What an oxymoron! Buying things to go zero waste! We used some of our tax return money toward adding items to our household to replace things we use that are killing the planet: Ziplocs, Cling Wrap, aluminum foil, etc. To our credit, we’ve done our best over the years to keep our impact low. We’ve had the same box of red cling wrap since 2012, the year we did holiday baking for co-workers. We have a basket full of cotton rags to use instead of disposable rags and cloths; make our own cleaning products; use glass dishes with lids for all our storage/culinary endeavors; use a set of reusable produce bags; and I hand-knitted cotton dish cloths for washing dishes. I also save any and every plastic bag that comes into our home, e.g. tortilla and bread bags to use in the produce aisle. We really try…

However, we go through a lot of foil in this house, and washing and reusing Ziplocs isn’t good enough for me anymore. Quite frankly, we simply need to get plastics out of here and keep them out. It feels so impossible, though. I am endlessly surprised by the myriad of ways they keep coming into this home. There is a ridiculous amount of packaging with the most mundane items. We recycle as much as possible, but I’m learning that recycling is a sham, and now more than ever. You can read more about it here:

Single-use plastics are being incinerated instead of recycled in the USA
Recycling is BS Update: Even aluminum recycling is a mess
Malaysia is floundering in a sea of American plastic
China is expanding waste bans and it’s going to get messy in the recycling bin
Recycling is suffering from system failure; it’s time for a system redesign

Depressed, yet? Not to mention the health issues associated with plastics. So, we decided to spend some money up front in order to NOT have to buy these disposable items going forward.

It turns out, there were pros and cons involved with these items. Just choosing from the multitude of choices on Amazon was overwhelming, but I did my best to find the best deal in terms of quality relative to price. Here is the break down of the specific items I purchased and my opinion of them in person:

XLarge Kishu Binchotan Charcoal Water Purifying Stick
We just went through our fist set of these, and they worked pretty well. I placed them in a half-gallon mason jar and was truly impressed. There was a distinct difference in the taste of the water. However, they didn’t last as long as they were supposed to (4 months) and I’m hoping that by buying a larger size this time it will help. They have to be boiled every few weeks to remove impurities, but it’s not that big of a deal. The old set is now inside my sneakers, doing double duty with ‘absorption.’ I like that they have a life beyond their initial purpose. Additional pro – the only packaging involved is the recyclable little cardboard box. Yay.

Rozotti Silicone Baking Mat Bundle (6-Piece Set)
This is the item that is going to get aluminum foil out of our lives. These are very nice quality and come in two sizes. My Fella likes to place his frozen pizza directly into the oven on foil. These will replace that. I can also lay them over casserole dishes in the oven. These are a true game-changer. I didn’t need the little utensils, but now that they’re in my life I will use them till death do us part. Downside? Each item was packaged in a plastic bag. Again…I’ll use them unto the death. Hopefully theirs…

Reusable Silicone Food Storage Bags
I was so impressed with how nice these are in person. But they’d better be, because they were expensive. On the plus side, I had no idea that they would come with a heavy-duty canvas storage bag, which I’ll be using in the bulk section of the grocery store. They also came with the purple silicone sponge pictured above. I have one and love it, and almost bought a second one. Thank goodness I waited! Additional pro – the plastic zipper bag they came in is completely reusable. Con – the amount of plastic involved. However, it’s a far cry better than washing and reusing Ziplocs. These are dishwasher safe and will last a long time. Additional con – they are best used at home for food storage. For food on the go, they won’t be the best solution.

Bee’s Wrap Assorted 3 Pack, Eco Friendly Reusable Food Wraps
This is another expensive item. I haven’t used them yet and I’m feeling a little unsure. They don’t feel like what I was expecting (whatever that is) and it turns out they last “up to one year.” Hmm. I’m good at making things last much longer than the average person, so I’ll do what I can. I almost returned them, but decided to give them a chance. They will either end up being an unexpected surprise, or super annoying. There will be no in between. I can see these being useful for wrapping up sandwiches on hikes and road trips. I have a lot of beeswax on hand, so if I end up liking them I’ll learn to make my own.

YIHONG Set of 15 Zero Waste Produce Bags Reusable Mesh Bags with Drawstring Toggle Closure
I had a set of 5 produce bags I bought six years ago and love. But we buy so much produce that I decided to buy more. My gosh, there were so many to choose from! I looked at the combo of price, assortment of size, and overall quantity. This is the set I chose. Meh… I’m a little disappointed. These were significantly lower quality than the ones I own, but it is really hard when you can’t see them in person. I’m a sewer, so if they need repairing I can do it. But my old ones wash up beautifully. These seem like they’d melt in the dryer; they are definitely made from some sort of plastic. That’s a bummer. All the organic ones were just too expensive. Also, the plastic toggle closures are heavy! I don’t need to add their weight to the cost of my grocery bill, so I removed them and will use them in my sewing. The variety of sizes are great, but my Fella and I agree that the small ones would make more sense if the drawstring was on the short, not the long, side. Oh, well. You get what you pay for.

