A few photos

The simple evergreen garland I made. I knit myself this hat from some cashmere.
"Ceremonial" planting of my birthday cherry tree. Partner actually planted it. I did one shovel of dirt, just like the Queen.
Hey, I knit these two hats too!
And the stroller cover. It's so toasty and warm for Franklin.

Catching up

I admit it, I've been a bad blogger. I don't have the "don't bother me I'm studying" excuse anymore. Or even the gardening excuse. In fact, I don't have any excuse at all. So I'll just apologize and try very hard to improve.

I also better apologize for not having any photos. I need to charge my camera batteries in order to take more photos. And I don't have any excuse for that, either.

So, on to my photo-less catch up post. I've been making things! I sewed Franklin's stroller cover. We call it a Cosy Toes. Is that the official name of stroller covers, or is it a brand name or something? In any case, this cover is like a little sleeping bag that attaches to the stroller and which the child gets strapped into and covered up by. I made it from a second-hand women's wool coat with a second-hand fuzzy afghan for the lining. Photos to follow (eventually).

I also made an evergreen garland to decorate the top of our piano. Partner wanted to cut down some evergreen hedge-type shrubs in our back garden. Heck, I even wanted them cut down--but then I thought they'd make great Christmas decor. So they have not been taken to the guillotine, just the hairdresser. I like the garland so much I might make another for the mantle. Or try my hand at a wreath. Or maybe I'll just think about it some more and try it next year. Photos to (eventually) follow.

In my garden, the garlic I planted--was it last month?--sprouted. We haven't had a proper freeze back there yet, though there's been some light frost. My nasturtiums are my frost guide; while they still live, frost has not conquered. And they live, though the top layer of leaves wilted. I still have some cabbages and chard to harvest; they can survive the winter temperatures, so no hurry to get them in. I even have a couple young potatoes plants growing--I guess we missed a few tubers when harvesting. I doubt they'll survive the cold, though.

Speaking of study, I got my exam results back. I passed both. I'm still amazed I passed the math, though it was a bit of a scrape; there are four grades of passing, 1-4, and I got a grade 3. But hey, a pass is a pass! I have to decide if I'm taking one or two classes this next semester. I'm signed up for one already. Trying to get through three (two mid-level and one advanced) last year nearly killed me, and now the remaining classes are all advanced. Could I really juggle two advanced classes and still manage to care for Franklin, get to work at the weekends, and not have a nervous breakdown?

Birthday next week. I'm telling people I'm 25. I was talking to another mother I'd not seen before at our play group. We talked about our kids--mine's not yet two, hers were 5 and 3; then she asked my age. I knew she was younger than me because of the way she was dressed, but I think she thought I was her age (24) because when I told her I was 30, she said "you look well for it." I nearly fell over. Maybe she thought I said I was 40?

Oh wait, I do have a photo! I took it on my webcam, to show my haircut and pin curls two weeks ago (superfluous toddler in photo because Franklin insists on being the subject of any picture taken in this house). So this one's for you, Kathy and Kim; thank you for asking about it.

Haircut, roof, turkey

Partner cut my hair this week. I think he learned a lot about cutting hair. Such as to only cut a little at a time, and to take it slow. I wanted it about two inches below my shoulders but it ended up just on my shoulders. I like it anyway. It feels good; he took off a good eight or ten inches and my head feels so much lighter. My hair isn't dragging me down any more.

It also means I can go back to my pin curl set. You read that right: I like to set my hair in pin curls. I love that Rita Hayworth look but it needs shorter hair. Shoulder-length is just about right.

Today I climbed back up on the garage roof for another patch job. Remember the last one--more than two years ago now? Not such a nice day for it this time, but it had to be done. With the wind whipping, I had a few precarious moments climbing on and off the ladder, but all's well that ends well. Partner wants to replace the entire roof with semi-transparent corrugated plastic; that's definitely a summer job. A big summer job.

It being Thanksgiving, Partner, Franklin, and I celebrated very quietly with lots of turkey and pie. In fact, the next day we even had turkey pie--all the leftover veg and some turkey in a white sauce, topped with mashed potato and baked for about half an hour. Partner's specialty, and quite superb.

