In a pinch…

Tonight, I’m sewing. I am cruising along fine, a slightly tired and fussy baby on my back. Then my machine starts acting up (I think it’s a bent race hook – the dreaded snarl underneath the feed dogs, and needle that won’t descend). I am getting frustrated, and angry. Baby is now wailing, arching on my back. I’m screaming at him (he’s 9 months old, this is wildly inappropriate behavior – for ME) to go to sleep. It’s not working for either the boy or the machine. So I take him upstairs (and yes, to some of you this will seem silly) I leave him in his crib to scream. I’m an attachment-parenting mama so for me to leave my screaming child in a crib on his own is, well, unheard of.

It’s been a day full of small, demanding kids, I’m feeling tired, overloaded, and my cup runneth dry in every way I can think of today. So I just have to retreat or I’ll do something I don’t want to do.

I don’t solve the machine problem, of course, but I do post on facebook – and offers for machines start flooding in. I can get mine serviced in about 3 weeks, and until then, I can borrow one.

Sigh. So let me regroup. I’m partway through an Elizabeth Lee sheath dress in a beautiful charcoal gray with black and silver horizontal wave in it. It’s a great urbane dress – with a big oversized bag, tall wedge sandals and a big tote, it’s a great city dress – and it’s meant to be that. I’m taking this to Chicago for PatternReview Weekend.

I bought hemp fleece and microfleece to make my own diaper inserts. And silk duppioni to make a gift sling for a friend. I have two more slings (need fabric – either donated or stash) that I need to make for La Leche League gift basket giveaways.

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