The Train To Crazy

Why blogging sucks

Do you like to read blogs? I do. I'm just going to go on the assumption that you do too. You're here after all. I also love to write this blog. I really do. I just have a few grievances so I'll just air them now.

Why blogging sucks:

1. It is a time suck. If I just journaled in my own personal journal it would take 1/10th the amount of time because who cares what the font likes and I don't have to keep checking back because nobody is going to respond.

2. People only comment on the light, fluffy stuff. This really disturbs me. I'm not going to lie. I know that most of you are subscribers because I sew and I highlight your crafts and sometimes make something cool myself, but I don't consider this a craft blog. It is much more. I really wish that I could inspire people. Inspire them to do more than just make cool clothes (I  hope I do that too) but more importantly I want to inspire you to care more, feel more, act more, BELIEVE more. I want you to understand that sewing and crafting and what you are wearing or where you are getting your clothes, it doesn't matter. Not really.

I think the thing that gets me fired up the most is that I just assume that when I pour out my heart and get 2 responses, it just means people read the first paragraph then their eyes glaze over and they move on, never reading the rest. I'm not vain enough to think that what I have to say is the best thing ever, but I'd really like to think that I have a voice. 

Perhaps the fact that I don't ride the fence gets some people. I just don't have it in me to hold your hand and tell you what you are doing is okay if it isn't. I just don't. If you are hitting your child with plumbers tubing, even if you are seeking to be a Godly person, EVEN if you believe God is telling you to parent this way, you are wrong. 100% of the time. Sorry, I just don't ride fences. If there are children starving I'm going to tell you to feed them.

3. Did I mention it is a time suck?

4. They aren't real life. I love your blog. I really do. Trust me. The thing is, you can say whatever you want about yourself, your life, your thoughts on your blog. You can make it all up if you want. Most times people pour out the good stuff into the blog, leaving me feeling as if that's all there is to you. And I get it, I really do. Most blogs are started as a way to keep up with family and long lost friends. There isn't space for your emotions or failures, but if you just show us a bit of that, we'll be more inclined to relate. Now, you don't have to be as open as Katey, Amy or April, but a little honesty goes a long way. Because, am I the only one who assumes (fill in the blank) isn't all she's written herself up to be? Just show me some passion! And don't think for a minute that I'm not guilty of filling this thing up with meaningless drivel. I do, usually when I'm hiding.

5. I just don't get why some blogs are as popular as they are. I understand why everyone hangs on every word Katie says, but why do so many people read Simple Mom? I know, I have her in my blog reader too, but really, why? Does it really make me a better person? Eh, no. Half the time I'm inclined to agree with my friend who says that Simple Mom is anything but simple.

And what about Dooce? I get that she's funny, and appears to be honest. But does she need to earn more than most doctors doing what she does because so many people read her? Eh. Probably not.

6. Because it is like opening a window to your soul, and that is scary. I don't mind the complete stranger reading my thoughts, I don't. But when people who love me and know me read my thoughts, it makes me a bit more nervous. Do you get that? So, I'll go ahead and be the first to admit I'm not soul bearer here. I keep a lot inside. I don't hesitate to spill a bit of passion here and splash it there though. That's the easy stuff. 

7. I just can't keep up with all your blogs. I try really hard, but when I prioritize my life I just can't do it. So if I'm a month late in congratulating you on your new whatchamacallit, then I am sorry. If I had so many blogs to catch up on reading that I just deleted them all from my reader rather than spend 3 hours catching up, I'm sorry. If I don't take the time to comment as much as you would like, I'm sorry for that as well, because I know you like comments as much as I do. And if you give me a blog award and I never post about it here, I'm sorry about that too.

...hmm.... perhaps it is the soul that is missing?

The kindergarten countdown

My baby will begin kindergarten this fall. Okay, my oldest baby, but she's still my baby. To the average person that is months and months away. To me, that is SO soon! There is so much to do! So many outfits to sew. I'm no LiEr so I have to start early. As a side note, did you notice she sewed 18 items of clothing and a backpack last week? Okay, someone get that lady a nap.

I'm thinking of making a few pieces really great (in my head) pieces. This is what I'm thinking so far.

This is from one of my Japanese sewing books. I just so happen to have some fabric that is nearly identical to the one in the photo. Lucky me!

And I'm going to attempt some pants as well. I have lots of different options for corduroy and bottom weights and denim. We'll just have to see what I come up with!

I've been collecting catalog photos of little items I love. I love this dress from Mini Boden. I'm thinking this fabric would look awesome as this dress. Of course, it will need to be lined. And I'm thinking a green or navy ribbon around the middle would be awesome. 

And these pieces caught my eye too. No fabric for inspiration yet though.

Of course, I have a bunch of other ideas and inspiration I'm tossing around in my head. I have a bunch of knit I want to do something with. 

I know a lot of you sew to be frugal. I wouldn't say that was my intention. I just love it. I'm not thinking I'll save money (because if you count the cost of my machines, really, who am I kidding?). And, my kids like wearing things I've made. Icing on the cake.  

So, let's start the countdown: 6 months, 0 items sewn.
  

Make it, Wear it!

Thanks for joining along for another week of Make it, Wear it where you can show off what you've made!

Here's a little taste of last week.

