Sew Simple Bracelet!

Kathy

(my sister's sister-in-law)

is sharing this

SEW SIMPLE idea.

After seeing these type of fabric bracelets in stores-

she figured she could make them on her own- for less$

These are ADORABLE!

Using just fabric scraps

some wide elastics

and some basic sewing skills.

I love this project!

Thanks Kathy for sharing- perfect project for our girls!

Tutorial is found HERE-

if you try your hand at this project... be sure to let us see your results!

Skirt Challenge

Here is a simple- so-so-sew simple way to turn a dress jumper into a cute skirt.

I bought this dress at a second hand store this past summer. I loved the bright-cheerful color and the playful pattern of the dress. (They are butterflies)

I also liked the A-line style of the dress... and the hidden zipper in the back. (This wont be just another elastic waist band skirt)



MAJOR problems with the dress:
1. I don't like the bust flaps. (and just between us-- I never can fill those kind of things out.)
2. I am not fond of this style dress. (Especially at my age)

So - to make my jumper/dress into a cute/ modest length skirt...
I simply cut those bust flaps off.

YUP
I didn't even take the dress off my body while I did it.

BUT- I recommend you take it off- while altering.

Then the raw cut edge- I turned down.
(I DID take it off at this point-- and I was super careful NOT to loose the zipper while taking it off.)

So I turned the raw edges over and used my sewing machine to sew a straight line. Starting at the zipper area.. sewing all around the waist area and back to the zipper area.
ONE SIMPLE SEWING LINE!



Then PRESTO!
You are done.
One cute skirt- ready to wear.


It is kinda hard to take pictures of myself..
But here I am at my sons soccer practice...





I love that the skirt is just casual and fun- I can just wear a T-shirt and slippers
and stay cool.


If you make a skirt from a dress- be sure to send a link to your blog so we can see how you did!

or- you can email pictures to
Laurabethblum(at)yahoo(dot)com and we'll all be inspired by your creation!

What is REALLY important?

As I have been thinking about this project... I am so excited to get started. I love challenging myself- especially when it is pushing myself to be creative/resourceful/frugal and thrifty.

But in the back of my mind- a little voice of warning whispers: Don't forget and loose sight of the purpose and goal of the project.
(This is for my Choice and Accountability Value Project. It could be used for Divine Nature, Individual Worth- a marketable skill, Knowledge- proper care of clothes,repairs, alterations, or Integrity.)


Heavenly Father doesn't care if we are fashionable.

He doesn't care if we keep up with the current trends.



He does care that we are neat in our appearance and clean- physically and morally.



D. Todd Christofferson in a talk titled :A Sense of the Sacred" says ( in relation to our outward appearance and probably referring to church attire.)



".... some say dress and hair don't matter- it is inside that counts. I believe that truly it is what's inside a person that counts, but that's what worries me. Casual dress at Holy Places and events is a message about what is inside that person. It may be PRIDE or REBELLION or something else, but at a minimum it says, "I DON'T GET IT. I don't understand the difference between the sacred and the profane." ... I worry about them.... You are Saints of the Great Latter-day dispensation- look the part."



Okay. I bold printed the parts that struck a cord with me...

How we dress & present ourselves-- advertise our inside package: our standards, beliefs, morals, values, etc... etc...




And I believe that while Heavenly Father likes us to be creative and craftsy and frugal and thrifty-- he also likes balance in all things...
He likes us to serve one another and be charitable and smart and responsible and develop our spiritual talents along with our other gifts.





So- with all this in mind- I have to set some boundaries for myself.
(Because I have a way of neglecting household chores and other undesirable tasks... under the pretense that I am "researching" for my new calling and spend all my time crafting and creating... )








And I challenge you to set some parameters too... sit down and set time aside for chores, homework study and spiritual study along with time for fun.

I have heard as a guideline...

Figure out how much time it takes you to "get ready (physically) every day."

showered, dressed, etc...

And then set that same amount of time each morning to prepare yourself (spiritually) for the day.

I've noted that it takes me about a half an hour to get dressed and ready for the day.


So I wake up a half hour earlier to read my scriptures before my day begins... to prepare myself spiritually. And I've noticed a difference in my days.
It is nice.
That time helps me keep things in perspective. Not sweat the small stuff.
Helps me focus on what the important things are for me to accomplish this day...
and helps me have more patience.

For those of you who goto seminary- you already have this time worked in your day.
If you aren't in seminary yet- try setting some time aside to prepare yourself spiritually each day.
See how it helps you.

