The Long Story of a Short Little Dress

A short little dress

(This is kind of long winded. You have been forewarned)
Before the Little One was born, obviously I don't know much about birthing, the recovery, etc etc. So when the kind nurse gave me a list of things to be brought to the hospital during the delivery, I just followed the list blindly.
Included in the list was: a couple of daster (aka sleeping gown) with front opening, which I do not have.
So off I went with my mother, hunting for the so called item.

I found one with the pattern above. I liked the color and the pattern on the fabric.
As we bought it in the market, however, I did not get to try it. (Trying an item of clothing in the hot, stuffy market while you're 8 months pregnant, EEee! I passed. Never mind)
So it turned out that, although cool and comfortable, the piece really make me look like a giant of epic proportion.
Hmmm.....

Luckily, that was not the only piece that we bought, and the rest... looked better. Like for example, this one:

Me with big tummy

(While looking for this photo, I realized that this is practically the only photo of me with big tummy. Hhh... such a wasted opportunity. Need to do better with the next pregnancy. When the time comes.)


Anyway, the gowns were perfect for the stuffy hot weather, so I went on wearing them in the house. I guess it was also a factor that I couldn't fit into my shorts and most of my clothing then (or even months after the baby bump was already gone)

Now that the Little One is quite big, however, I can't be going around looking like giant of epic proportion, right? So I chucked some pieces, until inspiration struck to modify the gown into a dress of the Little One.
Err...  the inspiration came slowly, from quite a few sources. I think the Purl Bee blog was one source of inspiration, but I can't quite remember the exact post. In any case, there was no pattern involved. Just some snip snip, some ( a LOT of!) handsewing (cos I don't have a sewing machine), many many many days after I started... voila!

Front view

To be honest, I am not really too sure about the whole construction (the cut, the stitches). I think the cut is wonky and sewing... hmmm... the least said the better.
But hey, it's the first piece of wearable garment that I've ever sewn. Ever!
The Little Girl likes it.
AND, even her Daddy said it was brilliant (the design, which is not mine. Still. I'm not fussy about little things like that, ya?).

I still haven't gotten a decent picture of the Little One in the dress. So.... you'll just have to do with this one. Now, I shall go back to things that I need to do.
Let's see, exam preparation... or Christmas presents?
Ah... decision decision decision....

Dreaming of new dress

Birthday Card

I used to make cards when I was in secondary school. Did I tell you I made cards before? Well, anyway, I did, make cards, that is. They were simple, usually just a play of texture, not complicated at all. It's quite fun, it's not expensive, and I think is more personal. 

I now have more appreciation for handmade stuff. Must be my daily foray into various arts and crafts blogs. But, I mean, handmades ARE indeed creative, personal, unique among other things, right? 

In any case, when the Little One's best friend's birthday came up, I really don't know what to buy her. The Little One actually got a pair of clothes for her birthday, but maybe also because we have been passing them batik clothes from Indonesia as gifts. In short, I don't really feel like giving clothes. 

And so we made these, the card, and the pinwheel.

Remember my watercolors a few entries ago? I still do that once in a while. So.. I just used a watercolor for both the pinwheel and the card. I think they look kind of nice.

Maybe next time we can do some other handmade stuff. Paper origami, maybe? Haha...

Any ideas, anyone?

Dumping ground...

My usual dumping ground, the bed

This is a real bad habit, I know, especially when the bed is shared, as it has been for quite a number of years now. But I can't help it.

The bed is just THE perfect dumping ground, especially a double bed. 

It's big, it's flat, it's within reach without having to bend down to far (like when I dump stuff on the floor)

I remember when the Husband used to travel for work, days when he was not around would be marked by the presence of all kind of stuff on the bed, leaving me just enough space to sleep comfortably, but not much else.

Those were the days when I worked as well.

Right now, I have no excuse for not cleaning up, so I do try to clean up once I'm done, or rather, once my me-time is up and I have to go back to my role as a mother and wife.

I don't really have much time to write at the moment, I still have to prepare dinner pretty soon. 

But just let me give you a tour of the dumping ground. 

The photo actually shows the things that I 'packed' for my me-time, that is when Solly is around and I can hide in the bedroom while I do my stuff away from itchy little hands.

Starting from the left, almost to the top, the note book and the papers on the clipboard.

I am currently attending a part time course in management. Trying to pick up some useful skills for life. I do hope to be able to either work or at least earn income sometime in the future. So... those are my study materials, my notes and some hand-outs.

The huge, ugly plastic bad contains my crochetty stuff: my meagre stash of yarns, Work in Progress (WIPs), my 2 very precious needles.... Yeah, I think that's about it. 

I really should get a better bag rather than a plastic bag, but I still have 2 WIPs currently, I don't think adding another project is justifiable, even if it were to be a normal sewn fabric bag rather than a crochetted bag. Ah well...

The blue and orange pouch... I actually can't remember what it contained. It's such a flexible pouch so.. I don't really designated anything to it, just use it as I see fit according to my need. Sometimes it will contain whatever WIP I feel like carrying in my bag, sometimes it's my electronics (cables, card readers etc), sometimes even my medication, you get the idea. As when I took the photo? I'm really not sure. It could be either one, but most probably some WIPs I took to go out previously.

The digital camera... ah.. my precious. It's not really fully functional, the LCD display no longer works (thank God it was an old model that still has a viewfinder, most of the newer point and shoot cameras no longer has one). The cable further up is actually the one that I use to download images from the camera to the computer.

Water bottle, for rehydration.
The blue book is my accounting textbook. I think it was being used as background for my crochet, rather than being read.

And lastly, of course, me beloved computer and the small card reader.
I am currently learning another new thing, that is Photoshop. The Husband had installed it in the computer and when I have the chance, I tried to learn how to use it. It's a slow process, not least due to the difficulty in finding time blocks to spend in front of the computer. Also... I am teaching myself through trial and error.

In any case, is there anything new that you do today?