Words of Wisdom from Writers

"Once upon a time in the dead of winter in the Dakota territory, Theodore Roosevelt took off in a makeshift boat down the Little Missouri River in pursuit of a couple of thieves who had stolen his prized rowboat. After several days on the river, he caught up and got the draw on them with his trusty Winchester, at which point they surrendered. Then Roosevelt set off in a borrowed wagon to haul the thieves cross-country to justice. They headed across the snow-covered wastes of the Badlands to the railhead at Dickinson, and Roosevelt walked the whole way, the entire 40 miles. It was an astonishing feat, what might be called a defining moment in Roosevelt's eventful life. But what makes it especially memorable is that during that time, he managed to read all of Anna Karenina. I often think of that when I hear people say that they haven't time to read."

~ David McCullough, "No Time to Read?"

With this in mind, I have brought along Sarah Morgan: The Civil War Diary of a Southern Woman on our trip. I've read part of it before, but never got to finish it. This time I am determined to read it entirely! It is so much nicer reading first-hand accounts than dry repetitions of dates and names.

And since Roosevelt had his hefty tome while crossing the Dakotas, I thought I should have mine, too!

I agree with McCullough -- there's always time to read!

Fit for a Wee Foot

A friend of mine who plays the flute (beautifully) in our little church ensemble just had her first baby -- a beautiful baby boy named Ethan with a head full of dark hair! He is both preciously perfect and perfectly precious. I had heard her mention that she liked soft baby shoes, so I went looking for a tutorial and came up with these:

 

I'm not overly fond of the pattern, but I'm pleased with the result! I used fake leather for the soles (a gift from a sewing friend), and brown suede for the backs. A giraffe and a zebra -- remants from a Daisy Kingdom dress my mother made years ago -- should keep Ethan's little toes toasty!

And in a few weeks I'll be posting a girly pair, made for a friend whom we'll be visiting on our journey!

The Best Kind of Garment

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, and covered me with the robe of righteousness: He hath decked me like a bridegroom, and as a bride attireth herself with her jewels." ~ Isaiah 61:10 ~

The Wedding Procession by Sir Luke Fildes

As much as I love sewing, historic costume, and design, the temporary garments that I make are nothing to the ones that Christ has given me. Only His covering will never tear or stain or wrinkle; only His robes fit perfectly. I find it so easy to get caught up in the everyday cares of life, disregarding the eternal gift I have been given and spending too much of my time on temporal pursuits. But, in truth, I should take as much care and time on my spiritual well-being as I would for my wedding attire if I were a bride. Something for me to think about as I deal with a limited traveling wardrobe!

On a Small Scale

With the leftover scraps from my denim bag, I decided to make a matching camera case! My former case was very convenient, very useful, and very ugly. I decided to settle for less convenience and more style. Logical, right?

This poor bag went through about three design stages before I hit on just the right size and shape.

For the lining (more Tracy Porter!), I used some fusible batting in my stash, and then quilted it on my mahcine. It adds an extra layer of padding and an extra dimension of style!

A clip and wristband on the side were an absolute must -- not only can I carry it on my wrist, but it also clips onto the handy hook in my denim handbag.

I debated about a closure, but eventually came up with a way to recycle one of the snaps from the original denim skirt:

And I just couldn't resist a bow. Really, I couldn't.

I'm ready to start taking snapshots now!

Priorities

What do you call a plane flight and 4000 miles of driving? One great big trip out West! We're leaving this Tuesday and won't be back until August 11th. I'll schedule a few posts during that time, so my blog won't be completely neglected!

But as the date of our trip approached, I realized that I had to do something about my summer handbag situation. My bag from last year was...well-loved, and it was high time to come up with something else.

Conveniently, my sister was getting rid of a long-unused skirt that was in good condition, but slightly outdated. I pulled out McCall's 4400, a Laura Ashley pattern that I've been longing to use, and made up View C. But, of course, I had to make some changes!

I shortened and narrowed the strap, first of all -- I couldn't believe how long it was! Now my fingertips just reach the bottom of the bag. I was thinking of having the bag tie at the top, but instead I added a decorative (but fake) knot to the shoulder, instead.

The lining was very unaccomodating in terms of storage, so I added two denim pockets for pencils and such, and improvised a zippered pouch on the other side:

I also added two hooks, one on each side, to clip on my camera case or other odds and ends:

I used the last bits of my Tracy Porter fabric -- once a failed vintage wrap dress, but now a blouse, ironing board cover, and bag lining!

When I was finished, I wasn't quite satisfied with the result -- it was fine, but rather bland on the outside. Some fabric flowers and a few dangles (found on clearance at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago) were the perfect touch:

I think I'm going to like this one. Plus, it's absolutely huge! I don't think I even need a suitcase! *wink*

Inevitable

A trip to JoAnn's just wouldn't be complete without fabric. While I've been able to resist buying anything recently, the recent 50% off sale on Red Tag fabrics was beckoning.

 

Embroidered burgundy corduroy: $4.50 per yard. Tan and burgundy Premium Quilter's Cotton: $3 per yard Having two wonderful fabrics for Fall: Priceless! Besides, by the time I get around to using them, they'll have been in my stash long enough to count as "free!" *ahem*

Meet Charlie

As I sat down to lunch today, the excited yapping of our neighbors' dog drew my attention. Not that yapping from the said dog is unusual -- quite the contrary! But this time the barking seemed more intense. As it turned out, the dog (if it deserves the name!) had a good reason: Charlie was out. To be exact, Charlie was standing in our yard on the sea wall, facing the dog (who lives on the opposite side of the canal). I've never seen a heron adopt this posture before -- perhaps the wings are supposed to make him look bigger?

