862013-12-26T16:57:00.001-06:002013-12-26T16:57:29.747-06:00The sweater<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>You may remember that I started a sweater <a href='http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com/2013/06/statement-of-intention.html'>back in June</a>. A sweater for the impending arrival. Well, the arrival is now four months old, and I finished the sweater on Christmas eve. <br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD5jatFY28eKe8P3hPY1JZJFNOqic_oy6Af8siYgME1spLW6-ZQEpwVtoi_IexsOG_zX9ZqXFHQ4vVTFPinzl8vc1GLhRo9tD4MqWXdv5lQGuQfg3-gNqs4J6ySoc7yb4VmjhKMoZoDA/s2560/1388098526592.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD5jatFY28eKe8P3hPY1JZJFNOqic_oy6Af8siYgME1spLW6-ZQEpwVtoi_IexsOG_zX9ZqXFHQ4vVTFPinzl8vc1GLhRo9tD4MqWXdv5lQGuQfg3-gNqs4J6ySoc7yb4VmjhKMoZoDA/s288/1388098526592.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a><br/>
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And not a moment too soon. Quinn is a big boy. Thank goodness Adam convinced me to go with the 3-6-month size all those months ago, because that means he might be able to wear this thing for about three days.<br/>
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<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qw6MA2NM3T0/Ury0HDXOgOI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Ea15FzSwM84/s2560/1388098559935.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qw6MA2NM3T0/Ury0HDXOgOI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Ea15FzSwM84/s288/1388098559935.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a><br/>
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As you can see, the sleeves and width are temporarily okay, but the body is sooooo short. Would definitely add length next time. <br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4GffnQ8gIDjf05k5C66k4_SDAy3C074EY3T_V_wIsXbI4vdBNgqo2_V3Udw4DP5HSizv2S-umeHe0GtArOa7LURlDiUMKp13Cl0lAeSa2V1CKxxKYswNFevgD5KWfq5DLlQZzx8jbbo/s2560/1388098590752.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4GffnQ8gIDjf05k5C66k4_SDAy3C074EY3T_V_wIsXbI4vdBNgqo2_V3Udw4DP5HSizv2S-umeHe0GtArOa7LURlDiUMKp13Cl0lAeSa2V1CKxxKYswNFevgD5KWfq5DLlQZzx8jbbo/s288/1388098590752.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a><br/>
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So not a total success (and I won't even get into the messily stitched spots), but, hey, I made a sweater! Yay! <br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBZmyaNrOQio1M5HcnBF93GHvvSOWelPEGy8JTx5NHJ7_IyeYzlBISufhPW479XvUxDku3L_vqG8MSk05aZQKkJ7KTh14DSRQF4Ak6MPm9l4YiWSxd9O8PAAbk-xD1k3Ka3KIc-Y_CBc/s2560/1388098619245.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBZmyaNrOQio1M5HcnBF93GHvvSOWelPEGy8JTx5NHJ7_IyeYzlBISufhPW479XvUxDku3L_vqG8MSk05aZQKkJ7KTh14DSRQF4Ak6MPm9l4YiWSxd9O8PAAbk-xD1k3Ka3KIc-Y_CBc/s288/1388098619245.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a><br/>
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On Ravelry <a href='http://www.ravelry.com/projects/SarahEWR/easy-baby-cardigan'>here</a>.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-76733128098219203872013-12-03T16:58:00.002-06:002013-12-03T17:00:48.430-06:00Other spacesHoly moly!* I just can't keep up a blog, can I? I'm not throwing in the towel just yet, but, at least for right now, I am finding it a lot simpler, less stressful and more enjoyable to hang around some other web spaces.<br />
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I finally <b><i>finally</i></b> FINALLY got a smartphone and, oh my goodness, Twitter and Instagram are just so darn easy. I actually have mixed feelings about Twitter because I'm not sure I have much of interest to say in so few characters, but I'm doing it anyway. But Instagram is flat-out love.** It's like blogging, but quicker! And like Twitter, but with pictures! Woohoo!<br />
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So please, come find me elsewhere!<br />
Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/dilettantesarah">dilettantesarah</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/DilettanteSarah">@DilettanteSarah</a><br />
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<i>*"Holy moly!" is catching on in our house. Largely because we had to redirect Adelaide, who had inconveniently picked up a less appropriate phrase. Totally my fault. Whoops.</i><br />
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<i>**This is how you know Instagram has peaked and will now die. I am not what you would call an early adopter. Hence the smartphone holdout.</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-73979572401933207472013-11-01T10:05:00.001-05:002013-11-01T10:05:25.956-05:00Happy Halloween<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ejM2RmvwUnFqty1b35ZzaX1pnvxPkz_DCOuppT1bfxrOSQ054SCi74uZeyPvTUnMpQ8hT0euWGQsMnkFSGAbru1ewksZ9DRt-Okd2sTITSsBXlF0o4Jz4ue0IefjNLEswCAuKEj9Imw/s2560/1383318224343.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ejM2RmvwUnFqty1b35ZzaX1pnvxPkz_DCOuppT1bfxrOSQ054SCi74uZeyPvTUnMpQ8hT0euWGQsMnkFSGAbru1ewksZ9DRt-Okd2sTITSsBXlF0o4Jz4ue0IefjNLEswCAuKEj9Imw/s288/1383318224343.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 217px;'/></a><br/>
