Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Internetless
I will be without internet at home Wednesday through next Monday while we change carriers. Yes, I know, my husband and I are the last two people on planet Earth without smart phones. What can I say, that's how we roll.
While I will not be able to play convo tag, my husband will collect any orders from work and your goodies will still ship next business day if received by 4pm MST. He's cool like that.
Happy (early) weekend!
xo Heidi
While I will not be able to play convo tag, my husband will collect any orders from work and your goodies will still ship next business day if received by 4pm MST. He's cool like that.
Happy (early) weekend!
xo Heidi
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
A Little Bit About What We Like to Call "Fuzzy Underpants"
I will continue to update this post as I have new information on sizing and better pictures. I also have some fabulous customer pics I hope to dig out and post soon. Last update March 22, 2021.
SIZING:
The measurements listed were provided with the pattern and were taken with the soaker laying flat. When measuring remember to measure on top of the item you wish to cover.
Small: Rise 15"/Waist 13-15"/Thigh 7-9"
Medium: Rise 17"/Waist 15-17"/Thigh 9-10"
Large: Rise 19"/Waist 17-19"/Thigh 10-11"
Extra large: Rise 20.5"/Waist 19.5-21.5"/Thigh 11-12"
The rise is measured from the top edge of the waistband on the front to the top edge of the waistband in the back.
Size small with a rise of 15 inches.
Depending on where your child falls in the range for a particular size, the waistband may fall above, at, or below the belly button. The rise is high enough for boys, but may be too high for girls* when being worn over low rise pants and skirts. (Olive never seems to mind, but the waistband sometimes shows.) See pictures under sizes below.
For measuring thighs I like to go up as high on the leg as possible, though the actual soaker may sit slightly lower depending on what's underneath.
Fleece does have some stretch, but not as much as you'd find in a knit. Most of the fleece I've used (the only exception so far being Plaid Cucumber) has gotten stretchier over time, yet has also retained it's original shape and size.
Newborns
During the newborn runny poop stage the legs bands on a fleece soaker will not add a significant second barrier to help against runny poop leg leaks as well as a cover with elastic and/or gusseted legs unless they are fitting snugly. Fleece soakers are still an option, but it will be the job of the diaper underneath to contain it all. My favorite bullet-proof newborn diaper against such leaks is the Kissaluvs fitted. (I have both the older version, purchased for Olive in 2008, and the newer version, purchased for Callum in 2011, and they are both super awesome.) Another favorite diaper, sized for 10+ lbs, is the Sustainablebabyish Snapless-Multi Fitted.
My favorite covers that do give you extra protection during the newborn stage are Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, Gen-Y Universal, and Wee Huggers.
Small
My best guess for small is 0-3 months, possibly 0-2 if the child is on the larger side. I do not have any personal experience using this size on my own children.
Medium
I started my son (who was still on the small side at 12 pounds) off in medium at 3.5 months. At 9 months and 18lbs even I began to size up at night to a large with his super bulky nighttime combo -- Bum Genius stuffed with the long microfiber insert, a large BabyKicks Hemparoo Joey-Bunz, and a Kissaluvs doubler. GIANT. During the day I use them with prefolds, various contour diapers, Sustainablebabyish (Overnight Bamboo and the multi-sized listed above), Imse Vimse terry, etc. At 20 months and 22lbs they are being worn with a prefold or flat underneath, and also alone as regular underpants. We always take a pair to the pool so that I can quickly get him changed out of his swim diaper without needing to lay him down.

Above, Callum in size medium @ 4 months old.
Below, size medium on Callum, 9 months and 18lbs even.

I was too lazy to change him out of what he was already wearing, so underneath Callum is sporting a medium Imagine Smart Fit Prefold and a medium Bummis Super Whisper Wrap. He is quickly nearing the limit I have seen suggest for this size when used with a diaper underneath.
UPDATE, Medium @ 11 months: While I do not have his current weight, Callum has gone through a tremendous growth spurt in the last eight weeks. Much to my surprise he is still in size medium during the day. Here he is at 11 months wearing a fairly bulky Sustainablebabyish Snapless-Multi Fitted with two inserts underneath.

