A Mini Merry Christmas - Simple Style

     Have you ever strung popcorn for your Christmas tree? I've always loved the old timey look of it, but I've never tried it till this year. It's simple, and I love it. Sometimes simple is just the way to go. "Simple" says relax, you don't need to have everything as perfect as everybody else. "Simple" says stop, enjoy the living part of life.

        "Simple" makes memories and giggles.

         "Simple" also reminds you that you don't have to have everything that you think you have to have....like all my belongings, and Christmas decorations, that are locked away in storage because we are still working on getting permanent housing.

       "Simple" reminds me that there was a time when people were so much more grateful...and had so much less. "Simple" helps me remember what exactly I'm celebrating in the first place.

        We can make Christmas so much more complicated than it needs to be...if we let ourselves.

       This housing delay makes me want to pout and cancel Christmas. I could do that, and make everyone around me miserable. Or. I can remember that Christmas started all because of the simple gift of love....not stuff. It was all about a person, Jesus, who loved people, and chose to live a simple life for my sake. So here's to Christmas, whether glitzy and huge, or simple and small, lets keep the main thing the main thing this season.

       A 2 foot tall Christmas looks just the same as a 10 footer if the Christmas spirit is there. Although I must say, if I get to have a decent tree this season I certainly won't be complaining! =) Have you started your decorating yet, or are you a December decorator?
(p.s. the tree and do-dads to make decorations were all gleaned from the craft store. The popcorn is holding up nicely! I recommend!)

Psalms 21:3   For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness:

Happy Thanksgiving!

     Happy Thanksgiving! If you're traveling, stay safe... if your eating turkey, don't forget the gravy (and if possible, have your sister make it for you like I plan to!)...if your hanging out with relatives, don't talk politics...and if you can't find something to thank God for, just take another deep breath. Life is a wonderful gift. 

picture courtesy of my 3 year old

Jonah 2:9   But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. 

Coziness for $10 or less...

       It's almost Thanksgiving people! This is a big news flash to me actually. With all the chaos of moving, I've not done a single solitary piece of Fall decorating, much less paid any attention to a small thing like a calender! I have, however, noticed it's chilly outside. I also noticed I forgot to pack long sleeves before sending all my belongings off to temporary storage. That, is a MAJOR bummer, I assure you, and I do not recommend anyone making that unintelligent mistake. Some warm winter coziness is definitively in order, on a budget of course! I recommend...

1. Over the knee cable knit socks from Kohls. On sale for $7.00. Even on a tall girl like me, they still went over the knee, and are sooooo comfy! They are my new favorite boot socks!

     2.   Coffee is wonderful all year, but it is absolutely essential in the winter. I tried this creamer the other day, probably shouldn't have. It makes coffee taste like fancy fall party, even it its an off-brand, not even sure it's actually coffee brand.

      3.  Cute soft slippers are must, cold floors are ick! Walmart $9.97.

     4.  Lotion. Make sure it smells nice. Flaky, cracked skin is not cute. Target $8.99

     5.  Red beans and rice. Best meal ever, super cheap, fairly healthy. Make sure to go heavy on the Cajun seasoning!

Recipe here

     
       Hope you are enjoying your Fall. Thanks for being a great bunch, blogging would be no fun without readers! =)


1 John 1:7   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Just saying Hi!

       Well hello there! How have you been? I realize I have quite disappeared from the old blog as of late, and thought I should pop in for a quick update. We've made the jump from south Mississippi to the east side of South Carolina. As you might know, moves rarely are seamless (Haha...get it? Seamless?? HA!) ..and it seams it is an unwritten rule of nature that house purchasing can be neither quick, nor simple. We are in that wonderful state of transitional chaos as we await our house closing date. After that, I assure you, I will have no shortage of blogging content...our future house is quite in need of a MAJOR attack with paint brushes and all the "fix it up" imagination I can muster! I. Can't. Wait!! I did plan to plan ahead with pre-scheduled blog posts, but, uh-hum, as you can see, I might have failed to do that. Whoopsy! Sorry! =))
       In an effort to distract you from the lack of a decent post, have a listen to this little song I've had stuck in my head for the last week. It's quite thought provoking, and helps me to remember what are my most important goals. Have a fabulous rest of your week!

John 8:12   Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

Sweater Knits and why you should love them!

     I've discovered something just grand! As I have mentioned before, I'm a big fan of shopping local for fabric...I like to see it and feel it, before I buy it. That is a handicap in it's own way, because fabric stores don't always pick fabrics to sell that I happen to like! (or that are very current colors and prints!) But, this year, fabric stores are carrying a much larger selection of sweater knits than I've ever seen out before in previous years. So why is this so earth shattering??? Well my dear, sweater knits mean that you can sew anything you can buy in a store, all year long! From scarves to cardigans to sweater dresses...the sky is the limit! Fabulous, no?! To illustrate, here I have a sweater knit skirt, and a sweater knit top that I made myself. Super easy, super fun!

      Excuse the bad picture and apparent broken ankle...I didn't have time to fuss with pictures, and my ankle is in fact, not broken. So here's the deal with sweater knits...they are just like any other knit. If you've ever made anything from any stretchy knit, the same rules apply to sweater knit. Use a serger or a zigzag stitch, a walking foot is really helpful, and pat with a steamy iron when you are done. For a skirt or a dress, I would highly recommend lining it. A lining will help stabilize the sweater knit from stretching out too much as you wear it, and it will also alleviate the need for a slip.
     You know what I am dying to make with sweater knit? Leggings! How cute would that print that's on my skirt be on leggings with a grey tunic dress?? I see a new project in my future! Have you made anything with sweater knits? Did you like it?
P.S. I used the same method as this skirt to make the above...if you want to make one too!