Bakerpan Silicone Large Muffin Cups, Set of 6
Last but not least, I had been in the market for a silicone muffin pan, one with 6 large cups. It is not easy to find. The ones with 12 small cups are easy to find. Weird. I have a perfectly good muffin pan, but it wasn’t the best quality to begin with and I’m tired of my yummy gluten-free muffins having a faint metallic flavor. When I finally found and ordered one online, it was flimsy and the reviews on all the others said the same thing. Solution? I found these silicone muffins cups that fit perfectly into my existing pan, extending its life. Plus, I don’t have to grease the pan and use extra coconut oil and wax paper.

Well, there you have it. It feels good to remove these items from the shopping list, thus removing more waste from our environment. It’s not a perfect system: the environmental cost of delivery, the non-renewable resources used in their production and packaging, the way Amazon insists in sending things in multiple small shipments but uses inappropriately large boxes. One step at a time.

Next challenge – how to get the Fella to stop drying his clean hands with a fat chunk of paper towels. Not even a new Star Wars hand towel hanging in its own special spot has made the difference. The souls of dead trees are crying right now… Let’s have a moment of silence for the old growth forest destroyed for the sake of fussy habits…

Things I Buy

“Over the last ten thousand years, most humans transitioned from a migratory, hunter-gathering population to living in sedentary farming communities, then industrialized nations, and then our current technology-based culture. You and I dwell in a time when movement has been almost entirely outsourced.” (Move Your DNA) Wow, what a mind-blowing observation – our movements, including the micro-movements of our lives – have been outsourced. I started with Move Your DNA and devoured every one of Katy Bowman’s books. As someone who already lives in minimal footwear and values doing tasks manually and commuting on foot, these books have taken things to a whole new level of awareness. Bowman’s writing are truly paradigm shifting, challenging the modern understanding of how we do life, how we approach fitness, and how movement is not only about exercise, but intimately linked to how we source our food, how we approach our relationship to the environment, and how movement is the missing ‘vitamin’ in our modern lives. She also gives plenty of exercises and stretches to strengthen the unused structures that have become weakened from a lifetime of disuse, discusses how to transition safely to minimal footwear, and gives suggestions on how to incorporate movement into everyday life. These works are an absolute gold mine. I recommend choosing between Movement Matters or Move Your DNA if you choose just one. “Exercise less, move more, move better.” Indeed.

“More so than any war in history, World War II was a woman’s war. Women, motivated by patriotism, the opportunity for new experiences, and the desire to serve, participated widely in the global conflict. Within the Allied countries, women of all ages proved to be invaluable in the fight for victory.” I love learning about people in American History who never made it into the mainstream history books, but whose experiences, contributions, and struggles are integral to understanding the whole picture of who we are as a nation. The women of WWII are a case in point. Using wartime propaganda, media, documents, and personal letters as a guide, the authors explore the many roles that women on the home front played in aiding the war effort – factory and industrial workers stepping into traditionally non-feminine roles; auxiliary workers who served the roles in the armed forces that their male counterparts left behind to serve on the front lines; and the important role that homemakers played through rationing and tending to Victory Gardens. No stone was left unturned, as the authors explored differences in wages among women of different racial backgrounds, struggles of mothers who had to leave young children to enter factory life, and the heartbreak many young women felt when they showed up to work the morning after the war ended and suddenly found themselves out of a job. A truly riveting read (sorry, I couldn’t help myself!)

“This world is unfolding and really has very little to do with you or your thoughts. It was here long before you came, and it will be here long after you leave…Your inner growth is completely dependent upon the realization that the only way to find peace and contentment is to stop thinking about yourself.” This powerful book takes a Buddhist approach to understanding our human tendency to believe that the solution to our internal disturbances is to rearrange things on the outside of us. The author makes the distinction between the internal dialogue ruling our thoughts, and the essence of who we are. Referring to this inner voice as our “inner troublemaker,” the author guides the reader into the realization that our thoughts, emotions and sensory perceptions all come back to one place – the consciousness. “Consciousness is neither pure nor impure; it has no qualities. It’s just there, aware that it’s aware.” We have the power to focus both our consciousness and awareness not only onto one object, but back to the Self, opening up our ability to experience the unhindered flow of spiritual energy inside of us. We can learn to stay open no matter what happens around us, by learning to stop fighting with the pain we experience, watching it as it comes up, and releasing and cleansing our spirits instead of closing down, protecting ourselves, and putting a shell around the weakened parts of ourselves in order to protect the go. “When you are no longer willing to identify with the part of you that is separating itself into a million pieces, you are ready for real growth.” 

