Dear Charlie's Mama, Are You OK?

(Topic: Emotions, Support networks for grief)

Hi Friends!

This is a FAQ!!! I have enough readers now that I've started getting occasional questions, and this post will be structured based on that. Thanks for all your feedback and support!


You seem sad. Are you OK?
 
Thank you for your concern! Yes, I'm generally ok. I have hobbies, a therapist, a great family, and fabulous friends. Having something to do and people who care means that even if I have a sad moment, I can get through it to a neutral moment or a happy moment too.

While I may seem to focus a lot on sad topics, that is because of the way I've structured this blog: While Saturday posts are generally about fiber arts and emotion-neutral, Wednesday posts tend to focus on grief related issues. That does not mean, though, that I experience these grief issues every day, or constantly, or am always down. But having you check in on me is great, thank you - if I were really struggling, I might not think of reaching out for help, or I might not emotionally be able to.

Sharing things like hotline numbers is important, and I'm sharing one for infant loss and grief support below. But sometimes it can be daunting to call a stranger. If there is a friend you haven't heard from in a while, reaching out to them and just checking in can sometimes be a huge help. It can be very hard to admit you need help, and sometimes even harder to ask for it.

For grief and loss support. Image from First Candle's Facebook page.

Is every picture on your blog something you made or photographed?

In short, yes. Unless I give credit to someone else, all photos are taken by me, all artwork is by me, and all knitted and sewn items are mine. I'm very careful to give credit when I use an image from online that does not belong to me, though I sometimes forget to give my family credit if some of the snapshots of Pookie and such are by them! It's not intentional, though: I try to always give proper credit or citations if I use anything from anyone else. The only exception is that you may notice me anonymize things for people's privacy, and that is still with their knowledge if at all possible.

If you see a drawing I made, or a photo of something I handcrafted, and want to know more about the project, or the inspirations or materials, just ask in the comments below that post!!! I'd love to answer.


Where do I find your blog?

If you are reading this, you've found me! If you'd like to share, though, here are the places that Being Charlie's Mama can be found:

• http://clothespress.blogspot.com
• Email subscription, instructions here for how to subscribe (The day I post something. No spam or other emails, just a preview and link to the actual blog post)
• Instagram @being_charlies_mama (links to the actual blog posts)
• Facebook site www.facebook.com/beingcharliesmama (links to the actual blog posts, and occasional reposting/sharing of articles from other resources)

So far I haven't gotten many more questions that aren't covered by these, so please comment below if you have more questions!

Yours,

Sarah

To subscribe, find the "subscribe by email" note in the left column and enter your email there. Posts will be emailed directly to you whenever I post them!

Resource list: Visit my spreadsheet at www.tinyurl.com/infantloss

Table Runners

(Topic: Sewing)

Hi Friends!

This has actually been (and still is) an ongoing project: a friend has a sideboard top that she needs table runners for, but because it has a ledge, the table runners need to fit within the edges.

She also wants them for nearly every holiday and season :)

So I have the dimensions she needs, and create a rectangle with wide hems that will fit.

Some of them I do with a full length piece of fabric, but that means that I'm not using nearly all the width, so it is more efficient (and affordable) to make the runners with a center seam halfway along the length, which means I can use half the length and just use two pieces of the width.

After that is just a matter of making sure that the corners are properly square and the dimensions match!

Yours,

Sarah

To subscribe, find the "subscribe by email" note in the left column and enter your email there. Posts will be emailed directly to you whenever I post them!

Resource list: Visit my spreadsheet at www.tinyurl.com/infantloss

Santa Pook

🎅

We were out getting a Christmas tree, tromping through the snowy tree field picking one out to cut, when hubby said that Pookie really needed a Santa hat. I agreed, and thought to myself that maybe I could pick one up at a dollar store.

Well...

I found some red fleece and an old sheepskin steering wheel cover, and got carried away...

I fitted it directly on him. It used about a half a yard of fleece, and I cut freehand based on the usual shapes of the pieces, using his measurements to guide me for the widths. I could have narrowed his pant legs a little more; on the other hand, his feet would be harder to get through! The pant legs are shaped normally, but there is an added semi-circle in the rear to accommodate his seat. The arms are plain tubes. The top is a little shaped around the armscyes, and is very short-waisted. The hat is a rectangle with triangles cut out of the top for shaping. And all of the fur edging - which was tricky to sew on! - is from the steering wheel cover. The belt is a ladies belt from Goodwill, much shortened.

Merry Christmas!

Sarah

Shoes for 18" Molly Bears

Hi Everyone,

I have finally finished a project I'd like to share!

