I envy people who get to take summer holidays!  I ache when I hear someone say that in France, things basically shut down in August because everyone is on vacation. 

I know I shouldn’t complain, and I’m not- not really.  I have a pretty amazing life- my home to work commute is 2 minutes, and I GET to work with my husband every day- but to be able to spend more than a day without having to work , or being able to spend a few lazy days canoeing or hiking, or -gasp- even sitting on the porch reading a book, would be so nice. 

It’s hard around here when MyMike is away.  So far I have invited the electrician, the feed system repair guy, the semen guy (don’t ask!) and the feed mill deliveryman over for a “visit” and it looks like the plumber is next.  Don’t worry- I’ve invited them over to fix things- not for a beer! 

To top it off, it is the middle of wheat harvest.  Actually it should be the end of wheat harvest, but with rain and breakdowns, we are still hard at it.  I only have a minute to type here, so I will leave you with  a bit of photo journalism of my days in the field.

Glorious wheat!   The variety is “soft red winter wheat” and is ground into things like cake and pastry flour. 

We sell the straw to a friend who uses it on his strawberry crops.

Lord, I look a mess!  See those shorts- the ONLY sewing I’ve done this week is to cut off the legs of those pants to make them into those shorts!

It’s fun to open your mailbox and find a surprise!!  Today I recieved a lovely package in the mail from my friend (and kindred spirit) Annette.  In it was a copy of a Marfy coat that she has made.  She wore it at the Philadelphia Pattern Review Weekend, and I loved it! 

I thought it would be fun, and a good excercise as well, to make the coat as a sew-along for myself.  I don’t often chronicle the step by step process of my sewing, but I thought it might be a good idea for this one. If it is easy, then maybe I can convince more of you to try Marfy’s.  If it is difficult- um – then you get to suffer right along with me!!

This is what a Marfy Pattern looks like when it arrives in your mailbox.

No photo.

No description.

No instructions.

Only one size.

So why the heck would anyone want to make one?  Well in my sometimes humble opinion they are very fashion forward.  Check out the website and see for yourself if you don’t believe me.  Count how many of them you absolutely crave…..see what I mean?! 

The pattern I will be using is Marfy 1974.  

It is a hip length swing jacket with an otional hood.  I will be using the size 46, which looks like it is between a  14 and a 16.

When you decide to make up a Marfy pattern, remember to-

• 1.  Print out the photo AND save it online somewhere.
  2.  Look for details that might catch you up- this one for instance has some interesting seaming and welt pockets.  And should it be lined?  How do I attach the hood?
  3.  Try to figure out construction order.
  4.  Double check your sizing.
  5.  Suitable fabrics- It will say that on the site, as long as your pattern is still available!  So save that information too.  Print it out and keep it with the pattern.

 Here  is what this pattern has to say on the Marfy site.   Mt. 3.20 alt. 1.40. – Available in sizes 42, 44, 46, 48.  This jacket has broad kimono sleeves, a shirt collar closed with three buttons, yoke cut at the back and deep, un-ironed pleat, Can also be made with hood. Suggested fabric: casentino cloth or rubberized fabric.
It also states that the markings are for a size 46, so I will be okay there.  I will be using a black raincoating fabric that I have kicking around for this one. Unless Fabricland just happens to have some grey metallic meterage…. 

This is what the darts, notches and interestingly translated pattern indicators look like.

Next time, I’ll show you how I cut it out and marked all the pieces. 

An important Public Service Announcement…

Remember that when you are serging something important- something that can’t be stopped in the middle of- to check your thread or you might end up with…

this….

The amazing JoanneM from Miss Muslin tagged me, and like a good blogging friend, I will comply with her desire to know more about me!

Which pattern/vintage style have you been thinking about lately?   This is probably my favourite vintage pattern- and I have a lot of them! 

I have made it once- but not reviewed it..yet!   Here is the back.   I love the underbust gathering, and it has three nice darts at the elbow.  Really a well drafted pattern.  Which causes me to ponder.  Where are all those well drafted patterns in McButtVogue or SimLook?   It uses an interesting slash and gather method that I have never seen elsewhere.   I would like to use that drafting for a tee shirt, or excercise top, as I think it would be a neat feature!  For all of you techo geeks, here is the pattern layout!

What is the one place you want to visit you’ve never been before?  I’ve been lucky enough to do a fair bit of travelling.  When our girls were young, we would plan a trek every summer, either in Canada or the States.
One place that is is Very High on my to see list is California!  MyPR  friend Kathi has been “encouraging” me to visit, and sent me photo’s of great fabric stockpiling shoportunities.  We have a hiking trip planned for Peru with a bunch of friends for the winter first, then I can start California planning.

