Thank you to Commenters

I want to say thank you to all my readers for your comments. I really enjoy hearing what you have to say. And it helps me to know that I am not just writing for myself. You ladies are wonderful and I just wanted you to know it. I appreciate you.

The ninth comment just came in on the entry I wrote called "Pretty Prairie Rose Dress". I've never had so many comments on one entry. Thanks!

Fabric Reconstruction

Clothing reconstruction. Clothing remodeling. Alterations. I don't know what you call it, but I'm getting quite excited about it. In the fall and winter I love to wear cotton knit skirts made out of higher quality fabric then I can't get at the two fabric stories in my town. My solution is shopping at the second hand stores. I get so excited about this because I love to keep something from going to waste that I can reuse. I disagree strongly with the prices in the department stores for clothing. And I find myself disagreeing with modern styles pretty strongly too. I'm not ready to sign a pledge to not buy anything new like the ladies Wardrobe Refashion are doing here. I will buy something new if it's a reasonable price and I really do need it and can't get it another way within the needed amount of time. For example tee shirts, turtle necks, sweaters. They put them out early in the season, and once they are gone in your size and color, they are gone. If I see something like that in a color that is good for me, I do buy it, and then wear it for years. By doing this, I am gradually making a collection of clothing that fits my style and fall coloring.

But back to the idea of clothing reconstruction. I go to the second hand store looking for something that would work for me in my size or larger. I found the above outfit on the 75% off clearance rack at a consignment store. Yipee! The skirt and matching jacket cost me a little more then $3! The tee shirt was already in my drawer. The problem was that the skirt and jacket were too big for me. I'm sure the lady at the counter was wondering why I was buying it. But how could pass up a cotton knit skirt that was going to be so comfortable. I wasn't sure how the jacket was going to turn out, but I was ready to give it a try at that price. If it didn't work, I knew it wouldn't be a waste, because I would also gain experience and knowledge about what I could do. On the skirt I took in the waist, side seams, and hem. I just pinned up the sides with it on me, wrong side out. Then sewed it up, and zig-zagged the raw edges. Then my husband helped me pin up the hem and it wasn't long until that was done.

The jacket turned out to be easy. I just took in the seams 1 inch on each side from hem all the way to the hem of the sleeves, zig-zagged, trimmed the excess and was done.

Monday afternoon I met a girlfriend at a second hand store, and we had a good time looking for things that fit, or things that we could work over. I came home with a flannel tiered skirt in reds, greens and black that just needed a hem. I fixed that this morning, and it is already to go. I found a lovely navy blue cotton knit skirt that needs to be shortened. I don't wear a lot of navy, but do have some sweaters that would go nicely with it. I also found a deep red corduroy jacket with flowers and navy colored leaves, but the sleeves are way too long and I will have to take in the sides. It is going to be really fun to wear brand names that I can't, or don't want to afford at a fraction of the price.

Do any of the rest of you do any fabric construction or reconstruction? Would you like to but just haven't got brave enough? Let me know what you think.

Blog changes

My kids reminded me that it is no longer spring, and that maybe I should give my blog a new look. I actually agreed that I was ready for something new, but how do I do it? I started changing things one at a time, using the same blogger template. And now I have something new, though I don't know if I really like it. I'd love to a have a textured background, but I don't know how to do it. I see people out in blog land do amazing things to their blog, but I don't know a thing about how to do that. But I do have a collection of photos I've taken over the last few years, so I suppose I can change them with the seasons, or when I get tired of a gold background. If anyone knows a of a website or book that can teach me more of what I can do, in a simple way, I'd be thrilled

Sew Crafty Friday-Slipper Socks and Dress

It is already Sew Crafty Friday. Since I haven't been on my computer as much this week, I have got some more things done. Though I have to say that the list of blogs I read in bloglines is addicting, I am pulling myself away more often.


Yesterday afternoon I made three pair of slipper booties. The pattern came from The Green Pepper Inc. I found it at the local J*Anns store. It is pattern number F837.
As you can see, it has sizes for tiny children up to Men's size 13 all in one envelope! I found the directions very clear and easy to follow. In about 1 1/2 hours I had opened the envelope, figured out what I was doing, then cut and sewed three pair of slipper socks. And now that I know what I am doing, I think I could make quite a few more really fast. There are only three pieces and four sewing steps. I would recommend this pattern to even a beginner. I had never made anything from this company before, but look forward to trying other patterns in the future.