(Much harder to catch compared to just two months ago...)

UPDATE, Medium @ 20 months: At 22lbs and 32.5" tall, Callum only wears a medium with a prefold or flat. If we are hanging around the house he will often wear them alone as underwear, with plenty of room to grow.

He's wearing the same exact pair as the 4 month old picture above. Made from solid anti-pill fleece, they have been washed and worn on a weekly basis for more than 18 months now and still have plenty of life left.

The thigh measurements are usually the deciding factor that pushes a customer to buy a large rather than a medium.
Large & Extra Large
At 18lbs, Callum is almost ready for size large with a giant overnight combo. (See description under size medium.) In these pictures he is wearing them over the same combo as listed under the medium picture. Even though the legs and waist are big these work fine for added overnight protection.
Waist band folded over for belly button spotting.


They are protecting against wetness while the diaper underneath is catching solids, so the fact that the legs are loose makes no difference at all. They don't fall off because of the friction between the fleece and the diaper underneath.
My almost 4 year old daughter Olive is thin to average, currently weighs 32lbs fully clothed, is 39.5" tall, with a waist of 20", and has a thigh of 11.5". She is out of 3Ts, and has been for a few months. When I tried a large on her a few months ago, the thighs were already too tight, though I felt like she could have squeezed in if they weren't brand new and we'd really pushed it. My best guess for extra large, based on the way they fit her now, is 4T/5T. She has lots of room to grow, even on top of cloth training pants.
POTTY TRAINING:
Fuzzy underpants, as my children call them, can be used as a cover for extra protection over cloth training pants. While not quite as absorbent as a cloth diaper, in my experience when paired with cloth training pants they will handle a single good-sized pee as long as it's not a flood. (Also great if your children, like mine, have pee trained but continue to have poop accidents. The extra layer helps keep everything contained.) After a good pee I expect to replace both the cloth training pants and fleece soaker, but their clothing YAY! stays dry.
You can find Gerber brand cloth training pants like the ones pictured below at Target stores, sold in packs of 3 for $7.99.

Can they be used alone? I never tried, but based on how they worked paired with cloth training pants I think they could handle a small pee, especially once a child has reached the stage where as soon as they realize what they are doing will try to stop themselves.
The most important thing to remember when choosing a size is not to go by weight alone since little ones comes in all different shapes.
More questions? Lay them on me! This is a work in progress.
xo Heidi
*If you sew and are looking for a lower rise pattern for potty training girls you may want to try this one. I tested it out along with a few other but ultimately didn't end up using it because I wanted covers for my son.
SIZING:
The measurements listed were provided with the pattern and were taken with the soaker laying flat. When measuring remember to measure on top of the item you wish to cover.
Small: Rise 15"/Waist 13-15"/Thigh 7-9"
Medium: Rise 17"/Waist 15-17"/Thigh 9-10"
Large: Rise 19"/Waist 17-19"/Thigh 10-11"
Extra large: Rise 20.5"/Waist 19.5-21.5"/Thigh 11-12"
The rise is measured from the top edge of the waistband on the front to the top edge of the waistband in the back.
Size small with a rise of 15 inches.Depending on where your child falls in the range for a particular size, the waistband may fall above, at, or below the belly button. The rise is high enough for boys, but may be too high for girls* when being worn over low rise pants and skirts. (Olive never seems to mind, but the waistband sometimes shows.) See pictures under sizes below.
For measuring thighs I like to go up as high on the leg as possible, though the actual soaker may sit slightly lower depending on what's underneath.
Fleece does have some stretch, but not as much as you'd find in a knit. Most of the fleece I've used (the only exception so far being Plaid Cucumber) has gotten stretchier over time, yet has also retained it's original shape and size.
Newborns
During the newborn runny poop stage the legs bands on a fleece soaker will not add a significant second barrier to help against runny poop leg leaks as well as a cover with elastic and/or gusseted legs unless they are fitting snugly. Fleece soakers are still an option, but it will be the job of the diaper underneath to contain it all. My favorite bullet-proof newborn diaper against such leaks is the Kissaluvs fitted. (I have both the older version, purchased for Olive in 2008, and the newer version, purchased for Callum in 2011, and they are both super awesome.) Another favorite diaper, sized for 10+ lbs, is the Sustainablebabyish Snapless-Multi Fitted.
My favorite covers that do give you extra protection during the newborn stage are Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, Gen-Y Universal, and Wee Huggers.
Small
My best guess for small is 0-3 months, possibly 0-2 if the child is on the larger side. I do not have any personal experience using this size on my own children.
Medium
I started my son (who was still on the small side at 12 pounds) off in medium at 3.5 months. At 9 months and 18lbs even I began to size up at night to a large with his super bulky nighttime combo -- Bum Genius stuffed with the long microfiber insert, a large BabyKicks Hemparoo Joey-Bunz, and a Kissaluvs doubler. GIANT. During the day I use them with prefolds, various contour diapers, Sustainablebabyish (Overnight Bamboo and the multi-sized listed above), Imse Vimse terry, etc. At 20 months and 22lbs they are being worn with a prefold or flat underneath, and also alone as regular underpants. We always take a pair to the pool so that I can quickly get him changed out of his swim diaper without needing to lay him down.

