about 10 days after banjo was born, i felt that old familiar urge to make something (other than a 10lb baby that is!)...it had been absent for quite some time - being hugely pregnant and moving house tends to kill that spark to create, but there it was back again! of course this urge normally occurs when one has very little time to actually do anything about it ;) but...in the last few weeks i have found a little bit of time here and there - and just like the babe before him, banjo quite enjoys being lulled to sleep in the sling as the sewing machine whirs away.
so what have i been doing? well, banjo's knitted blanket is almost complete (you know, the one i started when i was pregnant with yindi!) - i learned how to crochet around the edges of each square and am awaiting some new yarn to finish it off.
ivy has suddenly shot up and needed some new spring-y clothes so some re-purposing has been done (more on that another day!).
banjo in his short little time here has managed to collect a lot of stuff that mumma can't bear to throw away - cards, tags from clothing, his umbilical stump (ahem), and epistles including his birth story, my pregnancy with him and other declarations of love. to keep the piles at bay, i made a simple journal for each child to have all that stuff in one place...
(fabrics purchased from this etsy shop)
more details and pictures on todaysmama.com
and enough is enough! my mother is a wonderful quilter and i have ignored her attempts over the years to join the club (excuses such as "i can't cut straight" and "quiliting is for grandmas!" spring to mind). much to her delight, i have mastered the art of rotary cutting and am preparing to whip up a baby quilt for my sister-in-law (who i hope does not read my blog!). i'm following kelly mccaleb's instructions found here. i am obsessed and lay awake while feeding banjo at night dreaming of quilting and fabrics.
and...(goodness, there's more?)
i'm quite excited about this one, and the model involed (topless and all!)...i've fashioned some nappy/diaper covers for the boy - due to a serious lack of leftover covers from yindi, and a lack of funds...i got creative with some thrifted wool jumpers and cardigans - first felting them in the washing machine then turning them into THIS...
(adorable cotton crochet blankie purchased here)
i paid $2 a jumper i can get 2 covers - bargain! pure wool covers are quite expensive so i'm excited about these and plan to make many more...
it feels good to be making things, although they are mostly works-in-progress and progress can be a bit slow...it's my way of coping with the craziness of things around here - finding a little bit of time to be in my own headspace executing my plans! next up some clothes for me. is there anything more depressing than a postpartum wardrobe? ideas swirling in my mind, and piles of fabric at the ready - we will see if i can pull it off or not...stay tuned!