 

Our almost-next-door-neighbor, Mr. Brown, gave Charlie his name. He's been absent for quite some time, so I was very pleased to see him back! Of course, there's no way of knowing if it's the same heron, but I choose to believe that it is. As soon as he saw me, Charlie stood straight as a ramrod and peered at me with his piercing amber eyes. Quite impressive.

 

At about four or five feet tall, he cuts quite a lanky figure when he's all stretched out. When I got too close, he stalked off into the neighbors yard to watch for fish. Apparently he doesn't like crowds. Or dogs!

A Party is a party...

...but a 4th of July party! Now that's a party! (My thanks to Mr. Elton from the Miramax "Emma" for the inspiration *grin*) Actually, our cookout was on the 5th, but it's close enough. We've never really celebrated the 4th of July before, so over the past two weeks I've been relishing the opportunity to come up with decorations. Interestingly, there are very few good online instructions for 4th of July decorations! So I depended instead on just going with red, white, and blue, in various forms. One of my favorite projects was several yards of garland (or is it a banner?), made from those pesky fabric scraps that I can never bear to throw away! I drew a template and cut out the pieces with pinking shears. A bit of tacky glue secured them firmly to my 1/4" ribbon, and they were ready to go.

I couldn't resist the urge to decorate our boat lift, too!

 

We also had popcorn outside in a huge enamelware pot that belonged to my grandmother. My sister, Tiffany, got creative with sponges and paint!

 

My sister and I collaborated on a patriotic flag cake -- one of our mutual, long-seated desires. I baked, levelled, and applied the fruit, while she wielded the spatula and piping bag.

To add some interest to the back door, I hung wooden stars (painted in various designs of patriotic colors) and sea shells from two pieces of driftwood bamboo. After all, we do live near the ocean! I couldn't resist a bit of nautical flair.

 

I don't know what it is, but I can never resist a deviled egg. This one is garnished with some fresh parsley from the garden.

 

Later on in the afternoon, we made use of kayaks and a paddleboat borrowed from obliging neighbors. It was sizzling hot, and the breeze was a welcome relief.

 

I think celebrating the 4th of July is addicting! I'm already storing up ideas for next year...

Making a Splash!

Over the past few years, I have been racking my brains trying to come up with a modest swimwear solution. I've been avoiding swimming because I always felt uncomfortable, even in a conservative one-piece with shorts on over it. While people have widely diverging thoughts on modesty and there is no "one size fits all," I thought I would share my solution -- partly because I'm excited to have found it, and partly because I hope this will be helpful to those who have the same concerns and criteria that I had! First, I wanted something that I wouldn't be ashamed to wear to the grocery store -- not that I would necessarily wear it there! But I didn't want a swimsuit that I would normally consider indecent to wear in public. A few years ago, I bought a lone tankini top on after-summer clearance for about $10 from Beall's (a department store in Florida). The only problem with it was that it was too immodest to be worn alone, and it was several sizes too large! But it was too adorable to pass up, so I kept it for a rainy day. This Spring, I finally figured out what I could do to solve my problem:

I purchased an inexpensive short-sleeved leotard from NY Dancewear -- it would have been much easier to find one if I hadn't already purchased my navy blue tankini top. A rash guard would also work as a swim shirt, making sleeves unneccesary on the leotard. I am now glad that my tankini is a few sizes too big. I wouldn't want it to be skin tight, and the leotard underneath ensures that no skin is showing. For shorts, I was very blessed to find some microfiber athletic shorts at JC Penney (on clearance!). I had been looking at board shorts, but they were hard to find in the right color and length, and they were also very expensive. My shorts are fitted, but not tight -- perfect for swimming.

I have worn my swimsuit a few times already at the beach, and I love it! It's heavier than a normal swimsuit, but hey -- in the 19th century, some swimsuits weighed over twenty pounds! I was able to put my swimsuit together for about $45, which is certainly comparable to what I would pay for a typical swimsuit in a store. And if I find other tankini tops that I like, I'll be able to mix-and-match. I'm sure I get stares from other beach-goers in my "get up," but I've found that I don't really care! I would much rather retain my dignity than my pride. And let me tell you, with how hot it is this summer, I'm very relieved to be able to swim again! Now if only the jellyfish would go away...

Beachy Keen

At long last, I've managed to get pictures of my recent sewing project! Between last-minute Independence Day preparations, visiting with friends for my dear sister's birthday, and keeping up with keeping house, things have been a bit hectic! But while we were at our friend's beach house, Tiffany and I managed to get in a few picture. I couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting. The "Laura Ashley" Blouse: My blouse is 100% Irish linen, courtesy of a very long, very pleated, and very out-of-date Laura Ashley thrifted skirt -- although I must say, cutting into a Laura Ashley garment was one of the hardest things I've ever done! I used my trusty Simplicity 4499 with only a few changes. I added two pintucks in the front, and I also added ties to the sides. The ties were actually a later addition that really provided the shaping that the blouse needed.

 

The Skirt: I realized this summer that I needed a nice white skirt that would be suitable for church. Thank you to JoAnn's for having linen 60% off recently! This linen-rayon blend ended up costing less than six dollars. I used an out-of-print Butterick A-line skirt pattern. A few tucks and a circular ruffle later, I was ready to go! I wore this outfit to play violin for a casual beach wedding a few weeks ago, and it proved to be quite comfortable.

There are some advantages to living in Florida, after all...

Words of Wisdom from Writers

I try to leave out the parts that people

skip.

~ Elmore Leonard