This post is being written for my fellow ECers. For you lay people just joining, EC stands for elimination communication. It is a practice of acknowledging your young child's ability to express their elimination needs, and often offering a receptacle other than a diaper. Oftentimes we ECers find ourselves with young children ready to be diaper free without an inexpensive source for underwear. While a lot go nude, or without undies it is sometimes nice (not to mention cute) to outfit these little ones with their own sweet tiny undies.
I'm not much of one for giving detailed directions, as I am more of a throw away the directions and wing it type person. If any part of this is unclear, or you want more detail please ask and I will do my best to oblige.
The original undies, size 2T but extra stretched out by
the first boy.
Center part of undies, sides and binding cut off.
One side of undies, with the smaller new side traced out on an old tee shirt.
Sides attached
Leg gap before new elastic added.
Fit with elastic added.
When deciding on the new side panel size, I reduced the waist measurement by 1", and the hips by 1.5". Your measurements will vary, depending on what your child's measurements are. You don't want either the waist or leg openings to be skin tight, but have approximately 1" of gap. You'll be taking this up with the elastic. Measure the elastic long enough for your waist or leg circumference plus a little extra for over lapping the ends. Stretch it to fit as you pin and sew, then there will be a slight gathering once finished.
Okay...our sew along challenges have hit a couple snags. My excuse is that my husband is home after 2 months on the road, so I've been spending some time with him for a change. Katie broke her thumb and went to Colorado to see her sister graduate from college (congrats Mary!), Amanda had prom and her 18th birthday party. So although we've tried to stay on task...it hasn't exactly happened.
Amanda has her bonnet cut out, and will hopefully be completing it soon, and then moving on to her work dress skirt. Her bonnet is a micro-check lime green and white. I bought it and ended up passing it on to her...it's super pretty. Her work dress is a brown plaid, I think. Again it's some fabric I passed on to her, but I only owned it for a day before she snatched it up.
Katie has her fabrics picked out, and tonight is going to try a new way to cut her fabric. Poor thing has had 2 casts already, and a lot of pain. She has had major difficulties cutting, but we've been brain storming and hopefully we came up with a new solution that will work for her. Her bonnet is going to made from a white cotton with blue flowers, and her dress is a pretty green with a polka dotty print.
My bonnet fabric is a semi-sheer pastel plaid made from green, white, purple, blue, and orange. My dress is orange with yellow flowers. I'm hand stitching the cords into the bonnet, and have the skirt panels sewn together.
Hopefully I'll get more accomplished today, but I have to go to storage to get my corset, and draft a new pattern. I think I've lost weight again, so a new toile is necessary. I'm also scanning my patterns and emailing them to Amanda and Katie so they can have a general pattern to work off of, and tweak for themselves. We're lucky that we're all about the same size!
On a random note, here are a couple pictures of some of the things I have accomplished. For more images check out my etsy account, I'm too lazy to upload a bunch of photos today. Love, Jenny
I have been working on various things, but I can't find my camera. It's packed somewhere...I hope. Along with the charger for the video camera. We still aren't into the house, and my husband is off tour in less than a month! I so want to have the house all scrubbed down and organized for when he gets back. The place doesn't look like it's had a good scrubbing in decades! There is a ton of black nasty cobwebs, and it is just overall unkempt. I dream of being on my hands and knees with a bucket of sudsy water and a scrub brush! I've been working on some cotton flannel petticoats. Although I don't have any documentation for patterned cotton flannel petti's, they are quite warm and much cheaper to make up than canton flannel. I've also been patterning kids clothes. My goal is to make underpinings, and outer clothes up through size 10 right now. So far I have 3 styles of dresses in 3 sizes. It was a lot of work! But oh so fun! I apologize for the lack of photos...I'm also searching for my husband's back up camera, but haven't had any luck. Well, goodbye loverlies, I'm going to drink coffee, watch robin hood, and plant some mystery bulbs (in a pot, since I haven't got my lawn yet).
My husband and I don't have any children yet, however we have several friends with kids and grandkids. Since they don't belong to me I will refrain from using their names. I'm going to try to opt for using initials of some sort. So far I have three girls and two boys to dress. Ages vary from 1.5 years up to 8. I'm very excited and have been sketching and studying period images to come up with the best options for them.
For AK's better dress, I'm thinking of using a semi sheer pink plaid along with some white voile. This will also be her first time wearing skirt supports and corded stays.
For her younger brother, DM, who isn't yet potty trained. I'm really liking the skirt with a separate waist and matching jacket. Even though this would be his best dress option, I might still make the waist out of something a bit more hardy than voile.
I have talked things over with their family, and we've decided to go with matching colors for their everyday clothes. I think it will be easier to keep an eye on them while they're running around camp, or playing with other children. I have quite a bit of a green and white check that I might turn into matching frocks. The former will get a set of pink calico pinafores and the latter a set of red calico smocks.
CW is going to be two and a half when the season opens and is very nearly breached. I've talked with his mother and we've decided on tunics for this year. I'm very excited to try this option out! His 'Sunday' outfit will possibly be a linen tunic, but I haven't decided yet. His everyday outfit will be a short sleeved cotton tunic, and linen short pants. I really like the wide style that are cuffed at the bottom. He's got a wool hat, but I'd like to make him a linen cap for his best outfit.
Our eldest, LP, is an 8 year old girl. So far I've decided she is going to get a new set of underpinnings, including stays and a hoop. Last time I asked her favorite colors were purple and red. I'm thinking of making her a purple sheer dress. She's a total doll, and I know would take good care of it. She also needs another everyday dress. Something with a jewel neckline and long sleeves for the colder events. She's also going to get a set of pinafores. Hopefully 2 cotton calico ones, and I'd love to make her a nice white one to go over her sheer dress. She'd look just like an Alice in Wonderland!
All the kids are in need of coats for the cold months, sleepwear, new underpinnings, and something to keep their heads warm in the cold, and cool in the heat. This equates to 6 chemises, 2 undershirts, 8 pair drawers, 2 night shirts, 2 nightgowns, 2 pair stays, 2 hoops, 8 petticoats, 4 corded bonnets, 2 quilted hoods, 2 quilted caps, 4 sack coats, on top of the tunics, gowns, and frocks! I'm so very excited!
BTW, all of these images are from La Mode magazine and are available online. Please contact me for links.
