Fitting Woes

I love to sew but the elusive perfect pair of pants is still elusive. This week's challenge is to make myself some new pants. I tend to shy away from that task because they never seem to fit right. I read all the alterations books, look at all the "wrinkle smiles" and try to determine what is the problem with my crotch. My other problem is the back gap. No matter the pants, the brand, the pattern, I have a gap in the back. It is not a waist size issue because they fit snug in the front.

I have so many pair of passable muslins. From an untrained seamstress eye, the pants fit great. Little do they know that I wear my shirts untucked to cover my ugly waistbands and oddly gapping back waist. Most would look at me and see a slim built woman that would be easy to fit. Surprisingly, I am curvy by definition. There is a 10" difference between my waist and hip measurement even though I wear a size 4. My problem being that my torso is very long so the distance between my waist and hip is also long.

I write this post to tell others you are not alone. No matter your size, you will have fit issues. We are all brainwashed into thinking that Ready To Wear has a size to fit us all. They change the sizes constantly so that a 4 today may be a 6 tomorrow. The cut is changed almost as frequently so that pair of Gap jeans that you have worn out, are just a distant memory because they no longer make that style. Fads come and go and pant legs get fuller and tighter. Waistlines rise and lower with the changing of the tides. If you are lucky enough to find a pair of jeans that fit, buy 10 pair and make sure you never age or change weight.

When I get my perfect pants finally finished, I will post a picture.

I'm a Knitter!

I've become crazy about knitting socks. My first attempt ended badly. So bad in fact that I only made one and left it lying on the back stairs so long a moth ate a hole in it. The toe was oddly rectangular and the foot length was too short. My second attempt, which I call my first pair because really, it's the only pair I've made, came out much better. I enjoy wearing them. I ripped out that first sock 3 times before I got it right. That is what I get for using a free pattern off the internet. Turns out it was missing a row.

With one pair under my belt, I decided I needed a bigger challenge. Looking through my new sock book, I settled on these because they fit the supplies that I have. Additionally, they are just pretty and look very impressive for a beginning knitter. Socks are very logical once you figure out the basics. They are all generally constructed the same way with all the same sections. They are small and easy to transport. I spend about 4-5 hours a week, sitting and waiting for my girls. This is just the project. I could read but then I wouldn't get to chat with my other mom friends. Given the choice I would have a portable sewing studio, but until that purse Hermione had in Harry Potter becomes a reality, I will have to stick to knitting socks.

Unfortunately, the bottom of my bag had begun to look like a game of pick up sticks. It was time to make a knitting roll. Using the scraps laying on my cutting table, I whipped this up in under an hour. I made it 8x12 but my next version will be a touch bigger because some of my needles don't fit. Very simple sewing and perhaps someday, I will make a tutorial.

For dinner tonight: cranberry orange pot roast. A family favorite.

Getting Real

Wow, it has been a long, long time since I have posted. I've been busy this summer with sewing camp, a wedding at the beach, VBS, and everything else that summer brings. It has been an amazing summer full of good times and great friends.

One special friend has been battling cancer this summer. She has fought courageously and with tremendous faith. Her battle is nearly won and we are all praying for a full recovery and many more years to share in her sweet spirit. Throughout her battle she has "kept it real". She honestly and openly voiced the uglier side of cancer treatment. It made it easier to be a friend, knowing what she needed and what trials she was facing day to day. If nothing else, I knew what specific prayers she needed.

As I talked to my cousin this morning, I realized that moms aren't very good at keeping it real. We want to be super heroes and have it all together. In an earlier conversation, she had mentioned what a challenge it was washing her 4 year old daughter's hair because it was so thick and she screamed and my cousin got frustrated. Today she said "I don't want you to think I'm always frustrated with my daughter over her hair." I laughed and told her that it's part of being a mom. Children can be frustrating.

Perhaps that's our problem though. On the outside, in the outside world, we have it all together. We never yell at our kids. We are always calm and we never get outwardly frustrated because people are watching and they will find out our dirty little secret...we are not perfect mothers. In the comfort and security of our home, when we let our guards down, we allow ourselves all the ugly, yet real, emotions and we hate ourselves for it. It confirms our worst fears, we are not super heroes.

I try to be the voice of honesty when talking to my friends with young kids. I tell them my horror stories of my oldest that screamed from the moment she was born until she was 1. There were days I wanted to run away. There were days I wanted to sell her to the gypsies. My house was a mess, I was a mess, and there was no pretending I had it all together.

There have been days I have snapped at my kids, not often but on occasion. I use it as a life lesson. I sincerely apologize and tell them that I am tired, overwhelmed, frustrated, whichever emotion fits the scenario. I tell them that I should not have gotten angry with them or snapped at them. In my weakness, I have humbly shown them that I am still a work in progress. In recent years this has born compassion. They sense when I am tired or sick and rather than pushing my buttons, they offer to help.

Moms, let's do a better job of keeping it real. Let your family and friends know when you are struggling so they can help you and pray for you. Don't put on a pretty smile and clean clothes when your husband comes home and you have had the worst day imaginable. God gave us a spouse to help us and love us. He cannot help us if he does not know we need help. Take some time out of your day just for you. A time to sort out your thoughts, dreams, and maybe take a shower. Raising kids is the hardest job you will ever love. God knows we are not perfect so stop pretending that you are and accept the help you desperately need.

