Saturday, 5 December 2015

Advent calendar, what was I thinking?

I was looking at the first advent calendars to hit the shops in October which were all merchandised to the max, and probably Toddler was going on for the billionth time how he'd prefer a blue Thomas the Tank Engine cake from Tesco for his birthday like last year, even though (a) He doesn't even like Thomas and he won't let me read any of the books to him and (b) The cake wasn't that nice either.  I probably thought "Argh, if I buy a Peppa chocolate calendar this year, we'll always have to have Peppa calendars until eternity."  I must have had low blood sugar and probably a blow to the head, because in my addled state I thought the solution to this was to make a fabric advent calendar.


I copied the idea from Purl Soho here, but I stitched all the felt squares onto a woven fabric because honestly, even given super quality felt, how long will their calendar last before its stretched out of shape?  Even when used by a careful adult and not a marauding toddler?  So I bought 8 colours of felt and some cream polycotton and some other weird polycotton with fused batting on the back for the main hanging.


For scale, the larger of the felt squares is 3" across.  The woven fabric for the pockets has a rolled hem along the top, and the sides are zig-zagged before being turned under.  The actual shape of the polycotton is an isoceles trapezium, but it's been stitched onto a square shape on the backing so that there is some fullness at the top of the pocket to put presents in.  So that's an intentional gape, not stretched felt, woo!

I transferred the digits for embroidery by the old skool method of pricking a paper stencil and brushing powdered chalk through the tiny holes.

The blue/brown colour scheme was suggested by Mr B.  I wanted the red-pink-green Purl Soho combination, but Mr B rightly suggested that a second exciting colour scheme which for the other calendar might be hard to think up.  The second calendar is not finished yet (baby won't notice the absence this year) so you'll have to wait to see what colours we picked for that one!  I put names on the tops to stop arguments about who has which colour calendar.


I've already sewn the pockets up for the second calendar, but they don't have embroidery numbers on yet and they're not stitched to the backing yet.  I'll admit I was cursing myself as I edge-stitched my 100th felt square and I'll probably swear some more as I embroider my 50th number.

Anyway, Toddler is enjoying opening a new pocket each day and discovering the treasures from poundland or magicked from my fabric stash.  This is going to be a rod for my own back, probably worse than Peppa and her daily dairy milk.

WHY.

Wednesday, 21 October 2015

Quick trick to make shirts smaller

I bring you one cunning trick to make adult shirts smaller for children!


Here's what to do:

1.  Find suitable 100% cotton adult shirt.  I used a men's work shirt with a 15" collar pilfered from Mr B.

2.  Wash on it's own in the washing machine on a 90degC cycle with bicarb and vinegar.  I used 3 tbsp of bicarb, which I put in the drum with the shirt, and 1 cup of spirit vinegar which I put in the soap drawer.  This should cause the shirt to shrink a little.

3.  Tumble dry on the hottest setting to make the shrinkage permanent.

4.  Repeat steps 2 and 3 again until you have reached the desired size.  I did about 5 repeats to make the shirt small enough for toddler - about a size 104cm (age 4-5).

After this, when you come to launder the shirt normally, just use non-bio soap powder and wash at 40degC with the rest of your laundry.  Magic!





Only joking.  Of course I didn't.  I used this.

Saturday, 10 October 2015

Purple trousers CAPSLOCK MOMENTS


I made my first pair of proper trousers!  I'm not counting the self-drafted trousers here and their many shorts variation friends.

I made the "Elvis" trousers from the 1/2015 issue of Ottobre magazine, whose model displays them in turquoise thusly:


I had to make these because I love me a good pair of brightly coloured trousers on a little man, and toddler likes them too.  I scored some purple twill for £2/m from St Ives bank holiday market.  Although it has an inexplicable fire-retardant backing, this has softened completely in the wash.  Nevertheless, these pants will only ever be metaphorically on fire.

A red bowl of conkers was just lying around, so I kept it in shot.  I'll admit it doesn't look as arty as I thought.

Sadly the notions cost me more than £2, even when I skipped the zippers on the back pockets.  I'm not going to count the £15 I splurged on 32 sewing machine feet from China, or the cost of the top-stitch needles, or the spotty cotton pocket facings and button from my stash.  However, I ought to count the fly zipper and the red top-stitch thread (of which I used an entire spool).  So maybe the trousers cost me £6 all in.

