Getting crafty

Wednesday 4 April 2012
Thank you all so much for the many and varied suggestions for inducing labour naturally - I knew all of you knowledgeable ladies would come up with some gems.  I have completely ruled out taking any castor oil, haven't been able to track down cohosh of any colour from the health stores in my local area and will ask the ob about a stretch and sweep at my appointment tomorrow. LinB - I don't even know what a wagon tongue is, let alone where I would find one in the middle of Sydney!  And don't laugh Trina, but I have tried walking with one foot on the road and one foot on the kerb (apparently the unevenness gets the pelvis rocking in the right way).  And as far as I know in Australian grammar kerb = the bit between the road and the footpath, curb = to reduce something, eg we all wish we could curb our addiction to fabric stashing.

In the meantime I had a massage which left me with bruises because the therapist was pressing so hard on the pressure points, had another acupuncture session where the acupuncturist stated that I may just be one of those rare people whose body will 'never' go into labour naturally, had my hair cut, had a manicure and pedicure and am keeping up with the walking.  I'm taking evening primrose oil capsules both orally and blush internally because I've read it softens the cervix.  I've been doing really deep squats (Hindi squats) and been on hands and knees cleaning like crazy, plus you can't wipe the smile off my husband's face at the moment - I'd say he'd be happy if this went on for another week! So surely there is nothing left for me to do but wait and wait.

I have conceded to my extremely pregnant state though, and have been resting more instead of sewing.  As much as I want to be sewing I am just finding standing at the cutting table, and getting up from the sewing machine to the overlocker to the ironing board just too much for my back and hips.  But since I have some form of craftiness ADHD I can't just sit on the lounge and watch crappy tv, I have to keep my hands busy.

Anna's daycare had an easter hat parade today, and we were asked to make an easter hat with our child at home. Pffft, as if a 3 year old could craft anything other than a red hot mess so sadly the crafty competitive streak took over and I made the whole thing.  But I wasn't the only parent that did this! I took this rather sad looking straw hat that used to belong to my grandfather:


and spraypainted it white.  It's a genuine Akubra hat which are an Aussie icon and really expensive, but this one had definitely seen better days and since it had a price tag of only $4.50 from David Jones it must be at least 30 or 40 years old so I didn't feel too bad about painting it.  Plus I don't know how my grandad wore this hat, must have been perched on top of his head because I remember him having a big round head and this hat was so small it fit Anna perfectly!

Then I jazzed it up with some rabbits, ric rac and ribbon, and some jangly rabbit shaped bells hanging off the edge of the brim and Anna now has a hat she wants to wear "everywhere":

diy-easter-hat






And I've also spent far more time than I care to admit making little 'homes' for Anna's (latest) favourite toys:



I quite like these fairy dolls, because although they are Disney products there is a certain innocence about fairies but much like lego pieces they really really hurt your feet when you stand on them in the middle of the night because 3 years olds never put away their stuff.  So from some shoebox lids cut down to size, some pictures printed out from clipart, Japanese washi tape (love that stuff!) and some other crafty bits and pieces I created these display boxes for the fairies to go into:





Success - Anna takes them out to play but she always puts them in the boxes when she's done.  And even better, I've hung these above her bed so she has been spending a bit of time playing quietly in her bedroom on her own, leaving me to have a cup of tea in peace.

I wish I could claim credit for this bit of crafty brilliance, but I was heavily inspired by these gorgeous matchbox size ones I saw over at Craft & Creativity, which is a beautifully photographed and genius craft blog with a lovely Swedish aesthetic to it.



Aren't they cute? But seriously, crafty stuff like this takes way longer than sewing and Anna now thinks that every time she comes home from daycare that I've spent the day making something for her.  I hope she has develops her own crafty gene soon.....

23 comments:

  1. The baby will come out when he/she is ready. You should enjoy your time and let your baby come on his/her own..........Ana is beautiful and the hat is awesome....

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  2. I love your, I mean Anna's little fairy homes. I love those little fairy dolls but having a boy I've never heard of them. I'd love to get some - are they current?
    Good luck with the wait ... too bad you can't bank up some sleep!

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  3. I will tell you that my sister was a girl who never when to labor on her own. Four births and each time she needed pitocin to get things going. She remained hopeful every time that the labor would start on it's own, but inevitably reality set in as her due date ticked by. I love the had and the homes for the 'friends' are adorable! Enjoy crafty time.

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  4. The fairy homes are adorable! And I love that you used washi tape, my favorite too! It's so useful. :)

    Thank you for your kind words and for the link. You made my day! :) I'm so happy to have inspired you.

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  5. Oh, how adorable is your little girl in that hat! And I'm with you on the fairy dolls: you shouldn't abandon a charming toy just because it is a Disney brand. Sigh.The Disney company has a lot to answer for, in their outright banditry of whole cultures' folk traditions. A definition: A "wagon tongue" is simply the long bar on the front of a wagon that hitches onto either a team of horses, a tractor, or any other hauling vehicle. It's the handle that you pick up to pull a hand wagon. My grandaunt was born before 1890, and grew up on a farm in Canada before marrying a farmer in North Carolina -- thus her intimate knowledge of wagon tongues. You probably DON'T come across many of them in Sydney, lol.