How do you relax?  Relax? What’s that?  For me, sewing is relaxing.  I think that is the way for most of the people who read this blog!  Other than that, I enjoy (in no particular order) golf, reading, skiing and geocaching.  Relaxing for me doesn’t involve sitting!  In fact I remember when the Fivemonsters whoops.. FiveBlondes were little, the only time I had the luxury to read was in the shower.  Yes I said the shower!   

What is your favorite holiday/vacation?  Truthfully, I’m  not much of a “holiday” person.  I always put way too much pressure on myself to make everything perfect, and end up stressing myself out.  It doesn’t help that our business is a 365 day a year job, so even on Easter and Christmas, we are in the barn.  I like the vacations that we sneak in – like going up for a day to Niagara on the Lake to cycle with friends, or taking a 1/2 day off to geocache with a friend.  Those are my favourites. 
If you were to change that phrase to ” what WAS your favourite vacation” – that is easy!  The time that I remember with the biggest smiles and laughs is the 2 weeks I spent with our five daughters (then aged 11-16) “vanning” our way through Europe, staying at hostels, and exploring.  We started in Prague, went across to Holland where we stayed in a convent, to Paris, sunbathed in Cannes, flew around scary curves in Nice,  gondeliered in Venice,  skiied in Austia, drank beer in Germany…I wish we could do that again!

What is/are your sewing skills you want to learn/try out? Can you knit? Crochet? Other crafting talents?   I can knit and I can crochet.  I don’t get as much enjoyment out of them as my daughters do.  I have tried my hand at pretty well every craft- I’m a pretty crafty person!  A good friend gifted me with a Cricut for my birthday!  I really want to master that this fall.

What garment/accessory do you wear most often?  I have a black/white  brocade coat that always gets complimented.  I didn’t make that.  I think though, that my leather croc purse that I made would top this list. 

How much time do you spend reading blogs(per day/week)?   Per Day- 10 minutes.  1/2 hour.  1 hour.  3 hours.  …Standing up.
“Hello my name is Connie and I am a blog addict”!!   I’mnottellingandyoucantmakeme!

Your Motto/Mantra?  ”On to the Next“  It comes from a book my husband and I both read years ago.  We can’t for the life of us remember the name!  In the book, the main character is a writer(?)or a student(I can’t even remember!)   HIs mentor, instead of praising him, when shown a piece of work  just says “…on to the next“.  Meaning, don’t dwell too long on your accomplishments, and what others think of them; instead strive to get to your next level of achievement. 

+++

There, that was fun!  Now it’s your turn…I tag any fellow blogger who was at the PR Weekends in either Philadelphia or Montreal to answer the same questions!  Come on- share time!  I’m not going to name names, cause you know who you are and I don’t want to leave anyone out “on accident” .  But link back to me when you do so that I know that you did it!

I was going to preface this post by saying,

“I don’t post many photos of PrincessH”

That was before I glanced at my last two blogs posts.  PrincessH is featured in both of them!  Tough luck readers.  Today you are getting not only a review of a baby outfit, but also a glance at why I think I am a pretty lucky Oma!

First off, the review.

Butterick 5439

Back view. See the gingham contrast?

 I am reviewing the jumper and the panties shorts.   I changed the panties to shorts…
The sizing is generous.  I am still getting used to sizing for infants!  (NB, S, M) and (L and XL)  For the Princess, I made a Medium which is supposed to fit 18 to 21 lbs.  She is, at 5 1/2 months, a touch over 17 pounds.  There is lots of room, and the shorts are pretty long.  It will certainly fit her for the rest of the summer!  Were I to make it again, I would size down one size.

Your fabric choice is, um, interesting!  Yup!  PrincessH is from a John Deere family, and I when I saw this fabric in Joann’s in May, I picked up a yard of two contrasting fabrics.  I haven’t seen this fabric anywhere in Canada.   The green gingham is leftovers from making curtains for the baby room.

Why this pattern?  I remember making this sort of dress for the girls when they were little.  They were cool on hot days, and looked so sweet.  So I had to have it! I am sure that I have the original from the 80’s around somewhere!

The front!