“Ceony bit down a sigh. She had come so far during her nineteen years of life, and now everything she had achieved – at steep odds, no less – seemed to flit away from her, leaving her cold and empty. All her aspirations were now to filter down to simple paper.” This sweet and engaging series tells the story of Ceony Twill, a magician trainee, who has been bonded to a form of magic that holds little interest for her and little prestige in the world of magic. After graduation, she is given an apprenticeship with Emery Thane, a renowned paper magician. She settles into his cottage and finds herself enjoying the spells Thane is teaching her even more than she could have imagined. However, the world of magic has a dark side, and Ceony finds herself thrust into the position where Thane’s life depends on her, and she must use the spells she is only beginning to learn, her own wits, and a hefty amount of courage to go up against powerful forces of very dark magic. This series is quirky, clever and imaginative, and I was surprised at how quickly I was pulled in to this world. Ceony is a charming and relatable character and her willingness to allow love to guide her into the scary unknown made me root for her, something I wasn’t expecting. It took me a few chapters to warm up to this story, and then I couldn’t put it down. I had that deflating, yet satisfying, feeling of let-down you get when you finish a series that you didn’t want to end. This is a great young adult read, though it is not for those squeamish about things like blood.

“How will I live without my sister? She is the strong one, the outgoing one, the shiny-as-a-new-coin one. The one village boys smile at, the one who charms extra pennies from the shrewdest of housewives when we sell our vegetables in the square. What am I without her? Just a girl left by a stork.” This is a beautiful story of sisterhood, love, loyalty, and sacrifice told in an incredibly imaginative way. Clara and Maren are adopted sisters who were raised by Auntie. Maren arrived in a conch shell and Clara was delivered by a stork, but as they come of age, Maren announces that she must be returned to the sea, as she is transforming daily into her true mermaid self. Clara is heartbroken, but Maren will die if she isn’t returned to the sea as soon as possible. Along with their friend, O’Neill, Clara sets out on a journey that presents unexpected challenges. Clara’s love for her sister must override the heartache of not only losing her, but having to accept that O’Neill loves Maren. Even as her heart breaks, Clara never gives up in trying to save her sister’s life. This impressively well-written book was full of twists and turns, and the author pulls the reader right into the heart of the heroine and her struggle to accept that no one can escape who they really are. Highly recommended.

“Human beings are the only animals on the earth that domesticate themselves. But in order for you to domesticate yourself, someone else must domesticate you first. The moment you agree with them is the moment you no longer need anybody else to domesticate you, because you can do it yourself.” (Little Book of Wisdom) The past two years of my life have been all about Toltec Wisdom. It started with The Four Agreements and before I knew it, I was reading everything I could get my hands on from Don Miguel Ruiz and his sons, HeatherAsh Amara, and more. The systems in which we participate – society, family, etc. – are the products of agreements we have made. When we are aware of the agreements we’ve made, we realize how much of our own personal hell is a choice. These books are all masterfully simple; they are not saying anything we don’t know, yet we are confronted with the reality of our lives and the fact that we have so much more control over our experiences and perceptions than we think we do. These principles are powerful and can be helpful to anyone, regardless of spiritual affiliation. If nothing else, at least read these two books by Ruiz: The Four Agreements and Mastery of Love. While the ideas are simple, they are the types of wisdom that require a long slow digestion to truly integrate into our lives. Awareness and personal responsibility merge, bringing freedom from self-imposed drama.

Take home message? I’m a nerd, and proud of it! Happy reading…

Things I Read

Here is make number four from #MakeNine2019-and-then-some. Pajama pants aren’t the most exciting thing, but they are much-needed in my wardrobe. My mother gave me this plaid cotton fabric last year when she was cleaning out her sewing space. It’s not something I would have picked out, but it was absolutely ideal for jammies. The piece was at least 3 yards by 45 inches wide. This was more than enough to make two identical pairs. In fact, there was enough left for shorts or a top, but I don’t need any more shorts, and I’m not a matching set kind of person, so I’m donating the remaining yardage to Austin Creative Reuse.

I used Simplicity 1721. This out-of-print pattern was originally purchased for $1.99 (not the $16.95 on the envelope) and has already gotten use in the form of the men’s top and P.J. bottoms, and will get plenty of use in the future. I used View F:

What can I say? Not bad for free pajamas! Four makes down… on to the next!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things I Sew

Five years ago, I had my hair cut into a very short pixie cut, and I absolutely loved it. I kept it up for five months, but then several things happened. First, my stylist went on maternity leave and never came back. Second, my hair grows so fast, it was costing upwards of $70-80 monthly to have it maintained. Since I am very particular about who handles my hair, and I needed to focus my money towards Lyme disease recovery, I grew it out.

