gHacks

I am still thinking that gDiapers are about the most adorable things on the planet. I finally was able to put my teeny tiny baby girl in her first pair of gDiapers yesterday when we were visiting family and decided to take her for her first swim. I really thought that as little as she is, she would still be just a tad too small for her g's (which start at 8 pounds, a mark she has definately not hit yet), but they fit just fine and used without a flushie or cloth pad make really awesome swim diapers, actually. Just leave the snap-in liner so any possible poo can be caught - basically what any normal swim diaper does.

But this possibility however great, is actually not my gHack of the day. No no, there is more ladies and gentlemen.

gDiapers come in a TON of awesome colors, but not EVERY color. Plus, the orange g's are quite a bit more prolific and this happens not to be my favorite color so I really didn't want a ton of them hanging about. This brings me to our hack: Fiber-Reactive dyeing with Procion MX. Fiber Reactive dyeing is different than your run-of-the-mill RIT dye in the washing machine. It actually chemically bonds to the fibers of the fabric you want to color so that it doesn't slowly leach out in the wash or on your baby's sensitive skin. Three pants I dyed are actually pictured above. I used 058 Marine Violet over an orange g pant, 030 Fire Engine Red over another g pant, and 068 Turquoise over a vanilla g pant. (Note: I used RIT color remover on each pant prior to dyeing so the colors were true, not mixed with orange or vanilla) Here are the detailed instructions for this process as I have had several people ask me how to best go about it.

Materials

• 3 Gallons of water at 105 degrees F


• Procion MX dye (see below)


• 1 1/2 to 3 cups of non-iodized salt


• 1/4 to 1/3 cup of Soda Ash


• Synthrapol for rinsing

Directions

1. Wash fabric thoroughly to remove any dirt, grease, or sizing. It is suggested to do this with Synthrapol.


2. Fill container with 3 gallons of 105 degree water, add dye and stir


3. Add fabric


4. Add the salt in 3 equal parts at 5 minute intervals. If dyeing a deep shade of blue or a full black, use twice the amount of salt, adding it in 2 equal parts at 15 minute intervals while still dyeing the dyebath frequently.


5. Add the soda ash in 2 equal parts at 15 minute intervals while still stirring the dyebath frequently.


6. Dye for 30 to 60 minutes after the last soda addition.

Dye Quantities

(per 3 gallons water and 1 pound of fabric)

• For very pale shades: 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dye, 1 1/2 cups salt, 1/4 cup soda ash


• For light shades: 1/2 to 1 tsp dye, 1 1/2 cups salt 1/4 cup soda ash


• For medium shades, most colors: 1 Tablespoon dye, 1 1/2 cups salt, 1/4 cup soda ash


• For darker shades: 2 Tbs dye, 2 cups salt, 1/4 cup soda ash


• For darkest shades: 4 Tbs dye, 3 cups salt, 1/3 cup soda ash

For really smooth and even color the fabric must be able to move freely in the dyebath. If more water is used, the dyes will be diluted and the shade will be decreased and the the dye time increased. If the dyebath is not stirred frequently, at least every 2 to 5 minutes, the fabric will react unevenly an your garment will be splotchy. To stir, use rubber gloves to remove the fabric from the water, unfold any creases and then return the item to the dyebath.

Happy dyeing!!!!

World Breastfeeding Week

Just so that everyone is aware this week (August 1-7, 2009) is World Breastfeeding Week! The World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is “the greatest outreach vehicle for the breastfeeding movement, being celebrated in over 120 countries.” And to celebrate, I am learning to breastfeed!

I haven’t posted much lately here as the old adage “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all” was ringing in my head quite loudly as I neared my delivery day. I was truly not a pleasant person to be around as I am sure most of you know, those last weeks are not comfortable ones! Anyway, my heavenly baby girl finally arrived into the world one week ago and we have been very busy working away getting this breastfeeding thing down.

The most amazing thing that I was totally unprepared for was this tiny newborn seemingly knowing how to do this on her own. Immediately after being born, I was shocked at how strong she was because as they placed her on my stomach she literally started crawling up my chest! She pushed off with her little feet and could even lift her head for a few seconds at a time. The even stranger thing is she did this when her daddy was holding her too, even though he had to gently remind her that only mommy has food as a reward for all of her effort and showmanship.

Apparently, this phenomenon is called the Breast Crawl. This amazing little feat is actually quite natural, even though I was sure that my baby must be an accomplished little genius to have this figured out so early. So, as much as I say that to celebrate WBW that we are learning to breastfeed, apparently she already knows and it is just me doing most of the learning. I would really encourage everyone reading this to follow the Breast Crawl link and check this out. You will be amazed at all that is behind this!