The coat

Here it is! It's a double breasted overcoat, around size 2T (big on Franklin, who is still in 18 month size). The coat is made from a 75% wool, 15% cashmere, 10% nylon blend, and is lovely and soft and warm. It's also fully lined with a 55% cotton, 45% polyester lining, and has eight big buttons.
I added about ten inches of ease in the body of the coat, and five inches of ease in the sleeves. I also added an extra four inches length to the sleeves. This is a good coat for growing in!
The original coat was diplomatically called an old lady coat by Partner:
And the lining was one of Partner's old dress shirts:
Franklin's coat has a total of three functioning pockets: two welt pockets and an inner patch pocket. It also has a little loop sewn on the inside collar so it can be hung up easily on a hook.
Before I cut out the new pieces from the old coat, I ripped out the original lining. I dislike acetate linings; I find coats can get too hot and sticky with that kind of lining, because acetate doesn't breathe. The new coat has the added bonus of being machine-washable, too.

References:
Bag Your Jacket Lining - Threads

Adventures in sewing, vegetable dreams

Franklin's winter coat is finished! Photos to follow. I found a large gray women's wool/cashmere overcoat at a charity shop for £1, and cut the pattern pieces from it. I bought a large red men's shirt to use as the lining at the same shop also for £1, but ended up using one of Partner's dress shirts, dark gold, instead. Finally, again for £1, I bought a women's blazer for the eight big buttons it had. I already had the thread and interfacing at home. Total cost for this coat: £3. Total sewing time, from cutting out to finishing: 7 days.

It's not perfect, but I think I'm the only one who notices its flaws--and even I don't notice them unless I'm looking. Franklin wore it for the first time today and received several compliments. Parter said he looks like a proper little gent. It made me glow inside.

Next up for my sewing adventures, is a wool stroller cover for winter use. I've already got my wool, and you guessed it: it cost me £1. I love that shop. All the clothes there are £1; I think it's where they send all the stuff that wouldn't sell for normal prices, so a lot of it's kind of out-dated and/or ugly/slightly damaged. But that doesn't matter if you're just going to cut it up!

Partner says he's going to dig up some more lawn this winter to extend our vegetable bed. I've been calculating how much veg we'd need to grow to be self-sufficient throughout the year. For instance, we use about one head of garlic per week and about four or five onions. That's a lot! I've planted around fifty garlic cloves this autumn, in hopes they'll grow into big fat bulbs next summer. I haven't had much success with onions, but I'm going to give it another shot next spring.

We also use about one or two kilos of potatoes a week. Next year we're planning on growing most of them in those big sacks, and maybe a few in the ground. That should leave room for other vegetables to grow in the beds, like zuccini, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and beans. Finally, my neighbor promised I could use her greenhouse next year, so if it's still available, I will pack it with tomatoes.

New and improved life

Strips of our old carpet cover the earth in my new raised vegetable beds: weed suppression.

I divided my lilies and moved about half to the front garden. I hope they like it there. I originally planted five bulbs each of four or five varieties, but I definitely moved more than 25 to the front. I love propagation--especially when it requires no effort from me.

So very busy these past few weeks, but it's all self-imposed now. Cleaning my house, sewing, knitting, art, gardening. Oh and laundry. Before Franklin (BF), I washed it about two times a week. Now I wash at least one load a day, and sometimes more.

There's a lot of things I took for granted BF. Like I always assumed my career would be the most important aspect in my life, even if I had children. Well that certainly went out the window! BF I got to sleep in on my days off, and Partner and I could stay in bed all day if we wanted. BF I could go out with Partner on a whim. BF I never cleaned poo off a shag rug.

And also BF, I never had a person to call me mama; or met anyone who loves to hear me sing and asks for encores; or had someone who is always unconditionally happy to see me; or felt such a deep, fierce love for another person.

BF was good, and I remember those days fondly, but not as good as now.

October produce and projects

Exams are over. I have free evenings again!

The temperatures outside have dropped and my zuccinis have given up the ghost. We're still eating cabbage, chard, potatoes, and beans. What's left of my turnips are all pretty small still, and I've discovered they've been attacked by cabbage root fly. I never heard of this pest, but apparently it attacks all plants of the cabbage family, including turnip and broccoli. Which may be why my broccoli was a bit of a washout. I will take preventative measures next year.

Partner and I built a raised bed for vegetables. I salvaged the wood from a neighbor, Partner cut it into 4 foot lengths, and I dug over the bed and we put up the sides. We may make a second this weekend, if he's willing.