BOOM!  Spotty cotton!  Also, eagle-eyed viewers will note my top-stitch tension issues, even after unpicking 4 times... ARGH.

I have a thing about red and purple together.  I had SO MUCH FUN making these trousers.  Fabric that doesn't fray. lustrous red thread, new machine feet... ahhhh the good times.

The pattern is lovely, although Mr B takes issue with the style detail where the side seam twists onto the front leg.  Pah!  I love it.  They're also slim enough for Toddler B, although I am waiting on a red belt from eBay to keep them up so he can wear them now and make them last longer.  That's why the bottom of the belt-loops are not stitched down yet (just in case the belt is wider than expected).  Also, I ran out of topstitch thread, so you don't get red bar-tacks at the top and bottom of every belt loop.  I ain't buying another spool for that malarky.

I skipped the exposed metal zippers on the back pockets to save money and my furniture.

I did have a few issues with the top-stitching - my machine wouldn't get the tension right sometimes and made loops of top-stitch thread underneath the fabric, usually when sewing right on the edge of 3+ thicknesses of twill.  I think because the presser-foot had uneven pressure over the bulky seam allowances and the fabric got pulled up and down by the needle.  I managed to partly solve it by using a pad of rolled up twill beside the seam to make the foot press evenly.

Sometimes my machine skipped stitches when trying to top-stitch over e.g. 6 thicknesses of twill in a seam intersection.  Tbh who can blame it?

Ok, so now I fess up to the mistakes.  I don't know what possessed me but I didn't take into account the diagonal twill weave when I cut out.  I just folded the fabric and cut double.  I think.  Or something.  It was dark in my windowless sewing space in the evening.  Anyway, the weave is not doing what I would like across the back seam (or indeed the front).  Don't look too closely.   Also, my top-stitching could be more even, but I'm going to allow myself some leeway on that as it's my first attempt.

My top stitching is not the best, but toddler will move too fast in real life for this to cause anyone visual pain.

I'll be making these again!  IN EVERY COLOUR ST IVES WILL SELL ME.  Did you hear that, man on St Ives market stall?  I WILL BUY ALL YOUR WACKY TWO QUID TWILL.  I will look for new audacious colours of top-stitch thread.  MAD LEGS AHOY!

Note that the shirt is looking a bit small - not to worry, a new one is in the works.

In less capslock-inducing news, I have cut up one of Mr B's old work-shirts and am in the process of transforming it into a toddler sized shirt.  This is quite exciting to me (and toddler).





Friday, 2 October 2015

Doctor, Doctor, I feel like a pair of curtains!

So, I finally finished the last pair of curtains which I was cutting out the two days before baby arrived.

Of course, taking photos toward the window in the daytime in a room that is painted in a dark-ish colour does not yield good results with my camera in idiot mode.

Behold!  The curtains with the irritatingly large pattern repeat are done!  A further 3m of fabric from a different bolt (so slightly different colour) were found and purchased, but I don't think you can tell that one drop is slightly different.

Also: I bring you another top tip of the blindingly obvious variety.  Cheap material is... cheap.  Okay, the feel and print of this fabric are fine, but the fabric had a badly wonky grain and off-grain pattern.  When cutting out I had to choose between cutting perpendicular to the selvedges, cutting along the grain-line, or cutting along the pattern repeat (we chose to take an average of all three, so hopefully it would hang fine and the pattern not be too wonky).  Add to this the 24" pattern repeat and you've got a headache.

Anyways, not much to say here that I didn't already say about these previous curtains of the same design.  They're interlined with blackout lining, and lined with polycotton.  I still love the metal eyelets and you shouldn't mess around with those shonky plastic ones in the highstreet shops.  Just go straight to Hanolex and buy the biggest hammer you'll ever own.

Mr B:  "This hammer is awesome.  It looks like a Thor Hammer, you know?  Like the god Thor?"
Me:  "Yes, that's why it's called a Thor Hammer."
Mr B:  "Oh."


If you're interested, the wall colour is "Soft Cinnebar 3" by Dulux.  For the first time in my life, I copied a "Get the Look!" article in the National Trust Magazine.  Except it's cheaper to get a Dulux colour mixed than go to Fired Wallet or wherever they were suggesting.


I am finally rid of the horrid brown and tan pairs of suede-effect unlined curtains that came with the house!  But, bad news:  Mr B wants them to be re-sewn into covers for his mower and his vice (to protect them from belt sander dust).  I don't know if I can bear to touch them... eugh.