Jamee Homemaker used bleach to customize these shirts for her kids. Stop on by her blog to see her kids wearing the finished product!

And this little flower on the cardigan from Le Monde d Erika is irresistible.

 And The Mother Huddle shows us how to use an old t-shirt to make a waistband on a skirt.

 Now, what have you made this week? Here are the rules!

1. Click on "You are next" below. Enter your project's description in the title field and the URL to the specific blog post in the URL field.

2. Pretty please link back here in your blog post. You can grab the button if you want.

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3. Go check out the others who are linking! Have fun and get inspired! Leave comments because everyone loves comments!

 

Clothing Sew Along: Week 4

Better late than never!

Welcome to week 4! How is your sewing going so far? I know some of you already completed your project but some of you are waiting on me so I apologize for my lateness. If you are wanting to learn to sew, go ahead and check out our first lesson, second lesson and third lesson.

This week I was planning to do a tutorial on putting in zippers and hemming but I figured, why reinvent the wheel when there are some great tutorials out there already.

So, you want to put in a zipper? Each of the following tutorials has a different feel to it so check them out and chose one that makes the process easiest for you.

Tutorial with lots of pictures

Putting in a regular or invisible zipper with interfacing

Glue set a zipper tutorial from Sew Mama Sew

Invisible zipper tutorial with invisible zipper foot

Zippers are intimidating but they really aren't that difficult once you know how to put them in. 

Now to hem your garment, or whatever you sewed. Your pattern instructions will give you measurements for the hem. For example, many skirt or dress bottom hems will be an 1 1/4" or more. I am not a perfectionist when it comes to hems. I usually iron the bottom of the garment up to 1 1/4" (whatever the pattern calls for or I feel like) using a measuring tape in several spots on the dress. Then I eyeball the rest. Once I have that crease ironed I open it back up and turn the edge up 1/4" and iron. Then I fold both creases again and I have my hem ready to sew. 

It is usually a cleaner stitch if you stitch on the top of the garment but if you are just starting out, don't worry about stitching on the underside so that you can see the edge of your hem and make sure you are always in the right place. If you turned up your original crease at 1 1/4" and then opened it and pressed the edge up 1/4" then your hem is now actually 1". I would stitch 7/8" from the edge. Make sure your line is straight because this is one of the more noticeable stitches in your garment! If you've chosen contrasting thread this will matter more. If your thread blends then you shouldn't have too much to stress about. I am truly sorry about the lack of pictures here! 

Want to sew a blind hem? Try this tutorial. Make sure you practice on scraps before trying this on your project. It took me quite a few tries to get the blind hem right.

Any other loose ends that need to be finished? Anything stumping you? Well, what did you make? 

Will you be a voice for children?

I really can't describe my mood right now. Angry? Dumbfounded? Sad? Helpless? As you may have read yesterday, I am very disturbed by the parents that abused their daughter to death. Yes, she happened to be adopted, but they used this same "discipline" technique on their other 8 children as well so perhaps they are just lucky none of the others died. 

You read about a story like this, and you get upset, wonder how anyone could hit their child with something like rubber tubing? Repeatedly. For something like mispronouncing a word. It is of course important to mention that this little girl was adopted from Liberia. The main language in Liberia is English. But Liberian English is very difficult to understand by Americans. Now, imagine this little girl getting beaten for mispronouncing a word.

So, you can't imagine this family doing this, but so what? This is an isolated incident, it doesn't happen very often. The other children in the home are now "safe" in foster care. Well, I'll tell you what happens when an adopted child is killed. Liberia, a country on the brink of reopening their adoptions, is now NOT going to open them. Dozens of children, already matched with parents to be adopted will be languishing for the rest of their childhood, if they survive, in orphanages. My niece, Blessing, is one of those children. She is currently not in an orphanage, but rather a foster child in my brother's home. You may remember her from her pictures before and after her surgery. Well, I'm here to tell you that the "isolated incident" may prevent her from ever having a family. From ever having the surgeries she needs to repair her palate. From ever feeling the love of a mother, father and siblings. This baby was abandoned, left to die by her birth family because of her cleft palate. My brother and sister-in-law nursed her back to health, saved her from death, and now they can't adopt her.

So what is left to do? Pray. Pray that something will change the heart of the LIberian President. Pray that by some miracle they will be able to adopt her and all of the other orphaned and abandoned children will find loving, safe homes.

And you know what else you can do? You can be the eyes and ears for abused children near you. How is it that the friends and family of these child killers believed the family was a good one and there was no signs the children were abused and yet ALL of the children say they were beaten with this plumbing tubing? I'll tell you why. People didn't see anything wrong with it. Plain and simple. Sure, they may have seemed a bit strict, but the kids were good and the parents "had good hearts." So, the next time you think of your friend who "has a good heart and good intentions" but you know she hits her kids, think twice about condoning her behavior. Sure, all parents mess up. All parents have different discipline techniques, and it is rare for a child to die, but it happens. Perhaps you can be the voice of reason in someone's life when all the other voices are telling them to control their child completely. Perhaps you can save more than just the life of their child, but the lives of others. Speak out against these cruel methods of child "training".

Now is NOT the time to be politically correct and ride the fence, hoping to not offend anyone. Now is the time to speak out against these practices. Speak out against these theories of parenting that require parents to "break" their children and get "total control". Will you speak out? Risk yourself for the lives and well being of these children in homes like this? Or will you sit back and allow your neighbor, your friend, your fellow church members, to abuse their children? Raise your voice for the children who have no voice.