I made the preliminary mock-up of Franklin's coat. It's well-fitting, but as I wish him to wear it next winter, I must grade it up a size or two. Back to the drawing board. Luckily I've lots of scrap material to cut and try things out before I make the final project.

Also made this past week: seven new pairs of undies and two new pairs of woolly pants for Franklin. He's grown out of the last batch of undies I made, and the woollies are for night time, to keep his legs warm and dry; I'm trying to get him out of diapers completely. I took an XL 100% wool ankle-length skirt I found at a charity shop, put it through a hot wash and dry cycle to shrink and felt it. Then I cut out some simple pants and put elastic in the waist. They're so thick, warm, and fuzzy--I wish I had a few pairs too.

Franklin keeps trying to feed these berries to our dog. I think it's a pyracantha. Not poisonous to humans, and the dog is still alive so I think it's canine-safe, too.

More seeds, proud of my body, proud of Partner

My seed collection has doubled or maybe even tripled; every kind of seed I can find now rests in a little paper packet in my cupboard. I'm particularly excited about my lobelia, nicotiana, and cosmos. I don't know if they'll actually grow, but I can't wait to find out.

I'm so happy it's actually been warm this week. Hot, even. Franklin and I had a chance to wear our summer clothing, finally! We played in the hose for the first time in his entire life; no sprinkler, but I set the hose up so it sprayed an arc at about my waist height. We then proceeded to run through it, and under it, jump into it, and splash in the subsequent puddle. I wore my bikini; Franklin wore his birthday suit.

My bikini, which I have not worn since I got married, is about ten years old. I'm no more than five pounds heavier than I was then, so it fits me pretty well; however, I now have a mummy tummy, so I bulge a bit around the navel. Still, I am proud of the fact that I grew a new person myself, so my mummy tummy is a medal of honor.

I have some fabulous end-of-season flowers like this magenta dahlia. Perhaps I'll see if I can let them go to seed for collection.

Partner has been looking for a place in a band recently. I'm not sure how many bands he's seen: maybe four so far. He used to be a full-time rock'n'roller, back when he didn't have to pay rent. He wants to play part-time now, to have fun (90%) and to supplement our income (10%). I think he wants to play bass, but he's also excellent at guitar, both lead and rhythm (listen to our song, "Hopscotch", on youtube: Partner wrote and performed all the instrument parts in the music track: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar). Oh, and he plays the mandolin, piano, trombone, and sings. And did I mention he composes orchestral music as well?

My life is essentially just like your life; I like to make stuff

I thought I'd like to explain that while I normally blog about the cool stuff I do (you know, all that cool weeding and statistics and pooey bums), my life is far from perfect. Take my house. My neighbor came over to visit me and Franklin last week and I was so embarrassed by the state of it--normally it's moderately tidy, but I had two days worth of dishes, laundry everywhere, and only one chair without piles of stuff on it. She was very diplomatic about it, but I worry she'll never come over again; this is the neighbor with the fruit trees so I need to stay in her good books!

And my child gets whiny, and I lose my temper with my dog, and Partner and I occasionally have disagreements. When we actually see each other, that is. Mostly I'm drowning in schoolwork and he's at work. So you see, my life is just like anybody's life. I just happen to make stuff in between.

Now then, onto making stuff: once I take my two exams, I'm sewing a winter coat for Franklin. We have a charity shop in the nearest town that sells everything for £1; I bought a big wool coat which I will cut up for it. I actually had a choice of about four different wool coats at that shop; I chose the one with the biggest panels and fewest seams--and it's a wool/cashmere blend. Fancy! I don't think a little boy's coat should be too hard to make, and I'm hoping to make it a bit large so it'll fit next winter, too.

More thoughts on keeping warm this winter, as it's now equinox and the temperatures fall: I want lots of warm clothing for myself and Franklin. And Partner if he desires, though he doesn't get as cold as me. I already knitted this woolly vest. Woolly socks are definitely on the list--I've got some, Franklin doesn't. And maybe a few nice woolly blankets for our beds (I will probably not knit these, however). My mother sent me an amazing alpaca blanket last year; I love it. And I bet a sheepskin would keep Franklin cozy in his bed; it'd certainly keep me cozy, but Partner doesn't seem too keen--he says he likes a cold bed; last winter I got out the down-filled quilt but he didn't want it on top of him.

This paving stone is surrounded by little cabbage seedlings, from where a cabbage plant expired last month. I gathered a little paper packet of those seeds, but it looks like I shouldn't have bothered!

