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2.04.2015

Organic Sherpa Coveralls - Ottobre 4/2014, No. 7

When Rachel from Stitched in Color posted about this Sherpa Fleece jumpsuit for her baby girl (coming soon!), my heart did a flip.  I was filled with so much nostalgia (is that even the right word, I don't know?) that I told Rachel it made me feel sad for the day when I will no longer have a baby to sew for.  Which is crazy because 1. I currently have a baby to sew for and 2. I don't sew for her very often!  Rachel, by the way, informed me that this phenomenon is called 'advance sadness!'  :)

Ottobre 4/2012 No 7 


I decided I'd better grab hold of that feeling and channel it into making something for Hazel.  You know, YOLO.  (ha!)  So I ordered the sherpa and paged through my Ottobre magazines to find a suitable pattern.  I landed on Ottobre 4/2014, No. 7.

ottobre 4/2014 No 7

It was perfect timing, because I really did need this very thing for Hazel.  She had outgrown her previous (store bought) coverall and we've had some chilly weather this winter here in Texas.  I was listening to an audio download on Waldorf education and they mentioned how babies in carriers will often have their bare little legs exposed because their pants pull up when in a seated position in the sling or carrier, and parents may not always notice.  That has definitely happened to Hazel and I wanted a solution to keep her little legs warm and covered.  My previous method of tucking her pant legs into her socks wasn't quite as charming or snuggly as a sherpa coverall.  

ottobre 4/2014 No 7 
 The kids and I try to get out together twice a day.  As part of the Waldorf homeschool rhythm, it's recommended to start the day with a morning walk, right after breakfast.  I was very hesitant to adopt this routine for several reasons.  For one, we aren't morning people.  So, in addition to being slow to wake up, the kids can be v e r y slow at getting their morning school work done.  Tia attends an art/play based half-day kindergarten and Iris also goes to this same (pre)school, two mornings a week.  I like Jude and Indigo to finish the bulk of their work before the girl/s get home.  That's almost always difficult and I didn't want to cut into that time.

ottobre 4/2014 No7 

 But, reluctantly, I decided to try the morning walk.  I couldn't believe it - after our walk, the kids flew through their work and were so much more focused.  I had read research suggesting that children who walk to school learn better, but even so, I was truly surprised by the difference the walk made.  Also, even (especially?)  as a non-morning person, it helps me to start the day with fresh air and sunshine.  Wearing Hazel gives me more of a workout - and exercise was on my new years resolution list.  ;)  On the three mornings that Iris is home with us during the school week, it's a great energy burn for her, too!  So the morning walk is a keeper!  

morning walk 

 The kids come and go from our fenced backyard throughout the day.  Then we all go out together between 5 and 6pm so the kids can ride bikes and scooters before I start dinner and the little girls do bath time.  It's such a great time of day to get outside again and having these new routines has given more structure to our day as well as given  the kids something to look forward to.  (Lately they've been into making slo mo videos!)



I also have the kids do a 15 minute clean up before we head out and that motivates then to do their best work so they can get outside right at 5pm sharp!

morning walk
Yes, I have a pin sized chip in my front tooth from always holding pins there.  How's that for sewing street cred!

 Hazel could not be any more snuggly in her sherpa coverall!  I just love it and it's the perfect weight for our mild winter.  I left out the batting and just used the organic sherpa - which is super plush!- and the Riley Blake Oh Boy! knit in grey elephants as lining.  

ottobre 4/2014 no 7 

The only downside of the sherpa is that it shrunk - a lot!  Usually knit fabric runs about 60" wide (I believe?) but this was only 42"... and there was significant shrinkage.  Whereas I could sew the lining with one yard of Riley Blake knit with quite a lot leftover, I had to order a second yard of the sherpa.  That made this a more expensive project.  But you know what they say - you get what you pay for.  And this is high quality stuff!

ottobre 4/2014 no 7 

Given that, I was a little nervous about how this would turn out, particularly the fit.  Rather than go by her measurements this time, I held her previous coverall up to the pattern to compare and adjust accordingly.  The legs are perfect in length and will definitely get us through the next month of coolish weather, but if we were living somewhere with a longer winter/cool spring, I would've added even more length to the legs and cuffed them.

hazey mae

I definitely had some trepidation about installing the zipper, but it turns out it was so easy - so much easier than an invisible zipper.  There was nothing to it!  I was confused on sewing the sherpa sleeve and side seams, so I used Rae's world-famous sausage technique (that's for you, Erin!).  ;)

hazey mae

All in all, I'm very happy with this project.  I tend to shy away from sewing outerwear and yet, it gets so much use.  Hazel has worn this every single day since I've made it and will only continue to do so. And seriously, the snuggle factor makes her completely irresistible.  Of course, she is already irresistible to me but seriously, this sherpa coverall makes it too much!  

snuggly sherpa baby

Dan says she looks like an ewok in it.

ottobre 4/2014 No 7

Which Jude tells me is a compliment!   

ottobre 4/2014 No7

13 comments:

  1. Aaaah, she is so scrumptious! So glad you dove in and just in time to get some good use out of it. Honestly, those morning walks make so much sense. I wish we lived somewhere were I could see how to take walks. There is the woods, but absolutely no trail. Maybe I need to make a trail in the woods.... haha, but they're not my woods!