In other sewing this week I finished a prairie type dress for my daughter. If you haven't read about it yet you can see pictures here, information about the pattern and a story of answered prayer here. And on this page you can read that I was able to make the needed adjustments so that it fit her nicely now.

Thanks to Shereen at Waiting for Him for hosting Sew Crafty Friday. If you have done something creative this week, put a link on her blog so we can go see.

Why I Cook Gluten Free

VJ had another question for me.

"Excuse me for being so dense about gluten, but why are you staying away from it? My family loves the gluten steaks I make. Is there a nutritional something-or-other I'm missing or is someone in your family allergic?"

My answer is that yes, both my kids and I are gluten intolerant. We are much healthier and happier without it. We used to love gluten steaks too, and homemade whole wheat bread, and oatmeal, and crackers and pasta, etc. It takes some adjustment to change. It isn't convenient to eat with other people. But I'm glad I've made the change. I've learned that there are many delicious grains that don't have gluten in them. I've learned that I was really overeating wheat products and not eating very many fruits and veggies in proportion. It has helped me stop eating junk food, and I'm very happy for that. Being overweight is no longer a struggle for me. My weight has gone down to what it should be without having to try, something that I'd never been able to achieve before.

So that is the reasons my recipes use different grains. A person who isn't sensitive to gluten may not want to eat exactly as I do, but maybe they would. It is fun to try new ingredients, especially when they too are delicious and nutritious.

And the Good News Is...

I spent some time yesterday afternoon and this afternoon working over the sleeve and shoulder area of the dress I just made for Emily Rose. I wasn't sure if it would work out, but the good news is that it fits now. There are two seams in the sleeve to make it more fitted around the elbow. It is also a princess line dress that has a seam in the front and the back curving up into the sleeve hole in about the same place as the two seams in the sleeves. Even though I had zig-zaged and trimmed, there was still a little bit I could take out of each seam, and I reduced the seam allowance in the sleeve hole as much as I could which gave a little bit more room across the back. I tried it on my daughter just to be sure and was so relieved that it was going to work. Then I zig-zaged up those tiny seam allowances once again. The next step would have been to try to figure out how to put in a gusset, as La Tea Dah suggested, but I'm glad I didn't have to, as I've never made one before.

I would have loved to be a Home Economics major in college, but just after I got to the college of my choice, they closed the Home Economics department. I only got two of the sewing classes I desired. I'd still love to take some more clothing construction classes, but it seems they are hard to find anywhere now days. And I'd really like to learn to sew like they do in Asia, just from a magazine photo and some measurements. Lately it seems I am doing more clothing reconstruction, but I'll blog more about that at another time. I've been on the computer more then I should today.

Pattern Review Butterick B4569 and a Story

VJ said...

What was the name of the pattern you used, and the pattern number if you used one?

That is a good question. It is Butterick B4569.


I thought that since I am writing about the pattern, I should go ahead and give my comments about the pattern. I would not recommend anyone taking it on if they are a beginner. Make sure you are at least at an intermediate level or have someone around with a lot of experience to help you.

The sizing seems to be accurate to the bust measurements, so make sure you measure the child before you choose a size. Pattern sizes are not the same as store sizes.

When you are cutting out your pattern, be sure to mark all the little dots onto the fabric. They are important in several different places. I found that out too late and had some problems figuring out the spacing when it came time to attach the gathered ruffle to the skirt. With some fussing I was able to make it work, but would have taken less time to make the dots then it did to do all the fussing I did.

This is the first time I set myself free from iron on interfacing and I have to say that I am very happy with the results. I used sew in interfacing designed for this weight of fabric and I had not problem using it or sewing it in. I am going to use sew in in the future to avoid the stiffening and sometimes bubbling that comes where the iron interfacing is used.

The pattern called for 11 buttons, but I bought only 9 as their price is so high now days. I spaced them 1 1/2 inches apart and it looks just fine. It seems more buttons would be unnecessary.