 How was the pattern?  Any issues? Easy and simple.  No closures.  No pleats, nothing to stump you! The trickiest part is putting it together so that the crossed parts are correct.  Just following the instructions and you won’t go wrong.   It calls for understitching which I changed to topstitching after pressing carefully so that it could be reversible.  I think it would be an easy outfit for an advanced beginner.  I also left out the rickrack as I didn’t have any on hand and wanted this done quickly.
The shorts were basic, if a little billowy.  I changed the hem from a casing and elastic  to a contrast binding and added a little tied pocket in the back for her credit card or cell phone (as if!!) I found the pocket pattern by googling “tied pocket” and scaled one that I found down a bit. 

The pocket and binding

Would you consider another version?   Yup.  This style would be cute in a toddler size for next year too! 

I also started out making this hat, but I decided in mid making that I wanted a different style so drafted my own.  ( see two posts ago) A tutorial is up for that this week.

PrincessH and I had a fashion shoot date while her mom and dad had a round of golf.  We both had a blast!  Being an Oma is so fun!  Play, pose for photos, nap, change diaper, and do it all over again! How hard is that?!
Her mom (my daughter Katelyn) and I are both shutter crazy and Hailey is very camera savy.  The middle photo is her “oh just give it to me and let me take a picture” pose!  Can  you tell that I can’t get enough of her adorable little feet..and face…and..

Clicking on the collage will enlarge it.

Once upon a time I had a pattern stash that was manageable.  They were kept in a box . Then I met online friends and read reviews of great outfits that I Had To Have. My pile grew and grew, fell over and magically reproduced, bearing multiple offspring.

From that was born a pattern stasher hoarder COLLECTOR. 

Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against any of you for tooo long!

For a long time I organized my collection like many of you do.  I took the insides out of the pattern envelope and filed the envelopes in a binder.  Okay, three binders- but who’s counting?!! The insides went into a freezer bag and were filed in numerical order in the real, authentic, five dollar auction sale pattern filing cabinet find.  (It used to be in a Polka Dot store) Do you Canadians remember Polka Dot?

It grew and grew.  I was organized enough to purchase patterns, but not organized enough to take them out of the envelope, and file them appropriately.  So, once again, piles grew in mysterious places. 
Like in the living room.  And on the high chair to be perused by PrincessH. 

And sometimes in the bathroom!

As well, I never knew what kind of patterns I had.  If I wanted a boatneck, vintage dress pattern, I had to leaf through the pattern books, the piles and the myriad of pattern magazines.  Then, OF COURSE  I would build new piles.  This boatneck dress, that boatneck top that could be a dress.   You get the picture.

I needed a new system, and here is what I have decided. 

1.  I want my patterns back in their envelope.  I hate not keeping them together.
2.  I am photographing the front (and some back) covers of the patterns
3.  File them numerically in the pattern cabinet
4.  Using Picasa (I may use Flickr but then I need a pro account) I created a Pattern file, and am adding all my patterns and tagging them.  For instance this dress would be tagged – women, dress, tunic, sleeveless, Butterick, 5485, empire, gathers, mockwrap.  That way I can search the pattern set for whatever parameters I choose.  I plan on printing the photos out – 4 to a page, and putting them in the binders for a visual as well. 

Are you thinking- Well I guess we’ll see her in January?!! Lord I hope it doesn’t take that long.  I am leaving most of my vintage patterns alone.  They in themselves take up one entire drawer. 

Right now I have the patterns  all back in envelopes, and photo’s taken of 75% of them.

“and they are all laying in piles on the sewing room floor!!”

I can hear my daughter saying. 

And I retort,

“Organized piles!  They are all in organized piles! See, the 3000’s are here, the 5000’s are here…where the heck did the 6-9000’s go??” 

Bhleh.  I’ll get there! 

I am loath to start tagging them in Picasa because I am afraid that there is Some Program Out Therethat will organize them better than Picasa.  I know that there is MySuff for Ipod, but I haven’t mastered it yet. And I am loath to just have them on my Ipod as I am likely to erase it on accident!  I thought that by having it online, I could access it  more easily.   I was trying to use Excel, then put it on googledocs, but wasn’t pleased with what I came up with. 

Are there any suggestions out there as to the best way to catalogue pattern collections?

Talk at you soon!
Connie

ps.  MissMuslin, the tagged post is almost done!

And you know what that means!

Canada Day!  Funny how we don’t say “1st of July” , isn’t it?!  Aside from fireworks, beach parties, and (for some people- not me!- ) a vacaction day,……

It’s…..

Measure the Corn to see if it got to “Knee High Corn by the first of July” Day!

So we wandered into the field to check the growth of the corn that I was measuring last week…

Here is the first photo.  Remember the flag and the stake?