Hebrews 13:15   By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 

Simple Sewing - Knit Maxi Skirt Tutorial

      I was going through my posts in order to update my tutorials page, and I discovered something pretty funny. I've never ever made a tutorial for the one piece of clothing I make the most! I call them my "pj skirts" and I wear them. ALL. THE. TIME. because they are just that comfy. I probably have at least 15 of these skirts. Ya I know, rediculous.  This skirt is not fancy, it is just your basic, knit maxi skirt with a fold over yoga waist. If just know how to turn your machine on, and sew a straight line, you CAN MAKE THIS!
      There are probably a million tutorials out there for this type of maxi already, but here's my take on in it. First off, shop for some knit. You'll need a yard and a half. My opinions on knit are: jersey is great for summer, ponte roma knit is perfect for winter, don't use rib knit, any knit with 3-5% Spandex in it is fabulous! At any rate, pick a knit that holds its shape well...saggy skirts are not cute.
       Now, we cut out our skirt. Lay it out folded, just as it is when it comes off the bolt. You'll need to know how long you want it (NOT including the waist band...waist band will add 8-4 inches to length) and how wide your hips are. Cut out your skirt using the following guide.

       Cut out your waist band like this. (You'll need two!)

       Are you tracking so far? I hope so, because you have just four seams and a hem to do before you are done! First, sew up the long side of your skirt. If you don't have a serger, just set your machine to a narrow zig-zag stitch and set the stitch length a tad longer than normal.

        Now sew the two waist band pieces together along the curved sides.

       Fold it over so that the seam is inside.

      Center the seam of the skirt to the back of the skirt. Mark the centers of both the skirt and the waistband.

      With the skirt facing WRONG side out, put the waist band INSIDE the skirt and pin at the centers and side seams.

       Sew the waist band to the skirt, stretching it slightly as you sew. Make sure the side seams of the waist band are rounded out as you sew, you don't want pointy corners at your hips!

      When you get it sewn, it might look a bit rumpled like this. Eeeww!

      No worries! A nice generous pat (Don't rub, just pat!) with a hot steamy iron will smooth most of it out, and what's left won't show when you wear it.

      After you hem the bottom, do the same thing with the iron to tidy it up a bit. Now, wasn't that just the easiest thing you've ever made in your life?!

       Don't blame me if you get hooked on them, and end up with a closet full of them!...like a certain someone I know! Oh yes, and did I mention these make the. best. maternity skirts EVER??!!
      Here are some other maxi skirt variations you might have missed that I've done in the past.

1. Shirred waist maxi skirt tutorial
2. Hi Low Maxi
3. Chiffon Maxi Skirt
4. Flat Elastic Waist Maxi 

      Have a happy week!

Nahum 1:7   The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. 

Linking to:
Brassy Apple
Under the Table and Dreaming
Homemaker on a Dime
The Girl Creative
The Southern Institute
My Girlish Whims

Fingerless Gloves Tutorial

        Guess what?? It's Friday! As if Fridays need to be improved upon, here's a simple sewing project that will make the day even better! Winter is coming, and who likes cold hands?! Not me! Makes me down right grouchy to be cold! Grab a half yard of cozy sweater fabric, or a nice thick rib knit and you can whip up these gloves in no time!

       The best thing about them? (Besides the fact, you can make them in every color and print under the sun!) You don't have to sacrifice your ability to function, because they are fingerless!

        So here's how it's done. Cut out a rectangle of fabric on a fold with the stretch going width wise. I made mine 13 inches long, and 7.5 inches wide. This makes for a very snug fit, so if you want a looser fit adjust accordingly. Also, if your fabric is not super stretchy, you'll need to add some to the width as well.

       With the wrong side out, sew around the three raw edges. Leave a gap not sewn in the LONG side to turn it right side out. Use a serger or a zigzag stitch on a regular machine. If you have a walking foot, it helps enormously, especially on sweater type fabrics! ( I used white thread so you could see what I did, I would recommend matching the thread to your fabric so it doesn't look tacky!)

      Flip it right side out, and sew up that gap. It looks pretty ugly, but no worries! You won't see that stitch in just a bit.

      Fold the rectangle in half, length wise.  Pop a pin an inch and a half from the top edge. Place another pin 2 inches below that one.

      Sew down the side, but do NOT sew between the two pins.

        Because we double layered the glove, we don't have to hem the ends or the thumb hole. Fabulous, no?! However, because knit does like to roll, I folded over the seam at the ends and just tacked it down at that one spot. This just helps that seam not roll outwards. Do that at both ends.

      Flip it out, and you are finished with your first glove! Do the exact same thing for the other glove.

      I was thinking of all the different things you could make, using this exact same method.

• Make a skinnier version for your kids.
• Use man fabric and make a manly version. My hubs loves to hunt, and these would be perfect for him! Camo anyone?
• Don't leave a thumb hole, make it 20 inches long, sew the ends together....cute head warmer!
• Don't leave a thumb hole, make it wider...leg warmers!
• Don't leave a thumb hole, make it the same size...cute kid's leg warmers!
• Make it really really long (60 inches or so) and bout 14 inches wide, sew the ends together...infinity scarf!

....ok, ok, I'm done now. Point is, there are options. I like options. Happy weekend!!
P.S. These are for sale in my shop with new colors to be added soon!

 Hebrews 3:4   For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 


Linking to:
My Girlish Whims
Tatertots and Jello