I let it go for 3-1/2 years. In the interim, I relied on hats, headbands, scarves, the classic bun, and whatever possible to remain presentable. I’ll be honest, the first year was rough. So, after growing it for so long, I was excited to finally let someone trim it up and make it presentable enough to start wearing it down in all its glory.

I went to the same salon and had them schedule me with one of their ‘master’ stylists. When I sat in the chair, I was very clear about what I wanted: My hair is very wavy, bordering on curly. I prefer that it NOT be straightened for the cut, as I need to make sure that the layers work with my hair texture. Also, I have a chronic illness and struggle with fatigue, so I need my hair to be wash-and-wear. This means nothing requiring blowing out, flat ironing, using specialized products, etc. My hair simply cannot be the thing that takes my energy. I asked for the ends to be neatly trimmed with some long layers added in, maintaining as much of my current length as possible. I asked that my hair be left unstyled at the end. Hair always looks great when you walk out of the salon, but between you and me, I needed to make sure I wouldn’t rinse my hair the next day and end up with a mess that only a professional could properly style. I tried to be as clear and straight-forward as possible. I’ve had enough great haircuts to know that when the cut is great, you don’t need to do a ton to make it look good.

No problem, she said. I completely understand, she said. But part way through the cut, I made a rookie error. She asked with a sheepish grin, “Would it be alright if I straighten it some, to help me check the layers.” I said yes. I should have listened to my gut. Shouldn’t a ‘master’ stylist be able to handle putting layers in wavy hair? In the end, it turned out she not only straightened my hair until it was sleek, but she razor-cut layers into my hair. On one of those women with sleek, straight tresses, that’s great. My hair, however, was shredded and frayed. The chair was turned away from the mirror, so I didn’t realize what exactly was happening. I trusted her because she seemed to really get where I was coming from.

What a mess. She styled my hair perfectly straight – within 30 minutes of leaving the salon and encountering humidity my hair was a disaster. The following week, I tried calling the salon many times. The calls kept going to voicemail, and the few messages I left were never returned. They lost a customer of seven years. And I continued my bun-hat-scarf lifestyle as I grew the layers back out again. I still have about 4 inches to go. She really butchered my hair, and I cried real tears over it. I stayed upset for a very long time.

So, here we are. I am working to grow, strengthen and restore the health of my hair and scalp. Here are the issues I considered as I designed my perfect hair rinse:

• Flaky scalp – from health imbalances and wearing hats & up-dos
• Hair loss – result of chronic health issues and wearing tight hair styles too often
• Textural changes – I’m 46, and age-related hormonal issues have caused my hair to develop a brittle texture
• Color – not a problem! Just want to choose herbs suited to my dark hair and the sprinkling of grays mixed in (they are perfectly welcome here. If I’m not judging myself for growing older, I’m sure as heck not judging my hair!)

I have been using a modified no-poo method for many years, so I will be using this vinegar rinse after washing my hair (every 1-2 weeks), or in between washings as a follow-up to my morning scalp massage and cold water rinse.

This is the recipe I came up with:

32 oz.  Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp each of the following dried herbs:  Basil, Black Tea, Nettles, Oregano, Sage
Let infuse for 1-2 weeks
Add 10 drops each:
          Tea tree oil 
          Rosemary essential oil
Use 1-2 Tbsp, per cup of water

Herbal actions:
Apple Cider Vinegar:  Restores pH to hair and skin, removes excess oil and residue, controls dandruff flaking
Basil:  Soothing, purifying; stimulates hair growth; conditioning; detangling
Black Tea:  Enhances dark hair color
Nettles:  Stimulates circulation of scalp and aids hair growth; very nourishing with many vitamins & minerals
Oregano:  Stimulating, cleansing; hair detangler and softener
Rosemary:  Great for darkening the hair; helps hair grown and thicken; fantastic conditioner; antiseptic, cleansing; stimulates skin; rejuvenates cells
Sage:  Stimulates circulation; effective for hair loss and sensitive skin
Tea Tree Oil:  Effective for dandruff and itchy or inflamed scalp

I based my combo not only on herbal actions, but what was readily available. I’m happy with what the resulting formula. No, it does not smell yummy. I’m considering it as medicinal, but since I like to make hair spritzers for fragrance purposes, I’m not too worried. If it does the job, that’s all that matters right now. I’ll keep you posted on the results…

Favorite sources used:

Naturally Healthy Hair by Mary Beth Janssen
Renegade Beauty by Nadine Artemis
Aromatherapy for Sensual Living by Elana Millman

Things I Make

Outward appearances are deceiving. I can suspend judgement and assume that people are doing their best.

“Wow,” she said to me through narrowed eyes and pursed lips, as she rang up my tampons. “You sure do wear a LOT of expensive clothes.”

