Crafting for a Cause – Dresses for Africa

In a couple weeks, Paul’s sermon will be focused on Acts 9:36-42 in which Peter brings Tabitha (Dorcus) back to life. The sermon for this story is normally focused on Peter and the miracle he performs, but Paul is going to share from Tabitha’s side of the story. She was a woman who made clothes for those in need, namely the widows who on the social and economic scale of the time were the lowest of the low.

Pairing with his sermon, Paul has asked the ladies in our church who sew to share their talents in Tabitha’s, and therefore Jesus’ name by making dresses for those in need.

He found the website Nancy’s Notions which provides a pattern for simple dresses and shorts for boys and girls in need in Africa. When I say simple, I mean simple because even I can do it.

So far, I’ve made three and it is a very rewarding experience, both to spend my time and efforts creating while at the same time doing it for a worthwhile cause. Several ladies have jumped at the chance to share in this giving opportunity and we are hoping to have about 50 dresses to send.

If you want to be a part of this great giving opportunity, let me know and use the pattern linked above. You can send me the dress and we will put it in the package we send.

Happy Sewing!

How do you use your God-given talents to help others?

My Letter Home - March 28

Getting Ready for Opening Day!

It has been a wild week and that’s why there haven’t been any blog posts plus the delay of my Letter Home. I was sick for a couple days thanks to some bad food that knocked me off my feet and made me wish for death for about 24 hours. But all is well now as I rejoice in losing a few pounds and jumpstart my way back to healthy.

This week was all about new adventures both locally and out of town. Friday night, the church hosted a Lock In for the youth inviting kids from the church and their friends to spend the night in the church, play games, watch movies, eat tons of junk food and drive the adults chaperoning the event crazy. I was lucky to have the puppies as my out with Paul choosing to sleep on the hard floor of the church basement with about 30 kids and some parents. I went for the first couple hours to play some “get-to-know-you” games, watch the first part of The 10 Commandments and see how man Cheetohs a 12-year-old boy could shove into his mouth at one time.

One of the games involved either/or questions such as, “Do you prefer to live in the desert or Artic?” Paul and I at the same time answered, “Aren’t we living in the Artic already?” That got a laugh from those folks who consider 40 degrees to be spring.

With the man who turned me on to baseball - Go Reds!

For the next two days I was in bed, while it snowed and the world went gray. But I was ready to go on Tuesday when we ventured south to Cincinnati to see Paul and Heidi who were visiting folks in Lexington. We went to this great restaurant on the river, Moerlein Lager House that had the most fantastic Short Rib Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Coleslaw that was amazing. Since I was still getting over the crud, I kept to ginger ale instead of their artisan beers, but I definitely want to go back. We spent the rest of the day at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Museum which helped put me in a baseball state of mind. I will miss my Rays, but I figure since the Reds are the oldest professional baseball team, it’s historical. Plus, they don’t play each other – unless they both get to the World Series and then yes, I am all the way – Rays!

The secret to vibrant applique is to use fabric that has some motion to it.

On Wednesday, I went to my very first Quilter’s Guild meeting. I have never been to a guild meeting and one of the ladies in our church invited me to go with her and her daughter. It was a pretty cool time. 

I love this design!

I learned about a festival in Logan Ohio that is dedicated to washboards, got some tips and tools regarding applique, had so many people offer to help me make my first quilt, delighted in a delicious lunch from Mumfords, a down-home favorite, and took home an armful of books about quilting. The whole event was inspiring and these ladies are true artisans when it comes to turning fabric into art.

Isn't this just so amazing - and it's all done by hand. 

With today being Maundy Thursday, the week and Lent are coming to a close. We have a busy weekend and then I am hoping to just spend time creating next week, I have so many sewing, knitting and cooking ideas rolling around in my head that I must get them out.

I miss you all and take care,

Patricia

What I Miss Most About My Old Home: Wearing sandals on Easter Sunday with a cute dress and not having to layer it with a wool coat and stockings.

What I Like Most About My New Home: The creativity and simple pleasures I have learned from the locals and that I ignored for so long. 

What Inspires You?

When I have a few moments, I like to see what other bloggers are up to and get inspirations. This of course, can turn into hours when you find an interesting blog that won’t let you leave. Here are a few of the most enticing blogs I uncovered this week. Warning: you could get sucked in and might possibly feel the need to be creative!

 Overall Interesting

http://culturedcivility.com/

I’ve known Wendy for a while and she has always been a very classy lady, and her blog is full of great recipes and helpful tips. As an interior decorator, she is a library of knowledge about what looks good, what feels good and what goes well together for all personality types. Check this blog out and see what inspires you.

 Happy Salad Days

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2011/03/recipe-for-crunchy-napa-cabbage-asian.html

I’m always looking for a great salad recipe and this one is amazing. The hardest part about this recipe is that I want to eat the whole thing instead of portioning it out properly so I only make half. With spring right around the corner, I can’t wait to add even more salads to our dinner menu. What’s you’re favorite salad veggie??

Updating My Wardrobe

http://www.henryhappened.com/sequin-heart-diy-t-shirt.html

I actually spotted this heart tee before Valentine’s and wanted to make it then, but life was in such chaos, that I am revisiting this inspiring design now and since it’s a heart, I can really wear it anytime.

