Patent Pending Projects: What a Dummy Project

Mar 11, 2011

What a Dummy Project

I hate buying something and then within a short space of time it breaks.

Let me repeat that. Just to be clear.

I HATE buying something and then within a short space of time it breaks.

Now some of you may not agree with the Dummy, Binkie, Soother, Pacifier, Beebee, Binko, Bobber, Sucker, Plugger, Nibbler or Doodle but my God we like them in our house.

The day my son was able to pick up his own dummy was a glorious day in our household. Until then ...well, let me paint a picture.

Drifting off to sleep for the umpteenth time on any given night, we would be woken up by the sound of our son crying. Once again he could not reach the dummy that had fallen out of his mouth and that now rests behind his head. We would go back in to him, pop it in his mouth, get back in to bed. A mere 30 secs later we would hear what became the most hated sound in our home. The sound of that small plastic dummy falling out of his mouth, AGAIN. We would look at one another. "Maybe he's drifted off" our eyes would say to each other for fear that actually whispering might send microscopic airwaves that would wake him from his slumber. No chance. The crying would start and the cycle would continue on until all 3 of us would collapse. He, finally surrendering to tiredness. Us, to exhaustion.

Until the Amazing Pacifier clip entered our house.

The nights were transformed. It would fall out of course but now his tiny little hands would find the chain attached to his PJ's and with every neuron firing in his brain he would figure how to pull it back up to his mouth. Our boy. The Genius!

Minutes of sleep turned into a half hours sleep. Half hours of sleep turned into hours and before you know it we were getting a full solid 2 hours sleep.

What did you think I'd say 5 or 6 hours? He was still only 3 months old! We were lucky to get 2.

Within a week the plastic clip broke. Now, either our child is the reincarnation of Superman and has the strength of 100 men or the pacifier clip was badly made. My guess is the clip was badly made and yes I do know that Superman is not real. (as a side note) every time I bath him and wrap him in a blanket I can't help saying "You will travel far, my little Kal-El. All that I have, all that I've learned, everything I feel... all this, and more, I... I bequeath you, my son." and all in my best Marlon Brando accent.

We bought another one. Guess what? It broke.

Is my son Superman?

No.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Materials:
1: Some pieces of strong ribbon.
(A quarter of a yard should be long enough for each and is the smallest length you can buy)
2: suspender clips
3: Velcro strips. About a quarter of a yard also.
4: Needle and thread.
I got everything I needed at Hickeys

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Cost: About 3 Euro.

Time: Half an hour per clip. (only because of my slow stitching)

Instructions:
Step 1: Attach the Velcro at either ends.
At one end space them 1 inch apart. This is the end for the Dummy.
At the other end space them a few millimeters apart. This is for the suspender clip so needs to be closer together.

Image: Patent Pending Projects

Step 2: The Velcro needs to be stitched to the fabric. Fold the ends of the fabric over before you attach the Velcro for a neat edge. Stitch the Velcro around the edges to secure. I'm not great at sewing but I gave it a good try.