Upcycled...A Pair of Pants to a Toddler Hat

It took a bit of creativity, measuring and trial and error to turn a pair of American Eagle adult pants into a kids hat.  But I did it!

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And he hates it.  I try to get him to wear it and he says "Nooo".  He was being silly so I plopped it on his head quickly...I promise it fits better than what this picture shows.  This is the only shot I got...I had to be quick.  He promptly took it off after and he won't wear it (....tear).

It's way too early for him to have an opinion.  Shouldn't I have a few more years of him thinking all of my ideas are grand?  Sigh.  He was a ham for the camera for a brief stint....which is so rare.  A few shots of a willing participant...hey, I'll take it.  Even if it's hatless.

 

Repairing Diapers

A drawback of velcro diapers is the velcro eventually wears out.  Certainly it's handy to have velcro, as it's easiest to diaper a mover.  I thought I'd add some tips if you're in need of diaper repair.

First of all, don't expect it to be a quick project.  It likely took me about 30 minutes per diaper...most of that time ripping out seams.  Not the most fun project, but once done, it's nice to have the diapers in rotation.  

Be very careful with the seam ripper, as  you don't want to go too quick and leave holes.  The best way to rip out is on the velcro side.  Slit every 5th stitch.  Then pull the threads on the opposite side and the whole piece should come off in one piece.  It's a great project to keep in the car if you're the passenger.

I ended up just re-velcroing because that's what I had in the house.  You can also replace with snaps.  If you do replace with velcro, make sure you use polyester thread.  If you use cotton thread, it's absorbent, and there will be leaks outside of the diaper.

A walking foot and a heavy duty needle are helpful for ease in repair.

Although my little guy no longer wears diapers during the day, I'll at least be more prepared for baby #2 with 8 more diapers in the rotation.

Happiness is...

Happiness is...

A morning without rain, with temperatures that are warm, but not sweltering, perfect for important dumptruck related duties.

 

Followed by a whole day off together as a family...first one in 2 months.  A perfect day to take a little trip up the coast for some beautiful scenery.





Stopping along the way to appreciate bugs.  We do love bugs.

 

 

 

Wide open fields adjacent to the ocean, perfect for running fast.

 

 

Remembering our last trip here...with a two week old baby in our arms and appreciating how he's grown to be such a neat little guy.

Thinking how the next time we'll come, we'll have two little ones.

Smiling at how excited our little guy was that his shirt had boats and a lighthouse....just like what we were seeing.  Quite a bit of boat watching was on the agenda, which we didn't mind.

A bit of trolley excitement, greeted with enthusiastic "Wow"s reminded us of how awesome it is that we live here...where we can enjoy these pleasures on beautiful days...before the tourists take over.

But regardless of where we, we are the happiest when we're together (even if we're wearing a grouchy face for the camera).

Fish Bag (Free Pattern Included)

Remember the last sunhat I made? Well, scraps from that sunhat reminded me of a fish.  So, I made a zippered fish bag for my little guy.

All sorts of things have been and can be stored in this.  My little guy filled it with his favorite fishing game.

 

He's a big fan of carrying his "bag" when we go places, just like his mama.  

He also has been pretending to shop too using the wooden cart I made...he says "Bag shop" and off he goes to buy important things.  Like trains.  Shopping at home is the best, so he'd say.  No pants required.

 Here's the pattern.

Directions (1/2 inch seam allowance provided):  

1) Cut two fish shapes.  

2) With right sides together,  stitch on bottom edge from ends to the x.  Baste between the Xs.  Press open and install 7 zipper (Go slowly, the curve is tricky).  Remove stitches between the Xs.

2) Pin 8 inch strap in between right sides, matching cut edges, where the "bag handle" x is.

3) Finish stitching along edges.  Notch seams if needed around curves. Finish edges. Turn rightside out and press.

Celebrating: A Lost Art

I've written about our garden and abundant harvesting.  We're so thankful that our neighbors (Nam and Pap) let us plant with them.  If not, we'd have a lot of nothing with living in the woods.

Today was a special treat. Other neighbors brought their team of horses to plow our garden.  Our little guy loves "Farmer Rick" and he greets him with a "Hi farmer" that is just as cute as cute can be.  We all enjoyed watching and chatting as the horses did their job. It was so relaxing and enjoyable...the way farming used to be.  I'm all about celebrating this lost art.  It really was a special afternoon.  Thank you, Farmer Rick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And soon it will be time to plant.
Which could turn out to be quite interesting given my growing pregnant belly.