The biggest problem with the pattern is that the directions are not clear for how to make the the section at the bottom of the strip of buttons. There is a little bit of information given in the drawings, but no clear written details of how to make it turn out correctly. This is the part of the pattern where you need experience or someone to help you. I figured something out and made it work, but I know that it wasn't how it was intended to be finished.

Still, I like how the dress turned out in the end. It has a flattering, nice cut for a little girl.

My final note is a story. Do you ever pray about sewing frustrations? I don't usually think to do so, but after making this dress, I think I should do it all the time.

A few years ago my husband purchased me a nice new sewing machine with lots of features for quilters. It didn't come with one of those special feet that help you sew a button hole the right size. This pretty little dress comes with 9 - 11 buttons on the front! I was dreading putting in all those button holes and getting them to come out right with just a basic button hole foot. In fact I was downright worried about it. I have done button holes before, but I'm not really good at it, and I have had problems before. I sat the dress aside several days, putting off the dreaded task. Finally this weekend I knew I needed to do it. I was so afraid I decided I'd better pray about it, then I got some scraps to practice on and started trying to make them come out the right size. I was working away wishing for one of those fancy feet for my machine. I even went up to my computer and did a web search to try to figure out how much one might cost. Expensive! So I went back to my machine and started to try again. Then all of a sudden it hit me like sunlight. My old machine, which my daughter is using now, has a nice buttonhole foot with a slider that you insert the button into so that each button hole comes out the same size! And the machine was set up only a few feet from me! I switched machines, then did a couple practice holes which turned out beautifully, and it wasn't long before I was done with all nine holes on the front of the dress. I redid only two of them so they lined up with the others more evenly. My resolve is to pray more often about even my sewing frustrations.

Cream of Broccoli Soup and Corn bread (Gluten and Dairy Free)

I know I said I wouldn't blog very much, but I will give you one more thing to read tonight as it won't take me very long to do it.

As fall starts coming on, we start eating more soup. Here is a family favorite served this past Friday evening. It was a simple supper, easy to prepare, and satisfying to eat. As usually, food at our house is gluten and dairy free, and made out of simple ingredients for optimum nutrition and health. But don't let that scare you away, it still tastes really good.


Cream of Broccoli Soup

Bring to a boil. Simmer until onions are soft, around 10 minutes:
3 cups of water
1 medium onion diced
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
2 T Bill’s Chick’nish seasoning or other vegetarian chicken type seasoning
2 T Nutritional Yeast

Once the onion is soft, add:
6 cups more or less of bite sized raw broccoli pieces
1/2 to 1 whole red pepper, diced (optional)
Simmer 5 minutes or until tender but still bright green

Meanwhile blend until very smooth:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water

Add the blended mixture to the cooked broccoli soup and serve.
Optional: Cooked brown rice is yummy mixed into the soup.

adapted by Elizabeth Joy at joyinthemorninglight@blogspot.com

Cornbread

Dry:
1 1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup Masa Mixta (usually used for making tortillas)
1 cup brown rice flower
4 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 T. tapioca flour

Wet:
1 cup water
1 cup rice milk or other desired milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil of choice
1/3 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Get a 9 x 13 inch baking dish oiled and ready to go. Mix the dry ingredients completely. Mix the wet ingredients separately, then combine with the dry ingredients. Stir just enough so it gets completely combined, then quickly pour into your baking dish, before it has a chance to rise much. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Update on 2/19/08: Would you like to make this oil free? I just figured out how to do it. Into your blender place: 1 TBSP flax seeds, and 2 TBSP raw cashews. Substitute 1/3 cup water for the oil, place in the blender along with the 1 cup rice milk and 1 cup water. Blend until smooth and add to the dry ingredients along with the honey.
adapted from a friend's recipe by Elizabeth Joy at joyinthemorninglight@blogspot.com

Pretty Prairie Rose Dress

At this point, I've decided not to totally abandon my blog. But I do need to exercise some self control and get more things done then just sitting at my computer.

