Cloth

Finally! The first cloth diaper I've ever sewn! I used the free Mamabird pattern for this one, size newborn, and it's so tiny I think it might even work for a (not so small) preemie. The cover seems to fit nicely over it, and is by Meghan Wyant's free pattern, size small. The idea of using cloth for our second baby actually began to take shape a long time ago, when I was slowly getting bugged by the HUGE load of disposable diapers needed for just one (!) child. The need to go to the store to get them, the loads of waste and the cost all seemed to bother me more and more. Maybe I am getting more crunchy with age ;)) or it could have been this essay by Siobhan that appealed greatly to my imagination. Then there was also my enormous stash of fabric scraps in every possible colour.... yum! Something new to try out!!! Something to recycle, woohoo!!! Luckily I inherited a pile of plain white fitteds from my dear sister that will surely get us through at first, but in the long run I'm set on trying many different models, and maybe ultimately modifying some pattern for the perfect fit... But that is still miles away. In searching the net I found many great sites on the subject, of which Oz Cloth Nappies is one of the most resourceful (IMHO). Let me know what you think!

Pretty in purple

This little cap and shirt I finished yesterday. I sent it to a friend who got a beautiful and really tiny daughter last week. She was born two weeks early and so she is a real featherweight. Luckily they're out of the hospital now and doing fine. If you want to sew something for a preemie (or a tiny newborn), here's a bunch of links to charity sites with great patterns: www.newbornsinneed.org Offers a good Preemie Size Chart.
www.carewear.org Has lovely patterns, and a handy Knitting Needle Conversion Chart.
Barbara Wampler's BWcharitycreations Holds a pattern for a romper, and an open-front shirt.
www.touchinglittlelives.org Sweet preemie sleeper pattern.
www.rayofhope.co.uk Lots of knitting & crochet patterns & links.