Partner made a disparaging noise earlier when he saw the photo of himself in the previous post. He told me it's a page three item--implying it's about time I put up a new front page. Done.

Pond, plums, homemade frozen yogurt

One of the other jobs Partner managed on our week off: he drained the pond and pulled out the liner. We now have a deep hole where the fish used to swim. I'm committed to filling it with garden trimmings--hopefully it'll be full by next spring, and I can put some dirt down on top of it, and maybe grass or decking. As shown in the photo, the hole is about three feet deep, and at least six feet across--that's a lot of filling.

I submitted my last two assignments for the year, and now only have two exams to look forward to. Huge weight off my mind, though one of the exams I'm quite nervous about (the math). Still, all I need is a pass.

Partner and I were lucky enough to have a neighbor over to babysit while we went to a wedding last week. Only the second time we've been out since Franklin's birth, it felt nice to have some grown up time together. I wore a new dress and even danced a few dances. We came home early, and the neighbor said she would be happy to come over again.

That was the neighbor with the plum tree. I ended up making about ten jars of plum jam--not my favorite but it's not bad. We'll eat it. I also made four big jars of whole plums in syrup; I haven't tried them yet. And to finish off the last of those pesky plums I made a crumble. I have a feeling if I go visit my neighbor again she'll offload some more onto me. But then again, she's also promised me apples, which should be just about ripe now...

To go with the plum crumble I also made some frozen yogurt. I read about a method which involves a large outer ziplock bag filled with salt and ice, and a small inner ziplock bag filled with flavored yogurt. After tumbling the bags around till the ice melted (I wore gloves), the yogurt was partially frozen but not quite ready, so I popped the small bag into the freezer to finish, and gave it a squeeze every half hour to break up the big ice crystals. It took half an hour of tumbling and an hour of freezing to be perfect. Oh, and this was yogurt I made myself, too.

Household accomplishments, turnips

This week while Partner's been off work, we've been so
busy!

• Franklin's bedroom and the office have now been switched--mostly Partner's work, but I helped a little.
  
• Partner tiled above the bathtub in the bathroom.
  
• I made two jars of wild blackberry jam and bottled four jars of plums (from a neighbor's tree).
  
• We (all three of us) picked another batch of blackberries to make more jam--hopefully tomorrow.
• I razed 3/4 of the weeds in the vegetable patch.
• We had a full day of shopping in York where we bought some new clothes.

Altogether it's been fun, especially spending so much time with Partner. Since I work weekends and he works weekdays, we never have full days off together.

I've kind of neglected my garden for the past month or so. Franklin and I still go out and play there, but this time of year I always seem to get very bored of weeding; I've only deadheaded my flowers and harvested my vegetables these past few weeks.

I got a lovely surprise when I went out to check on my turnips earlier; the leaves have been partially eaten by beetles, so I was worried about the roots. My quick look turned into an amazed goggle: my turnips are huge! I can't believe it--I only planted them ten weeks ago and already they're at least the size of golf balls. Why couldn't my beets have done that? My biggest beets, first planted in March (so at least 20 weeks) are only the size of marbles.

This week's bouquet includes rudbeckia, sweet pea, dahlia, honesty (seed pod), and peony leaf.

Producing, seed collecting, potty champion

After an exceptionally dry summer, my garden keeps on producing. I have zuccinis growing to the size of bowling pins (I blame Partner for that one. I leave him alone for two days, and look what happens!). My French beans are ten inches long. I have rosebushes with dozens of long-stemmed roses: How I wish I had a whole garden of these right now. Oh wait. I do!

Partner and I both have next week off, so we made a schedule of Things To Do. We're switching Franklin's bedroom and the office; he'll have the smallest room and the office will combine with the guest room. We're also filling in the pond; the fishies all died, poor things, so its day has come. It will be a nice shady seating area. We're even planning a sandbox for Franklin there. Just not next week. The time has come to stop deadheading my sweetpeas. Last year I stopped too late in the year for seeds to develop. I'm not making that mistake again! So far my tally of collected seeds includes:

1. Columbine
2. Lupin
3. Honesty
4. Cabbage

I have beet and chard seeds leftover from last year, too. Perhaps they'll still grow next year. This year's chard is a winner, but the beets disappointed. I don't blame the beets. They got planted in the wrong place: overshadowed and underwatered. I'll be a better gardener next year.My neighbor gave me 6+ pounds of plums from her tree. I'm overwhelmed. I think tomorrow is Jam Day.

