Frou Frou by Lovenicky

The blog is moving....

I've decided to move the blog to Blogspot. This will be the last post on Vox.com.

Please visit my new blog location at; http://lovenicky-froufrou.blogspot.com/

Elimination Communication

I have been reading and looking into Elimination Communication. I'm seriously thinking about starting this with my 17 month old. According to Wikipedia, Elimination Communication is defined as:

Elimination communication (EC) is a toilet training practice in which a caregiver uses timing, signals, cues, and intuition to address an infant's need to eliminate waste. Caregivers try to recognize and respond to babies' bodily needs and enable them to urinate and defecate in an appropriate place (e.g. a toilet). Caregivers either use diapers as a back-up in case of misses, avoid the use of them altogether, or do a mixture of the two. EC emphasizes communication between the caregiver and child, helping them both become more attuned to the child's innate rhythms and control of urination and defecation. The practice can be done full time, part time, or just occasionally. The term "elimination communication" was inspired by traditional practices of diaper-less baby care in less industrialized countries and hunter-gatherer cultures. Some practitioners of EC begin soon after birth, although it can be started with babies of any age.

It's really not a new thing. I was trained in EC when I was about 12 months old. That was before disposable diapers were widely used. Many people in the previous generations practiced EC as well. It takes a few months to a year for the whole training process.

My little boy's bum is a bit sensitive. If I don't change his diaper right away after he pooed, he will get a rash. So this really make sense for him too. The only thing is that now that he is an active toddler, running around everywhere, I don't know if I will be able to have him sit in the same spot (read: potty) for a few minutes. It will take more than patience for me to work with him on this, I will have to think out of the box to entertain him, to entice him to sit there a few times a day.

I'm thinking of starting on the Labour Day long weekend. It will give us time to carefully monitor my son's elimination cues, and learn what works and what doesn't with him.

Wish me luck!!

For more info on Elimination Communication, see www.diaperfreebaby.org.

A summer tunic

I made another summer tunic. This time I used a very old pattern in my stash - New Look 6357. It's actually a swimsuit pattern with a tunic/cover up, pants and a bag. I had wanted to make the swimsuit way back when but never did. I looked at the tunic recently and decided to make it for a loose fitting summer tunic. I used stash fabric as well - a 100% cotton black and white print with shoes on it. I think it was meant for quilting/crafting more than apparel. But it's thin enough for a breezy tunic.

NL6357

The top came together very easily. I shortened the waist slightly (my usual petite adjustment) as well as the sleeves (I wanted 3-quarter sleeves to make it more breezy). I chose the size based on the garment measurements at the back of the envelope. This is why I like patterns from Simplicity, New Look and McCall. You can choose how fitted/loose you want your garment to be when the garment measurements are printed!

The pattern calls for loops to be made for the laces but I just did button holes along the neckline and weave a black tape through it. I made the tape with leftover black poplin fabric. But I'm still on the lookout for something nicer - may be a nice satin ribbon.

The body is a bit boxy which is understandable - it is meant to be a cover up for swimsuits. I have been wearing it a lot already. I like it because it was easy to sew, a little different from the other tunics I have made, and very cool to wear during this hot and muggy summer!

Blk white cotton tunic

 

2 floral tops for the summer

I made 2 simple floral tops for this summer. One blue floral one and one pink floral one.

This blue one is based on McCall's 5050. I omitted the waistline elastic but instead added elastic to the hem. I also omitted the elastic at the sleeves. The fabric I used is a bright blue floral cotton lawn. It's too bright for me so I decided to use the back of the fabric instead (more muted). However, I made the mistake in sewing the muted sides together for the sleeves. So now the sleeves are of the bright side and the bodice is of the muted side. I hope no one notices! :-) It's a breezy summer top which I have already worn many times during this hot and humid summer. The body is more shapeless than I would like (my own fault for not doing the elastic), but I'm too lazy to go back and put in the waistline elastic now.

Blue floral tunic

The other one is a pink floral tunic. I usually don't wear pink. But hey, it's summer time! This one is based on New Look 6809. I cut the fabric based on the bust measurements at the back of the envelope. But I think I should have made 1 size larger. The chest doesn't have as much ease as I would like. And the sleeves billow out WAY TOO MUCH for my liking! I feel like a medieval wench! Let's Joust!! LOL. Oh well! When I have some time, I may re-do the sleeves. Right now, I'll just wear it as is.

Pink floral tunic 2