Homekeeping: October 2003 Archives

I finished Hambet's fireman coat last night. I did cut the boots, but I'm not worrying about finishing them -- Hambet is too little for them just now. He can just wear his snow boots and a pair of black jeans.

If he wears the costume, that is! When I brought it out for him to try on, he said, "no!" and ran off! He's been refusing to try it on since.

The fireman coat is made of yellow vinyl with black contrast banding. (The pattern is Butterick 3244.)

I had such a time with the vinyl! It's got a felt backing, kind of like a vinyl tablecloth, and I'm sure the fabric was intended for upholstery. It was very cumbersome to sew. Most vexing was that I couldn't sew the applique stripes onto the costume -- it just kept getting knotted up into the machine! I think it just wouldn't feed properly, that the felt back of the top layer, when laid on top of the vinyl of the second layer, made the whole thing too slippery. I made a 911 call to my mother and another one to a lady around here who is an experienced seamstress. They were both out. So I clicked around Mothering With Grace, read about someone else's costume woes, and then remembered.... the glue gun.

I used the glue gun for the applique stripes and for the fastening tabs. So far it seems to be holding together. My mom called me back this evening and suggested sandwiching the vinyl between layers of tissue paper. Maybe sometime I'll go back and try it. The glue should hold up through tomorrow night, though -- especially if Hambet won't wear the costume! I cut it plenty big, so he can be a fireman next year too.

I like the idea of sewing, but I'm not very good at it. There's part of me that whispers, "you're not good at it because you don't sew very often" but there's another part of me that's whispering, "you're not good at it because you're doing everything the hard way" -- kind of like trying to cook with dull knives and a cheap pan: possible, but unnecessarily difficult.

So today I'm trying to cut the fireman costume. Difficulty #1 is that I am using vinyl, and I don't want to stick pins in it (I usually use millions of pins) because I don't want to poke all these holes in the vinyl.

Difficulty #2 is that it's a multi-sized pattern, and I am cutting one of the smaller sizes. I don't want to cut right on that cutting line, because what if I want to use the pattern again in a larger size? So I'm alternating between folding the pattern back and tracing the cutting lines directly on the fabric. It is such a hassle. There has got to be a better way. Is this the kind of situation where tracing paper is called for? (I have never used that before; when my mom taught me to sew we used tailor's chalk, which rubbed right off.)

I get really frustrated when I try to sew for myself. I have to do extensive alterations to my pattern -- sizing up and grading, shortening, ease -- enough to make practically a new pattern. Then I wind up getting confused when I cut, plus I have the multi-size pattern issue. Is there a good way to handle this? Is there a way to just trace my mutant pattern onto a new sheet of paper or something?

I am lacking in some sort of vitamin. I feel like yuck and it is not getting better. I started taking Cal Mag because my midwife told me I should watch my calcium in take, and look for signs of calcium deficiency like loose teeth. Well, that was 6 months ago at my check-up and my teeth were loose then, so I finally got around to taking Cal Mag this week. Nice, huh?

Is there anything else nursing Sleepy Mommies tend to be deficient in?

Peony, I think Polo and I are Type 1.5 painters. I actually have never picked up a paint brush because I am always busy keeping a toddler from sticking his foot into the paint can. My husband would very much like to be a Type 1 painter, but time restraints make it so you have to cut corners whenever possible remember he works 14 hours a day and has to paint when it is least likely a toddler will stick his foot in a paint can. The only time he paints is late at night to very early in the morning.

We are also in the process of painting our kitchen, and well, the whole house. The inside if the house is off white with aqua blue trim. Hate it. apparently the Amish are only allowed to use colors found in nature, and aqua is the most colorful of those colors, so that is what they used for the trim. So he had to wash walls (they are quite sooty), prime it, cover holes, you know the routine. I will say I am always amazed how a nice a fresh coat of paint can make something look.

We also just bought a new stove. The Amish use something called a Perfection Cookstove which is kerosene fueled, portable and expensive for us, especially since it has no oven. We bought a very simple propane gas range, but had to do a bit of searching to find one with pilots as opposed to an electric ignition. I seem to remember all gas ranges having pilots. Maybe that is the old ones?

Yesterday we went shopping for Halloween constumes. I actually have similar feelings that Jeff does about Halloween, but the closest All Saint's Day Party is usually a bit of a distance for a week night, whereas taking them around the block to let them get some candy bars is a more viable option. The rule is no demon, devil, evil creature or witch costumes.

Rosey Posey and Posco are going to be brother and sister Ninjas this year and Fastolph will be Spider-Man. The two oldest usually match. One year they were St. Isaac Jogues and Bl. Kateri Tekawitha, one year they were St. Gabriel and St. Michael, another year they were Jango Fett and Senator Amidala. They get a kick out of that.

Has anyone noticed that Halloween has become a major production almost like Christmas? They sell little jack-o-lantern outdoor lights, Halloween garland to decorate your stoop railings, giant inflatable pumpkins and all kinds of tombstones to put in your front lawn. And the prices of the costumes, my goodness! They sell children's costumes for $50. Sorry guys, you can only pick the cheap ones. I intended to sew the costumes this year, but since we are in the throes of moving, purchasing was an easier option.

Now, do not get me started on how Filene's has had their Christmas tree displays up for about 3 weeks now.

....those who think painting a kitchen means flipping through dozens of paint chips before finally choosing the right shade of yellow, pulling out all the nails, filling and sanding the holes, wiping it all down, washing the walls, putting down masking tape, paper and drop cloths, priming, letting the primer dry, painting, wiping up the lip of the paint can before closing it, and carefully washing the brushes and rollers before hanging them up to dry....

...and those who think painting a kitchen means getting a paintbrush and a can of paint and going to it.

Perhaps it would be wise if the Pre-Cana courses included something about painting on that questionnaire, and addressed the implications of different painting preferences for maintaining marital harmony on Saturday afternoons.

Why, oh why, didn't I take shop in middle school instead of orchestra? I haven't touched a viola since I was fifteen, but I regret that shop class almost every day since we've become homeowners.

Books aren't that much help either, in that they tend to focus on small, typical projects in houses that don't have 1967-era wiring, since modified by other homeowners with more enthusiasm than prudence. And I simply don't have the knowledge base needed to just start experimenting. Unfortunately, my husband has the same problem: no shop class, no natural aptitude, and no memories, either fond or practical, of tinkering in the garage with Dad.

For example, one of the owners wired the house for cable by simply drilling a hole in the exterior brick and the wall board and threading a coax cable through it. So now there's this coax cable all rolled up in the corner. If we get rid of it, how do we close up the hole? How about the passage the guy made by making a 3" diameter hole, sticking a piece of PVC in it, and threading more coax through that? The electrician is recommending that we replace our circuit panel. Is he trying to save us from an electrical fire, or trying to pay off his boat early? And while we're on the topic of electricity, what in the world did Harry Homeowner do with that downstairs receptacle? There's some kind of tan box in there that seems to be wired into the wall.

Less orchestra, more shop. Less calculus, more Aeneid. O my wasted youth!