Then

The next day.(about 30 hours later)  See the stake?
Looks like about 5 inches growth in one day!

The next day we found the stake laying on the ground!  The concensus here is that the raccoons – stupid things- thought the pink flag just might have been an early cob of corn and pulled it down!  We put the stake back up, but thought day by day pics might have been too much like “watching corn grow” for you readers!

Here it is today. 5 days after that first photo!!   No stake to be seen.  Can you see MyMike? 

Wait, he’ll put his arms up for you!

That’s no knee high corn! 

For those of you who want the details, this corn was planted the week of April 26th with good ole hog manure as fertilizer! 

Consider that your agri-lesson for the day!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!  EH!!!

I need a good night sleep, because a drive to Montreal and a weekend with 50 fabulous women is about to commence.  But I promised a review, and a review will be wrote. writ. written. published. What EVER.

So on to

Butterick 5495  – A Review

Butterick 5495

Spill what you know about the pattern description!  From the envelope -Loose-fitting tops A, B, C, D with front drape gathered into loop, dropped shoulder, seam details and stitched hems. A, B: sleeveless. C, D: short or long kimono type sleeves.  What I think it should say.  Close fitting tops A,B,C,D with front drape gathered and held with a loop of fabric.  A,B: sleeveless with length variations.  C,D 2 sleeve lengths – kimono or dolman styling.

Who should make this top.  I would rate it advanced beginner.  If you are savy about reading patterns, it is a quick and easy pattern.  Don’t make it if you are Apple shaped, but I think that it would suit any cup size.  Don’t quiz me on how to do a FBA on this one.  I don’t know and I don’t care.  Blame my cousin.  She went in for a breast reduction about 10 years ago and didn’t invite me or my sisters to share in her discards!

Fabric?  Well you should know that I made two versions of this.  Let’s call them Version A and Version B (I know, the depths of my wit and IQ are wondrous!)  The fabric for both came from Fabricland.  I waltzed into that store grabbing bolt after bolt.  “A metre of this, a metre of that, a metre- no wait, 1.5 please of that”  You know the way we fabric store mavens throw out amounts like we know what we are talking about.  Until we get home and realize that the pattern takes a mere metre of 160cm wide fabric, and all the knits that were so cheap were 115cm wide.  Live and learn! At least it gives you, the reader, a better idea of where the seaming of the pattern is! 
Version A used two differernt, but coordinating fabrics.  View B may look familiar, especially if you read my friend Kay’s blog .  We have been emailing back and forth so that this weekend, in Montreal, we don’t look like a fashion faux pas! 

What makes this pattern so interesting.  Glad you asked!  It is really just a variation of the old twist top, but with the fullness gathered in, not twisted. It is remarkably like a Knip Mode pattern that Melissa over at FherTrade made.  (I don’t get Knip Mode, but my mom is going to Holland next week and has promised to try to track down a copy.  We DO have Knip Modes from the 50’s and 60’s though.  I should dig those up…)   There has been some discussion that the top is too tight and too paunchy in the abdomen.  I don’t find it too tight,I rather like the way the upper bodice fits especially.  The pattern pieces do cause a moment of wonderment, but it all makes sense quickly.

There is no gaposis  in the front whatsoever. I will admit it is a bit blousonly (is that a word- or did I just muck up the spelling?)  but it makes me want to stand up straight and pull in my gut!  I measured the area that gets gathered up- I believe it was 13 inches that gets reduced to 2 by the fabric loop.

Do you have any caveats about the pattern?  As always, I lengthened it.  I am not too thrilled with the handling of the neckline facing.  It is just turned under. 

 That’s it.  no seam finishing, no interfacing, no nothing. But you know?  It works.  On a fast and dirty one hour top, I’m not complaining!

Thumbs up?  Thumbs down?   Up for sure.  Know your body type, grade up if needed, and you should be okay.  Will I make it again?  Well, I have two already , but I do have a winter white fabric that needs a home.

And the finished product.  Excuse the hair and lack of makeup.  It’s been a long day, starting in the barn this am at 6:30, lunching with my fabulous sisters, visiting my mom and dad, trying to golf in the pouring rain,and packing.

Wait- it's not quite perfect...

There!

Version 2, or "Oh Kay!"

Gathering in the bodice

Shoulder shot- just because!

