Sharing Space

from scrappinstuff.com

Maybe because my dad was a twin, the Bundles in my life tend to arrive in pairs of boys and girls.  I had two boys, then two girls and now I have two grandsons.  Sharing spaces was and still is a big deal with us.

This blog post will not be about how to allow separate space for each child.  It's not about defining areas, labeling toys or stacking beds.  It's about how to bring two Kiddles together, how to teach them about sharing and being glad to share.

Searching the Net, I found two quotes I'd put up if my Kiddles were still young and sharing rooms.  Find your favorite or create one just for your Kiddles. 

We are lucky to be living in the age of vinyl stick-on letters.  Think about how you can use them to remind your Kiddles that they are fortunate to be together, to share a space and to share the bounty from birthdays and holidays.

Vinyl letters are fun, of course, but you could also make a slide on PowerPoint, save it as an image and have it printed as a poster.  Or the latest trend is to take pictures of letters on signs around town and create words using the letters.

Even better- let the Kiddles create their own quote and poster!

My grandsons share space when they spend the weekend with me.  Next time they are here, we'll create a quote about cousins.  We'll brainstorm how to turn it into wall art and talk about how lucky they are to see each other and play together so often.

I'm lucky, too!

How do you show your Kiddles to share spaces?  Let us know!

Flannel vs Fleece

With cooler weather coming soon, my local fabric store is stocking up on flannels and fleece.  Seeing all those piles of patterns and colors made me wonder about the safety of flannel versus fleece for sewing sleepwear for my Bundles and Kiddles, so I decided to do some online investigating. 

First of all, the U.S. government has very defined laws about the construction of children's sleepwear. for the ages of 9 months to 14 years.  Find the details here. Basically the fabric must either not burn or melt, or it must extinguish itself, and the garment must be tight fitting.

These rules pose some problems for those of us who like to sew sleepwear and bedding for our Bundles and Kiddles.  Most of the flannel and fleece I find at local fabric shops clearly states, "Not intended for children's sleepwear".  Most of the patterns I find for the sleepwear garments I like to sew are designed to make roomy and comfortable pajamas and nightgowns.  What to do?

Shop for natural fibers.  Avoid man-made fibers such a polyester, which will melt.  Natural fibers are not fire-proof but are naturally fire-resistant.  I am not saying that you should defy the U.S. government. I'm saying that flame-retardant fabrics are hard to come by.  If you want to sew jammies for your little one, stick with cotton or wool.  It's not 100% safe to sleep in clothing made of natural fibers but it is a lot safer than man-made fibers.

So for fall, which should you choose?  Flannel or fleece?
Flannel can come in cotton/polyester blends so watch the content label.  Look for 100% cotton.  If you are concerned about chemicals, look closely to see if the fabric has been treated.
Fleece is almost always made of polyester so avoid it for sleepwear.

Finally, make the sleepwear as snug fitting as possible.  The US government also suggests that trims, such as lace, not extend more than 1/4 inch beyond the garment.  Watch the content label and choose natural fibers for those trims as well.

So, have fun sewing sleepwear for your Bundle or Kiddle, but do it with an eye to the flammability of the fabrics you choose.  We'd love to know what you do to sew safety-minded sleepwear.  Let us hear from you!

Grow-with-me Clothes

The pillowcase dress is so popular right now because it can "grow" with the girl. As she gets older the shoulder straps can get longer and then later she can wear it as a top.  I've made a few of these and I understand the popularity!  We want to get the most out of our favorite items, especially clothes for our little ones.

With the same idea of having our Kiddle wear an outfit for more than one season, here's a trick that many of us have forgotten or perhaps never knew.  In the day when garments were made by hand, moms and grandmoms would add tucks to the hemline.  The tucks could be let out as the child grew, giving extra months and sometimes years of wear to the clothing.

I was thinking of this while adding tucks to a christening dress.  For my next few projects I'm going to add tucks to dresses and the tops of overalls.  Not only do they give the item a finished look, mom or dad can take out the stitches in a few months and have the extra length or room in the garment to get another season or so wear out of it. 

How do you "stretch" your clothing to get more time out of your Kiddle's clothes?  Let us hear from you!

Double-Duty Footboard / Game Table

Inspiration comes from the darndest places.  Just the other night my grandson came to spend the night.  All the other beds in the house had already been claimed so we filled the twin-size air mattress and walked around the house looking for enough floor space to put it down.  In the end we tucked part of the mattress under a table.  He loved it and insisted on sleeping with his head under the table.

This gave me the idea of how to use my floor space more efficiently!  I shopped around and found this fun set for less than $170 at discount department-store chain (you can also find it online if you search for a high drop-leaf table.)

My plan is to put this table at the foot of a twin bed.  In a Kiddle's room I'd sand it and paint it fun colors to blend with the room.

When the leaf is down, it will look a little like a footboard with some display space at the top.  The stools can be used as seating elsewhere, as nightstands or as luggage racks in a guest room.  When the leaf is up it can be a desk, a game table or even a snack table.

Other ideas for a footboard: a low bookshelf, a student size desk or chest for blankets, out-of-season clothes or toys. I'd love to hear how you double-up space in your Kiddle's room!

Kiddle perspective

Remember being a Kiddle?  Most likely you remember flashes of time, moments that stand out when think about when you were small, images that slide through your memory like slides on a screen.  I wager that many of your memories include sensory images: the scent of grandma's perfume, the touch of your favorite blanket, the sounds of dry leaves as you raked them.

One of those images for me was an outfit my mom sewed for me when I was about seven or eight.  It was a shorts and top set in a soft gray cotton with images of colored pencils headed every which way.  I can remember how comfortable it was to wear and how inspired I felt to draw when I looked at those pencils on my lap.  If I remember correctly, I even helped her select that fabric among the maze of bolts lined up aisle after aisle.

Now several decades have slid by like seams sewn on endless yards of fabric.  I have created oodles of dresses, tops, bottoms, costumes, curtains, and decor for my children and their children.  Always in mind when I'm planning a new project is how it will be perceived by the child who will own it.  How will it feel?  What will it look like from his or her vantage point?  Will it create and emotional connection?

For this, my first tip on my first blog, I suggest that you include your Kiddle when selecting materials for your next project.  One of my Kiddles likes to select his own cottons for his jammie bottoms.  Bringing him with me to shop for fabric gives me a chance to view the materials available from his perspective and gives meaning and purpose to the selection.

If you aren't as fortunate as I am to be able to be escorted by your Kiddle when shopping for your project, do what you can to include him or her in the process.  With technology you can send images, even video-chat! Get a Kids-eye view and your next project may become one of those images your Kiddle will remember many years from now.