Saturday, 19 September 2015

Little gifts for a little girl

I have lots of pink quilting fabric left over, so sorry if you're having a little girl!

Baby Isla gets three dribble bibs with fleece backing (design as road-tested on the current Baby Button).  She also gets a taggy blanket, where the design (incorporating crinkly noises) has been shamefully ripped off from my lovely friend who made one for Baby Button.  He adores his!  Sorry for copying, lovely friend... :-)


Toddler Button cut the ribbons for me.  There's a long ribbon with velcro on, so baby Isla can have it on her pram or car-seat or whatever.


Baby Isla's name is a felt appliqué, using double-sided fusible and top-stitching.

This was lots of fun to make!  It felt like such a treat to ignore the curtains and make baby things.  Awwwwh babies...

Friday, 18 September 2015

Cushions, three years late

While waiting for my first little tyrant baby to arrive, I made a lot of cushions.  I also bought the fabric, piping cord, sponge etc. for several more which never got done.  Until now, because Mr B made encouraged me finish them.

For baby Button's room (which is now occupied by a different baby than the original), there is a big square cushion.


Check out the awesome piping made from leftover fabric from this dress.  I am very excited to say that I can now wear it again (the dress, not the cushion, ha ha), because DIET.


There is a button back, so I can wash the baby sick out.   If the cushion was not so plump and bulging, I'll have you know that the bunting pattern actually matches perfectly!  If you want to know the pattern for this cover, you can find my tutorials here.

I also made a foam seat pad for the Lloyd loom chair in baby's room, with a box cover.  Mr B cut the foam with a kitchen knife because I'm too chicken.


There is a lapped zipper, again for baby sick washing purposes.  I went back and forward about how to place the pattern around the pad edges, and ended up going for a bunting string at the top, with the tips of boat masts pointing into it.


I have to show you this shot of the edge, because you HAVE to know how well the pattern matching went across the zip insertion!  LOOK I BISECTED THE WIND-VANE ON THE LIGHTHOUSE PERFECTLY!  LOOK!  It totally calls for capslock because, let's be honest, this pattern win doesn't happen much.  Mostly my pattern matching is poor on a good day, even when I'm trying super hard.  This happened when I wasn't even caring too much!  Maybe that is the key?!


There's also another seat cushion for the downstairs Lloyd loom chair, which would look more lovely if the chair was not usually covered in blanket-fort blankets and used to prop up 200 plastic play balls and a lurid play pit.  Don't look too close at the stripe matching at the front edge of the seat because the fabric crept and now it doesn't-quite-match which I think we can all agree is the worst sort of matching.  Now you can understand why I needed capslock about the above wind-vane.


I'll be honest, I had a pretty bad attitude about doing these, but I'm pretty happy with my job in the end.  Too bad I didn't do them 3 years ago.

Sunday, 30 August 2015

Don't show this post to Toddler Button

Shhhh... don't tell Toddler Button, but his Daddy just finished a toy for him this Christmas.


I saw a picture of a wooden toy sewing machine online, and showed it to Mr B.  He made it from the picture in under 2 days, because he is an absolute LEGEND.  Also, it was basically free because he hoards wood in his garage den retrieved (with permission) from skips he sees on his lunchtime walks.  When you crank the handle, the needle goes up and down.  Isn't that the cutest?!

Monday, 24 August 2015

Pretty cardigans for meeee!

I knitted a pretty cardigan for meeeee!

The pattern is Hetty, a super-duper all-over lace cardigan, knitted in the round with set-in sleeves in a cropped length.  I've been admiring the pattern for a while and finally bought it.  Because I am my mother's daughter, I used the same colour yarn as the designer.  You can't improve on perfection!

The yarn I bought from that stall at the London Knitting and Stitching Show.  You know, the one where they just have a big old pile of yarn packets on the floor and you literally just wade in and pull out a bargain.  If you've been, you'll know the one I mean.  Black Sheep Yarns, I think.

It's Rowan Softknit Cotton Aran, which is a braided yarn.  It was such a pleasure to knit with as it can't split at all.  I probably have half the packet yet, so if you're expecting a baby, also expect to receive a green knitted item... ha ha.


It's not supposed to go with this spotty dress, but it's the best I can do for now.  The cardigan is so snuggly and warm and soft in the thick aran yarn.  I had to take it off right after the photos because it's August and not actually raining today.