Above, Callum in size medium @ 4 months old.
Below, size medium on Callum, 9 months and 18lbs even.

I was too lazy to change him out of what he was already wearing, so underneath Callum is sporting a medium Imagine Smart Fit Prefold and a medium Bummis Super Whisper Wrap. He is quickly nearing the limit I have seen suggest for this size when used with a diaper underneath.
UPDATE, Medium @ 11 months: While I do not have his current weight, Callum has gone through a tremendous growth spurt in the last eight weeks. Much to my surprise he is still in size medium during the day. Here he is at 11 months wearing a fairly bulky Sustainablebabyish Snapless-Multi Fitted with two inserts underneath.

(Much harder to catch compared to just two months ago...)

UPDATE, Medium @ 20 months: At 22lbs and 32.5" tall, Callum only wears a medium with a prefold or flat. If we are hanging around the house he will often wear them alone as underwear, with plenty of room to grow.

He's wearing the same exact pair as the 4 month old picture above. Made from solid anti-pill fleece, they have been washed and worn on a weekly basis for more than 18 months now and still have plenty of life left.

The thigh measurements are usually the deciding factor that pushes a customer to buy a large rather than a medium.
Large & Extra Large
At 18lbs, Callum is almost ready for size large with a giant overnight combo. (See description under size medium.) In these pictures he is wearing them over the same combo as listed under the medium picture. Even though the legs and waist are big these work fine for added overnight protection.
Waist band folded over for belly button spotting.

They are protecting against wetness while the diaper underneath is catching solids, so the fact that the legs are loose makes no difference at all. They don't fall off because of the friction between the fleece and the diaper underneath.
My almost 4 year old daughter Olive is thin to average, currently weighs 32lbs fully clothed, is 39.5" tall, with a waist of 20", and has a thigh of 11.5". She is out of 3Ts, and has been for a few months. When I tried a large on her a few months ago, the thighs were already too tight, though I felt like she could have squeezed in if they weren't brand new and we'd really pushed it. My best guess for extra large, based on the way they fit her now, is 4T/5T. She has lots of room to grow, even on top of cloth training pants.
2XL - New in 2020
I just tried the 2XL on our youngest, Violet. Violet recently hit 5.5 years old, and is pretty slim for her age, weighing 36.2 pounds clothed in a long sleeved t-shirt and winter weight leggings, and measures 43 inches tall. Waist - lots of room to grow. Main body of the soaker - plenty of room (even before stretch) for a cloth diaper with a fairy good sized insert. Thighs - still some room to grow, but as I always find with this pattern the thighs will be the first thing she will outgrow.
POTTY TRAINING:
Fuzzy underpants, as my children call them, can be used as a cover for extra protection over cloth training pants. While not quite as absorbent as a cloth diaper, in my experience when paired with cloth training pants they will handle a single good-sized pee as long as it's not a flood. (Also great if your children, like mine, have pee trained but continue to have poop accidents. The extra layer helps keep everything contained.) After a good pee I expect to replace both the cloth training pants and fleece soaker, but their clothing YAY! stays dry.
You can find Gerber brand cloth training pants like the ones pictured below at Target stores, sold in packs of 3 for $7.99.

