The problem with lots of lovely spring sunshine is that it highlights the dust!
I've spent this morning dusting and tidying my desk (Woody shares it too, so I should say "our desk", except I don't think he cares one bit how messy it is.)
This old print tray is above my desk on the wall and holds all my sewing thread, plus a few special little bits and pieces.
I do love it, but oh my it's a dust trap!


There is something so very satisfying about filling all the little spaces, and I get such a thrill from all the pattern potential....actually sometimes I get in a tizz trying to decide if I should arrange the colours in a rainbow, or in tones, or seasons....




Now, if only the rest of my housework was as much fun.

I've owned this Ellaroo Wrap for several years, it's been on holiday with the Slinging In The Rain Library for a few years, but been back in my hands for the past few months.
I hadn't been reaching for it much, but am sentimentally attatched to it. It carried my chubby not so little Sid.

And carried him again when he was a toddler.

I thought I might make it into a ring sling, and then I pondered making it into a mei tai.
I've never really been fond of the idea of converting a wrap into a Mei Tai. I always thought it was odd to cut up a perfectly beautiful and adaptable wrap and make it into something else that in my opinion wasn't nearly so adaptable.
Never mind the expense of buying a wrap and then making it into something else.
I have made ring slings from wraps, and I've used wrap scraps to make Mei Tai body's before, I still miss my custom made Aqua Waves and wool Connecta.

Still, despite my general unease about wrap conversions, I thought I'd have a go at making one, just to see.
The Ellaroo was only a size 4.2, not really long enough for a regular wrap conversion, with wrap style straps and a sleep hood that I had in mind, but with a bit of creative cutting and adaptation of my Zidee pattern pieces I've made what isn't strictly speaking a true wrap conversion, but a Mei Tai made from a wrap.
Wrap conversions usually, and sensibly rely on the qualities of the wrap in question to provide support and comfort. (And a voice inside my head still says "so why cut up the wrap then?)
Ellaroo wraps are not really renowned for their support. They are great quality budget wraps, but do require care and skill to use compared to many other more expensive wraps such as Didymos for example.
With this in mind, plus the length of fabric available to me, I decided to support the body of the carrier with an internal layer of cotton canvas, and to pad the shoulder and waist straps just lightly.

I haven't made a baby carrier in a while, and it was nicely relaxing putting this one together this afternoon.
I had to wrestle Ernest in from playing football with his brothers to try it on, but for the few moments I had him up there on my back, it felt comfortable, and it's long enough in the body to support Ernest's head should he fall asleep, but I can easily shorten the body too, by folding up the waistband, as I have in the front carry photograph.
Not bad for an afternoons work.

Reading Angie's latest stunning piece over at Glow, I've been thinking about my comment;

What is Florence made of? Sunshine, and sky, and clouds, and little knitted stitches on bamboo needles, tiny buttons and light cotton dresses with ribbons, the smell of a snuffed out candle, and paper drawer liners, a brush stroke of duck egg blue, porcelain skin, rosy cheeks and cold cold fingers. 

I meant every word, Florence is made up of all of those things, and more, but I still hate myself for again packaging her up like a pretty parcel. I have to do it, to me she was, is beautiful. I can very almost see how she would be now at two and a half (and a little bit more).
The cold truth is that I could tell you exactly what she was made of. I have her post mortem report right here. I can tell you how much her heart weighed, the length of her feet, and that her lungs were mirror images of each other.
Sometimes, I take out her post mortem report to read, to feel close to her, to remind myself she was really real. Macabre maybe, but it doesn't feel that way..although I've never told anyone I do this, not even Woody.
There are some people in this world who would say Florence was not a "person". To many I'm sure she was "just a baby", and to others "an angel", or simply "not meant to be".

She was our daughter, a sister, a grand daughter, a cousin, a niece....
She is our daughter.

I was asked to write a short article about baby loss for Natural Mamas, a UK based Natural Parenting forum. You can read it here