Happy Birthday to me

It's my birthday. The Clothing Sew Along will have to wait until tomorrow because it isn't ready to post and I don't plan on spending the morning getting it ready. So, sorry! Also, I changed to a 2 column layout, what do you think?  Clearly I haven't centered the banner...

It has actually been a rough couple weeks around here. Between sickness and other things going on I haven't been able to accomplish the things I would have liked to. There have been a lot of things on my mind too.

Before I get to anything else, I'd like to say thank you so much to those of you who have donated to One Day's Wages for my birthday. I'm in shock that about half of those donations are from people I don't know, so THANK YOU! From the bottom of my heart. Your donations will help people survive. That's a big deal. I hope you know that. There are NO administrative costs when you give to One Day's Wages.

And for everyone else, please consider donating. I'm donating $10 for every person that donates. I have sent out personal letters to friends and I've posted here and on facebook several times. If you've just been waiting to donate, well, today is the day!

I've been enjoying reading my dad's blog while he writes about his experiences in Liberia visiting my brother. It seems strange to think that some things surprise me so much. Like, imagine fishermen that can't swim, have no life jackets and no fishing nets or poles. And really, every post has something extremely interesting if you are an interesting person.

But I think the past few days my mind has been occupied by this story of these poor abused girls. The parents were followers of a certain "Christian" method of parenting that advocates for total control over your children. Spanking should be done relentlessly, and with rubber plumbing tubing, until the child is broken. I won't link to their website, because if you go there you are likely to become enraged like me. I read an article by the founder who talked about how the Bible detests "silliness" and as an example, said you should hit your 5 year old if she spills her snack because she didn't close the ziploc. WHAT? And what is worse is all the comments thanking her for her teachings. Sadly, the girl that died had been "disciplined" for mispronouncing a word. That sounds like you should beat her to death, right? 

I've read a number of bloggers talk about this incident and I've become rather disgusted with the number of people defending this type of parenting. I can't understand people abusing kids and saying it is in the name of Jesus. I just can't understand that. All I have to say is that the "teachings" are supposedly derived from the Old Testament in the Bible. Jesus's words are in total contradiction from what these people teach. Matthew 7:12 says "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Laws of the Prophets." So, if this sums up the Law of the Prophets, aren't these "teachers" missing something? I'll tell you what, I would never want someone to whip me with rubber tubing if I spill something. If I don't know how to prevent the spill, I'd sure like it if you would teach me, kindly. For an excellent read on this topic, check out Tulip Girl. UPDATE: And to make this hurt worse, Liberia (where my brother lives and where they are hoping to adopt their foster daughter) is now considering not reopening adoptions. People, STOP hitting your kids! 

Enough of that. Have you read Katie's last post? She titles it "my heart spilled" and oh boy did she. An excellent read, if you are up for it.

And for one last thing that has occupied my thoughts. A friend of mine posted on facebook the other day about how blessed she felt to have gotten a dishwasher. She remarked about how blessed we are in this country. I gave her the big thumbs up. Then, as is often the case on facebook, someone responded disagreeing with her. There must be one in every bunch, right? Well, this fellow thinks "we are not that blessed in this country, because, think of all the people and children that starve to death in this country". (this isn't a direct quote because my wise friend removed it from her wall) 

Think about that for a moment. What would prompt someone to say this? I like to attribute it to a countrycentric attitude. You know, our country is great and therefore we are more important than others. I don't know this man from Adam, so I can only project this might have been his reasoning to say we aren't that blessed in this country. Of course, not many people die of starvation in this country. Thankfully we have a decent system of safety nets that prevents starvation. I understand that there are lots of very poor people, hungry people. People suffering without homes, without the luxuries that we have. Fortunately, thanks to WIC, the School Lunch program, Food Stamps, Soup Kitchens and Food Banks, people don't starve. Unless of course, they are abused or for some strange reason are not accessing the resources available to them. 

I tried, I really tried to find statistics on the number of people in the U.S. who starve to death. I couldn't find any. None. So I asked this fellow the question on facebook. I responded simply "how many?" Of course, he graciously gave me a statistic to back up his original statement. It was something to the tune of "about as many as the number of brain cells you have left." Well, that wasn't very nice. 

But I do know that over 30,000 people die from starvation related causes daily worldwide. I also saw a statistic that says 15 million children die from hunger each year. Both are bad. 

So my question to you is, why, oh why, do we decide to put up a wall in our hearts, and deny that we live with excess? Why do sit back, watch the news and do nothing? I'm not really sure the answer. I grapple with it daily. I can certainly understand Katie's frustration, but I'm no Katie.

Make it, Wear it!

It's that time of the week again! I was so excited to have another great turnout last week for only our 2nd week. Thanks so much to everyone for joining in! 

Once again, there were a lot of fun projects so it was hard to pick out a few to highlight.

Did you see Secret Pie Shop's fabric flower earrings tutorial? So cute! 

Learning At His Feet showed us how to make crocheted fingerless mittens. Makes me wish I remembered how to crochet!

And how about this cowboy outfit? Complete with a horse! You've outdone yourself! What preschooler wouldn't love this?

