New Cuddly Clothes for Strider's Girls

Over Christmas break, Daddy decided to organize some old photos. We came across a photo of me decorating the Christmas tree a few days before Moolah was born.  I was wearing my favorite red, plaid PJ pants.  They were still my best PJ pants, and I realized, that with Moolah turning 7, perhaps it was time for a new pair of PJs.

Moolah went with me to Fred Meyer for grocery shopping and I decided to look at after-Christmas sales on PJs.  She had just gotten new PJs for pajama day at school, which was the last day before Christmas break, and a new nightgown from Nanna.  But, all those new, soft, gift wrapped grown up PJs were just irresistible. "When do I get new PJs, Mama?"  I explained that I was replacing my newest PJs which were older than she was, and she tried to understand, but still, it all looked pretty wrong from where she sat.

I sorted through the sale PJs and found the least pink pair that I could.  I liked the colorful owls. And, they came as a gift set with an additional blanket.  We don't need another blanket, I had just taken almost a dozen to Goodwill.  So, now I had new PJs and a project. Could I make Moolah a matching nightgown from the blanket.

First stop, the fabric store for a pattern.  We drove out late in the day and when we got there, it was 8 minutes to closing.  We found the right pattern, I grabbed side 6 - 8, and off we went with 2 minutes to spare.

When I got home and looked at the measurements, it looked like size 6 would be HUUUGE.  I did some online research and found that everyone who made the pattern found it ran about 2 sizes too big.  So, I did what Auntie BSU would have done.  I called Oosje.  I sent her pictures and scans and measurements.. probably almost 20 images in all.  Two phone calls later, we decided that the pattern was almost exactly the right size the way it was, with a bit of "room to grow" room.

The other thing that I learned from my research was that everyone said that you really did need the full amount of fabric, 2 1/4 yards - there was no way to wiggle the pattern pieces to save any fabric.  My blanket was the equivalent of 1 1/2 yards.  Time to get creative.  I could get it in if I cut a few inches off the bottom of the nightgown, or omitted the ruffle. I talked to Moolah.  Those solutions were really not acceptable.  "I want it to be long, Mama.  And I want the ruffle."  Back to the drawing board.

I figured out that if I folded it in thirds for the front and back, cut those straight across instead of with a swoop down in front & back, and then re-folded it in half for the sleeve and bodice, and cut the ruffle in two pieces instead of three, I could almost, almost, almost get it.

"Mama, your top is blue.  Is my top going to be blue, too?  I want my nightgown to match your PJs".

Hmmm. That reminds me. I had gone to the Goodwill outlet store some time back and gotten a bag full of T-Shirts by the pound to make Tarn (T-Shirt yarn).  There has to be a blue one in there.  Yup.  I test the "soft & cuddly" factor.  It passes.  If I cut the bodice lining out of the t-shirt, I can make it. And, my top is blue and has a bit of owl lining.  I sell the idea to Moolah.  We have a winner.

Next I have to remove the edging from the blanket since I am really using all but a few slivers of it.  In the end, I had a few scraps less than an inch wide, and one 4" * 6" square that is now a doll blanket.

Yes, I basted...

And I sewed...

And I gathered...

And Moolah was very pleased with the results.  

Taking Notes

For Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Moolah's homework was to write a biography.  She had 2 pages of reference material and a 5 page booklet with space for a picture and a couple of sentences per page.  

To start the project, I read her the reference material. 

"Wait, Mama!" she says "I need to take notes."

She went to get a notebook. I read a sentence. She said "Pause!"  She wrote a note. I read another sentence.  "Pause!"  And so it went. 

Her biography was fantastic, but I liked the notes even better.  

Translation:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Birthday, January 15, 1929

Leader equal rights

Treated the same

Born in Atlanta, Georgia

Unfiar

Not same school

Not go to same places

Not use same things

Segregation. Minister. Boycott

Violent.

Peace prize.

Did better.

Kool Aid Dyeing with Moolah

Sometime in the early 1990s, Drama brought me gorgeous natural wool from New Zealand.  I tried to knit with it many times, but it never looked quite right for the projects I wanted to do.  Then, several months ago, I learned that you could dye your own protein-based yarn using kool aid.  Moolah saw me watching how-to videos online, got as excited as I was, and asked to join me on my adventure.

Step 1:  Find the Wool

I needed to go to the under house and dig around for the wool. I had two balls that were slightly different colors and thought it would be interesting to see if they turned out significantly different.

Show them to Moolah, who proves that she's her Daddy's girl by saying "Look, Mama! Boobies!" 

Step 2: Skein the Wool

Realize I need to turn these into skeins for dying. It's actually quite a fine yarn, so there is miles and miles of it, and I don’t have a swift (a fancy tool that helps wind yarn into skeins). So, I go digging in my house for a substitute.  I find our lazy susan, a heavy box (containing medals & awards from high school), and a bowl.

Then, I manage to convince Moolah and Ace that spinning the box is SUPER FUN!

 Step 3: Math!

I marked the skeins with different colors so I could tell when they were done whether the slightly different color mattered at all.  Since the dye only works on protein-based yarn, I use cotton yarn for that part.

Then it's time to weigh it.  I've already done the research and figured out that I need 2 packets of kool-aid per ounce of yarn.

OK. Don't Panic.  It's just Math.  I know my recipe needs 3 packets of lemon-lime and 1 packet of orange, and since all the numbers I'm working with are multiples of 4, it shouldn't really require a pad & paper. But, if you're me, it does.  I promise I didn't use a calculator, but I don't promise that I didn't reach for one before I realized that my brain really could be trusted with this level of calculation.  

Step 4: Presoak & Other Prep

The yarn has to soak for a minimum of an hour, which I figure is just enough time to go to the store for Kool Aid and clean the microwave because there's no way I'm taking pictures of the inside of my microwave as it is.

Go to store to purchase Kool Aid and cheese. Find $90 worth of other things that we need

Come home and discover that Moolah is napping. Clean the microwave.  Moolah still asleep. Wait patiently. Start to bake bread while waiting. Decide to roast almonds while waiting for the yeast to proof. Moolah still sleeping. Continue baking bread. Decide to bake pumpkin muffins while the oven is on, the bread is rising, and the girl is sleeping. Wait more. Punch down dough. Wait more. 2 hours later…

Step 5:  Let the Mad Science Begin!

We mix 8 packets of Kool Aid (6 lemon-lime, 2 orange) into 8 cups of water.

Pour it over the first skein of wool. 

See how super thick and sludgy it is.

Step 6: Bring the Heat! 

Into the microwave for 8 minutes...

Marvel with Moolah about how much clearer the water is!  Seriously. This is cool stuff!  Where there are little pockets of green left, we could see them swirling toward the wool and soaking in.

Wait for the rest of the dye to soak in & the water to become clear. Make dinner.

Repeat the whole process with the other skein. Stare at it the same amount. Too cool!

Step 7:  Dry

Rinse and hang to dry. Note that the darker yarn shows more distinct shading, but the same color. It also made the bathroom smell like lime Kool Aid/Jell-o for several days, and the yarn still smells distinctly limey.

Step 8:  Finis

Pour wine. Enjoy the results of a busy day.