Friday 24 January 2014

Simplifying Through Sewing

After what seems like forever I think we're finally all healthy again. Just as we were recovering from the flu my oldest son started breaking out in hives. We have no idea what he's reacting to. Personally, I'm wondering if his body is still working its way through getting rid of the flu and it took this form. Anyway, I suggested coconut oil to soothe the itchiness. He wasn't thrilled because of the smell but did it anyway. He was sold. Now he does it as a matter of course when the itching starts. It does seem to be getting less every day so hopefully we'll be past all of this.

Coconut oil is so wonderful - it's antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, as well as being a superior moisturizer. You get the picture. I figured it couldn't hurt. In fact, my toddler has a stubborn diaper rash that I've started putting coconut oil on. From diaper change to diaper change you can see his skin clearing up. To read more about this amazing product check out this post.

Before things got really bad around here I managed to get some sewing projects in. First of all I made a pair of overalls for my baby. I made them with fleece. I love fleece. It is super easy to work with, and when you pick up a fleece-dressed baby they are so soft and squishy - just saying. I wasn't super crazy about the buttons but then I realized that if I turned them upside down I liked much better. I've also learned a way of sewing buttons on with my sewing machine which saves a nice little bit of time.


I also made a cover for my sewing machine. I've had a charm pack of squares for several years now waiting for the right project - this was it. I lined the cover with some pink and white striped fabric. I had a little issues with making the hole for the handle but managed at last. This project I made up as I went along and overall I'm very happy with it. My sewing machine sits out all the time so it's nice to have a pretty cover for it.


Finally, I was tired of my cords for my sewing machine, serger and my glue gun looking a mess and getting tangled. This picture is actually neat compared to how they normally look.


I made individual pouches for each piece - no more tangles, no more mess, no more trying to figure out which cord it is exactly that I need. I used three unique material so I can easily grab just what I need. This makes my life a little simpler and only took about 45 minutes in total to make all three.
 

I hope everyone is healthy where you live. What have you done recently to simplify your life?




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6 comments:

  1. Nice job on the sewing projects, Jen. Love the cover for the sewing machine and ummmm....might be needing that overall pattern in the near future :) So cute!
    I can't say I've been doing things to simplify my life other than our to-do list is now on my tablet and I had to set it only once - super easy and love the app.
    Other than that - it is just a little bit of organizing each day and it goes a long way. My best time of day is late afternoon so a good time to get things done!

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    1. Can't really give you a pattern for the cover. I was just winging it, but allfreesewing.com has lots of patterns.

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  2. I love the covers! That would be great for different cords. What a clever idea!

    To simplify, we have chore day every so often here. It's working so well. The kids have to clean their rooms and then they have to choose at least two more chores from the list. They can choose as they finish the previous chore, so there is quite the motivation to do the job well and have it approved by Mom (me) so they can move on to the next job. Most recently, there was even a $0.50 incentive for anyone who wanted to do an extra chore. It worked great and we cleaned and tidied the entire house in about two hours.

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    1. I love incentives. Sometimes I use a movie as an incentive. It's nice to watch a movie together knowing the house is clean.

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  3. Very clever Jennifer!! I just love those covers - genious!! Hope you're all feeling better...

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    1. Thanks, Renee. I think we're finally all better. We were able to visit family this weekend. It felt so good to get everyone out of the house.

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