 
And Sew Much Ado has a cute tutorial showing us how to make this.

 

There was much more. Go check out last week's projects if you haven't already. 

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Did you make something this week that can be worn? Care to show it off to give others inspiration? 

1. Click on "You are next" below. Enter your project's description in the title field and the URL to the specific blog post in the URL field.

2. Pretty please link back here in your blog post. You can grab the button if you want.

3. Go check out the others who are linking! Have fun and get inspired! Leave comments because everyone loves comments!

P.S. I have a birthday wish

When laundry piles up...

It's been one of those weeks. Between the girls being sick and me not feeling well, the house has suffered. Please don't stop by unannounced. I'll need at least 5 hours to prep. 

The girls were running a little low on underwear so, naturally, I avoided doing laundry by making them some. I love them. They are so cute. And super cute on. Don't you think?

It's probably obvious, but I don't put pictures of my actual children in their underwear online (because Google is forever). So you'll have to just check out penguin in his new skivies. I used a pattern in one of my Japanese sewing books. I love them, by the way. The Japanese books that is. They were intimidating at first but the good ones have such great photo instructions that you don't really miss much if you can't read Japanese. They aren't for beginners but if you know your way around a machine I say go for it. I finished the edges with fold over elastic. Super easy. Way easier than doing a load of laundry, drying it and folding it. Or maybe that's just me...

And while I was uploading this picture to my computer I discovered this one on the camera.

Her sisters nicknamed her "Cheese". I can see it.

P.S. My birthday is next week.

 

 
 

And now I declare this "Soup Week"

It has been a rather snowless winter around here, oddly enough. I think you all have hogged all the snow. Sure we've had a few inches here and there and maybe one big snow but not as much as I expected for Boston.

I was excited about the 6-8 inches of snow we supposed to get last week so I headed to the store to buy soup ingredients. Because nothing says snow storm like soup. Unfortunately we didn't get snow. Well, an inch, if that counts.

Still, I declare this soup week. In honor of soup week, I thought I'd share some of my favorite soup recipes.

Beef Stew

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes 
1/4 cup flour 
2 cups chopped onions 
1/2 cup chopped celery 
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chopped garlic 
4 meat stock 
2 large Idaho potatos, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Toss the beef with the flour. When the oil is hot, add the meat and cook until the meat is browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, celery and 1 tablespoon of garlic and continue to cook until the vegetables are wilted and golden about six minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Deglaze the pan with the stock, scraping the browned particles away from the pan. Add the potatoes and carrots. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Reseason the stew if necessary.

Chili

1 lb ground beef

1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce (I puree a can of tomatoes)

1 (29 oz) can pinto beans, with liquid

1 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced celery

4 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped

2 tsp. cumin powder

3 Tbsp. chili powder (add extra for spicier chili)

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp salt

2 cups water

Brown ground beef and drain. Put all ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 2-3 hours. Alternatively throw it in a crock pot for the day. This makes a full 5 quart crock pot full. This is rather spicy so if you don't like spicy you might want to add a bit less chili pepper.

• Winter Minestrone (courtesy of Giada De Laurentis)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 carrots peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 russet potato, peeled, cubed
• 1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
• 2 (14 oz) cans beef broth
• 1 oz piece of parmesan cheese rind
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and pepper
• Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig.
• I've omitted the parmesan and the pancetta before and it does lose a bit of flavor but it is still really good!

Now go eat!

Clothing Sew Along: Week 3

Welcome to week three of the

Well, we've learned how to sew a straight line. We've picked out patterns, fabric and cut them out, now it is time to start sewing them together! But first, will you check out my birthday wish?

This week I'll take you through my pattern instructions, hopefully this will be helpful to you in your pattern. I always make stupid mistakes while putting garments together. I just use my seam ripper to take out the seams I mess up. It is frustrating but no big deal. I was going to make a video about how to use the seam ripper but found a rather decent, if a little annoying You Tube video that will do the trick.

Now, onto my instructions! I decided that they were long enough to warrant a PDF so they didn't take up so much of my blog. So, go ahead and Download Clothing Sew Along Week 3 instructions.

What are you sewing? I started a Flickr group so you can post in progress pictures and final pictures if you'd like! I'll be posting pictures there hopefully later today. In the mean time, I posted some pictures last week.

Posting about the Clothing Sew Along on your blog? Please grab the button! 

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The Robot Dress: nearing completion

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The dress I'm making for the Clothing Sew Along is nearly complete. Well, Monday's lesson portion at least.

I found this fabric a few months back at JoAnn's and it just jumped out at me. My 3 year old loves robots. And what little girl doesn't? Okay, maybe just mine.

The pattern is See & Sew B5063. It is reminding me that patterns labeled as "Yes! It's easy" can often be confusing. I'm glad I've done a few patterns like this before because it doesn't explain the steps very well. It is giving me many things to explain in Monday's lesson! 

If you clicked through to the pattern, you'll notice I've mixed things up a bit.

Most obviously, I added sleeves. It's winter after all. I plan to post my sleeve pattern next week if all goes as planned. I know several of you asked for it. The next obvious change is that I used a different fabric for the bodice than the skirt. The bodice is a denim. I'm liking the denim/robot combo. I also top stitched the pleat in the skirt. An easy way to make the pleat stand out. More on that Monday.