This week Franklin understands how to use the toilet. He tells me. I put him on. He uses. I hope this lasts!

A portrait from a wedding, upcoming plans, and a painting

Here I am with my little buddy. We go everywhere together. He's like my little shadow. I knitted his black vest; I've had several compliments on it.

This weekend we went to a wedding in Essex. I enjoyed myself and don't think I embarrassed Partner (designated driver) at the reception. Franklin also enjoyed himself; I've never seen him so sociable. Normally he doesn't like to be too close to strangers, but he wanted to be friends with all the pretty girls there. All wedding photos (including Franklin kissing pretty girls) are here. I was there in my capacity as aunt of the bride (I think I'm about eight years older than she is).

I also enjoyed a quick stroll through a few charity shops while in London. I would love to visit the charity shops in the swanky neighborhoods, but this time I contented myself with the East Side. Still, I came away happy. At the end of the month I'm looking forward to a jaunt through them in York; two winters ago I found my gorgeous Givenchy coat at a charity shop there; maybe I'll find something just as great this time. I could use some fabulous new clothes.

After reading through the schedules for upcoming classes, I find that I have a three month break coming between the end of these two and the beginning of the next. I may just have time to work on a few projects I've been putting off. I've got some decorating up my sleeve, and possibly some sewing, and definitely some organizing.

Speaking of decorating, see Franklin's blog for our newly acquired masterpiece. It needs a suitable frame: I'm thinking big and gold.

Spare time? Knit!

I knit this cardigan myself, from pattern Grandstand from the Red Heart website. The yarn was formerly from a store-bought pullover. It's lovely, soft cotton. I started knitting at the end of April, which means it took me just about three months to complete. I hope my next project doesn't take quite so long--but I did have other commitments (school, work, Franklin) which took more of my time. On the other hand, this washable dust mop cover took me two days to crochet. The pattern is from Craftzine website. It's fantastic. I need another couple--keeps me motivated to clean!
I'm taking part in a knitting/crochet challenge for this month called Cast On Mania. The full challenge is to start a new project every day of the month (finishing them during the month is not required). My mop cover is one of my projects. I've also started a sock, a basket, a hat, and a scarf. I don't have the resources to start a new project every single day, but I'm starting all the patterns I've wanted to knit/crochet for a while. I ought to finish them all by the end of the year. Also on the agenda is another cardigan for myself, the second sock (and possibly a second pair), something for Franklin for this winter, a doormat for our back door, and another scarf.

There's one small problem, however. I've mentioned how I like to unravel items for their yarn: well, half of my yarn has yet to be unraveled so I can use it.

July's garden and goals

I have so many lovely things in my garden right now. Here's my top five:

5) This amazing purple clematis. It's happily married to my white climbing rose.
They make their home against the south-east corner of my garage. I'm still waiting for them to have children.
4) Little poofy dahlias. They come in several flavors: orange, yellow, red.
3) Are your corneas, like mine, burned out by this red rose?
And tied for first:

1) My potato plants are yielding around 2lbs per plant right now. It's not even August. It's french fry heaven.
One plant! Two pounds! In July!

1) The floral resources to pick bouquets every week. My house smells fabulous. I don't notice (insert flaw here) when I have these flowers to goggle over.
For July's goals: I missed the boat on the second strawberry haul. Or rather, it missed me. I went back to the farm twice during normal business hours and it was closed both times. I sent a very brusque email to them, though haven't heard back. However, the rest of my goals have been more successful. I sewed 10 pairs of undies for Franklin, submitted two assignments, and am nine rows away from being finished knitting my cardigan. Photos to follow!

I've been collecting...