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  2. I love getting a peek into your home school days....5 kids doesn't make it easy! :) So jealous of your walks and weather! We have about 3 feet of snow on our deck and don't expect to see the grass here until late April. Headed off to Costa Rica soon (yay!) and keeping our eyes open for jobs in a warmer spot than Vermont!

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  3. first of all: she does look like an Ewok and it is a compliment! looking at her in this outfit makes me want to hold and cuddle her!! you did a fantastic job:it looks so professional!

    secondly: I am totally with you on the walk outside in the morning. And yes I find also that kids are calmer after a time outside, even though I can understand having them all ready must be a challenge! I am so glad you are happy with these new rhythm and daily routine.
    xoxo

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  4. that's the coziest, most adorable thing i've ever seen! i've sewn with that sherpa before, and it really is special (and yes, expensive!). perfect for these little coveralls. hazel is such a doll. :)

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  5. That is simply the most insanely cute thing ever!
    If the Ewoks were anything like that cute then the third instalment wouldn't have been the relative flop that it was. Hazel wins!
    I like the idea of the morning walk. We ride bikes to school and have a great chat along the way. It seems to be the time when my kid is most likely to open up about something.
    I'd always wondered how home-schoolers made the break between fooling around over breakfast and then concentrating on work without having displaced themselves physically.
    Nothing like baby carrying exercise, hey. How about the deep lunge/squats you have to do to pick anything up without tipping the baby upside down. Awesome leg workout!

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  6. That is so incredibly cozy looking! I wish I had some project in mind that would be suitable for sherpa fabric because it looks so lovely. I love what you said about the morning walks, too. They always seem to settle us, as well.

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  7. How precious! It looks super comfy. Enjoy that new routine ; )

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  8. such a gorgeous practical coverall and she looks pretty pleased with it!! I love that idea of the morning walk - i keep trying to tell myself that I ought to do the same. I walk our pup in the evenings and it means I'm up quite late as a result. I'd love to read that information on morning walks for children too. That makes a lot of sense to me.

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  9. first of all, I'm melting over that photo of her sitting all slouchy on the bed - the cuteness is killing me! But Hazel is such a cutie, she just rocks every photo! That sherpa jumpsuit is just too precious and definitely worth embracing the YOLO attitude:) Bummer you didn't have enough fabric the first time around; it's always disappointing to not be able to finish a project when you are in the middle of it.
    I enjoyed reading about your morning walk routine. Sounds like a great start to your day! Does walking up to the bus stop with my 6 yr old count? :) After I see her onto the bus I usually run home because because it's so darn cold! I also like the pre-dinner idea - a good way to ground the kids. If only our snow would melt . . . sidewalks are hard to traverse when people don't shovel (which happens far more than it should . . . .mini rant:).
    Always wonderful to see another project from your talented hands!

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  10. She's so cute!! I had 'advanced sadness' at the thought of no more babies when Emily was less than six months old!! It's gone now and I'm over the moon with our three!!

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  11. I need to start doing the morning walk thing again ......it's just so dark and cold here in the morning right now, and my kids are up loooooong before the crack of dawn. It's basically mid morning here by the time we've got light. Not great for walking. Violet needs to get her crazies out though!

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  12. Oh my gosh. She is the cutest little ewok ever!!! It's perfect with those little slippers. This project, with the knits, lining, and zipper, would totally intimidate me! It just seems really technical. But you totally nailed it!

    I can totally believe that a morning walk helps focus and motivate everyone. I want to walk to work! Sigh! If only. I do sometimes take walks on my lunch break and it really makes my afternoons go better.

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  13. Ah I love the little coveralls! Soooo snuggly!! Gotta get on board with the Ottobre - I have some gift card and Bolt carries a few, so maybe it's time. She's just so sweet! Oh and Pro Tip: Baby Legs legwarmers are great for the inevitable ergo carrier pants hike-up. Do you have any? If not, I've got some that Em used to wear that I'll send you!

    Loved the slo-mo video. It gets so rainy for so long here it's almost like I forget that OUTSIDE exists...and then the weather gets nice and the whole city seems to blink and rub their eyes and stumble out into the sun. Portland. Haha.

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