Creativity Inspired

http://howdidyoumakethis.com/blog/2013/1/24/two-in-one-bag-make-this.html

I love making bags, and this is a great tutorial to help even a novice bag maker like me. As I unpack my craft boxes, I am finding fabric that would be great for this piece, plus I was told that there is a craft store on our little Main Street that has remnants of fabric for really cheap. I may just need to have a purse for every season, or week.

 For My Jewelry Box

http://www.operationoverhaul.com/2012/11/braided-thread-bracelet-tutorial/

Sometimes a girl just needs a touch of spring and a new jewelry piece to show off. This is a great project if you only have an hour and need to update your outfit, but don’t want to spend a whole lot of cash.

Healthy Inspiration

http://aromatic-cooking.blogspot.in/2013/01/chilli-garlic-quinoa.html

I am always looking for a new quinoa recipe and this one sounds delightful. I have it on my menu list for next week as the perfect lunch treat on a cold day. I especially like the addition of cabbage to the quinoa and I am thinking about adding some sliced red and orange peppers as well for color and, of course, bulk. I may also spruce it up with some lime zest and juice.  Delicious!

Puppy Prints

http://www.ownedbypugs.com/index.php/pugblog

Our puppy Polly is a pug mix and even before I got her (March 1 marked 4 years),  I have been addicted to pugs. If you’re a puppy person, pug person or just into cute pictures of animals, take a gander at these oh-so-lovely squished-in faces!

The Craft

After

Before

I have always wanted a craftroom where I could feel inspired to create and keep all my crafting tools organized. With this house, we’re able to have a studio for Paul to paint and a craftroom for me to sew, knit and do other crafty things, together. The light is great in these rooms especially for painting and having an area devoted to sewing is my heaven’s dream. However, I first had to create the space.

As you can see there were a lot of boxes to yet unpack, and a gentle chaos to where things should go. I put this room off until I had the downstairs squared away, but now I must enter into this struggle. No worries.

Before

After

In just one day, I transformed the room from disarray to charming and, more importantly, a place to let creation happen. I have a long list of what I want to make and this is the perfect place to let it all happen.

There ‘s still some work to be done as I figure out what is missing and how to organize some of the smaller details, but I am ready to get cranking in there.

First project: Making dresses and shorts for little ones in Africa a part of our service project for spring.

Come on all you crafters out there, What’s your crafty inspiration? 

It Always Seams Like Something Else

And it is something else. The latest sewing repurposing adventure is taking a pair of capris that don’t fit and fashioning them into a beautiful handbag. I used this Simplicity pattern, the one resting on the teal chair. I am still learning to read patterns and figuring out stitches so it’s not perfect, but I really do love it. I also couldn’t help making it my own by changing up the handles and instead of using trim, I made tabs and attached these cool handles to the bag.

Deconstruction Time – sorry I don’t have a picture of the pants whole

I took the seams out of the inside leg and crotch of the pants, removed the cuffs and took out the pockets. It’s a great activity for a rainy afternoon when you’re watching TV since it is slow going, but can be done in an hour or two. I used each leg for the front and back body of the bag and the pockets for the gussets. The cuff was fashioned into tabs. The lining was some gold satin I had acquired more than 4 years ago from a wash sample. The handles and flower are sale pieces from Joann’s.

My final verdict: Love it! Total cost of bag: $4.00 (fabric: free since they were well-worn as pants; lining: $.25; handles: $2.25; flower: $1.50.

Happiness Happens Month: Happiness Happens when you give yourself the permission to be happy and enjoy the process just as much as the outcome – Me.

Fear Factor

Fear is a powerful thing. It can stop you in your tracks even when you so desperately want to move forward. From another’s perspective, your fear may seem silly. Fear of flying, of insects, of mother in laws all seem like small blips to me, yet to others these are mortifying paralyzing fears. I admit, I have many fears and they have shaped my life for both good and bad. My biggest fear right now isn’t a gray hair or wrinkle, the future or loss. My mortal enemy that stops me in my tracks is my sewing machine.

I have been so afraid of my sewing machine, but I have met my fears head on letting the critic inside me have her say and still moving on. Through frustration, disappointment and even a few curing matches with the machine, I prevail a little more every day. In fact, giving myself permission to make mistakes and not be perfect, yet still trying (and retrying) my best, I am winning this fear factor battle.

My latest step to conquering my fear has been repurposing a pillowcase. I was inspired by Betz White, but Penny Carnival has a cool idea too using a real pattern. My sewing machine is a pretty basic model, so I couldn’t adjust the bobbin tension to use elasticized thread. Instead I used ½” elastic along the top and under the bustline to create sort of an empire waist. I was so proud of myself adding the ribbon trim and getting the hems straight, even though it isn’t perfect. I tapered the bust area and left the bottom wider to fit my curves. The flower is from Joann’s (on sale) and was just too cute to pass up.

This was my second attempt and something I really enjoy. With each experiment, I am getting more confident with my sewing and falling in love with the items I make and the skills I am acquiring. I am starting to love my sewing machine and respect its power. Next fear to conquer … snorkeling (I get all claustrophobic).

Happiness Happens Month Quote - Sewing mends the soul (and makes me very happy). ~Author Unknown