progress

Well, there has been a lot of cutting and pinning and sewing going on around here this weekend and I only have three and a half diapers to show for it! I am such a newbie at this that every project has a huge learning curve. I made the unfortunate choice to start my first diaper using jersey fabric which, as it turns out, is a bugger to sew with. I abandoned it after my third failed attempt to get all four layers to stay aligned and moved on to an old cotton duvet cover that was much more forgiving. I made two diapers out of that and then went on to an old flannel sheet which is so far my favorite, both to work with and as the finished product. I am using the pattern out of Handmade Home of which I am sure you are all aware (if not, get thee to soulemama.com immediately!). I don't have a serger, but my sewing machine has a serging stitch that I used to finish the edges and I think it turned out pretty well. I don't have pictures to show because I kept putting Iris in the diapers as soon as I finished them so they are all in the wash right now. They work great though and the covers I used before still fit. I did make the dipes a bit smaller than the measurements called for in the pattern. So far, so good.

I must say, that while there were more than a few moments of frustration and despair, I found it deeply satisfying to fill a need in my household using what I have on hand without spending a dime. A big part of this make-your-life-more-sustainable thing for me is to learn to do things myself. I never learned to sew or knit or cook or garden as a child and it is a daunting task to try to learn all of it now, in my thirties, while trying to navigate life with two small children. Daunting, yes. But also fun and exciting and a great way to show my daughters that you don't have to be afraid to try and keep trying until you figure something out. So, I will keep at it with the intention of having all the diapers and wipes I need to see us through the rest of Iris's diapering days by the end of the month, hopefully sooner. And that jersey hasn't seen the last of me. I will prevail!

On another note, I have never been much of a picture-taker, but I realize that if I am going to do the blog thing it is something I will have to be better about. I'll work on that for next time.

One more thing. Clara was watching me make diapers for her sister this weekend and asked when I would be making something for her. I asked her what she wanted me to make and she replied, A yellow dress with snowflakes, please. Uh, a dress? Yikes. How about a headband?