Trudi says: Stuff it!

I am working late. Trudi emailed me this:

If one doesn't like it, one stuffs it!  I'm talking about Hazel.

I've just pulled about over 10 CDs from under the bottom shelf under the CD player.  Turns out she stuffs them under there when she has had enough.  And while writing this, SHE HAS STUFFED THE RULER (which I used to get the CDs out) UNDER THERE TOO!

Ivy asked

And soon she will receive!

She asked me to make her a snail blanket, for her to wear when she is being a snail. It was not easy to get more information out of her. This is a tough client, who believes that a one-line brief is sufficient.

She did not want a thing that looked like a shell. She did not want a little blanket for her toy cat. She did not want a small blanket or a big one.

It does have to be sofffft and green. These concepts are very important to this client.

I finally proposed a circular blanket with a picture of a snail on it - and the client subtly indicated that this would be acceptable.

When I visited my sister last weekend, I mentioned the project. Liss kindly gave me an old sheet from an op shop, with little green flowers on it. She's been using it as a drop sheet, but it's in good condition. Just one tear in it (presumably from someone's midnight toenail, blurk. The good thing about op shop sheets is that they are worn, and thus soffffft.

That night I made this:

This is an applique snail, made from curtain fabric given to me by my mother-in-law. I adapted the design from a picture on the web. "Adapted" here means "did not include the eyelashes".

I still need to buy something to make the blanket warm - right now it's just two layers of sheet. I had thought of cutting up a woollen blanket (op shop again) but the client has intervened and decreed that this blanket must be light, not heavy. I'm thinking of using polarfleece. I'm wary of using batting, because I imagine it will bunch up.

Stay tuned for the client's final comments.

Ivy made some signs too

The one on the left is a salad of interesting letters: iiiHT. The other one is 'a picture'.

More signs

Hazel made this one: it says 'Do not jump on the mummies' bed.'

Craft for mums

Too much whining at our house... Not any more!

How do normal people roll over in bed?

I'm sure it used to be easy. I bet that I just rolled on over, and thought nothing of it. Snuffle, mutter, back to sleep. Or maybe I slept right through the whole thing?

Then I gestated two humans at the same time, and everything (and I really do mean everything) went pear-shaped.

Most women who have been pregnant have found it hard to get comfy at night. Many have developed a pillow addiction - one under the knees, another between the knees, one to the left and one to the right, plus a couple of extras flapping around, just in case. And some have found it hard to turn over in bed.

When I was baking my babies, I found that I had to turn over carefully and slowly, with breaks as I went. First, shift my hips to the left. Next, position both hands on the right. Then, transfer weight onto hands, and let distended belly hang, while slowly continuing to rotate. Reposition hands to remain balanced and to gain traction. Land on right hip, let everything else descend, then faff about with pillows to allow for a successful landing. Rest a while to regain composure. Remember that lying on the right side is Bad For The Babies and start the whole flippan thing again.

This went on for months.

Then some stuff happened, and now my girls are three.

Now I can't remember how it goes. My body does not remember what to do. The autopilot has no idea, so I have to do it manually. Slide hips to right (or is it left?). Move hands, or maybe I don't have to do that any more. Hurl self about, and overdo it because there is not as much resistance these days. Land, and wonder if this was meant to be more comfortable. Feel silly. Rest a while to get my breath back (I really should do some exercise). Now I'm wide awake.

Will my old skills come back, or is this my new normal?