Look at the buttons on that!

Eugh you can see what I meant about the neckline on the dress - bad bad bad.  It would also look better lower, but for now I can't because sad nursing bra peep-age.  But enough about the crappy dress, CHECK OUT THE CARDIE.

I procrastinated for too long about the buttons but then I hit the jackpot on Ebay - £2 for 10 painted wooden buttons that look like little clocks!  In 5 different designs!  I have died and gone to cardigan heaven.

I think I need:
(a)  More of these cardigans in every colour
(b)  More novelty wooden buttons in my life (There are bicycle ones!  Bicycles!)
(c)  More of these dresses in darker and less obnoxious fabrics, with a nicer neckline

I also need another entire lifetime to make all these things.

Friday, 21 August 2015

Never leave a project un-finished to too long

I have learned that leaving a project incomplete for too long does affect your satisfaction on completing it.  Or maybe it's because this garment has too many niggley errors.  Or maybe the errors crept in because of all the start-stop and distractions, and by the end I was all "Who cares, gerrit DONE."


A few months ago, I started this blue and white spotty dress.  The fabric was bought on my honeymoon, which was before I got a job/house/two children (so clearly a looooong time ago).  The pattern is self-drafted and closely related to my ruffle dress, but I couldn't be bothered to do much more than remove the ruffle and centre-front pleat.  I wanted my new dress FAST.  (Although, not so fast that it took less than almost 3 months, it turns out.)

I got most of the major seams done quite fast, and then my overlocker failed.  The clonking noise became unbearable, the tension went ape and I couldn't get a seam to look half decent.  Maddening!  I just wanted to finish that dress!

I fixed the overlocker.  Then the 2015 outfit-along started (see this post) and I started knitting.  Needless to say the outfit-along was not completed by the deadline, because I later decided to stop knitting and make the baby carrier.  Then I went back to my knitting, which had started to take me 3 nights to do a 12-row sleeve cuff because the children would not sleep with the light evenings and heat.  And I started a crochet space-rocket for a WI competition.

Whatevs, I had to finish the dress which by now only needed the lining hand-stitching around the zip, and a hem.  I finished up, and wore it for a morning before the gape at the neckline irritated me so much I took it off before lunch.  It then languished for a few more weeks (plus family holiday) before I unpicked and re-inserted the zipper.  I finally made it!!!

It's fully lined, except the sleeves which just have a tiny rolled hem.  There is a concealed zipper in the centre-front (breastfeeding necessity), and in-seam side pockets!  Yay pockets!

Bad things:

The neckline still does not sit flat against my chest.  Maybe this is a pattern error disguised by the floppy fabric and ruffles the last time I made this pattern, or maybe I over-stretched it when putting the zip in (I ought to have stay-stitched, hands up.)

Toddler channelling my dress-hate for this make.

One bust dart is inexplicably higher than the other by almost an inch, and I only just noticed (now I can't get to it to unpick).  HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!  I swear gnomes came and did this error, I am usually so careful and this has never happened before.

The bust darts in general finish a little bit too high and close to my bust point.  I ought to change the pattern.  It's entirely possible my anatomy has changed ;-)

Is the bodice over-fitted?  I read in my new fitting book that this is a thing.  Should it be less fitted?  Or is it just that ready-to-wear are not correctly made for my bust size?  (Hee hee, busts!)

I forgot to stabilise around the neckline, zipper and especially pockets with fusible interfacing, so soon these areas may be as saggy as I am.  ;-)  I forgot to overlock the pocket edges and side-seams before I inserted them.  The bodge is not pretty so don't look too closely inside.

Most irritatingly, while it was hanging on my dress form waiting for the bias to drop before hemming, I realised that I don't like my grain/pattern positioning.  Not at all.  I tried to have central dots running up/down the centre-front and back, and matching the pattern over the seams here but but didn't work very well in my rush.   And it also looks rubbish.  I should have the straight grain running down the centre of each panel in the 4-gore skirt.  This is going to annoy me forever.

Finally, the lining rolled hem got mangled by overlocker which was up to it's old knocking-noise tricks for some inexplicable reason.  (I think it was a combination of bent needle needle, fine fabric and poor quality thread or something.)  I also couldn't be bothered to do make bias binding to try a nicer hem on the outside fabric than the old fold-fold-machine stitch.  Even though a faced hem would have been better.