My car is packed – to the rafters!  I’m off to Montreal tomorrow morning for the First Ever Pattern Review Weekend in Montreal.  We ,the organizing committee have pretty well written a book with our emailing back and forth!  I am excited to see old friends, meet new ones and see if that gorgeous Cirque de Soliel $150/metre solid encrusted fabric is still calling me…..
I will try to write a short post each night, but that depends on how much of the wine that Kay and I are each packing gets consumed!

Vogue 1090 

I laughed out loud  at a comment that a friend made a few weeks ago.  It went something like this.

“I never knew, before this weekend, that a Michael Kors wearing farmer existed!” Well we do! Leastways, I do!

I finished the Kors knockoff last week, in time to wear it in Philly.  Sheesh, Karen is going to call me out on this one.  Okay already, I borrowed her machine to finish the lining so that I could wear it the next day.  Small detail!

This pattern came out – last year?  – and I purchased it immediately.  I didn’t get around to making it until I was “organizing” patterns.  Trying to organize patterns.  Rummaging through the piles of unfiled patterns.  WHATEVER!  At least it reminded me that I needed to make it.  Now!

About the pattern.  A “Michael Kors” pattern for Vogue.  From the envelope- “lined dress has  self faced contrast yoke….lined pockets…back zipper.  Length is 6 inches above the knee.”

Any sizing issues?   The pattern come in 6-12 and 14-20.  For some silly reason, I bought the smaller size range.  I cut a generous 12, and tapered out even more at the hip.  I think it fit fine.  Like other people who have reviewed this pattern, I find the armsycle a bit wonky (Wonky DefnWhen Connie is wearing a dress and can’t comfortably put her hands in the pockets!)

What fabric did you use and where did you get it?  I used 100% linen.  Navy and white.  I got it at Fabricland on sale.  It was one of the suggested fabrics. Wrinkles like a son of a gun though!    Lining was “Stuff I had on hand“.
I read a description of this pattern that someone had written.  She used linen as well, and said that she felt like she was vacationing in the Hamptons or something like that.  So the Canadian equivalent would be ” I like the mussy look it projects. (dammit!) It’s like vacationing in the Muskoka’s (sorry Canadians- that is the best I could come up with for a  la-di-da vacay destination in our country!)  I think it would be smashing in a wool crepe though.

Any sewing issues?  Let’s see.  I didn’t line the sleeves (that reminds me that I have to finish them properly!) I thought it would be too heavy with lining.  So instead of sewing the sleeve band facing to the lining, I just stitched it to the sleeve band.
Looking at photo’s of me in it, I also think that the white contrast at the bottom needs to be pegged about a half inch or so more on either side. I did lengthen the dress by about 2 inches total, but then revised my desision and it ended up about a half inch longer.  I don’t think it is six inches above the knee as advertised.

Is there anything to rave about?  Oh yes!  The pockets are A-dor -a-ble!  They are patch pockets that are sewn into the side seam.  You have to be very careful sewing them on and in, to get it exactly right.  I will be utilizing that pocket again, somewhere.  The lining only goes to the where the contrast hem band starts, and the hem band is faced in self fabric. 

Anything to add?  Nope. Cute dress.  A nice 3 and a half season dress (up here anyways.)  Would I make it again?  I wouldn’t be adverse to it, but people might say “heyyy, isn’t that just like that other dress you have?”

Tell you what.  I have a hankering to do a post on “Where do you shop for fabric in London, Ontario. ”  I’ll wear it on Richmond Row- the closest we have  here to Rodeo Drive.  laugh. snort. coffee through my nose!  Pretension abounds on Richmond Row.  They talk about New York like they own it.  It’s backcountry Southwestern Ontario people.  Get a grip!  So I’ll wear it, and if I don’t get stoned, I’ll think about one in a cool print.  I even have just the right vintage linen for it!

Photos.  On me on the “Rocky” steps in Philly.  This is after a morning of sitting, a lovely lunch with the ladies, a bus ride, and a museum tour.  If the dress looks crumpled, and I look, well, tired- so be it!

Um.  why didn’t anyone tell me that I look like an amazon .  Sheesh.

It’s okay, really!  I probably will agree with you!

The Monteal PatternReview Weekend is fast approaching, and I need  a “not necessarily black, not neccessarily little black dress” dress to wear.  AND I honestly DO need an LBD, so many birds are in line to be shot at once!  (hows that for murdering a metaphor?)

So.