Sugar Cookies

I thought I would share my latest and greatest sugar cookie recipe. It's a constant struggle with sugar cookies because I cannot have dairy. The fake butter tastes, well, fake. I use palm shortening which is fine but just doesn't compare with the half butter, half shortening cookies that I used to love. Tonight I decided to try coconut oil. The resulting dough felt much closer to the cookie dough I grew up loving and sneaking bites. The taste is excellent. I will roll them and cook them tomorrow and will post an update. Here is the recipe:

Simply Sugar Cookies
1/3 C coconut oil
1/3 C shortening
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 C flour

Combine shortening and coconut oil in mixer bowl. Add sugar and cream until combined. Add egg, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon rind, baking powder, and salt. Beat until fluffy. Add in 1 cup flour and mix until combine. Stir in remaining flour by hand, just until thoroughly combined. Divide dough in half and press into flattened circles between plastic wrap. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. I like to leave them overnight. Roll out to an 1/8 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 7 min. or until set.

Barrettes

My latest obsession is wool covered clips for my daughter. She loves wearing extra pretties in her hair to dance so I started making small ones and then found giant ones out shopping the other day. I love the size because I can add embroidery and beads. It's a great project to do while I'm waiting at dance and piano lessons.

They are simple to make. You need those snap clips that you bend to open and bend to close. Cut 2 circles of felt big enough to cover the entire clip. Make a small slit off to one side and slide the clasp part of the clip through the opening. Attach the other circle on top and you now have a pretty clip perfect for a little bit of hair or for adorning a pony tail or braid.

Facebook Farse

I've been thinking about technology lately and its benefits and pitfalls. Technology has made it easier than ever before to keep in touch with the people we hold dear. It has made it possible to connect with like minded people all over the world. It has shrunk our world and expanded our access to information.

But with progress comes pitfalls. The industrial age also ushered in new technology and easier access to machinery that simplified the drudgery of household labor. With that positive came the negatives including child labor, pollution, and increased exposure to danger in the workplace. So to, our society has seen the benefits of progress along with the hazards.

I could talk about the internet, cell phones, computers, and a host of other advances but my biggest concern lies in the social network. I have noticed that people can keep up their appearances on Facebook easier than in person. I read a friend's post about her wonderful children only to have her say over the phone that she cannot wait to send them off to school because they were driving her crazy. I see posts about injury and illness and the replies of prayers and hope only to be left wondering if anybody has actually reached out to this person with a heartfelt sentiment and real help. Worse yet, simply click the "like" button and you feel as if you've acknowledged their suffering and done your job.

With 400 "friends" listed on Facebook, I can guarantee that there are only a handful that would really help me in times of trouble. These are obviously not all true friends but acquaintances. Does this blur the line for our young people? With children as young as 10 (that I know personally) sporting Facebook pages, do they understand the difference between friend and acquaintance? I know we used to chase after the myth that was popularity in high school and junior high. Does accepting any friend that comes along on Facebook instantly make you popular? What if those friends are dangerous and strangers?

Social networking has made us seemingly more connected and at the same time removed us from the community. We know what is going on at the Jones' or at least we think we do. How many people really post what their life is really like on their Facebook page? Status: I'm drinking to escape my life. Status: I'm cheating on my spouse. Status: I have this big fancy house that I cannot afford. Status: I am unemployed and drowning in debt. Status: I am hopeless but I just put a smile on my face. These are the things we miss about our friends and neighbors when we don't talk to them face to face. We cannot love others when we do not know what they need.

Disconnect today. Love your neighbor as yourself. Hug your friends in person. Take a meal rather than clicking "like". Reconnect with your community. Lift each other up in prayer rather than just saying you will. Send a handwritten note, smile a real smile, laugh in the company of your friends, and reconnect with our world.

Tulle Explosion

Tutu making is not for the weak of heart or easily discouraged. It is a tremendous amount of tulle which can be rather unwieldy at times. Above, my trusty old Bernina is chugging through the 4th row of tulle on the waistband for this romantic tutu. No fancy machinery though, just a good old mechanical machine that can muscle through anything yet still handle delicate tulle. I have fancier machines that do fancier stitches but this is by far the machine I use the most.

When I lovingly open up my Bernina and clean lint out of the metal gears and drop some oil here and there to keep her running, I am reminded of the utility and simplicity inherent in these machines. They were manufactured in the 1970's. The intention was that they would run forever. It seems that more and more things have become disposable. And not just razors and grocery bags, but big things like appliances, furniture, vehicles. How many people do you know driving around a 20 year old car? Has our age of abundance and prosperity made us wasteful?

Let's talk socks for a minute. My daughter is learning to sew from an old book originally published in 1913. One of the lessons is darning and mending. When was the last time you thought about mending a sock? Having started but not finished knitting a sock, I can tell you if that sock got a hole, I would definitely mend it because of all the labor I have sacrificed. Maybe because necessities are so cheap, we don't consider our wastefulness.

For dinner tonight...grilled salmon, roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and bread.

Here is the finished tutu...