Can they be used alone? I never tried, but based on how they worked paired with cloth training pants I think they could handle a small pee, especially once a child has reached the stage where as soon as they realize what they are doing will try to stop themselves.
The most important thing to remember when choosing a size is not to go by weight alone since little ones comes in all different shapes.
More questions? Lay them on me! This is a work in progress.
xo Heidi
*If you sew and are looking for a lower rise pattern for potty training girls you may want to try this one. I tested it out along with a few other but ultimately didn't end up using it because I wanted covers for my son.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Adventures in Anti-Pill Fleece

C is for Callum. Super Callum, that is!
Now available in our Etsy shop, fleece diaper covers for little guys and gals.
Potty on.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Here Comes Fall
It's been nearly a month since G and O started school. What I've been doing with my time sewing isn't entirely clear, but I do know that last week the baby thought it was outrageously funny when we meowed at him. So we did that a lot, until dude, it wasn't funny anymore. And then we did it some more. Yesterday my trying to eat while balancing him on my hip, taking bites of sandwich basically BAM! in his face was hysterical. Having a bad day? Come hug Callum! Meow at him? Eat a sandwich in his face? You choose.
Here are some of my recent (before school started) favorites:

Black background, bright vintage flowers, reminiscent of the paint job on a Galo de Barcelos belonging to my grandmother I have adored for as long as I can remember. Talk about I-can't-live-without-you! fabric love. I have enough to make some for Etsy, just haven't gotten around to it yet. Awesome for camouflaging a dirty day at preschool. Available now on a made to order basis.

Bikes, trikes, scooters, and wagons! Olive likes to wear purple every day. She also likes wheels. I love the colors of fall and changing leaves. (And wheels.) Win-win! Ready to ship in size 6-12 months or made to order. And because everyone on the street keeps asking, her shoes are from Zappos.
I have a bunch of really fantastic new hats to be listed as soon as the weather decides to get in sync with my free time. By popular request one is pink, a sweet, soft, elegant, and refined petal pink with cream suitable for meeting the Queen. Another is bold for Christmas and begs to be taken to the zoo.
Things are finally settling, so I do see sewing time in my future. But first, Olive and I are going to get our craft on by painting some rocks. I guess rocks need vibrant color, too.
xo Heidi
Here are some of my recent (before school started) favorites:

Black background, bright vintage flowers, reminiscent of the paint job on a Galo de Barcelos belonging to my grandmother I have adored for as long as I can remember. Talk about I-can't-live-without-you! fabric love. I have enough to make some for Etsy, just haven't gotten around to it yet. Awesome for camouflaging a dirty day at preschool. Available now on a made to order basis.

Bikes, trikes, scooters, and wagons! Olive likes to wear purple every day. She also likes wheels. I love the colors of fall and changing leaves. (And wheels.) Win-win! Ready to ship in size 6-12 months or made to order. And because everyone on the street keeps asking, her shoes are from Zappos.
I have a bunch of really fantastic new hats to be listed as soon as the weather decides to get in sync with my free time. By popular request one is pink, a sweet, soft, elegant, and refined petal pink with cream suitable for meeting the Queen. Another is bold for Christmas and begs to be taken to the zoo.
Things are finally settling, so I do see sewing time in my future. But first, Olive and I are going to get our craft on by painting some rocks. I guess rocks need vibrant color, too.
xo Heidi
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Back to School 2011
Olive: "Momma, take my picture like this!"
Me: "Um, okay."
Last week Olive's new preschool teacher came out for a home visit. Olive was digging for "school 'plies" in her purple sparkle Caboodle when she came across a rubber snake. "WELL THAT DOESN'T BELONG IN THERE!" she declared as she absent-mindedly cast it aside, right into the young woman's lap.
Olive is going to do just fine, but I think we may already owe the teacher a bottle of nice wine.
As for the dress: I found the main fabric at a quilt shop in Santa Fe. It's fully lined with a pale blue-grey solid.
Off she goes tomorrow. It's only 8 hours a week, but I'm still going to miss her terribly. How fast they grow...
xo Heidi
Me: "Um, okay."
Last week Olive's new preschool teacher came out for a home visit. Olive was digging for "school 'plies" in her purple sparkle Caboodle when she came across a rubber snake. "WELL THAT DOESN'T BELONG IN THERE!" she declared as she absent-mindedly cast it aside, right into the young woman's lap.
Olive is going to do just fine, but I think we may already owe the teacher a bottle of nice wine.
As for the dress: I found the main fabric at a quilt shop in Santa Fe. It's fully lined with a pale blue-grey solid.
Off she goes tomorrow. It's only 8 hours a week, but I'm still going to miss her terribly. How fast they grow...
xo Heidi
Friday, August 12, 2011
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Emmy in Guitars
Meet my niece (and Olive's cousin) Emmy. Girl knows how to rock!