The contenders…

In this corner, we have Ms Donna Karan- AKA Vogue 1087.   On the positive side, it is a good shape for my body type, midriff concealing and alllmmost looks like the dress that whoever the host girl on Biggest Loser was wearing the other night.  Did anyone see that dress?  Lauren was flopping through channels and stopped there for a minute- that dress was gobstopping lovely!  I’ll try to find a photo, but don’t hold your breath!  I might try to arrange the shoulders to be a bit off the shoulder though.  I have some lovely navy blue wool jersy knit from GT that would be just the ticket.  But then again, I just saw it in a black and white graphic print that was amazingly nice.  Hmm, it wouldn’t really be a little black dress then, would it?  It would be more something Samantha on SITC would wear… Which reminds me, have you seen Sex in the City #2 yet?  The outfits are to die for!
On the downside for using this pattern-, it  has been rated numerous times as a difficult pattern on PatternReview , and I haven’t got a lot of time to fuss over a pattern right now! 

And, in this corner we have

Any number of dresses from Burda WOF…

Oh who’s kidding whom here- I am totally going with that Vogue Pattern.  I’d better find my ROUNDTUIT or it will never get done! 

Question for you all- would you underline a light wool jersey?  I think I want to….

I know that I’ve been posting a lot of pattern photos as opposed to finished pieces, lately.  Things have been crazy here on the farm, and while I have three- count em- three reviews to complete, I can’t seem to get the energy or time to snap some decent photos of them.  *sigh**

I just finished making PrincessH a shitload (see the pun there?!) of diapers. 

Back when my babies were really babies, I also used cloth diapers.  They were pretty basic for me, but more advanced than what most people who used cloth were used to.  Instead of flat diapers that needed to be folded into shape, I made flannelette, hourglass shaped ones.  Some needed diaper pins, but by baby number 5, I had graduated to velcro.  The plastic pants were pretty fugly though, weren’t they!

Fast forward to 2010, one almost requires a PHD in diaper making to manouver around …..Terminology- CD – clothdiaper, AIO -all in one, PUL (Poli  Polyurath Polyurethane laminate (there.  I knew I’d get it!), lastin, aplix, pre-folds, contoured….Types a mind boggling assortment of WAHM (work at home mom’s), who all tout their own version of what seems to be the same basic pattern, free patterns, purchased patterns, websites with dimensions to use to draft your own…and Fabrics.  Don’t get me started on fabric!  Wool.  That PUL stuff . Fleece- the good stuff vs the “bad stuff”.  Organic Fleece.  Terry cloth.  Bamboo. Felted wool.  Breathable.  Non-breathable.  All the old teeshirts and sweatshirts you have hanging around. And there’s the entire discussion surrounding  different kinds of elastic, velco versus aplix versus snaps!

Breathing heavy here. Bending over at the waist.  Finger pointing up “just give me a minute here”…

Wow!

No wonder people use disposables!

Kidding aside, there is definitely an entire industry out there!

Mme Kate and I have been doing some investigative work of our own, trying to come up with the “perfect system” for Princess H.

We started with the Jalie Diaper.  We had to start somewhere, and as a loyal Jalie fan, it seemed like a logical starting point. And they have a great set of videos as a teaching tool.  Kudos!

I gathered a pile of PUL, Bamboo fleece, and ZORB (that is an entire post on its own- to come) and sewed. and sewed.  I purchased all that at Wazoodle,  a Canadian online store that specializes in diaper making supplies.  There have been some rumblings on the sewing blog circuit that their customer service is less than desirable.  I found them extremely easy to work with, although I did stress that I needed my order quickly.

We started with the three month size, pocket diapers, with inserts.  The inserts are Zorb covered with a variety of fabrics.  There was a bit of a discussion to be had with my serger, who balked at so many layers.  We compromised!

 The diapers turned out pretty darn good.  I’m not completely happy with the leg openings, as there tends to be a definite leakage problem.  So Kate and I did some thinking and for the next set, we are adding these alterations.
1.  adding an interior gusset with elastic a la disposable diapers.
2.  putting the “opening” in the middle of the diaper instead of the top. Supposedly, the inserts will come out in the laundry that way.  We will see!
3. Using fold over elastic.  (FOE) I have a  lot from an online source – also Canadian!

The kid is pretty well set for the time being though. 

Fabricwise, I also got some PUL ish type fabric- pink with quarter sized dots, off of Etsy, some leftover waterproof fabric from Malden Mills (red) and a few yards of PUL from Joann’s when I was in the States.  Lots of new stuff to try out. 

Here are some photos of the diapers, in construction mode and finished.  Pics of diapers adorning PrincessH’s bum will have to wait- her face is just so darn cute that we forget about diaper photos!