"More photos mummy!  Mummy I want to see!"

On the plus side, sash!  It's the selvedge of my (still-not-finished) curtain lining in white polyester.  Excited about having a sash to cover my post-baby tummy and poor pattern matching.  Also makes a cheap rubbishy dress look a bit too posh for playgroup.  But it was for free.  So there's that.

Sorry 'bout the naff kitchen photos.  I have to use a self-timer on the worktop because I am too cheap to buy a camera tripod, and my toddler HAS to be in the photos shouting stuff.  Ahhh.

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Henry the Hoover

Toddler Button is obsessed with Henry the Hoover, the Numatic Vacuum cleaner.  No, he doesn't have his own TV show, but we do have an example in our garage.  We also have to peruse the range for sale in the supermarket each visit, and it's important to be familiar with the whole range of names and colours of this device.

To keep him quiet on a super long car journey, I made a cuddly Henry.  If you've found this page by googling for "Henry Hoover Sewing Pattern", then welcome!  I googled that too!  I couldn't find a pattern, so I made up the pattern myself using the magic of geometry.  I think I used this image as a basis.


Henry is made from felt (because that's what I had to hand).  He's about 6" diameter.

Check me wheels.

Henry's cheeky face is more felt appliquéd to the front.  I correctly predicted that Toddler would immediately enquire about where Henry's tube nose was, but too bad because (a) I couldn't think of a way to make one look good and (b) I ran out of black felt.


I secretly made him in the evenings and I totally had to hide his iconic little face during the day so Toddler didn't clock him.

Fiddly letters are such a pain.


Henry's front wheels turned out to be such a fiddle that they had to be stitched entirely by hand, and I'm not a fan of hand-stitching.  Also, I ran out of time before we left for the journey so they were attached during a traffic jam on the M4 when the road was closed and toddler happened to nod off.


Henry also has an appliquéd top winder wheel and hand-sewn knob thing.  But no on-off switches because I didn't have any green felt to hand.  Shame.

I'm pleased to note that Henry has been promoted to bed-time companion alongside Doggy and Ted.

Monday, 17 August 2015

Busy cube for little fingers

Our family holiday this year was a lovely trip to stay with my parents at their home on the coast.  However, it's 6 hours away by car (this does not include any stops or traffic jams, so you can reckon on a whole day in the car).  With a baby and a noisy toddler.  In a small 10 year old Corsa with an enormous roof-box stuffed to the brim.

We don't own a tablet or anything, so videos cannot be deployed.  Therefore, Mr Button and I got down to a little crafting to keep toddler entertained.  He made some lovely wooden lacing boards and wooden beads.  I made a glitter bottle to watch.  I also did a little preparatory sewing.

Not sure what this toy ought to be called, as it's the product of my fevered imagination at 3am.  I guess "busy cube"?  If there is interest I can share a pattern, but essentially it's a 6" sided cube with doors on each side, shut by every different fastening I had to hand.  Toddler likes to play with fastenings.

Sides as follows:
1.  Eyelets with ribbon lacing
2.  Side release buckle
3.  Giant button
4.  Four small buttons
5.  Four poppers
6.  Zipper

...plus added tag with a clip thing on because I have 9 left over from my baby sling.


The lacing ribbon is stitched on at one point so it can't get lost.


A different fabric hides behind each door.


The whole point was the small buttons so Toddler could practice buttoning his own clothes.


You could perhaps keep treasures in the zipped pocket?


I had to have a little bit of Toddler's favourite colour fabric in here somewhere!


I had a cute idea to put little clear pvc pockets on the cube faces behind each door, and slip photographs of favourite family members or characters in.  But I had just a few evenings to make this thing plus all the other stuff we'd planned, so it didn't happen.

This toy ended up being presented at Granny's house instead, as we thought he might be a bit young for some of the activities on it and the screams of frustration in the car with nobody to help might be a bit much for us to bear!  However, calmer or older children might get on better.

Sunday, 2 August 2015

Exciting new pressing tools!

I have some new tools!  This is MOST exciting and is going to take my stitching to the NEXT LEVEL.  I absolutely must use CAPSLOCK because I am that excited.  Geeks ahoy.

Pressing ALL THE CURVES.

My father-in-law and husband are absolute legends and between them they have cooked me up some super pressing tools.  I bring you:

"The Clapper" and "The Super-Duper-Tailoring-Pressing-Tool" (not sure what it's supposed to be called, a "Tailor Board" perhaps?) that looks like an alien spaceship in certain orientations.