And strike a pose...


Love Emmy's extra long top? Dress version is available at our Etsy shop.
Thanks Mandy for the pictures!
And strike a pose...
Love Emmy's extra long top? Dress version is available at our Etsy shop.
Thanks Mandy for the pictures!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Emmy in Lemons
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Ivy in Lacework
Huge thanks and big hugs to Ivy's mom Bridget for sharing! The leggings she paired with the dress are exactly what I had in mind, even though I didn't know they actually existed. What a doll! ♥
Labels:
brown,
customer photos,
floral,
lacework,
peasant dress
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Olive in Trees
Finally! Pictures of Olive in our newest style, the Sunny Reversible Wrap.

Filthy wrinkled dress, dirty hair, post-rolling in the sandbox at the park, and fresh from scraping her knees. We make tough dresses meant for everyday adventures.
I'll show you the front later, after I get the blood out.

Believe it or not, the kimono back really does stay aligned that well. The secret? The inner/reverse side ties give it structure. Even with Olive's constant squat-stand-squat-stand and in the car seat/out of the car seat lifestyle, I only tie it once a day. And it holds! Just be firm with your bow.
(Credit: amazing pattern by Nanoo Designs.)

Filthy wrinkled dress, dirty hair, post-rolling in the sandbox at the park, and fresh from scraping her knees. We make tough dresses meant for everyday adventures.
I'll show you the front later, after I get the blood out.

Believe it or not, the kimono back really does stay aligned that well. The secret? The inner/reverse side ties give it structure. Even with Olive's constant squat-stand-squat-stand and in the car seat/out of the car seat lifestyle, I only tie it once a day. And it holds! Just be firm with your bow.
(Credit: amazing pattern by Nanoo Designs.)
Labels:
feathered friends,
granola,
green,
kimono,
reversible,
sunny,
trees,
wrap
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Somebody is Turning Two (and You Get Free Shipping)

Olive is turning two this week, and in the spirit of celebration we are offering free shipping on all in stock items traveling within the US and Canada. (Outside of the US and Canada? Discount!)
Love her hat? We have one ready to go! Fabric by Sandi Henderson (of Portabellopixie fame) for Michael Miller, Meadowsweet collection. Daisy Path in pomegranate reverses to daisies on celery green.
Happy birthday, Olive!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Introducing Sunny

Considering there was no official grain line on the hand-drawn pattern and it was after midnight when I started laying it out I'm pretty happy with the placement of the trees.
The kimono side is actually the back view -- love that. I'm digging the modest cut. And can I just mention it has cap sleeves people! (You're going to have to trust me until I get some on-an-actual-3d-person pics.) Clean-cut, a-line, and reversible. Me so happy. A great pattern from Nanoo Designs!
Fabric: Modern Meadow, Majestic Oak in Grass, Joel Dewberry. I went granola with the reverse and used a grainy oatmeal cotton. Skinny bark brown ties all the way around.
I think maybe I like it because it kinda reminds me of a certain somebody's mommy ink.
Ahem.
(I still have to get the trunk fixed. Long story, but it's not Olive-like enough for me. The trunk is too symmetrical. I need twisty; I need some lean. You see it too -- too oaky, right? If only I could draw. Can you draw?)
This tree dress is for Olive, but if you dig ducks we can hook you up RIGHT NOW. I meant to buy enough for two tree dresses, but I may have goofed. So there may be another, or not, not to mention that I'm easily side-tracked...wait, OOH! (Insert some other random fabric and or pattern or chocolate something here.)

