Sew for a change - April results

This month I managed the challenge! Yes!!! The paper month sounded fairly straight forward and I didn't really think I had a big change ahead of me, but in some ways it did open my eyes even further. Ain't that funny? You set the rules of the challenge yourself and are still surprised of the results at the end of it? :-D

So here goes...

1. If you have to print something, print on both sides and/or print several pages/slides per paper page.

This is the area where I experienced a change in behaviour in myself. Usually I print something nearly every day at work. This month I have printed about once a week! And then I have printed BOTH several pages per paper side AND front and back! 

I have another example; I had to print some handouts for a workshop the other day and just before the workshop I realised I had to update some of the pages in the middle. Usually I would have just printed a new set, but now I took all the stapled piles apart and replaced only the affected pages.

For taking notes I have switched to iPad instead of paper and I love it. I also save all little scraps of paper, such as old envelopes, and use for shopping lists or todo-lists.

2. Look into the possibility of changing your kitchen paper towels to cloth and see if it would work for your family.

This is one I had already covered. We use homemade cloth towels and love it. I have blogged about them previously here.

3. Cancel all catalogues (such as mail order catalogues), paper bills etc, where possible, and turn to the digital versions.

This is one I hope I am now done with. If something new shows up I'll handle that then too. I have even taken it to cancel all digital newsletters, not to save paper obviously, but because it feels liberating to not be fed all this crap.

4. Don't accept any ads in your mailbox - put up a sign!

Done a long time ago.

5. Give away magazines you won't read again to someone who will.

Done.

6. If you have a paper/magazine subscription, check what your online options are instead.

I currently don't have any subscriptions, and I also think twice before buying new magazines.

* Results *

A star for me and 10 sweeeeeet points!! I need those points, especially since this month has been a spending month...

I have bought a lot of fabric in order to sew on my summer plan (SWAP) and I have also bought one vintage dress (that is free from points). At least half of the fabric splurge was organic...

I have purchased 2,6 m of full width cotton lawn and 2 m of organic jersey.

The naked truth all summed up, pretty much status quo:

/Alexandra

Sewing a "circus bed"...

Today I made the effort of fixing up the bed area for my 6y old. She got a room makeover about a year ago, where she got to select the wallpapers and colours and stuff, but ever since we made over her room she hasen't slept there one whole night. Clearly she doesn't feel safe in her new room.

Maybe there is something feng shui:y that doesn't add up properly? Like, before she had a footboard on her small junior bed and now there is only a headboard, which makes her more exposed in a way.

However, today we decided to make her bed into a cozy circus tent (her request). We went to IKEA and she got to pick out the fabric she wanted and then we went home to sew.

 It was the easiest thing to do and it made such a huge difference! I think we may have spent 2h all in all to make it! Should have done it a long time ago.

This is the result!

I'm excited to see if she likes it, since she hasn't seen it ready yet - her mom is a fan of surprises :-D

/Alexandra

Completed: baby anorak from vintage fabric

Yesterday I whipped up a spring jacket for my 1y old baby. Yes, I couldn't believe how fast it was. It only took me a few hours - including making my own pattern!

For many years I have been really annoyed at how badly engineered jackets for small children are. They are essentially just a small version of a big child's jacket, which sucks since they have completely different needs and moving patterns. But, then my friend had come across a brilliant jacket for her son, where someone clearly knew something about small children, from Miniature.
Now that my girl needed a jacket for spring, and now that I actually can sew, there was the obvious project at hand - creating my version of that clever jacket!

The basics are:
- short front, since babies sit a lot and get annoyed when the jacket gets pushed up in the face.
- long back, since babies sit a lot and need the jacket to cover their bums.
- no zipper in the front, since a zipper inevitably will be harsh when touching the skin (which it will if you don't have a short jacket).
- Zipper in the back, makes putting the jacket on a breeze.

That was it. About 30 minutes on the sketch board and the pattern was born. Then I sewed it in some cool vintage fabric I had laying around.

Isn't this just super cool???? I can't even begin to describe how pleased I am with this jacket!! This is T-H-E jacket, friends!!

Jacket front

Jacket back, showing the zipper

Jacket from the side, demonstrating the dropped hem

Jacket covering bum on sitting child

Jacket without annoying sitting child by getting in the face

Cutest thing!

Saving paper...

Just a quick tip on saving paper. If you have a tablet - use one of the note taking apps!!! I use TopNotes (and I have tried about 10 different ones) and a Jot Pro Pen. It's great and I'm never going back to note pads again.

I guess buying a tablet only to take notes wont be the greenest decision out of a lifecycle perspective, but if you already have one...