Beep beep!  Take me to your leader!

My husband got a belt sander for his birthday (a joint gift from several people and including advance pennies for Christmas 2015).  He agreed to do the shaping.  My father-in-law used to be a joiner and has a massive supply of ex-stock woods and knows all that is worth knowing about these sorts of things.  His workshop and industrial tools and extraction system* are the source of endless fascination and monologues from Toddler Button.  He very kindly selected and donated the appropriate light-coloured non-staining hardwood (Ramin, apparently).

A clapper.  Not a banger.

Father-in-law made this epic Clapper, I think it's from a bit of handrail or something.  He says it's a "Banger" where he comes from and he knows a lady who battered her ironing board out of shape with one he made before.  So it comes with a warning on that front.  My seams will be so flat, even if my ironing board isn't!

Aww it's like a mini ironing board in this orientation.

The super-duper-tool was roughly cut by my father-in-law on his industrial tools, and shaped and finished by my husband.  I can press every curve!  WOO HOO!

Also, these tools look beautiful.

*Granddad's 'NORMOUS hoover!  Really 'normous BIG!

Wednesday, 15 July 2015

A little gift for a little lady

My clever crafty friend had another little girl!  I made her a few things.

Firstly a little cotton cardigan with vintage buttons, details here:

Also, I got excited and made her a little sign to hang in her room.  I found fabric in my stash!  It's got roses and rose-buds on it!  I thought I was being really clever, but probably everyone else has had this thought also so she'll be inundated with floral stuff.  Hey ho, sorry Rose.


The letters are fabric appliquéd on to a felt background.  I attached the fabric with double-sided fusible and stitched with a zig-zag for good measure.  The letters are hand-sewn to a ribbon with buttons on the ends.


Welcome to the world, little Rose!

Saturday, 20 June 2015

I got distracted and made a baby sling

I got distracted from my true purpose which ought to be finishing that spotty dress I mentioned, or at the very least continuing my efforts in the outfit along.

I decided that Baby Button has reached an age where he can no longer be relied upon to sleep through toddler group (although he's basically slept most of today, so maybe I'm wrong about that).  I need a nice new sling so I can hold him while I chop 20 toddler bowls of fruit*!  One that is quicker to put on than my current one, and because I can't really justify a new sling, one that is preferably free.

I remembered the Pea Pod Hip Carrier!  It's an awesome free pattern!  (The instructions are very clear and complete too, especially if you're a photo-tutorial sort of person.)

I did a dive into my upholstery fabric remnant collection and found the remaining fabric from my kitchen chair cushions.  I also found some double-sided fusible and a cheap tesco fleece blanket which served as the "fusible fleece" the pattern calls for.  I also added some firm iron-on interfacing on all pieces.  Finally, I used the double-sided fusible and a remnant of matching pink silk from my collection to line the inside of the long shoulder strap, which would otherwise have looked odd as my fabric is only printed on one side.  (Yes, it will probably bubble apart in the middle as it's tugged through the buckle but who cares, it won't actually come away from the strap as it's stitched at the edges.)  I even found the rest of the matching thread spool!

Check it.  Matching lining like a PRO.  (Matches better in real life than this dodgy photo.)

The sling didn't end up completely free.  I wanted to use a salvaged side-release buckle that Mr B had saved, but he said to buy new ones instead because "baby".  He's probably right.  So I paid £3 for some new buckles, and I splashed out a totally unnecessary £2 for 10 matching clips so I can add the clip for my keys.  What should I do with the remaining 9 clips?  (Ideas please!)  So, the sling cost me a fiver.

Lookie!  Adorable matching key clip on a little tag!

Anyway, long story short, it's very comfortable and it's hard to take photos of baby in it when he wants to grab the camera.  But I hope you don't come to this blog for the photography.

Baby said "chhhhhhh" (90s modem sound) which translates as: "Look!  A baby over there with a lady who looks like Mummy!  I'll smile at him!"
-----------------

* When toddler Button was this age, he sat in a baby walker at toddler group and watched the chaos.  It was all good until his friend decided to feed him crayons.  I cannot use the baby walker this time around, because toddler and his friends like to get in it themselves and push each other up and down the hall as fast as they can.  It's pretty hilarious, but not if baby is the passenger.