I can't wait to hem it and pop in the zipper!   

For more sewing inspiration check out Sew & Tell!

Make it, Wear it!

Wow, I was blown away by how many entries there were last week! Thanks for helping Make it, Wear it start out strong! 

But, before we get to the highlights of last week, won't you pop on over to check out my birthday wish? Thanks!

There were so many great entries I had a hard time finding a few to highlight.

I couldn't highlight anything without mentioning that Holy Craft made her husband this ring. Unbelievable. I love it.

Peace, Love, Craft has the best answer to a bleach stain that I've ever seen.

   
Adventures in Dressmaking made this from a regular old sweater. I can hardly believe it. So cute. 

Mama Smiles shows us how to make a little jacket reversible. I'm definitely bookmarking this one! 

One Golden Apple shows us how she made this really cute, super easy skirt. You can make one too! 

Please link up what you've made this week that can be worn! Anything goes!

The Rules:

1. In the MckLinky title please put a description of your item. The URL should be for the specific post, not just the URL for your blog.

2. Link back here so your readers will come by and see what others have linked up! Grab the button if you'd like.

3. Visit the others who have linked up!

Don't forget to dream big with me!

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Big ol' thumbs up!

I mentioned that I was hoping this little guy would change my life. Guess what! So far, he has done his job! My little early waker loves the little green light so much that she'll stick around to see it come on. Sure, she gets a little antsy but it is working. So, if you hear the pitter patter of little feet in the wee early hours of the morning, go ahead, get yourself a OK to Wake! Children's Alarm Clock and Nightlight. Seriously. 

Clothing Sew Along: Week 2

Welcome to week 2 of the 

If you missed week 1 go ahead and catch up!

I've decided to combine the original plan for week 2 and 3 so get ready to start cutting!

Selecting a pattern

There are many different brands of U.S. pattern makers. Some of the most used ones are Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick and Vogue. You can also buy Burda patterns and other smaller company patterns. For those of you who don't have a pattern yet, JoAnn Fabrics is having a sale on their Simplicity patterns this Friday through Sunday for $1. That's a good deal. 

A few tips for selecting a pattern:

Stay with your level of sewing. If you are new to sewing, pick an easier pattern. Some patterns will say "easy to sew" or something similar on them. 

Stay with your body shape (if this is for you). We won't be going into tailoring so you want this to fit you without alteration. You'll also want to measure yourself before buying a pattern. Pattern sizes differ a bit from clothes you buy in the store.

Do not buy a pattern for knit fabric unless you have experience sewing knit. Or read Sew U Home Stretch: The Built by Wendy Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics.  

Collect your supplies

The back of the pattern will give you all the information you need about what type of fabric and notions to buy. Notions are the additional items like zippers, buttons, etc. 

Choose which "view" you are going to make. Many patterns will have multiple options and each option requires different amounts of fabric and notions.  

So, take a look at your pattern.

Stick to the types of fabric it tells you to buy. Avoid any fabric that is stretchy. Avoid stripes and plaids if this is your first pattern because it can be difficult to get them to line up at the seams (unless you don't care). Read the end of the fabric bolt to see if it is washable! Buy the amount of fabric it tells you to buy. If it mentions lining fabric, buy cotton or lining fabric in the amount specified. Other things you might need are a water soluble fabric marker or tailor's chalk, pins, and a seam ripper. You'll want to get thread that matches with your fabric as well.

Prepare your fabric

Wash, dry and iron your fabric before cutting into it. Some people wash and dry cotton fabric several times but maybe I'm lazy, I just wash once. 

Most fabrics are woven in two directions. These lines in the weave are important. 

The selvage is the "finished" edge of the fabric.

Lengthwise grain is the up and down direction of the fabric. This is the strongest part of the weave. This runs parallel to the selvage edge.

The crosswise grain runs from selvage to selvage.

Find the crosswise grain by ripping. This works for most light and midweight fabrics. Lay the fabric flat. Clip a notch at the selvage edge and tear gently. This will rip across the crosswise grainline. 

Once you've located the grain, fold the fabric with the selvage (finished) edges together. The edges should align, forming squared corners. If they don't, then the grain is off. Unfold the fabric and pull diagonally at the corners to fix it up. I don't find this necessary for children's clothes.

Prepare your pattern

Your pattern will come out of the envelope a bit wrinkled.

I find it helpful to iron them on low. Then avoid this...

Your pattern instructions will tell you which pieces you need.

You have 2 options for using the pattern pieces. You can cut them all out in the size you need, or you can trace them onto another piece of paper in order to preserve the original pattern. I sometimes do so that I'll be able to use the pattern in different sizes in the future.

When I do this, I use freezer paper. You can find freezer paper next to the foil and wax paper in the grocery store. (you could also use tissue paper or pattern paper) The reason I use it is two fold. First, it irons onto fabric, eliminating the need to pin the pattern to the fabric. Second, it can be re-ironed on, making cutting multiple pieces easy peasy. 

 I always put all original markings onto the paper I've traced the pattern onto. Now pin your pattern onto the fabric (or iron it on if you are using freezer paper) the way shown in the pattern.

It can be confusing but if you follow the drawing in the instructions you'll fit the pattern on the fabric in the correct direction, saving headaches later. Of course, I rarely follow my own advice and often end up with headaches when I accidentally cut a piece out facing the wrong direction, etc.