“Not really,” I replied, trying to muster a playful tone, even though I was sure that the pounding of my heart in my ears must be audible to the entire store. “I sure wish I did, but I actually don’t.” I looked down at my thrifted blouse, feeling inexplicable shame.

“Yeah, you actually do,” she replied with a smirk. “I see you in here all the time. Must be nice,” she stated sarcastically with raised eyebrows, as she turned toward her register, completely dismissing me.

Fast forward a few years:

“Do you have any idea how many people were oppressed making those designer clothes?” asked the kid standing next to me with dreadlocks and old Birkenstocks the color of vomit, as we waited for our coffee drinks.

“Yes. One person. I made them, and I don’t feel the least bit oppressed. And before you start in on the fabric, it’s a combination of thrifted and American-made. By the way…” I added as I grabbed my espresso off the counter, “I buy my designer stuff second-hand. I’m not telling you this because I owe you an explanation, but so you can think twice the next time you decide to judge someone you don’t even know.” Yep. This happened, and I really said that. No effs given. Okay, maybe a few, but I’m only human. That guy almost got bitch-slapped. It hurt to be singled out that way. Of all the other people in the coffee shop that day, it’s possible that I was the most sustainably dressed, but I was singled out because I didn’t look like I woke up in a vintage camper van or smell like patchouli mixed with body odor. After all, if I’m a pretty, well-dressed woman, I couldn’t possibly be conscious about anything other than endless shopping and receiving approval for my looks.

Stories like this are a dime a dozen in the lives of women – catty counterparts, harsh assumptions and the classic mansplain. As sewists, we have our share of stories to add (no, I am not a selfish person because I won’t become your personal couturier). I’ve been thinking a lot about my role as a sewist in the future of fashion, and a more conscious approach to life in general. There is so much more conversation going on regarding the environment, fast fashion, the slow fashion movement, the choices we make regarding our consumption, and how that translates into our actual lives.

This conversation has extended to the sewing community. We already engage in slow fashion by virtue of our hobby. But the conversation has extended to topics such as the following:

• Where do all the supplies come from? Has sweat shop labor, slave labor, waste, pollution, etc., been involved in the production of our fabric and supplies?
• Just because we can make stuff, and just because we love to, do we really need to keep adding to our wardrobes? Are we really getting the wear out of our clothes that we should?
• Do I need to feel guilty when I buy ready-to-wear? Is this an all-or-nothing lifestyle? Am I betraying my principles because I own some fast-fashion alongside my me-made and thrifted duds?

People genuinely angst over this stuff, and occasionally post their thoughts. I appreciate reading these posts and it feels good to know other folks are thinking through the same issues. At the same time, it gets me thinking… If I’m judging myself for NOT sewing my entire wardrobe, then how am I viewing the majority of folks who simply do not have this ability, and/or have the time and energy for a hobby like this? Is the outward appearance of a lifestyle more important than the underlying reality? After all, anyone can greenwash their life for the sake of social media. I have no way to know from the outside looking in, so I need to keep a loose grip on my perception. If I’m going to be wrong, I want to err on the side of compassion, because I know how it feels to be singled out by someone’s prejudiced thinking, then rendered invisible by it all in one fell swoop.

I have been in the position where sewing my own clothes just wasn’t possible. It isn’t always the most affordable option, and time and energy are real factors for many of us. So…if I have to choose between one plain organic t-shirt for say, $15, to wear with my scrub pants at my clinic job (real situation), versus five of them at $3 each from Walmart, guess what I’m doing. If you’re on a tight budget, it doesn’t matter how much you know about the cotton industry, or how #conscious #sustainable you are in your principles. You just don’t have an extra $60 for shirts.

People go through things in life. It’s like when a stranger tells you to smile right after your dog died and it’s taking all your energy not to break down in the line at the pharmacy. Or someone looks at you funny for parking in the disabled parking spot, just because they can’t see the excruciating pain of your rheumatoid arthritis. It doesn’t take any special skill or talent to look down my nose at someone else or shame them for not fitting into my ideas about how their life should look according to my personal world view. Odds are, I will only succeed in acting as a battering ram in their life, bruising what may already be a hurting, stressed out, or broken heart. How does this help make the world a better, more loving place?

It is all too easy to judge someone’s choices without realizing that there’s more than meets the eye. Life is convoluted and nuanced, and it takes time, money, education, and commitment to make changes. People have their reasons for doing what they do, and they don’t owe me an explanation. Is this giving up on necessary change and throwing caution to the wind? No. I’m just not going to assume I have everyone else’s lives figured out, or that I have the inside scoop on their circumstances. No one’s life ever improved because they were harshly judged or shamed by someone else. Quite the contrary. I’ve decided to focus less on what I’m against, and focus more on what I’m for. It’s such a different energy. You can show the world what you stand for by embracing who you are with passion and living your principles straight from the heart. You never know who will be inspired by your passion as they watch you doing life.