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Well, that was fun! Adelaide really got it this year. She picked her own costume, a zombie, based on her love of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. She even helped me paint the blood on her clothes. (According to her, the blood is because "this zombie fell down a lot." Love that kid!) Quinn wore Adelaide's old Brutus the Buckeye costume. She wore it at nearly six months, but it fit the little big guy pretty well here at two months. <br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00WapMa5Hmr68sXZ5Hu9b4OFKm3pJI-Hy82ISjVkVhPx_4a502u5bUSmf80SCJR4FBXAEUFY7NZjx0N3XVk75JWQGbE8EjnEkMkZ6g5RHcNuxG6tEUDJzMI-T_ByW4jmakViTonI42Hc/s2560/1383318240544.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00WapMa5Hmr68sXZ5Hu9b4OFKm3pJI-Hy82ISjVkVhPx_4a502u5bUSmf80SCJR4FBXAEUFY7NZjx0N3XVk75JWQGbE8EjnEkMkZ6g5RHcNuxG6tEUDJzMI-T_ByW4jmakViTonI42Hc/s288/1383318240544.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 162px; height: 288px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVs_suYrJHRQEr_6Sj4GzyvRfkK18_dVq1KFaKr1bwka6sgEDrwxtn5tInGTKQ1xocjP-xThdFz2H4yuDZ742V19rxA7dBX0KPdU7gFRNXLs0BFe_7PtLwlDVPAAFoD3W9AXPwe5i_oM/s2560/1383318282289.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVs_suYrJHRQEr_6Sj4GzyvRfkK18_dVq1KFaKr1bwka6sgEDrwxtn5tInGTKQ1xocjP-xThdFz2H4yuDZ742V19rxA7dBX0KPdU7gFRNXLs0BFe_7PtLwlDVPAAFoD3W9AXPwe5i_oM/s288/1383318282289.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 162px; height: 288px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5BDCFBdGbzl0VJot8E97nf7mnIaZILBxo5MnkDz_7_47Q4C9Qp31QmQV6BMSFKeumBP1ugNGqAYOM4BuScrVjY5DQRAbYg2r-Ynxt6CrJwvGhNFCoSYbbZdSZDX3ZhTBlT7M18BETzg/s2560/1383318305939.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5BDCFBdGbzl0VJot8E97nf7mnIaZILBxo5MnkDz_7_47Q4C9Qp31QmQV6BMSFKeumBP1ugNGqAYOM4BuScrVjY5DQRAbYg2r-Ynxt6CrJwvGhNFCoSYbbZdSZDX3ZhTBlT7M18BETzg/s288/1383318305939.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 162px; height: 288px;'/></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-54920761897110552072013-10-29T13:59:00.001-05:002013-10-29T13:59:37.398-05:00Necessities<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Of course I spend my extremely limited free time covering old oatmeal canisters with duct tape. Why do you ask?<br/>
<a href='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_XAz6eZHu8o/UnAFlrGDFLI/AAAAAAAAAR4/12wrWH5X12I/s2560/1383073153594.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_XAz6eZHu8o/UnAFlrGDFLI/AAAAAAAAAR4/12wrWH5X12I/s288/1383073153594.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-91684769377997961672013-10-24T22:01:00.001-05:002013-10-24T22:01:29.023-05:00Yikes<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>So I guess even the photojournal thing is too much for me right now. And I still haven't quite managed to put my new sewing room together. How do other people do so much in a day?<br/>
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Bright side: I now have an awesome mug to remind me and inspire me to nurture my creative side. Thanks to Carin over at Already There (I can't figure out pretty links with this phone: http://wearealreadythere.blogspot.com ) and her Craft It Forward generosity. <br/>
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Here it is filled with a super classy,fancy beverage: a mix of instant coffee and hot cocoa.<br/>
<a href='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BvpMlVqFKm4/UmnfBseTFyI/AAAAAAAAARo/jp3sgQ5llfM/s2560/1382670067591.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BvpMlVqFKm4/UmnfBseTFyI/AAAAAAAAARo/jp3sgQ5llfM/s288/1382670067591.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-11925126759788487782013-10-03T19:39:00.001-05:002013-10-03T19:39:27.806-05:00Never look a gift bag of apples in the mouth<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cTLVifO3O_U/Uk4OA3M04wI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/_tkzoZt_Wug/s2560/1380847079551.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cTLVifO3O_U/Uk4OA3M04wI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/_tkzoZt_Wug/s288/1380847079551.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LSkcTpDjN7I/Uk4OIZKE46I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/eCZCDUSyXfo/s2560/1380847108612.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LSkcTpDjN7I/Uk4OIZKE46I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/eCZCDUSyXfo/s288/1380847108612.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a><br/>
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<a href='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6vhVSkZaCFY/Uk4OPTUUSQI/AAAAAAAAARE/kLKpsAhRA8w/s2560/1380847138634.jpeg' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6vhVSkZaCFY/Uk4OPTUUSQI/AAAAAAAAARE/kLKpsAhRA8w/s288/1380847138634.jpeg' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 162px;'/></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2087734607130660945.post-88790446299571398842013-09-15T15:59:00.001-05:002013-09-15T15:59:58.612-05:00Rainy Sunday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36307483@N04/9764212394/" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7413/9764212394_97dd2e7f81.jpg" id="blogsy-1379278798995.1086" class="aligncenter" width="500" height="373" alt=""></a></div>
<p> I could fold it. Or I could just continue to use it as a footrest. Yeah, that last one sounds good.</p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><br />Content by Sarah Ross, originally published at <a href="http://dilettantehomemade.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Dilettante Homemade</a>.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08174796685669552681noreply@blogger.com1