One way fabrics (like the robot fabric I'm using) require that all pieces be put in the same direction. Pay attention so some of your robots don't end up upside down. Some fabrics are directional and you may have no idea. If a fabric has a "nap" then are directional. To find out if your fabric has a "nap" rub your hand in one direction on the fabric. If it changes the color slightly the fabric has a nap. Common fabric with naps are velvet, twill and corduroy. 

The grainline arrow on the pattern pieces should follow very closely to the actual grainline. Use a ruler if you need to. The grainline arrow on the pattern piece should be exactly parallel to the selvage.

Once you have all the pieces pinned/ironed to the fabric, cut them out slowly. Transfer all markings to the fabric using your water soluble fabric marker or tailor's chalk.  

Follow the same steps for cutting linings and interfacing, etc.

Commercial patterns mark notches with a V shape cut out on the seam allowances. Use scissors to clip a shallow notch through all layers of fabric.

You did it! You are now ready to sew it together! See you next week!

Are you joining along?

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Let me know and I'll add your blog to the blog list on my side bar! Questions? send me an email or leave a comment! Most importantly, have fun!

A kiss

Don't forget, for every new subscriber I'll donate $2 to One Day's Wages. For everyone that donates to ODW, I'll donate $10. Check out the details here. Spread the word.
 

Please read

Do your parents ever send you emails? I don't get emails from my parents very often. Some people might suggest this is because I talk to them on the phone every day. And they would be right. I haven't been able to call them in a few days. They left last Thursday to go visit my brother in West Africa for a few weeks. I'm jealous they get to hug my nephews and meet little Blessing. 

I received an email from my dad Saturday night. It was too good to keep to myself so he said I can share it with you. Please, please take the time to read this. There is a huge surprise at the bottom of this post as well.

"It is the middle of the night here and I can't sleep. It is hot and humid, but we do have air conditioning in our room that gets the temperature down to the high 70"s, but that isn't why I can't sleep. I have been crying, there I admitted it, I'm a grown man I shouldn't do that. I have been laying here thinking about our visit to an orphanage today. 

Rusty, Jamie and the boys took us to an orphanage that they regularly visit, I don't want to mention the name because it isn't about that particular orphanage, in fact Rusty says that it is the "Ritz Carlton" compared to most. When we entered the courtyard surrounded by high walls with razor wire on the top we were greeted by 10-15 happy children in clean, if well worn clothes, Gail was the first smiling girl I was introduced to, Rusty said she was deaf. Teddy was the next, I didn't notice at first that he couldn't walk, he walked on his knees dragging his feet behind him, He was smiling and so excited to see Rusty, Rusty had picked him up, that is why I hadn't noticed his handicap at first. 

After visiting with the kids in the courtyard we went in to see the babies. There were maybe 6 or 8 children there in clean cribs with mosquito nets hanging over them, they seemed quite happy. Jamie and Rusty knew all the kids by name and took time to touch and talk to each one. Then Rusty took me into the special needs room, there were three boys there, two with very swollen heads, Rusty told me the name of the condition, but i can't remember and even if I could I couldn't spell it. The third had "cerebral palsy" Rusty says that is what they call everything that they don't know what the child has. One of the boys with the swollen head was in obvious pain just lying there moaning. He was about 1 1/2 and Rusty said he had people waiting to adopt him and even thought there is a moratorium on adoptions the special needs children are proceeding, but Rusty doubted whether the paper work be done in time. 

We went back to the court yard where candy and glow sticks were handed out to great joy. The children sang some songs to us, one about how God was always with them and cared for them, Right there I wanted to jump up and swear something at God. I knew what the writer of some of the Psalms must have felt like when he shouted "Why God do you forsake your people!". I must say most of the children were healthy and well cared for, but I can't get that little boy out of my mind, with a loving home waiting for him why does he have to suffer there. 

Teddy with the brightest eyes and long eyelashes also has people waiting for him, and he will probably make it, but why does he have to crawl around building ugly calluses on his feet and knees? Why God why do the little ones have to suffer? They didn't commit any sins, there is no evil in them. I know that this world is fallen, that it is not how God created it, but it still hurts. I have to believe that it hurts God more than it does me, I have to, but it doesn't help. 

What can I do about a corrupt system that profits on suffering children and doesn't care? What can we do? I wish I knew, but I do know I'm very proud of Rusty and Jamie and the love they show to these children. Please pray, it is the only thing I can think of that can help this horrible situation. Pray that these children can get to loving homes, especially Teddy. 

By the way it is our 39th anniversary today, one I won't soon forget." 

I know that God calls us to take care of the orphans and to feed the poor, but how much do we really do from our comfy western lives? I know there is every excuse in the book why we don't help. Some are legitimate. "I don't want to give money that a corrupt government will steal." That is hard to argue with. It is. But, it isn't. 

Have you heard of One Day's Wages? This is an amazing new organization that's goal is to end extreme global poverty. Does that have your attention? Well, what do they do with their money? 

"ODW uses 100% of the money raised (minus transactions costs) to directly grant proven organizations, projects, and causes around extreme global poverty. While compassion is very important, our priority is not to give hand-outs but to carefully fund organizations, projects, and causes that empower the poorest of the poor to lift themselves out of poverty. While there must be numerous strategies to end extreme global poverty, we understand that money isn't the solution but rather, people."

