Spiritual - God, let me be a living sacrifice of praise and example of your glory. Please give me grace to accept daily life's inconveniences and chores as your will. Help me to put my wants and desires secondary to the service of my family and people you put in my life daily. Only then will I maintain peace and joy. This I pray, through your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sewing - I've decided to make two new dresses for Gigi to put under the tree - a rust plaid one and a mint green one with a matching swing coat. The dress & swing coat pattern I used was Gail Doane's wonderful book Sew Cute Couture . The bishop pattern has a slight curve in the center front and back. Plaids must be pleated along the plaid lines. Therefore, the neckline is straight rather than slighted curved when pleated and smocked. During construction, I accounted for this by placing the the bias neck band 3/8" lower in the center front and center back. That ensured that the hem would be even all around the dress. Is that as clear as mud? lol. I machine-embroidered Sandy Jenkin's Nursery Rhymes on the swing coat. You should see her in this outfit! 