I decided to show you what I finished today. It is a pretty prairie dress with little pink roses for my daughter. It reminds me of a brown dress with roses that Laura Ingles Wilder said she wore in one of her books, but I can't remember which book it was in. The dress turned out wonderfull, but unfortunately this one has taken me so long to make that the bodice in the shoulder and arm area are too tight to move comfortably. Emily Rose has grown quite a bit over the summer, and alas not much fits her anymore. I'm going to see if I can make some adjustments in the seams to give her more room, but I'm afraid I may have been too confident in zig zagging edges and cutting off extra seams, so I don't know what I'll be able to get away with. If it isn't going to work, I may put it up for sale. Do any of you have a girl who needs such a dress? (24 inch bust.)

I did get Emily Rose into the dress and outside in the sunshine for a few photos. She clearly enjoys it in spite of the restrictions.



Here is a close up of the fabric, buttons and sleeve.

Small Town Living

I just learned about a free online magazine that I think some of you might also enjoy. It is called Small Town Living. It is about living a simpiler life in small town America, with a wide range of topics. I have skimmed the most current issue and look forward to downloading more. You can click on the issue you wish to read, and then download a pdf version to your computer to read.

A Thoughtful Pause

I am in a valley of decision about my blog. I am glad I've learned about blogging. "Blog" is no longer a strange word to me. I have enjoyed writing about the daily things in my life. I have been inspired by other women's blogs. But now it is clear I am spending too much time on my computer, and I'm not happy about that. I'm also not sure, if I were to keep writing a blog, what the content of my blog should be. I feel it should be so much more then just the reporting of all that is new or cute or fun at our house. I love things of beauty, but so much of this world is going to pass away. If I should take the time to write, I am feeling impressed that it should be uplifting, enlightening, encouraging, inspiring, leading my reader to God. But I'm not sure how to do that. So I'm thinking about it and praying about it while I take a break from blogging. There have been several things I could have written about this week, but I didn't feel they are not worthy of the time it would take away from other things. I'll let you know when I know when I am more clear about how God would desire for me to spend my time.

Thank you to my faithful readers for their patience and prayers.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Joy

Birthday Tea for my Friends

My friend Julie and I set up a birthday tea for our two friends, Sandy and Sunny. Linda came to join us too. We choose a fall theme, and I really enjoyed it. Each person got to choose from an assortment of teas. We served fall fruits, melon balls made by Emily Rose, grapes and fresh plums from the tree. We also had raisin sunflower balls made by a nearby bakery, Snikerdoodles from the store, and coconut date balls made by Emily Rose. Everything was gluten and dairy free and delicious. Everyone enjoyed the party so much. I hope we can find a reason to have another one soon.

Sew Crafty Friday - apron and bag

This was a busy week, but I still fit in some sewing, because two of my dear friends were having a birthday, and I wanted to give them something special.


Sandy decorates her kitchen with strawberries, so I wanted to make her a strawberry apron. I copied an apron that I have and came up with this pretty apron. I was happy with how the red bias tape accented the center panel and the pockets, which I made deeper and roomier then the ones in the original apron. It only took one yard of fabric.


Sunny loves her kitties. One of her kitties was recently laid to rest due disease. It was very heartbreaking to see him sick. I wanted to make her a special kitty bag. I have been reading a blog by Tiny Happy, who makes wonderful hand crafted items. I got the idea for the design of the bag from her.
I lined the inside of the bag with another fabric and sewed in a deep pocket to hold treasures.

If you have been sewing or crafting this week, be sure to include some photos in your blog. Then go to Shereen's blog and include your name on the list of those who are participating in Sew Crafty Friday this week.

Kayaking

This week has been going so fast. I haven't had time to stop and write about it. Since I wrote last, we have spend a weekend up at a church camp with my husband's co-workers. It was a time of refreshment in the lovely fall weather. There was heartfelt singing. Various faculty members shared the touching testimonies of God in their life during worship services. The afternoons were free for us to enjoy as we pleased. A friend and I sat out on the lawn and had a wonderful talk in the sunshine. My husband took the children over to the canoe dock. There were some little Kayaks there. Forest jumped in one and took off paddling as naturally as if he had done it all his life. My husband was a little worried, that I might not like him going off into the lake by himself, so he called me on the radio so I could come over and see what was going on. For some reason I wasn't worried though when I saw how he was handling his little boat. He had on a life jacket, and he can swim now. He was by the shore when I got there, and I called to him, expected him to want me to see what he was doing, but he didn't give me more then a glance, he was so absorbed in his new found skill. I am really proud of my big boy.On Sunday morning after breakfast and loading up the car, we took the kids back out to the lake for one more paddle. I had never kayaked before, but thought that if Forest could do it, so could I. So I squeezed myself into one of the little boats since I'm not that much bigger then some kids and gave it a try. Oh may, it was fun and not scary at all! I really enjoyed my time on the water. I did get all wet from the dripping paddle, so I think that next time I might wear some rain pants so I can stay dry. Emily Rose finally came out when she saw Mama having fun, but I think she still likes horseback riding better.