This new organization is taking off like wild fire! Check it out, please. They have a fabulous Board of Directors and the founders are wonderful people. 

I'd like to also encourage you all to go to their website and donate. If you donate leave me a comment and I will donate $10 for everyone that tells me they donated. This is on the honor system friends. On top of that, for every new subscriber I get between now and my birthday (February 22nd), I'll donate an additional $2. It's that easy. Spread the word. And wouldn't this be something you'd like to see in The Mirror?

If you don't use a blog reader and don't know how to subscribe I suggest Google Reader. To read more of my dad's thoughts, you can head over to his blog.

Sew Along news and other random projects

It has been a busy weekend after a busy week so I'll be posting the Clothing Sew Along post on Tuesday. Also, don't forget to drop by on Thursday to show off the things you've made at Make it, Wear it. Plus, I just announced my GIANT giveaway.

Now, on to sewing! I was able to finish up a few things I was working on last week. Sort of. We'll start with the successes. I finished the birthday towels.

Which of course were the wrapping for the "real" gift, the shirts. Because who doesn't want a birthday shirt? Okay, I don't.

And then the "sort of" finished project is the new manly lunch bag. Bag number 1's zipper was ripped out so I decided to make manly lunch bag number 2 with a velcro closure. This is the inside pocket. 

Every kid needs a good place to tuck away notes for daddy. The lunch bag is the perfect place. The problem with the lunch bag is that it isn't big enough to hold the manly lunch. So I'm starting over. 

Wouldn't you like to find little notes when you opened your lunch?   

linked to making the world cuter, sumo's sweet stuff, twice remembered, cottage instincts, keeping it simple, it's so very cheri, DIY Day

Don't forget, for every new subscriber I'll donate $2 to One Day's Wages. For everyone that donates to ODW, I'll donate $10. Check out the details here. Spread the word.

Week in review

Whew! It has been a busy week.

It started off Sunday night with the filming of my first ever video tutorial. Wow was that uncomfortable to post! It was good to get nice feedback though :) Hopefully it will help someone now or down the road.

Monday we kicked of the Clothing Sew Along. I'm so excited about this. I have the schedule all set out but I think I'm going to combine weeks 2 and 3 because there is no reason to keep them separate. I'm not sure anyone will notice.

Then Monday night I went to Kindergarten orientation. Are you kidding me? Already? I'm not sure I can handle it. I'm 95% sure I'm sending her, but that 5% still nags me. She'll love it though, I'm 93% sure of that.

My youngest is recovering from an ear infection while attempting to bring a few molars into the house, so you can just imagine how that has been going...

Thursday Blessing had her surgery. Infectious smile before but this sure is an amazing after picture!

Thursday also started the weekly Make it, Wear it blog carnival/party/linkup/whatever you want to call it. I was excited to see how many links there were! Join in will you? The MckLinky is still open. Stop by next week to see who I feature!

I've been working on a few sewing projects but nothing is finished. I'm a little hesitant to show any of them because they are all gifts. I'm pretty sure the recipient of this one won't be reading my blog though so I'll give you a peek at this.

This is the first time I've used my embroidery machine for much of anything so it was pretty exciting. I still need to attach the flowers, obviously. This is a gift for a little girl whose dad is just hours away from getting on a plane to Uganda. He'll be there for a month doing medical work so say a prayer for Matt! Thank God for doctors like him who give up time with their families to help those in the third world!

And today I'll be leading a craft at my mom's group. For the record, I'm not really crafty, I sew. But I've settled on the clipruler because it was easy to prepare, I already had most of the supplies and it is useful. Three cheers for the clipruler! 

Have a great weekend! For more sewing inspiration, check out Amy Lou Who!

Blessing Update

Thank you all so much for your kind words and prayers for Blessing. She had her surgery today and it went very well. She is home sleeping now. Praise God! Please go read all the details. Here she is before and after surgery. 

Isn't that amazing? Much thanks to Children's Surgery International and Smile Train who have performed more than 130 surgeries in 4.5 days in Liberia.

I'm linking to You Capture, even though I didn't technically take these pictures (and Beth may delete my entry) because the theme this week is faces, and seriously, what a better way to celebrate faces than this one?

Make it, Wear it!

Welcome to week 1 of Make it, Wear it! I am starting this Thursday linkup because I love to get inspiration from others! 

Have you sewn something? Knitted, repurposed, even glued something that can be worn? Hair clips, neck ties, sweaters, pants, hand bags, rings, it all works! If you've made it and it can be worn, please share it here! Starting next week I'll be highlighting a couple of my favorite posts!

Grab this button to help me spread the word!

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All you need to do to join in is to enter your item's title and blog post URL in the MckLinky and please link back here. Please don't link to your entire blog, just the post's URL. 

Now go ahead and link up! I can't wait to see what you've made!

P.S. Don't forget the Clothing Sew Along has begun! Pop on over and join us! Beginners and experts are all invited!

A little crafting help!

Okay people, you are all crafty and creative. I am leading a craft for about 30 great ladies this week and I have a few ideas but sometimes I think that what I'd want to "craft" is not necessarily what others would want to craft. So help me out, would ya? Here are my ideas:

Hand sew a knit flower so people know how to embellish their own t-shirt using a tutorial like this one from Appliqué Your Way.

