4/24/2015

Keep calm and shimmy

Hello there

I just noticed that I haven't told you anything about my other hobby, belly dancing, and maybe it is a good time now to tell you why I started belly dancing. Certainly, because it surprises everyone when I tell about my hobby.

Why are they surprised? Well, I doesn't fit in the regular clothing sizes and I certainly have a belly to belly dance. (I blame my sons for that belly, but they were certainly worth it) But still this one hour a week brings me a lot of happiness. But let start at the beginning...

I was looking for a hobby close to my home and that week all the dance classes were starting again after the summer holidays. So I tried belly dancing and clip dancing. I was only 5 minutes in the belly dance lesson and I knew immediately: "This is it!". 

So now I am already at my, I believe, 6th year of belly dancing and it still brings me as much joy as in the beginning. After a frustrating week, it just feels so good to "shimmy" everything off. Even during my pregnancies I went to the classes. With my oldest son I was still dancing a month before labor. I think it was a pretty view for the other belly dancers. So ladies, don't stop with belly dancing because you are pregnant! 

An important reason why I also keep going to the classes week after week, is the great atmosphere. Our teacher doesn't make a distinction between her students. Young, old, big, small... everybody is welcome. This makes that people like me feel comfortable to dance, even on stage.

We just have the right balance between dancing, laughing, discussing, learning new techniques and that makes that I just love to belly dance.

Have a nice weekend 
Tania



4/19/2015

Don't feed me please




Dear readers

As I told you in the beginning I have a son who is allergic to eggs and life threatening allergic to peanuts. It never worried me walking through a shop or walking where a people are eating.

Until a few weeks ago. A little girl offered a M&M to my son. I thought my heart just stopped at that point. Fortunately I was just in time to stop him from eating it, but since then I was looking for a solution to come outside with him on a bit safer way.

It can happen in a second that he sees something he wants to eat it and he is only 20 months, he just doesn't realize that it is dangerous for him.


But now we have found a way to inform people about his allergy: A button with a notification of his allergies: "Don't feed me - Peanut/egg allergy"

I hope this will help informing people about his allergy and that they may not give food to him. Meanwhile we can "train" him in not accepting food which isn't approved by us, his parents. That is the hardest part! Because he is so crazy about food at this moment. 


Anyway, I am so happy with these buttons that I am considering a T shirt with such a message on it. It would be useful the first week he goes to school or when he goes on a school trip.


What do you use to inform people about the allergy of your child?

Have a nice evening
Tania

4/16/2015

When a good idea turns bad

Hi there!

Remember last week? When I was so enthusiastic about the Easter baskets I would sew? 
Well it was a good idea, but it went wrong. Not completely, but still... So let me take you into my journey of making these Easter baskets and try to find the mistakes....



The first problem I had was the time pressure. Only the cutting of the fabric took more time than foreseen, which meant that I had only 2 evenings for sewing the 2 baskets. Or read 1 evening and 1 night... Because it ended up with me sewing till 3 o'clock in the morning. 


My second issue was my basic experience in sewing. I for example had to create the opening for the mouth and at a certain point I needed to turn the fabric so the 2 good sides were at the outside. I already did this several times, but now it just didn't work! 

I solved it by sewing the opening and the beak with a very small stitch (the one you would use for the opening for a button). And at one of the sides a small piece of interfacing was still visible, but I was so tired at that stage that I have left it like that. 


But in the morning I saw that everything ended up well. My 2 little boys didn't notice the imperfections and they have been running around with their baskets for the egg hunt. And even now, after Easter, they play with it. It's their storage for cars. 


When I see the face of my boys, I forget all the problems I had when sewing it and I think "Yes, I did it!"

Have a nice Easter holiday! 

4/03/2015

Easter basket: the deadline is calling

Hi there!

I am working on 2 Easter baskets so my boys can search in style for their chocolate eggs and I don't have to worry about sticky chocolate fingers.

The Easter basket is not just a regularly basket, but it is shaped as a chicken. Really nice and original! I found the pattern on a Facebook group. Unfortunately, they aren't finished yet, so the deadline is really tight at this stage. Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly now!

I have chosen some really nice fabric that makes me think of spring/ picnic/ Easter time. The fabric is not something that I would choose normally, but it works for this project. What do you think of it? 

The green and turquoise fabric is Terlenka, a fabric which is 100% polyester. Terlenka feels more firm than just cotton, so I believe it is perfect for the baskets. I will also stiffened it with interfacing. Just to give it that extra reinforcement.

After Easter I will post a picture of these chicken Easter baskets, until then...
Happy Easter and enjoy the extra family time!

Tania