Monday 29 June 2009

how i get stuff done

again and again, i get asked how i find the time to sew so much with a baby. no, i don't have a nanny. yes, i do have a very untidy house. i choose to spend mae's nap times sewing rather than cleaning, usually. i have a large playpen set up, taking up over half of my sewing room, full of toys that mae is happy to play with for half an hour here, twenty minutes there. i use every minute i can to sew because i genuinely love it (unless i need to take a nap, which has happened more and more at the 3pm mae nap time lately). i'll usually spend an hour or so sewing in the evenings after mae has gone to bed, after dinner is finished and i've caught up on the day with shane. he goes to bed pretty early too as he gets up at 5am so i don't feel too much guilt at being squirreled away in my own little room, watching tv on my laptop and playing with fabric. and i think i'm just a speedy sewer. i used to be called the fastest graphic designer around. when i'm inspired by something, i'm excited and i just want to get it done, to see it finished. not to say that there aren't times when i'm not inspired, when i flip through japanese craft books aimlessly, when i pull fabric off the shelf only to put it right back. having lots of projects on the go helps with this because there is always something i can work on. and if all else fails, i can always cut out oobees for the christmas rush.

wee corduroy pants

plus baby clothes are small and quick to sew up. these pants took me a couple of hours, spread out over a couple of days last week. it's a pattern i drew up by looking at another pair of mae's pants and i adjusted it to add the gathering in the back for this pair. they are lined with flannel so perfect for crawling around on our chilly floors.

now i have a cold and mae has yet another cold. she is sleeping, i'm going to pour myself another cup of coffee, pop a couple of cold tablets and hit the sewing machine : )

19 comments:

  1. Love these! Colour, cut and pleats. Wow. I need to start sewing again (I just spend my time on my machine adjusting pants to fit-I'm really short!). You're truly inspirational. Your little lady is a doll! Hope you're both feeling better!

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  2. Great pants!
    I get that all the time, how do you have time? Easy really, happy wife, happy life. And sewing makes me happy. Not mending, or cleaning, or ironing
    Hope you guys are well soon xox

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  3. i was wondering how you made it all happen! i love your quilting, so inspirational.
    i hope you both feel better soon!

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  4. Just a tip for your readers that I found useful when I had my baby was to have a cutting day and get lots of projects cut out at once. Then when you have your little short burt of sewing time you feel like you complete the project quicker. Or maybe that was just me because I hate cutting out.

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  5. Gorgeous pants! I love the gathering across the bum:) I have 3 kids and i often get asked how I get things done. If you really want to get something done you find time, whether it be sweeping the floor or sewing;) I'm for the sewing everytime

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  6. Great pants! And yes...every minute you can grab whilst you have small kids is precious.

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  7. cute pants!

    i always find my little one wakes up from her nap at just the wrong moment!

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  8. Wonderful pants! They are beautiful. I'd love to make some like that for my little girl Ellie who is I think exactly the same age....my husband's name is Shayne too - not sure if i've mentioned that before? Sorry if I have. I often feel like i'm reading my life on your blog! Thanks for a wonderful read.

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  9. I love that age, when you can put them in the baby prison and they can be happy in there with whatever toys are lying around.. make the most of it - they grow out of it all too soon! At the moment I've got a shadow; it follows me everywhere going; 'Mummy, mummy, up, up, up!' and sometimes if I'm not fast enough to respond, she climbs up my leg and pulls my pants off :)

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  10. Cute pants! I hope you both feel better soon!

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  11. Cute cute pants! I wish my big bum looked that cute. Oh well, such is the price I pay for having two cute little boys. I'm just like you, when I am in the zone the house is a mess and every nap time and bedtime is sewing time. Nothing wrong with that eh! Speaking of "eh" didn't you say you were coming back to Alberta sometime this summer? It's been such nice weather here!

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  12. ok! That's great you can find the time... I guess I get annoyed living in mess so I use a lot of my time cleaning. Plus my little bub hardly sleeps at all during the day, and it is FREEZING in my studio so hate to leave bubba in there to play...

    thanks for answering the question though! You have inspired me to shuffle some time around and maybe get some stuff done! Or think of other ways I can make it happen... perhaps set up a crafty desk in the warm loungeroom... :)

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  13. I love the sweet little ruffle on the bottom -so cute.

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  14. gorgeous pants. hope you feel better soon. i've got the flu too - not good. just gave you a little but special award. play if you like x

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  15. Wow. I have just read your blog from start to finish (read: two sick sleeping children on couch - need nice quiet activity while they rest). I have thoroughly enjoyed the lot. Thanks for sharing!

    Can I ask - this:
    http://onegirldesignwrks.blogspot.com/2006/10/summer-lovin.html

    is there any way you could show me how you did this? I Love love love it and it would REALLY really suit my sister-in-law. She is the thrift queen and can no doubt locate me a table cloth I can convert for her? Please???

    Hope you feel better soon!

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  16. Gorgeous, gorgeous blog. I can't wait to come back and look around some more.

    I too hope you guys feel better.

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  17. oh, these little pants are so gorgeous... hope you are both feeling better soon. My little one just gone down for his nap... maybe I should do some housework?? Nah, sewing of course!! xxx

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  18. Hear, hear! Great post. I also found that sewing and planning projects stopped me from going crazy from being at home so much when Grumbles was small!

    Can't believe how much Mae has grown - what a cutie!

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  19. there's more to life than a tidy house!!! you could spend all your time tidying and cleaning and never do anything else if you put too much emphasis on it! those pants are so cute, how many pattern pieces?

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