Comparison of baby photos

My mom has this labeled 'four years old 1984' but it looks younger even than some of the others she has marked '3 years old'. Recently someone on Facebook posted a picture of our kindergarten class photo and my hair was much much longer in that picture and the three-year old pictures... so I'm guessing this is probably about two years old. This is also very similar to the dress (if not the same one) she has me in at my "first birthday party" pictures, which also makes me think it is younger than four!


This was Esme a few months ago - she's not quite two even now. She does look a lot like I did as a kid - but there is something in the eyes and cheeks that is definitely from Mark's side. She also has Marks' 'vulcan' eyebrows.


labelled 'Christmas 1983'


Kindergarten 1984-1985
can you tell which one I am?

Pics - apron prototype

It's just a prototype - and considering I've been cleaning the floors in the house and doing laundry with no care of what my hair looks like today I think Mark took some pretty good pictures. I won't say what he said to make me give him that look though! (HA)

I need to make it wider at the sides (the pattern was a size 'junior petite' and I did some alteration to it, hence the funny stripe in the middle where I tried to expand the bodice and then put it back together... ) The neck wasn't supposed to be piecemeal like that - just an accident of how much fabric I had left etc... I think with what I'm seeing here the next one would be pretty close to 'good' and I could focus more on finishing the edges nicer, decoration, pockets, fabric choice etc...

I had Mark's mom try it on, as she is 'petite' like the pattern was meant for - and I'd need to move the neck up quite a bit but lengthen the bottom of the bodice to keep the waist in the same place. For me, the waist could have probably been lengthened some as well. Also, maybe move the back ties to the waist but that was the best placement when I tried it on.. looks funny from the side.



Iggy Pop Pup is really growing up
love the 'caramel drizzle' effect she has going on
Mark is less kind, he says she's 'rusting', he should have bought the undercoating

Iggy Pup as a baby
Iggy in June (just three months ago)

Apron

Just finished my first prototype apron - no picture yet. I altered a 1970s shirt pattern that looked like an apron. I'm fairly happy with it as a functional item - but it needs a few changes before it can be 'my' pattern. I made it out of part of an old flat-sheet and a scrap piece of purple fabric, both in bold stripes. Mark says the fabric pattern isn't very flattering ;) but for a prototype, it doesn't have to be.

It took about two hours to make and a bit over a yard of fabric ... have got to think more about the amount of fabric needed and what kind I'd use if I would sell them in my shop.

I also had a lady customer where I work draw me an old type of clothespin bag she used to use and can't find anymore. I'd like to try to make a few of those, too.

thirty mile yard sale

We went to the thirty mile yard sale and got some cute things! A few clothes for Esme, a bit of electronic gadgeta for Mark and a box of sewing patterns for me. My goal was to find some sewing patterns and/or some old shirts worthy of recycling into clothes for Esme. Yay, I found both and a few tshirts and pants that will fit her now. I also found an old metal barn toy with lots of plastic animals (some are too small for her to have right now - but some of the horses are big and she likes them) Mark also found something his father and mother were trying to find for a while now.

A moment ago Esme was continuously getting herself stuck in the cat-tent pop up toy and then fighting hard to get back out... then getting right back into it. She has had three cups of juice today so I think that was a huge sugar rush showing itself. Now, after screaming her head off for about the fifth time not getting out of the tent - I've put her to bed and she is napping. I'll probably make chicken when she gets up and start some lasagna for tonight, maybe.

so cute things

The other night I had called my mom in Minnesota and Esme had taken the phone to talk to Nana, I told her after a bit it was 'time for night night' and Nana on the phone told her 'yes Esme time for night-night.' You should have seen the shocked and betrayed look on her face - the phone isn't supposed to say that! I did go put her to bed a bit after that.

Today I made her another shirt and she is sitting in her room after eating chicken - she is paging through her books and trying to eat food on the pages, neighing at the horses etc etc... She is so funny lately especially with things she says. She was telling the sheep in her Shaun the Sheep DVD not to climb on things - or go over walls. I can't duplicate what she says but it means 'don't do that' and sounds like DA NA but all run together. She kept shouting that at the sheep whenever they did something she thought was dangerous or when they were dancing in a way she thought was silly. When the DVD was done she said 'sheep all done'. I also love it when she sees something she thinks/knows is food and she goes 'chomp' with her mouth as if she is about to bite it. Silly kid!

I have to go to work in about an hour. Friday off - need to do a lot of work around the house but so hard to know where to start.

Temperatures dropping

It was 69 in the lower level of the house this morning (71 upstairs) and wow Winter is already trying to come upon us on the first day of September! I'm glad I'm starting to make Esme more clothes - will need to start using more warmer materials and putting on sleeves. It still gets to 80 and sometimes 90 during the day outside - but at night it's getting to pajama and blankets temperatures. At the same time that we don't turn our air conditioning on high in the summer we don't turn our heat on high in the winter. Nothing like the Paris apartment, though, where if you look back in the blog you would see 50 degree mornings inside and sometimes even less. Mark likes his heat much too much to ever let that happen! haha I often call him a 'creature of fire' and he kids that I am an 'Eskimo woman.' Maybe Esme will fall somewhere in the middle or have some super-hero range of temperatures she can endure (just kidding here)

I dug out one of Esme's old baby quilts last night and gently laid it over her in her crib. She still hasn't quite learned how to use blankets - should have started her earlier but was afraid of all the warnings about kids not having pillows or blankets in their cribs. She often wakes up and throws it off when I do put one on her. This morning she kept it on but was awake after a few hours.