Sew Crafty Friday - Alaska Quilt

I am so excited to show you the quilt I've been working on for three years! I started on it just after we made a six week trip to Alaska, so I call it my Alaska quilt. It is a wall quilt size, maybe around 3 by 4 feet. I got the original pattern and some of the fabrics at a garage sale. I chose a few other fabrics and put it all together, using some iron on stuff to hold on the appliqués. Then I blanket stitched around each applique. The part that took me so long was hand quilting the whole thing. I don't have much time at home to hand quilt. I've taken it with me all kinds of places. I sit and quilt while the kids are at swimming lessons or other kinds of places I have to wait for them. I've quilted on long car trips. It was really fun to finish the quilting and trim off the extra batting and backing. I can't believe I've really accomplished this much. Now all I have to do is cut some binding and stitch it on. And that won't take me too long, once I've chosen some fabric for it. Many family members have wanted it, but I think it is going to get a place of honor on my newly painted walls, where the color fits in perfectly.



You can see more of what people have done for Sew Crafty Friday at http://w8ng4him.blogspot.com/. It's fun. Maybe next week you can show what you have been working on.

Would I buy this today?

We have a terrible time at our house getting rid of unneeded items that take up space and clutter up the house. Both my husband and I are descendants of keepers. If we didn't have a determination to live differently, we too would be piled under with items that we wouldn't be able to find when we finally needed it someday. To help stem the tide of clutter, we had a garage sale yesterday. It was a lot of work, but it gave me the motivation to sort through some cupboards and figure out what we didn't really need. I didn't have enough time to clean everything as completely as I would have liked, but quite a few boxes and bags made it out of the house.

The sale went well. Many customers came by and went away with something they could use. All the while though I wondered what I would do with the things they didn't buy. I was concerned that the remains would make their way back to the house.

I was tired when things were done, but knew I'd better get things cleaned up right away. I started putting things in boxes wondering if I should keep items or not. Then the perfect question came to mind to help me. If I were shopping at a garage sale myself and saw this item (and I didn't have one already), would I buy it today? I was so excited because I could say no on almost every item. It helped me to know that I did not need those items! I felt freed. And I think this simple question is going to help me de-clutter even more around the house.

Almost everything left from the sale is going to be donated to a second hand store, where the right person will be sure to find it, although they will have to pay much more then they would have had to pay at my garage sale.

A Pleasant and Comfortable Place

"The glow of the sunset was shining through the front door of the cabin. There was Ma in her brown calico dress and blue apron, busy at her spinning wheel. Jim was sitting on a a log stool at her feet while Ma taught him his A B C's. Sally, on another stool, was busy with her patchwork and singing softly as she worked."

"That morning Tom had been too much excited to notice what a pleasant and comfortable place the cabin really was. There was a big room and a little room, with a door in the wall between. The rest of the wall was taken up with the great fireplace made of cobblestones plastered together." Taken from Singing Wheels - The Alice and Jerry Books. 1950 edition, page 83 - 84

This morning I started reading in this book as it was lying by my place at the breakfast table. I remember these books being around when I was a kid, and must have read some of them, because I was thrilled when I found this copy at a garage sale. It is a reader, but it is written like a chapter book about a boy’s adventures on the frontier.

Something special struck me about this story though, as I was reading the description of their home and what they were doing. Scenes like the one written above warm my heart and make me long for simpler days. Then I looked at the picture that went with the story and wanted to be there. What is it about stories like this that are so wonderful? I looked closely at the picture, then saw how uncomfortable their chairs might be, how plain the walls, how cold the floor. The house was not up to modern comfort levels, yet it sounded so wonderful.