Thoughts From My Creative Journey
#LearnNine2019

“One woman is our ancestral gardener, a cocreator of the good green world that would be the home of her descendants. The other was an exile, just passing through an alien world on a rough road to her real home in heaven. And then they met – the offspring of Skywoman and the children of Eve – and the land around us bears the scars of that meeting, the echos of our stories.”  Have you ever read one of those books that was so well-written and thought-provoking that you could only read it in small bits in order to sit with and savor every word? This brilliant work took a very long time to read. The author is a biologist by trade, and Native American by birth, and she weaves her scientific understanding with her deep roots in a poetic way that transformed my understanding of environmental issues currently confronting our world. Using the traditional storytelling and wisdom of her culture, she gives us the gift of seeing the modern world around us through indigenous eyes, with thousands of years of connection, tradition, and genuine stewardship of the earth beneath our feet, the sky above our heads and all the life contained therein. I learned so much about the many artisanal traditions and lifestyle of Native people – from basket weaving to fur trapping to foraging of wild plants – along with the spiritual mindset underlying these things. This book should be required reading for every American.

“I’ve told you a lot about my daddy, but the thing that makes him really special is that he is a motion picture operator and so is his daddy. I come from a show business family; even my mother once was a movie cashier.”  I went through a Fannie Flagg phase last summer. I read Fried Green Tomatoes about 25 years ago, and yearned for some small town charm in my life. Daisy Fay is now one of my favorite adolescent females in literature. This book is written entirely in journal format from her perspective, and is a poignant mix of humor, tragedy, spunk, and resilience. At the mercy of her flighty father, abandoned by her straight-laced mother, and surrounded by a cast of eclectic characters, Daisy Fay’s story is a brilliant portrayal of a young girl navigating her coming of age in the 1950s American South, with grace and pluck in the midst of what were all too often infuriating circumstances. Most of us would have crumbled. Daisy Fay kept me cracking up. Fannie Flagg really takes the reader into this character’s perspective. Great bedtime reading.

 “Women absolutely do need to make the journey; we do not, however, need to make same journey which the Hero makes. Our journey is different; our stories are all our own. It’s more than time we told our own stories, outlined our journeys for ourselves. We don’t need Heroes to tell us who to be.”  This is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read as a woman. After deconstructing the archetype which has shaped the identity of modern western women and the deeply ingrained sexism of society, she shows the historic importance of the Wise Woman in spiritual traditions and the institutions that have suppressed this knowledge for centuries. Through telling of traditional stories from Celtic folklore, the author crafts a compelling memoir of how she found herself living in Ireland in order to reconnect with her Celtic spiritual roots, the natural world, and her identity as a woman. “The Heroine’s path is different from, perhaps complementary to, that of the path of the adventuring, all-conquering Hero…The journey requires her to explore the source of her own belonging, find her centre, begin to recover an understanding of her own place in the great, connected web of the world. She is walking her way back into being…uncovering the power of community.” This is more than just a book about the roles we play as women. It is about the powerful connection that we, as women, have to nature and the creative forces around us, how we are key in the healing of the Earth, and what it means to become ‘indigenous to place.” A truly powerful read.

“Lutie had no comeback to Fate’s comment. And the only person who knew at the moment just how much trouble this teenage girl and her little brother were in was the man with the dark, opaque eyes who watched the Pontiac until it turned a corner and disappeared from his sight.”  Last spring, I saw a re-run on T.V. of the movie, Where the Heart Is with Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd. I love this movie and decided I needed to read the book. Thus began my Billie Letts phase. Young Lutie McFee already experienced enough loss and tragedy to last a lifetime, when she steals a car and hits the open road with her young brother, Fate, headed to Vegas to find their father. Told from Lutie’s perspective, there is nothing charming about her worldview or choices at every stage of the journey. She is no Daisy Fay, and at nearly every turn I wanted to shake her and scream, “What is wrong with you!?” This speaks to the talent of this author. Stories like Lutie and Fate’s are probably a dime a dozen and it is all too easy to forget that this girl is just a lost child. Very realistic and heart-warming in its own way, but deeply upsetting as the reader finds themselves inside a world in which most of us will never reside, full of darkness, difficult decisions, and misguided choices.