Molly Bears (Link to Website) is a wonderful organization that creates bears that are the same weight as the infant you lost.

We received our bear on the December 23rd, 2016, and ever since then he has been a comfort to hold, cuddle, and dress. Yes, I like to dress him sometimes. Not every day, but sometimes it's nice to have someone little to care for. Also, I like to take pictures and text his adventures to my husband!

Our Charles Peacock Bear (named after our son), whom we call Pookie.

Soon after I started looking for clothes for Pookie, I noticed that shoes were going to be a serious problem. His feet are not shaped like human feet, so baby shoes don't work, and they are much larger than the bear shoes you can find at certain stores in the mall.

So I have been working on developing a pattern for shoes, which you can see the final version of in the picture above! And I JUST FINISHED THE PATTERN!

Since I know anyone with a Molly Bear has experienced a loss, and I doubt I’m the only one who wants to dress my bear, here is the pattern, available for free to those who want to make their own shoes. Do not sell shoes made from this pattern, or sell the pattern. If you have questions, I can be contacted via glibscribe (at) gmail (dot) com or on Facebook (Sarah Warner), and I will answer any questions posted below in the comments.

***PLEASE NOTE***

This pattern is entirely my own design. I am not sponsored by, or affiliated with Molly Bears. Additionally, Molly Bears appears to have several sizes and designs of bear. This pattern is only designed to fit the style bear pictured above, who is the 18" size.

Also, if you want to share pictures of the shoes you make with this pattern, I'd love to see them!



Printable file with instructions: LINK TO PATTERN

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Tiger Shirt 1

Hi Friends!

I didn't get a lot of feedback, but the feedback I did get was pretty clear: Keep showing how I make things! Well, ok!

I was at Joann's a few weeks back, searching for fabric for a curtain (didn't find what I wanted), when I found this MARVELOUS tiger print!!! I thought I'd only get 1 shirt out of it, but turns out I will get 2, plus possibly some doll clothes for my teddy, and maybe some accessories???

Here's the first shirt!

Garment Data:
- Type: T-shirt
- Date made: March 2017
- Pattern: Copied from an existing shirt, from the Cherish brand: RN#11856, STYLE#D5520, CUT#3519GS, size L
- Fabric/Materials: Cotton or cotton blend jersey (to be honest, in this particular case the print was more important than the fabric content, and I forgot to check)
- Trim: None
- Time to finish: 2 days

Guys, sewing jersey is hard! Not something I've done a lot, so I definitely have pucker where I don't want it. However, over all, I'm very pleased with how it came out, and it is now one of my favorite shirts.

Using a comfy shirt as a pattern.

Since the pattern was pretty basic (no complicated piecing or darting), I literally just cut along the shape, but added a seam allowance. I cut out the sleeves separately, so I had 4 pieces: front, back, and 2 sleeves.

Done except for hemming the neckline. The sleeves are set simply into the armscyes.

Done!

And modelling it :) It's so comfy!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Rose Baby Blanket

Hi Friends!

Did I warn you I'd be knitting like a fiend, or did I warn you?? :)
This blanket has been most of what I've been working on for the last 10 days or so... and I loved it!

Garment Data:
- Type: Baby blanket for a crib
- Date made: December 2016
- Pattern: My own, invented as I went. 25"x36", or so.
- Fabric/Materials: 100% acrylic yarn. Fairly soft.
- Trim: More of the same yarn
- Time to finish: About a week and a half

First I crocheted a rose. This was by request, since it's for a baby girl. I then used white to make it square, and then picket up stitches along one side, increased, and started knitting. This became the top edge of the blanket.

Here you can see the finished top edge. To complete it and even out the sizing and shaping, I crocheted around the whole thing once, and then picked up stitches to create the side that would become the rest of the blanket. I went for plain knit, but added purled stripes accenting the stripe of color, and then went back to plain knit. I'm using a size 10 (6mm) round knitting needle. I prefer knitting on round needles even for flat items, because the needles are smaller and you don't get as much bunching of the project.

Mostly done. I added a 3-wide, 4-long square checker pattern toward the bottom. This visually balances the sideways top edge of the blanket. Then I added a pink border, including scallops. This picture is in progress on the scallops, as I worked with crochet to adjust sizing and shaping again.

Finished, but I still have some stray yarn tails, and it's got some weird rippling going on that will disappear once I block it.

The completed blanket, pinned out for blocking (after washing the blanket, you pin it down in the right shape and dimensions while it's still damp. Then it dries in the right shape). The crocheted scalloped border is complete.