This really isn't that hard, but people won't leave with a whole finished shirt. They will have a flower or two they can hand sew onto their shirt at home. But flowers aren't for everyone. 

Then there is this easy apron. I found over at Tales & Trials. No sewing involved. Cute. But, maybe everyone doesn't need an apron.

How 
 about a marble magnet? I've never made them but they are cute and Not Martha has an easy tutorial. Plus, who doesn't want a magnet?

And then I got to thinking, I have all these leftover rulers from when we made notepads so why don't I do something with them? And I came up with this. 

Clearly they are functional (always a plus with a mixed group of crafters and not so crafters). They can be dressed up, or not dressed up. Most importantly, they hold precious cargo. But, they aren't that interesting, or maybe they are!

 

And for those of you interested, here is my tutorial for the "magnetic clipruler". So, what is your vote? If you were coming next week, which would you choose? And if you have a great idea of your own please share! 

The Mirror: a story

She sat back at the end of the day, fixated at herself in the mirror. The tired eyes didn't tell the story at all. When she looked deep she could see so much more than that. 

A tear formed as she noticed the way she had responded to frustration earlier in the day. She could see that she had been quick to become angry. It was obvious she had yelled when she should have taken a deep breath and collected herself.

Though as ashamed of those moments as she was, it was nothing compared to the smaller, sneakier things. The way she snapped at the kids because the cars were all over the house, again. The time she closed the drawers just a little too hard because the "scissors aren't where they are supposed to be." The time she said "just stop crying, you're NOT hurt!." The moment the little one's behavior screamed "I need a hug" and her behavior screamed "I'm busy." Those little moments she would have forgotten if she were not looking into the mirror.

Could she take it all back? Would tomorrow be better? Would her teaching words be able to make up for her actions? A deep weight settled in. Could she ever be good enough? 

So she watched the mirror, well, mirrors, reenact what they had been taught. They ways they had been shown to handle their anger and frustration. The way they'd been taught to ignore one another's request for compassion and love. The way they'd been taught to be unforgiving and resentful. And then something beautiful happened. The mirrors hugged and said, "I love you." And just then she remembered all the good and beautiful things she had done. The ways she had shown love and forgiveness and self control. And she remembered that she was forgiven, in a way she could never forgive. 

The oldest mirror ran up and hugged her. Little hands reaching around her neck. And she knew, she knew that tomorrow was another day. Another day to show love and self control and to make up for the things she hadn't gotten quite right today. Another day to make new mistakes. Another day to learn and grow and find peace within herself. 

Shared with Tuesday's Unwrapped 

Clothing Sew Along: Week 1

Are you ready to get your machine doing this? (for more details about the Clothing Sew Along please read here)

Are you excited? Today I will be covering the very basics. You are in for a surprise. I'm doing this in video format because I can convey the most information that way. So bear with me! This is basics. Basics.

First thing is first. Do you have a machine? Do you know how to thread the bobbin and properly thread the machine and needle? If not, grab your manual (or visit uncle google) to learn how. Unfortunately, every machine is different so I can't tell you how to thread your machine.

Now make sure you have some basic supplies:

A spool of good thread. Dual duty cotton or polyester thread will work fine. Old thread tends to break easier and that will just cause you frustration.

Fabric scissors. 

Pins. I like the kind with the colored heads so I can see them better but any fabric straight pins will work.

Some scrap fabric. Woven cotton is preferable, stay away from knits and stretchy fabric when you are starting out. More on that next week.

A table and chair. It is important that your sewing machine is at a comfortable height for you. You'll be spending some time there shortly so make sure that when you are sitting at your machine you can comfortably put your foot on the foot peddle and use the machine without having your body in any awkward positions. 

A new needle for your sewing machine. New, sharp needles will make you a better sewer. A dull or slightly bent needle will cause you major pains.

Okay! Let's get started! In the video I will discuss the straight stitch, back stitch, thread tension, stitch length, sewing a straight line, sewing curves, and seam allowances. I can't believe I made a video. It started out at 27 minutes and you can thank me that I cut more than half off! Wow, did I ramble! Are you ready? If you already know how to do theses things, you can save yourself and skip to next week :)

(if you are reading in a blog reader you'll probably need to click here to see the video)

What do you think? I'm sorry I didn't get the camera zoomed in a bit more in a couple places so you could see better what I was talking about. 

Could you do this? The key is to practice. Any questions? Please let me know. You can leave a comment and I'll email you back or you can email me directly at thetraintocrazy (at) gmail.com. 

Interested in learning more? I have learned a lot from the Sew Everything Workshop. Highly recommended.

Are you going to be joining me for this sew along? Leave me a comment and let me know! This week is rather basic but we'll be picking up speed in the next few weeks.

Please help me spread the word by putting this button on your blog. <a href="http://thetraintocrazy.com/2010/01/clothing-sew-along.html " target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab308/thetraintocrazy/sewalongbutton.jpg" border="0" alt="sew along button" /></a>

Please add your blog to the MckLinky here so we can all come visit you! Happy sewing! P.S. I'm linking to DIY Day, Talented Tuesday, Show & Tell, Works For Me Wednesday