They had so little but they seemed to appreciate it, and they also seemed to really enjoy being together. Maybe that is the difference. Maybe it is all in how I think about something. I wonder if there are some “pleasant and comfortable” things about my own home that I am just not noticing. Maybe I spend too much time thinking about what is not quite right and overlooking all the things that are wonderful. Maybe like the boy Tom in the story I’m just too “excited” or busy every morning to see the beautiful story of our life. I wonder how an Emily Rose and Forest storybook would read, if I took the time to write it. Maybe there are things of beauty closer then I realize, if I would just open my eyes.

“The warm evening light poured through the blinds into the tidy living room. Mama was wearing a comfortable brown skirt and her pretty red, white and blue apron while busily typing an entry for her blog. Emily Rose sat beside her searching online for better instructions on how to build a three wheeled cart, with the parts she already has. Forest was looking at a picture book about animals, while Father tried to find bugs in his software program. Quiet music played softly in the background. Everyone was happy to be home, and happy to be together.”

“Earlier that day Mama was too consumed with her morning responsibilities to notice what a pleasant and comfortable place her home really was. There was padded seats for everyone, colorfully painted walls, pictures and photographs and pretty shelves with lovely things upon which to rest the eyes. There was a 100 year old piano with keys that still made lovely music if you cared to sit on it’s bench. Quilts and soft fleece blankets graced the arms of the couch…” - The Story of Emily Rose and Forest, a book not yet written

How would your story read? Of course, I didn't write about the whining that happened about cleaning up the kitchen, or the mess of dirt and shoes by the front door, or the kid's frustrated outbursts during school. The writer of the Alice and Jerry Books didn't either. But I think she is on to something. Sure we are a real family. So were the families living in cabins on the frontier of America. Books about them often leave out the harder realities of living without any conveniences. But they do write about the joys of living then, the special times, the funny stories, the things that make life worth living. And those are the things I want to think about, the things that make home "a pleasant and comfortable place to be."

First Day of School 2007

We started our school year yesterday with pictures by the schoolhouse door.Emily Rose is in 5th grade this year. She was reluctant to start, but confessed later in the evening that school was fun after all. She is so good with words, reading them, spelling them and using them.

Forest is in 2nd grade. It is clear he has progressed so much since the beginning of last year. He learned enough last year and matured so much over the summer that we can really take off now and learn and do lots of things. His mind is hungry for more information, and we are going to try to fill it. I think he is going to thrive in science and history.

My kids are so much fun. They made me promise to take a funny picture of them too if I took pictures of them by themselves. It is a blessing to be able to able to work with them and teach them every day. My prayer for them is that they will grow as Jesus did, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man."

Rising Golden Light

Last week the sun rose in the east with golden light playing among the clouds.

Two days later the moon rose in almost the same place filled with a brilliant golden glow.

"But for you
who revere my name,
the Sun of Righteousness
will rise
with healing in its wings.
And you will
go out and leap
like calves released from the stall."
Malachi 4:2

"Submit to God and be at peace with Him;
in this way prosperity will come to you.
Accept instruction from His mouth
and lay up His words in your heart.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored;
If you remove wickedness far from your tent
and assign your nuggets to the dust,
your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,
then the Almighty will be your gold,
and the choicest silver for you."
Job 23:21-25

Remodeling Assignments

I have been busy the last few days with no time to blog. Last week I remodeled our main bathroom in the house. It is a tiny one, but it has taken a lot of work. I put in new flooring, and repainted. I've ordered a new light and have a curtain to make before I am done. I'll tell you more about it when it is closer to being completely finished.

I've also been working making lesson plans for my 5th grader. I am going to try having her assignments listed on the computer, which she can check off when she is finished. I found some free software at www.macupdate.com for Macs which looks like it is going to work real well. It is called Schoolhouse 2. It looks like it was made for high school or college students to record their assignments. But I think it is going to work really well for us too. I would like it to be able to have more then one students assignments on there, but at the moment, I don't need my son's assignments as carefully recorded. My daughter can check a box when the assignment is finished and it will line it out for her. There are numerous different ways to view an assignment. I can add a grade if I wish. I think it is going to be fun. I've just finished typing in her assignments for the next 1 - 2 months. I am hoping this will free me up to give my 2nd grade son some more focused attention with his schoolwork. We will be starting school tomorrow.