I'll be posting projects I complete to sell, as well as those I make for myself and my friends, so watch my Etsy page if there's something you like!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

Tiger Christmas Stocking

Dear Friends...

Yes, another knitted project! This is a Christmas stocking in the favorite colors for a special little boy I know.

Garment Project Data:
- Type: Christmas stocking, meant to be hung
- Date made: December 14th and 15th 2016
- Pattern: Made it up as I went
- Fabric/Materials: Cotton yarn in orange and brown
- Trim: black wool yarn
- Time to finish: 2 days

The first decision was the yarns. The idea was to do tiger stripes, but to use yarns I already had in my stash. I came up with a cotton orange, a cotton brown, and a wool black. I was wary of using the orange with black because of the different materials and thicknesses, and I was worried it would be a very stark look. But just orange and brown seemed a little pale. With the help of some friends, I settled on the brown for the stripes and black for trim.

Here goes! I'm free handing the pattern, so I really didn't plan or gauge. It actually ended up being a little larger around than I'd pictured, but it'll work. You'll notice that despite not working in the round, I'm on round needles again. Here I'm using a size 3, since I wanted a really tight look.

And the heel is turned! I actually goofed a little and one side slants a bit more sharply (a few more rows) than the other side, but I can fix that when I seam up the back. You can see I'm tapering the stripes by doing uneven amounts in each row.

The finished knitted portion.

And done seaming up the back! Since this is going to be a Christmas stocking and not worn, I seamed up the bottom/back (which would be uncomfortable when worn) and didn't worry about actually making the heel a full 90-degree turn. Also, the foot portion is proportionally short, which makes it easy to get things out of the bottom.

And complete! A crocheted scalloped border at the top, and a crocheted loop to hang it from. Weave in the ends, and voilá!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

1860s Maternity Dress

Hello Friends,

Recently I decided to try to make a maternity-style dress, with the challenges of being able to accommodate different sizes and shapes that a body does during pregnancy. Since different people also carry differently (like high vs. low), the dress does end up being somewhat personalized (such as shoulder-to-waist length), but is much more flexible in sizing than the typical Civil War era dress, especially in the waist. This dress presented some interesting challenges. In the captions I will note some of the issues I encountered with the final product and possible solutions I could implement.

Garment Data:
- Type: Maternity dress, 1860s-style. Long sleeved, day wear.
- Date made: February 2016
- Pattern: self-drafted, based loosely on the pattern my friend Karen drafted for me, and on resources I read on thesewingacademy.org about how maternity dresses were made.
- Fabric/Materials: A heavy fabric I found at goodwill. Possibly meant for drapery and upholstery, this is actually slightly heavier than I'd normally use for a dress, but still light enough that I dared. Quite stiff.
- Trim: Cotton collar and cuffs.
- Time to finish: A few days?


Unfortunately I didn't get many in-progress pictures as I made it, but I have some detail shots and finished-product pictures, so I'll share those!

The fabric. The geometric pattern is good for Civil War era, but the swirly background is modern...

Sharpie for scale :)

Detail of the front bodice drawstrings. There is a set like this on either side of the front bodice. I created it by sewing a strip of muslin to the widened bodice front, and then sewed down the middle (I did not sew down the ends). I then threaded a bias tape through both tunnels so that the ends came out next to the front closure. Hope that makes sense!

The dress, part way done. Note the pins marking where I'll be putting buttons!
The waist is also bigger than usual, with an 8" overlap. I can change it to match the size needed, just by moving the hooks that close the waistband.

Seated, with hoops (no corset). While a gestational corset could certainly be used, I did not have one to work with. But since the bodice front is made to be more roomy anyway, the shifted and less structured body works beneath it.

Front view. It buttons down the front. Note that you can see the skirt overlap, and that it falls very un-gracefully. I could probably remedy this partially by making most of the skirt gauged instead of wide pleats, and then I could even have the front portion on drawstrings like the bodice so that it is easier to adjust.

Side view. You can see here that the skirt looks a little strained around the circumference of the hoops. I have extra fabric, so if I change from knife pleats to cartridge pleats (gauging), I will also add another panel. This will soften the way the skirt falls, I hope. I will also wash the dress at some point :) and see if the stiffness is partially some sort of sizing. If so, I think it will also hang more naturally after that.

Rear view. They back has not been altered from my normal pattern, so this is pretty standard. YES, I know the petticoat is showing!!! I didn't know it until I saw the pictures, though... :( I will shorten them soon. The petticoats were also made with a longer waistband than usual, but thus also have the overlap/awkward front problem. I think a partial drawstring waist may be a solution that would work, but I need to see if I can find out what was done. Possibly just resetting the waistband each time it doesn't fit well? (If you know, please post in the comments below!!!)