Vintage linens! I love them. I especially love hand-embroidered tablecloths and hand-worked doilies. My collection's not large, but it's composed of special pieces.
In my mind's eye, these linens were made by dreamy-eyed young girls for their hope chests, and proudly displayed in their homes all their lives. I never had a hope chest, but now I have an established home, I delight in having (and making myself) lovely things such as these.
As a one-time embroiderer (on the back burner now, along with many of my creative endeavors due to time constraints placed upon me as a toddler's mama, but here's an example of my own), I truly appreciate the time and care taken to make a beautiful object.
One of my favorites is this green appliqued doily. From even a few feet away, the design looks printed: only close-up the amazing hand-sewn detail shows.
I began collecting when Partner and I became engaged, in 2003 (our seventh wedding anniversary was this month!). My first piece we bought together, and it remains my most cherished tablecloth; with rainbow-colored flowers in delicate stitch-work, it's pictured on the left, on top of the stack. This is a working collection. I use my tablecloths on my table--and despair when someone spills tea again. One much-loved tablecloth became four napkins recently, when the wear and tear--and the large hole in the middle--overcame it. And my doilies pull their weight, augmenting ornaments and furniture. I collect them, therefore I use them. I look for linens in second-hand stores, jumble sales, charity shops, antique fairs, markets, and in the cupboards of family members; my mother knows to check her local thrift stores for me--occasionally I get a mystery package and a note: "I knew you'd love it." I hope you've enjoyed seeing my collection; I had such fun pulling everything together and photographing it; I've seen it with new eyes today.

Posted as part of Casey's Elegant Musings cherished collections blog tour.

Jam and cabbage, pictured

I wish there was a way to transmit fragrance over the internet. My pink rose is the most prolific flowerer, brightly colored, and highly fragranced rose in my garden. I have spicy roses, delicate roses, almost-fruity roses; and then I have this one which could knock a grown woman flat with one whiff.

My strawberry jam, batch 1. Technically I made batch 1 over two days, all from the same batch of strawberries using the same measurements. We planned on going back to the farm to pick more yesterday; we drove all the way there--half an hour's drive--and had to turn back around because they had a sign saying they were closed. Not happy. We may not have another chance to pick them, as I have to request time off work specially.

I save jars for future use. My strawberry jam is in ex-salsa jars. Just perfect.

This is my Amazing Supercabbage, after we'd eaten three meals' worth from it. I tried to use Franklin as a size reference. It's bigger than his head. It's taller than his knees. That water on the floor is not from Franklin peeing, but from the cabbage peeing (it had a lot of water between its leaves from when it was washed).

First potatoes, supercabbage, jam

While watching Gardener's World, a weekly tv show, the presenter remarked how he traditionally digs up his first potatoes on July 8th. Partner and I looked at each other. He got out the hand spade and bucket. And then he dug me some fresh potatoes. And we now eat our own garden potatoes, and they are definitely big enough for eating. Partner makes the most excellent chips (AKA French fries) from them.

Speaking of big enough, I also grew a cabbage which Partner claims is heavier than Franklin. I wish I'd had photographic evidence, but Partner harvested it and we ate some of it before I got the camera out. However, it was still enormous (and in the fridge) so I thought I'd still take a photo of it--and then my batteries died so I had to recharge them. And we ate some more of it. As it's still really big, when my batteries are recharged, I may get a photo of the remainder*.

*I say remainder, but I think we'll be eating this cabbage for at least another week--maybe two; we've hardly made a dent in it.

After picking almost 5kg of strawberries from a pick-your-own farm, I proceeded to make fabulous jam. We, that is, Partner, Franklin, and I will be returning this Sunday to pick a similar amount; jam is our Christmas present of choice to local family members this year (sorry, international family!). Plus we need plenty for personal consumption. Please see previous paragraph about photographic evidence. When and if, I will post a photo of all twelve jars of jam (there were 13, but that one has also since been eaten). When we brought our two plastic shopping bags full of strawberries to be weighed at the stand, the cashier's eyes nearly popped out. I guess not a lot of people pick for jam-making there.

Pictured is my current kitchen table bouquet: lilies, roses, hydrangea, crocosmia, and laurel.

Flower arranging and undies

What a year for roses. Some of my newest additions (four years old maybe?) have this year taken off, along with the rest of the rose population.
Also pictured is a jug of feverfew. I bought this jug at a charity shop. It's my favorite flower receptacle. I even have a painting of it hung on my stairway.
I painted it also about four years ago (didn't sign or date it, though).

I made some underwear for Franklin out of an old pair of pajama bottoms and elastic (saved from when Partner threw out a bunch of holey old underwear). I simply cut a chunk of pajama leg off, cut out a crotch at the bottom and sewed a little strip into it (to make it more form-fitting), and sewed an elastic band around the waist. Simple. I didn't bother hemming them--the material is jersey, so it won't fray. I've made six pairs, but I know he needs at least twice that amount.

We've left behind his cloth diapers and are going into full-time undie usage. For the past two days, this has meant a lot of wet undies.