“So here we are, the most affluent society that has had the privilege to walk the face of the earth, and we’re stuck with our noses to the grindstone, our lives in a perpetual loop between home and job and our hearts yearning for something that’s just over the horizon.” This is more than just a book on personal finance. It is a mindful and holistic approach to our relationship with the money we earn and how we utilize it, questioning our obsession with affluence and the impact these values have had on our collective happiness and wellbeing. By the end of the 80s, the U.S. went from being the world’s largest creditor nation to the world’s largest debtor nation. The authors refer to this as the debt we’ve rung up in our post-WWII spending spree, pointing out that as a society we’ve lost the ability to recognize what actually constitutes ‘enough.’ We have “learned to seek external solutions to signals from the mind, heart, or soul that something is out of balance.” The book then encourages the reader to calculate the sum total of all the money they’ve earned in their lifetime as they reframe their understanding of spending and security, in turn setting up new priorities in how they spend their life energy. This book is both practical and paradigm shifting. I intend to re-read it very soon.

“In deep soul writing you search the reaches of your heart, tell your story, ask your questions, hear your answers, and receive your guidance. What you do next in response to that guidance is up to you, but you can’t really ignore it.” It took me a full calendar year to get through Janet Conner’s books. My love of Toltec wisdom caused me to stumble across these books randomly as I searched for something new to read in the genre. It started with Deep Soul Writing, then I moved on to Soul Vows, followed by Find Your Soul’s Purpose, and then finishing up with The Lotus and the Lily. I experienced the most profound emotional breakthroughs and spiritual growth of my life. I have never been someone who likes to journal. Never. But deep soul writing is not just about writing your feelings in a journal – it’s deep and intentional, where journaling becomes an act of meditation. These books make no promises or bold claims like so many others of the genre; they gently invite you on a journey. This journey is at your own pace, in your own timing. Every time I reached a stuck point in the process and thought to myself, “This is lame; this doesn’t work,” I broke through. I truly came away with a clear, concise sense of my own purpose and the core values that will govern my relationship with myself and the world around me going forward.

Things I Read

Here is my latest #MakeNine2019 project:

 

This is the Sewaholic Oakridge blouse, made from a thrifted fabric found yet again at Saver’s Thrift Store. I procrastinated on this project for a while. The fabric is that slinky stuff that is exceedingly drapey and loves to roll up at the edges. This can be annoying to work with sometimes, so I kept pushing it aside in favor of less cranky projects. But I really wanted the blouse and couldn’t wait anymore.

This was my first time using a Sewaholic pattern, and I am so impressed. I did my usual pattern grading – usual size in width, one size up in length, and it worked well. The fit is body skimming with an easy-fitting silhouette. I think I could go down a size for a more fitted look in the future. I made view A:

I pinned the heck out of everything, took my time, and surprised myself with how simple this blouse was to put together. I added pearlized snaps instead of buttons because I’ve grown to prefer them.

I love the 70s vibe this blouse gives off and will definitely make this pattern again. It’s amazing how easy it is to create something when the pattern is this well-designed. I can’t wait to make the other Sewaholic projects I have on deck.

Total cost of blouse? $1.99 for fabric, and $17.99 for the pattern. Notions purchased in bulk for pennies on the dollar, so the cost is negligible.

Things I Sew

As I’ve been doing my #MakeNine2019 projects, I’ve been thinking about how many life lessons you learn from being deeply involved in a creative process like sewing. I’ve decided to start a new series about it. The process of planning, preparing, and executing a project from start to finish brings about so many different types of experiences, they become a metaphor for life. These posts will be published at random as my own personal #LearnNine2019.

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson One
Surrendering to the process brings unexpected results…

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson Two
Outward appearances are deceiving. I can suspend judgment
and assume people are doing their best.

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson Three
Not everything is going to work out, and that’s okay…
you’re allowed to let go of the outcome.

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson Four
Sometimes self care is not about DOING something;  it’s about
NOT doing something, even though you want to so much.

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson Five
You can’t control what people will or won’t like,
so keep putting yourself out there, believe in what you’re
creating, and let the chips fall where they may.

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson Six
Sometimes things fall apart, but a little creativity, ingenuity,
and resilience can turn things around.

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson Seven
Sometimes it’s hard to admit when things aren’t working,
but giving up is not the same thing as letting go.

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson Eight
Saying ‘No’ does not make you a selfish person. You are free
to release yourself from the unreasonable expectations of others.

Life Lessons Learned From Sewing – Lesson Nine
The size of your body at this moment is the right size to be. Your natural shape is exactly the right shape to be. You deserve to wear beautiful clothing that makes you feel great, exactly as you are in this moment.

Thoughts From My Creative Journey

Surrendering to the process brings unexpected results…

“At the heart of the experiment is a simple question: Am I better off making up an alternate reality in my mind and then fighting with reality to make it be my way, or am I better off letting go of what I want and serving the same forces of reality that managed to create the entire perfection of the universe around me?” — Michael A Singer, from ‘The Surrender Experiment”

I admire those people who pick out a pattern, buy the fabric and notions, and craft their vision from start to finish. Try as I might, this doesn’t seem to be my way. Fabric has a mind of its own. Nine times out of ten, I think I know what I am going to make, and then the fabric reminds me, “You’re not the boss of me.” Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

No matter how hard I try to play matchmaker, the right pattern will make its way to the fabric in spite of me. Sometimes the perfect pattern has yet to be designed, and the best thing we can do is wait patiently. You can’t thwart destiny, nor would I want to, because the finished project is often so much better than I originally envisioned.