xo Heidi
Labels:
ducks,
feathered friends,
granola,
kimono,
reversible,
sunny,
trees,
wrap
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Olive Dresses Herself
We are back from California, and after 8 days spent mostly in the rain Olive has decided that ladybug boots go with everything. The good people of California seem to agree.
We currently have one Sushi Dress available on Etsy, size 6-12 mos, and more Miss Muffet Hats ready to be listed in the coming days. And the butterfly batik used on the hat is already made up into a dress, also yet to be listed. And that's not all -- even more goodies are on the way!
We are so glad to be home.
Labels:
butterflies,
food,
hat,
miss muffet,
peasant dress,
pink,
sushi
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane

Sweet as sugar with a dash of retro, it's hard not to fall instantly in love with Nicey Jane. What a beautiful way to celebrate spring!
The church flowers totally remind me of my grandmother's sheets. Anyone else?
For sale, size 6-12 months. Click on over to see it's yellow and white polka dot diaper cover. No plain Janes!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Olive in Fortune Cookies
Olive is always a hit at 1st grade pickup. Today she sported fish sunglasses, fleece dog Halloween costume top over sushi dress, jeans, and ladybug boots.
"Does she take requests? I miss the fortune cookie pants."
Wow. Forgotten completely about those. Wonder where they are...
I present Olive in fortune cookie pants, Novemberish, drinking Peppermint tea, and waiting for her big brother.
(And no, I did not make the sweater. I wish! It's Janie and Jack, 2008.)
Simplicity 2928

This was a Christmas gift for my mom. I ran out of time, but would have liked to have worked on the lid a little bit more. Darn thing did not want to sit the way I wanted it to, and you can see the gap in this picture which makes me all itchy crazy. Of course once my mom saw it she declared it perfect and wouldn't let me have it back.
Instead of a pouffy knob of the same fabric I used a vintage button I bought from Lillian Olive on Etsy. Next time I'd change the position of the elastic, pushing it farther off to one side for easier access. I'd also consider making the lid smaller so that it doesn't hang off on all four sides. The overall fit was perfect on a tissue box from Trader Joe's, and the tissues do flow freely through the spout.
VoilĂ , one tea pot tissue box cozy!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Olive in Ducks
Olive doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up, but she does know what she doesn't want to be: my model.
During the last two weeks I have been quite busy, making dresses and taking pictures. Not only have I been making dresses to sell, but some new ones for Olive as well. The minute I hand them over they receive a big baby hug, hanger and all. However, Olive is refusing to be photographed. Unless, that is, you want to see her with cream cheese face, boogers, etc. Yeah, I thought not.
(Hat by Olive's Aunt Mandy. I bought the yarn today to copy her. Isn't she talented?)
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Orange Batik I
I probably like -- not love, just like -- less than 1% of commercial batiks I see for a project as large as toddler clothing. For a long time I viewed them simply as a solution for quilters, a way to match the unmatchable.
But a well done batik is...WOW.
This dress has been hanging around my house since late summer. I take it out of the crafting closet to sell, and with just a quick glance I fall hopelessly in love all over again. It's a 3T, way too big for Olive, but I'm not ready to part with it.
Missing: One Diaper Cover

I'm not much of a pink person, but this pink is kind of a deep melon yummy. Along with the washable silver and the smooth finish, it has pizazz. If only I had remembered to iron it before taking its picture!
I don't normally make diaper covers to go with my dresses, but for this little lady I will.
In Case You're Wondering Why I Don't Do Diaper Covers
One, I started MO in anticipation of the fall/winter season. The craft show goers agreed that they didn't want a diaper cover for cord, or long sleeves, or when the base color of the print is basic enough to use one from the stack they already have.
Two, the cloth diapering set, a group to which I am proud to be a part-time member of, already has a beautiful array of color luscious cloth diapers (or covers) to choose from. Three, cost. Four, in my very limited experience, shoppers, at least craft goers around Abq, are hungriest for sizes 3T and up.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Olive in Sushi
Olive in Lacework
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