I also made a new narrow collar and white cuffs. Not perfect, but they work. The cuffs should be rotated more toward the back, but otherwise worked pretty well.

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah

1860s-Style Mourning Dress

Hi Friends,

As some of you know, we recently experienced a loss in our family. This led me (of course!) to looking into historical customs of mourning, specifically for the American Civil War era (1861-65).

Garment Data:
- Type: Dress, specifically for mourning or half mourning, depending on the accessories
- Date made: August 2016
- Pattern: My personalized Civil War "Day Dress" pattern, drafted by my friend Karen, adjusted slightly at the neckline, and with sleeves I drafted myself. Also, assisted by the Dressmaker's Guide by Elizabeth Stewart Clark
- Fabric/Materials: Linen, cotton lining/hem facing, polyester chiffon for the veil
- Trim: Nylon velvet ribbon (1-1/2" and 3/8"), lace (poly?), cotton hem tape (1" twill tape), plastic buttons, 2 pants hooks for waist closure
- Accessories: Brooch, Belt, Belt buckle, Headband, Veil, Hairnet, Shoes
- Time to finish: approximately 3 days

I was originally intending to make this dress from a light-weight or even sheer wool. However, I could not find it easily locally, and since I had a timeline in which I wanted to make it (I wanted to wear it to the Hale Farm (Ohio) reenactment on August 13th), I needed fabric to be available quickly. As it turned out, I knew someone who had over 6 yards of black linen - and, bonus, a roll of 3-1/2" black lace! I did a little bit of research to see if that would work. Linen was rare by this point, so it is a bit of a stretch but still possible.

Due to time constraints, as well as budgetary ones, here are the corners I cut:
- I used linen, a material no longer much in use in the 1860s for dresses
- I used a blue print for the lining rather than a polished cotton
- I did not make or use a bias piping on the armscye
- I did not make/cover a bonnet (though I did buy some of the materials...)
- I forgot pockets
- I used poly chiffon instead of crape

In all, though, it came together well! Here are the pictures:

Cutting the skirt. I based the number of panels on the yardage I had left after cutting the bodice and sleeves. I had enough length left for 3 panels, and they are about 60" wide, so that was fine.

Adding the hem facing at the bottom of the skirt.

Completed skirt (inside out) showing the hem facing.

Nearly completed bodice back. Note that the sleeves are still uncuffed.

Nearly completed bodice front. Note that I have not yet added darts or finished the front edge.

Shoe options at Goodwill. I realized last minute I had no black footwear that would be even halfway passable!!! I went with the top pair due to the overall look and that they were black. The bottom pair had a thick heel and were gray, which I didn't like.

Pinning on the trim. Note that I had already gathered the skirt at this point, using 2 layers of aligned gathering stitches in anticipation of gauging (is that the same as cartridge pleating?). I had tried larger pleats but noticed that the fabric was too bulky, so despite time constraints, I was going to have to gauge the skirt.

Laying everything out to make sure I had everything I needed :)

Completed dress!!! Just in time... this is the night before. I would still have to add the waist hooks in the morning, and complete the headdress and belt, but I had the bulk done! Hurrah!

At Hale Farm. I am wearing a ribbon headband, a hairnet, veil; period glasses, reproduction brooch, gloves; velvet ribbon belt with reproduction buckle; and the dress. The funny wrinkle-tuck at my waist is because I realized that the way I did the waistband of the dress caused the bodice to be too long. I pinned it up for the duration of this event, and will take it in permanently when I have the chance.

Here you can see the line of hem tape as well.

Detail of trim lines at bottom of skirt. They are all sewn on along the upper edge.

Dearest husband is the one taking the pictures! :)

The reproduction brooch by Elizabeth Aldridge, and the matte plastic shank buttons.

Velvet ribbon belt with reproduction buckle by Elizabeth Aldridge. You can see that my "fly" is gaping a little and I had to pin it shut. Not sure how to remedy that. You can also see my hasty pinned tuck to shorten the bodice. I can fix it much more elegantly, but that worked for the day!

Close up of the gauging along the waistband. I folded about 3" of the skirt down, then did pleating stitches in black thread, that stay in the skirt (two parallel lines of stitches, lined up with each other). I then pulled it tight, and matched the skirt to the waistband. I then whip-stitched one side of each pleat to the waistband from the inside, so only the outside edge of the pleat would show from the outside. Time-consuming, but I love the finished effect!!!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah