Nov 1, 2012

Cucito Top for Adithi

First project after relocating to Malaysia. phew, such  a relief, YES i am back to sewing, where i Belong!

Cucito Pattern top . Refer to my post on figuring the Japanese terms in the pattern.


I thought the sewing part will be easy, but the Japanese term again played havoc , as the pattern had gatherings and i was not able to decipher how to reduce by gatherings. I had to to do trial and error and join front and back bodice to sleeves and then place the yoke part on top of them to figure out if it fits.

The only change i made from the pattern with regards sewing is the finishing of the sleeves, since i ran out of bias tape , i opted to add knicker elastic about 1 inch above sleeve hem and i have to say, i like this sleeves a lot than the original style suggestion in the pattern!

The normal time taken by me when sewing self drafted patterns was lot quicker. surprising , considering the fact that i used ready-made bias strips and thought it would less time as i would not have to prepare them. But these grosgrain satin bias strips were difficult to work with initially, may be with time i will get used to it.






Yoke Details


Did she like it? She said yes, in spite of her current state of mind (read below to know more about why she is upset) and added saying "it is kind of bit loose amma", for which i replied "it is the style of the top, loose fitting from the yoke as well as sleeves and showed her the finished outfit snap from the Cutico Magazine as proof.

Not sure how much time i will be able to dedicate to sewing , which is quite upsetting. As things at home is bit disturbing, as Adithi is depressed and has not taken to the relocation well.

Coming to why Adithi is on a low these days, here are the details which might seem as not so big ones to some, but trust me , it has been a big hardship for our entire family and affects our normal day to day life. what can i do to help the little one... any suggestions are most welcome.

She is having lots of problems in her new school and is finding it difficult to adjust. She has problems with non-subject classes, of art, dance and taekwondo and is saying she does not like them and hence does not want to go to those classes.

 She had studied in a Montessori school in Chennai and is used the freedom and independence given over there, wherein she can chose what work (each learning is called as work in their environment) she wants to do in  day and there was no timetable. Teachers did not change every hour . Separate table and chair concept is also new to her, she is used to sitting down in mat and on low rise chowkis in her earlier school. It is 180 degree change and she is finding it hard to digest.

She did not sleep peacefully all night and kept saying , i don't want to do art, dance and taekwando and if possible go back to chennai to the earlier school. She did not eat dinner and when vomited her milk in the morning , may be due to acidity because of long hours of gap between meals, and request to skip school ,saying she is not feeling well and wants to rest. After much persuasion she had late lunch today and is feeling at ease that school hours are gone and she did not have to attend school. one problem is leading to another and it is all overwhelming. have an appointment with doctor today , again that was a big deal finding a doc in the new place, everything seems an ardous process, morale is low and am feeling helpless to see my darling so depressed. please pray for her and hope things improve.

Will try to squeeze in as much sewing as time would permit , as it is my only solace during these troubled times. It's Adithi's b'day next monday and it will be the first time that i have not made her a ballgown for her b'day. Feeling bad about it, but can't help it. As i am typing this long post, i am struggling to come to terms with a headache which caught me since yesterday night, yes the migraine is back with a vengence. Please pray for our family.
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15 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear things aren't easy for you all. I don't really have any advice to offer, but I do hope you well.
    I enjoy your blog and hope to see things settle down soon. Often a good friend, for you both, can help.

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    1. Thanks Nigel. hmm we are still trying to calm her down, let see

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  2. hello there,welcome to Malaysia.I have been following you for sometimes now.so sad to hear that Adithi is missing home.what can I say. i guess it will heal with time.you can connect with Malaysians bloggers too,for craft bloggers, you can google CraftZone Malaysia .I hope you will come to love Malaysia.what do you think of the food here?

    Selamat Datang

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    1. Thanks Mak Teh. once my daughter settles down well, i will then be able to concentrate on my crafts a lot better. i tried linking up at Craftzone Malaysia,but no luck, any suggestions on how to get listed there. Food here is amazing, lots of variety on offer, but for vegetarians the options are limited, still testing waters, being a foodie i would love to venture out more and experience, but as i said, all this after my daughter settles down and is happy, even today she went crying vehemently and it seems she keeps crying all day at school.... testing times

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  3. Lakshmi, I'm sorry your little darling is having a tough time adjusting... big hugs!! And I want to also add that this too shall pass. This depression is very normal for anyone moving to a totally new area, esp. with different language and culture. Give it time, at least a year.. when she finds new friends, when you find new friends, this depression will go away.

    Can you arrange for a play date with 1 or 2 of her classmates at school. That way she gets to know them more and develop friendships.

    Also, when she tries to skip school, try not to give in to her wishes. It will be hard.. the first month is the hardest.. My 6 yr old graduated Montessori and moved to public school this year and we've been going through similar stuff too - just with the school. Everything else, i.e, home, etc, have remained the same. If jut the school is stressing my daughter, I can understand how change of country, leaving loving people behind, new type of school - all of these are stressing Adithi!

    During weekends, take her out to see new people, new locations, parks, etc.. Don' let her sit at home. Sunlight will clear away some of these blues as well. Also give her lot of protein for all 3 meals.. that will help depression too. Give her a journal and ask her to draw a picture about her every day so she can show to grandparents when you go back to India or when they visit you. (just to give her something to do every day and keep her mind occupied).

    Trust me, this too shall pass. Also, considering that she is already going through a lot of changes, try to keep everything else the same - i.e food at home, the clothes she wears, the clothes you make for her....so that she gets a large dose of normalcy! There may be some Hindu/Tamil temples nearby, or Hindu associations that celebrate Diwali/New year/Pongal etc. Attend all these functions.. this will open new doors to meeting people and developing friends.

    Kay

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    1. thanks kay aka gently down the stream. i am trying, hope it bears fruit soon.

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  4. Hi Lakshmi, I just wrote a long post and it got lost. Let me try to keep it short.

    Sorry to hear that your little darling is finding it very tough to adjust to new place. I also want to say that this is normal, even though it is very hard to see her go through this. Give it time and a good friend and all will be well.

    My 6 yr old just moved to a new school and she's finding it very tough in spite of everything else remaining the same. so I can only imagine what your little one is going through.

    Here's what you can do.
    1. Not give in to her wishes and keep her home. Send her to school everyday. She will earn to live through it.
    2. Take her to every single weekend, to some park, temple, shopping, new place, visit friends etc..Some sort of social activity is a must in new place so she doesn't have time to sit and feel bad.
    3. Look for Hindu association/temples near by and take part in that. They will be hosting some sort of Diwali / New year / Pongal celebrations.Force yourself to go and enjoy these celebrations. You'll meet a lot of people this way; and you will find some like minded folks among them; you're little one will make friends along the way
    4. Call / visit your child's school and observe whom she interacts well with and invite them for a play date. That way she will have opportunities to develop new friendships..
    5. Give her a blank journal and ask her color a picture about her day, every day in it and tell her she can show it to her friends, grandparents when you goto India or when they visit you at KL. IT will give her something to do and keep her mind away from feeling depressed.
    6. Try to keep all other things as much normal as possible - similar type of clothes, same food, same festivals, etc.. Her life has changed upside down so let her have some part of normalcy for the sake of comfort.
    7. Don't show sadness on your face when trying to empathize with her... just divert her and get her doing something else.
    8.Eat protein for every meal. It helps depression.
    9. Sunshine - go out in the sun!
    10. Think of a hobby or an activity that enjoyed before and bring it back into her life and let her do it everyday.

    Most importantly - friends - they make such a difference.

    This is just a phase. It will pass. Give it time.

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    1. thanks gently down the stream. will try implementing your suggestions.

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  5. Hello Lakshmi,

    Welcome to Malaysia.

    So sorry to know that your daughter is having a hard time adjusting to school. Don't worry, it will pass soon once she get to know her classmates. Encourage her to make new friends.

    May I know which part of Malaysia or if you are in KL, which part of KL are you residing now? And sorry to ask, but how do you get to relocate here, in Malaysia?

    I have been following your blog about 2 years back to check on sewing Indian style dresses especially the patiala salwar. I am a bit into designing myself and being Malaysian, my taste is pretty much mixed with Indian, Chinese as well as Malay. I wore sari and punjabi suits on occasions. I made them all myself. Your blog has given me inspirations and motivation to keep on doing what I love to do.

    Back to your daughter fear of school, please bring her out often. McDonalds and KFC are great places to see other kids. KLCC park is a great place too during weekends, lots of children around. May be by seeing other kids playing, she will get into action. Get her to see more of her new environment.

    I just can't believe that you are now in Malaysia. Never thought that you would be this near. Keep on blogging and sewing. Definitely both of us share two things in common previously and now three things, i.e. blogging, sewing and being in Malaysia.

    Take care and a big welcoming hug.

    Liz

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    1. Thanksgiving the wishes mix. Lets catch up in person soon. I would love to make friends her in KL. We have common interests to discuss, so iam sure we won,t get bored when we meet up.

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    2. Yes definitely we can meet someday. I love that :)
      Which part of KL are you now staying. Myself, I am in Pandan Indah side, we call it Cheras area. I am working in a private university college and sewing is merely my part time job and hobby. Sometimes I just couldn't find time to do it all at once.

      You will know more how complicated my life is how many things I get myself into when we get to know each other better.

      Till then, keep on sewing and sharing. We love that from your blog.

      Take care,
      Liz

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  6. Dear Lakshmi,,
    I have been following your blog for more than 2 years now.absolutely enjoy your blog!!the reason i am posting this comment is...be strong...you are the only one who is the"stable" factor in your babys life right now.i am saying this because your hubby is busy adjusting to the new environment at office.i know you will be having challenges too..but for aditi you have to make things as normal as possible..and children are more resilient than we give them credit for..she will bounce back...just try and make it like chennai for her...the weather is anyway the same...like your sis says this too will pass!!tc
    Indu

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    1. Thanks Indu. The past week had been very bad and it was very tough for Adithi and us. I sincerely hope and pray that she bounces back soon.

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  7. A beautiful little top!!! I hope your daughter has adjusted to her new school life.

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