Please excuse my absence the past couple of days. Monday was my birthday and the Anzac Day public holiday. Then yesterday I had this awful flu-like thing that made me want to curl up and die in front of the heater. It was the first time we turned it on since last winter! I’d piled as many clothes on as I could and I was still freezing, so we thought my health was more important than energy-saving. But we used it sparingly still, and totally plan on doing better with energy consumption than last year.
Good warm clothing is so important when you’re trying to do without a heater. I’m still in my pants-for-Ellie-making frenzy, so I made her some toasty merino wool pants from a men’s jumper that had shrunk a little in the wash. I love merino wool so much.
For my birthday my non-consumerist Monday thing kind of went out the window. I went bike shopping with birthday money, ate Lord of the Fries (vegetarian, Melbournian awesome) for lunch, went for a ride on my new bike.
I love it. I tried out several bikes, and the others felt really uncomfortable to ride, but this one is perfect. And it just happened to be the one I pointed to and said “that looks nice” as soon as we walked into the store. I haven’t ridden a bike in god knows how many years, so I’m still pretty shaky.
And holy hell, on my first ride I ended up on a mainish road (with a bike lane), even though I intended to stick with residential streets. And then the bike lane just randomly ended and merged with the car lane. I freaked out because I was also riding uphill (and my lack of fitness did not help the situation). So I got off and walked the bike along the footpath to a residential street, probably looking like a douche in the process. Must do some research on bike tracks in my area.
I got a Nintendo Wii from my mum and bro. I’ve been umming and ahhing over whether I wanted one for a while. Because having it concerns me a little. You know, in terms of using it too much, of not coming up with our own creative games to play, of somehow diminishing our family connection. But it’s actually been a really fun activity for Tim and I to do together. I’m still not convinced it’s a good thing for Ellie to play, because at 2 she doesn’t have ability to learn to do it herself. (And everything is “I want to do it myself!” at the moment.) But she’s had a go at Mario Kart with some help and thought that was fun. I think it’ll be good in moderation.
Have I just been sucked into the marketing of it? I don’t know. But I’m grateful for the good things it brings and I’m going to be warily watching the effects it has on our family.
Happy birthday Hayley. Love those wool pants! Bet they are wonderfully warm. Does Ellie mind the feel of wool? My son really doesn’t like it (I keep trying, though).
We haven’t used our heater yet, but brrrrr it’s tempting to put it on with this cold snap. Instead, I’m wearing two layers of wool – a thin knit and a little jacket, and feel cosy. It’s amazing how warm even a fine wool top can keep you, as opposed to other fabrics. And snug boots, of course, ’cause warm feet are essential for this weather.
Ellie had no problems with the pants. But merino wool is so much less itchy than other types of wool, so that might be it. If she did have a problem with wool though I would probably line the pants with cotton or something.
But yes, wool is awesome. I don’t have that much wool in my wardrobe, so I’ve been layering up lots, but when I get some time I’ll reconstruct some of the preloved woolen jumpers I have sitting around.
Of all the game consoles, I think the Wii is the most social – it’s got a good range of ‘party games’ that you can play with people instead of by yourself. We’ve had friends around for a cheap night in playing Mario Kart, and there’s plenty of time for chatting and catching up in-between squealing about the cows on the tracks
Haha, the cows and those damn cars!
That’s a really good point though about it being social.
happy birthday!
I never returned your comment on sewing tutorials. I guess in terms of interfacing, I mean, I’ve used interfacing around the collar of some blouses I’ve made with patterns but I don’t really understand the concept of it or how to integrate it into my own designs. And with lining, I suppose I mean something like the tank top you made for Ellie a few posts back.
Also, I was looking at my heidi and seek top and noticed that you had used a serger. Is this necessary? and do you own one or did you go somewhere like the thread den and hire one?
p.s. I think I want some of those pant you made for Ellie!
Haha, I want some of the warm wool pants, too! If I were to reconstruct jumpers into pants for myself though they’d be seriously patchworky, and I don’t know if I could rock that.
Interfacing is just about fabric structure. It stops the part its attached to from stretching and it gives the fabric more body. If something doesn’t need structure and doesn’t need to be free from stretching, you don’t need it. It’s important for certain collars and facings because you don’t want those to stretch, and you want them to have some weight to them so they can sit properly.
The lining of the top I made for Ellie was actually a facing (which means it didn’t come down to the hem of the top, it stopped around her chest). If you Google all-in-one facing you can find out how to do it.
For home sewing I don’t think a serger is necessary at all. Since I stopped Heidi & Seek, everything I’ve made has been with my sewing machine alone, because it’s a pain in the butt to get my overlocker out as well. Sometimes I finish the edges with a zig zag stitch, but most of the time I leave it raw if the edges won’t fray.
Does that answer your questions? Let me know if anything doesn’t make sense.
cool pants!!!