Accepting the Challenge

"I sometimes wish every girl had access to a sewing machine and training in how to use it. She could then make her own attractive clothing. I suppose this is an unrealistic wish. but I do not hesitate to say that you can be attractive without being immodest. You can be refreshing and buoyant and beautifully in your dress and in your behavior. Your appeal to others will come of your personality, which is the sum of your individual characteristics. Be happy. Wear a smile. Have fun. But draw some rigid parameters, a line in the sand, as it were, beyond which you will not go."

President Gordon B Hinckley, 2004 talk "Stay on the High Road".

As a new Young Women's advisor, I've been reading and researching topics of interest for my girls. ( As you can imagine- it is quite a bit different than working in Scouting or the Nursery!)

I love this quote!

I am a firm believer that your never to old to learn a new skill or develop a new talent.

And while I don't have much experience or success in sewing- I am not afraid of the challenge. (I actually thrive on challenges.) I am excited to find creative ways to SEW SIMPLY. Using just basic sewing skills to make modest alteration to clothes.

I hope you are willing and eager to experiment along with me.

My challenge is to come up with easy projects using hand-me-downs or second-hand clothes.

While I don't get many hand-me-downs, now. I remember as a youth- I lived in hand-me-downs. "Use it up, wear it out, make it due or do without" is a good pioneer motto to live by-

Plus- while we are just experimenting and learning how to sew- it's good to use free/unwanted clothes. It takes the pressure off of having to have a wearable end product.

So before you cut anything... or attempt any of the projects... ask permission first! Don't cut up your mothers wedding dress or your fathers dress shirts. Make sure you have the green light: to go and re-make an outfit before you start.

YOUR CHALLENGE:

1. I would like ideas of projects you would be interested in-- so post or email me your ideas

2. I would LOVE to see your projects if you create something! Email me a picture (with parent permission) and I'll post it. If you blog: I would be happy to link to your blog where you explain how you made your project.

3. If you make one of the projects from our site: email a picture. I would love to see your version!

4. I would love to have "guest" writers - if you would like to write about a topic relating to fashion, modesty, morals, virtue, really any of the Young Women Values... I would be happy to post it.

(email: Laurabethblum(at)yahoo(dot)com)

Let the GAMES/CHALLENGE Begin.................!

Why I love the Young Women Theme

WE ARE DAUGHTERS of our Heavenly Father, who loves us and we love Him.

WE WILL "STAND as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places" (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

FAITH

DIVINE NATURE

INDIVIDUAL WORTH

KNOWLEDGE

CHOICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

GOOD WORKS

INTEGRITY

and

VIRTUE

WE BELIEVE as we come to accept and act upon these values, WE WILL BE

PREPARED

to strengthen home and family,

make and keep sacred covenants,

receive the ordinances of the temple

and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

In my life- how many times have I stood and recited this theme?

Many

Yet as I study it now and think on it....

" as we come to accept"...

I love that our leaders understand ... we need to grow into this.

I didn't accept some of these values when I was a beehive.

I didn't fully understand their value, importance, their weight- in my life

The role they would play in my life.....

and then , "as we come to accept and ACT upon these values"

It's not just accepting them as important values or character traits

it is ACTING upon them

working on them

developing them

weaving them into the fabric of my being

the fiber of my being

As I work on my Personal Progress- I wonder why it was such a chore when I was a young woman?

I love this program!

It is so-- so-- everything I love!

Self Improvement

Challenging one- self to grow and be better.

It's like a booster shot of self worth

Sometimes in life we see a measuring stick

a standard people expect us to live up to

and we use it to beat ourselves

to put ourselves down at all the places we are lacking

how we are not measuring up

how we are not good enough.

Do you ever do that?

I do.

Then one day I watched my young kids measuring themselves.

They put their back against the wall and were marking the spot on the wall where their head hit the wall...

My youngest was so excited.

He knew he didn't measure as high as his older brothers

but he was excited to see how tall he was

he stood straight.. even raised to the tip toe...

to try and close the gap between his actual height and the mark of his older brother

and

at

that

moment

I had a realization.

a lesson from my child

When I see a standard

When I am trying to be like Jesus

I shouldn't beat myself up for not measuring up

I should be excited about the growth I have made

the progress I have made

and then I should be excited and anxious to improve

stretch to my full potential

to reach a little higher

That is all that is really asked of us.

Do our Best

and endure (keep doing our best) until the end.