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  6. I love that hat, and the photo of Anna in it made me laugh. Kids can wear so many fun things, I'm a little envious.

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  7. LOL, I am so amused that you had actually tried the kerb-walking thing (we use "curb" for both the lip at the edge of pavement and the verb for reducing).

    The hat is so cute, love that photo of Anna.

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  8. That "cleaning" thing is supposed to be a positive sign. Kinda like nesting.

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  9. Connie (GrandmaC)5 April 2012 at 02:40

    Awwww Christy, I am sympathetic because even my fourth child was induced - never knew the joy of going into labour unexpectedly - although i kept hoping and working at making it happen. One fortunate thing was that in spite of not readily going into labour, I very quickly progressed thru it. My first daughter was born scarcely 50 minutes after they ruptured my membranes. My second, they started the pitocin drip, and had to take it out shortly after beginning as they suddenly had admitted 4 mums in advanced labour and didn't have enough nurses to monitor me as closely as necessary. However, it must have been enough. I don't know when my labour began, but I woke up at 3:45 with the urge to push. The nurse told me I was "being absurd" as she had been checking on me every 15 minutes and I had been sound asleep and snoring (the nerve - I never snore) just 10 minutes ago! My daughter was born at 4 am. My 3rd daughter was a bit different as her heart rate became very fast about 2 weeks before her due date. Gynecologist wanted to do a c- section until he heard how fast my labour was and said it would be much better for both of us if they tried first to induce labour. Again they ruptured my membranes but nothing happened until about 5:30 pm. The doctor's deadline was that if there were no measurable signs of labour by 6 pm, they would prep me for the OR. She was born at 5:58. A 7lb. 7 oz. baby is a measurable sign is it not? Daughter #4 was slightly different again as they gave me a tablet to place inside my cheek up next to my gums and I was to remove it as soon as any signs of labour were noted. I can't recall why but that also was quickly abandoned - I pleaded for them to just break my water but they wouldn't (I was weeks overdue and my pleas were not pretty). In any case I guess enough of the drug had been absorbed and she was born within a half hour of finally noticing the first contractions. It was the midwife that delivered her that first mentioned the term "cannon-ball delivery".
    My heart goes out to you darlin' - the waiting is torturous!! And everyone you see seems to have a sweet newborn - you feel like yours will never arrive! Hope you have a fast easy labour to make up for the wait!

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  10. A massage worked for me. Water broke in the car on the way home. Hang in there!!

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  11. Well one way or another that baby will be here soon! And then you will be tired and busy in a different way! Love your craftiness, those fairy boxes are so darn cute. I hope my girls have baby girls when it is there time. I want to make them too!! Speaking of my girls. My first born will be 21 next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So quick. Even Anna is growing up before my eyes. Good luck :)

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  12. Good luck for the coming week. Baby will come soon I'm sure :)

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  13. Those little "homes" for the fairies are so cute! Having two boys, our home doesn't have cute things, just mean and evil killing things. Anna is adorable in that Easter bonnet.

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  14. Connie (GrandmaC)5 April 2012 at 09:19

    Sorry about the gigantic post above!! What I had intended to comment on was the lovely creative hat. Truly an inspired design and to use a family "heirloom" of sorts is genious! If I were Anna, I would want to wear it all the time also - with appropriate seasonal modifications. ;-)

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  15. Awww Kristy! hang in there! It will happen. Maybe try not wanting it so badly? i.e. a watched pot never boils...

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  16. Well.... isn't that what mom's do alll day long! Make stuff for their kids and hubbies? Cute stuff... the fairies homes you made are wayy cuter than the ones you found. Way to go mom! Keeps them up off the floor! And added benefits of her wanting to play in her room.... what's not to like?
    Hang in there... it will happen... you don't want to "tire" yourself out! Been there done that... it's not good!
    djcogdill@q.com

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  17. Kristy,
    I've been quietly following along and enjoying your blog very much. I came for the sewing, but stayed for the expectancy!
    (Would have stayed just for the sewing alone ;))
    I hope when the baby comes, you'll have some relaxing time to spend with your lovely family.
    PS...I remember my mother taking castor oil (for my delivery) and saying that the resulting gas pains outweighed the labour pains!
    Dale

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  18. Kristy, just noticed that Anna has the same light that my DD got for her daughter... Ikea?
    Hope your doing well... I was thinking of you today... it's my DD's 33 birthday! Hope your little one makes an appearance soon, for your sake if not for his/her's!
    Hugs, Jean

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  19. I have had three daughters and all three were two weeks late! With the last I tried to relax, harder than said, I know. But I have been checking in every day to see how you are going probably like a lot of your followers. We all wish you well. However, if Sydney is anything like Brisbane at the moment, you must be looking forward to some cooler weather coming to snuggle your new baby in. All the best.

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  20. Kristy, I am so excited for you! Best of luck and enjoy the peace- life will be a bit chaotic quite soon.
    The fairy boxes are cute and I now have a good idea for my granddaughter's happyland characters. The acount of being unable to resist digging into Anna's preschool project is very funny.

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  21. Still no news? Anna looks so cute in that hat.

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  22. I'm hoping that your absence means that a happy and healthy new baby is here!

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