It’s not that I wouldn’t have liked the original plan. For whatever reason, it wouldn’t work, and I had to find a different option, or I simply came across something that excited me so much more in a spontaneous ‘a-ha’ moment. I love when projects take themselves over and surprise me with their results. And the more years I do this, the more I realize that my life is infinitely better when I let it work itself out just the same way.

I always used to be a planner. I loved making plans, itineraries, and bullet-pointed lists. There was something kind of grounding about it initially; setting goals and resolutions gave me a sense of control and direction, a comfort in knowing where I was headed and what my intentions were. And yet, after the initial calm, anxiety inevitably set in. Why? Because now it was all up to me, master of my own little universe. That’s the thing about control – the pressure is on you, because you ordained it that way. A need to control the outcome brings with it the internal pressure of needing things to be a certain way, needing all the pieces to fall into place according to specific timelines, and ultimately breeding and sense of failure in oneself and unhappiness with other people when things don’t measure up to our self-imposed expectations.

I lived in this personal hell for a number of years, trying and trying to accomplish goals. Yet, not a single thing ever turned out the way I initially planned. Never. Why? Because I could not control other people, institutions, random mishaps, mayhem, acts of divine will, economic and social forces that no one could have predicted. Control is an illusion. Disappointments are inevitable. Yet these things are essential to the journey, because when we surrender to the flow of life – and life will flow whether we like it or not – we get some remarkable gifts in return: resilience, spunk, survival skills. We also get happy surprises, relationships we never imagined having, new starts in unexpected places, the self-esteem and empowered feeling that comes from surviving, thriving, and knowing you have what it takes to rise above. This is not to make light of suffering, loss or betrayal. No one gets through this life unscathed. This is simply about the mindset of letting go – letting ourselves off the hook for these things happening in our lives, and taking the course of the Universe off of our own shoulders to find peace in the midst of it all.

Life doesn’t need my help. I can plan and plan all I want, but like a wise and famous rock star once said, “Life is what happens while we’re busy making other plans.” We’ve all heard this many times. Is life easier this way? Not necessarily. Do I feel better about the process when I’m in the middle of it all? Not usually. In fact, it downright hurts sometimes, like a band aid being ripped off your heart. Life has an intriguing way of getting us somewhere we need to be in spite of where we think we’re going. How much better is my experience if, instead of trying to control everything with a white knuckle grip, I just let go and trust? How much cuter is my wardrobe with a pair of yellow pants I never even knew I wanted?

I want life to surprise me. There is nothing wrong with goals and plans. They are positive tools that breed hope and direction. But when they become ways of trying to control outcomes, we have to examine whether or not we are stuck in fear-based thinking. If it hadn’t been for the many plans I’ve made, I wouldn’t be where I am. Goals are the thing that sets the ball rolling and creates intention about what I want. But life has more to offer me than my finite world view can ever comprehend. In the meantime, I keep on sewing.

What do you suppose this lovely drapey fabric wants to become? It hasn’t told me yet.

#LearnNine2019
Thoughts From My Creative Journey

Nothing in my home is sacred – not when it comes to sewing. Some people see a table-cloth; I see an Easter dress. The latest casualty? My black knit scarf. I’ve had my scarf for about ten years, and it’s gotten plenty of wear. But I also received a much nicer black scarf a couple of years later, so I don’t need two of them. What I did need? A black knit top. I wanted to wear a short-sleeved black knit top last week and quickly realized that I don’t own this very basic item. Bye-bye scarf. Let’s take a moment to remember the joy that was sparked by this scarf and thank it for its contribution to my wardrobe…

When I measured the scarf, it was two yards by 22-1/2 inches:

I opted for a basic top with some drape, making McCall’s 7322 a perfect choice:

I think it’s a good idea to keep a wide variety of basic patterns on hand; you can pretty much hack any item you want this way, if you’re like me and lack the set-up to draft your own stuff. For my top I used View F, the boat neck version, but with the short sleeve:

I shortened it by six inches because it runs very long. The pattern also runs big, so I recommend sizing down if you want it to fit the way it does on the model on the pattern envelope. This was yet another quick and easy make and will get far more wear than the scarf ever did. The pattern will get a lot more use, as well. I’m thrilled with the result; here’s the before and after:

It is another departure from my #MakeNine2019 but considering that my goal is to use my stash, I figure my scarf collection counts. Total cost of top? $1.99 plus tax for the pattern; scarf was purchase too many years ago to matter. On to the next…

Things I Sew