For the Boys & the Girls

Spiritual - St. John of the Cross says, "If something is presented to the senses, which is not solely for the honor and glory of God, give it up, and deprive yourself of it for the love of Jesus Christ, who, while on earth, had and desired nothing but to do the will of His Father" (AS I, 14,3)  The Saint does not mean that you must live without any pleasure or satisfaction; this would be impossible, as man is created for happiness.  What he means is if your way of acting or speaking satisfies your self-love, but you know that it does not please God, then you must give it up.  If a conversation, a friendship, or a comfort pleases you, but you doubt whether it is pleasing to God, you must give it up.  If your will urges you to do anything which many be even slightly contrary to the will of God, you must refrain from doing it.  If you act for your own selfish satisfaction, even in small matters, you will never be able to live totally for God.  Divine Intimacy

    

 









Sewing -  When the January issue of Sew Beautiful (Issue 140, 2012) arrived it contained this precious "for the boys" daygown by Michie Mooney.  Oh my, I had to make it!  I made a "for the girls" version, too.  I used a 100% pima cotton, but it would work equally as well with imperial batiste.  The embroidery on the boy's daygown is a row of boats done in a simple chain stitch.  This is Michie's design and is in the Sew Beautiful article.  I did a pink momma & baby pig using the chain stitch on the girl's version.  I did not have Michie's pattern so I had to scramble for something similar.  The pattern I used is Old Fashioned Baby's "Best Embroidered Baby Clothes One"  It has so many views for precious dresses including an apron, several sleeve variations, a simple bonnet, and a slip.  You must have this one in your daygown collection!                                                
     

"Little Prince"

Spiritual -  "Oh, Jesus, You make me understand that I should strive for perfection, correcting my faults, and overcoming my evil tendencies; this is the first field for my zeal.  Then You teach me to give myself generously for the good of souls. You offer me the same arms that You Yourself used; prayer and sacrifice.  You wish me first of all to do good in a concrete way to those who are near me.  Give me the strength to renounce my own tastes in order to adapt myself to the tastes of others and place myself at their disposal and service.  O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours, for I can do no true apostolic work unless I am meek, humble, and patient"  Divine Intimacy

 










 Sewing - Australian Smocking & Embroidery Magazine Issue 76 has this darling outfit called "Little Prince" and is a must for the little gentleman in your life!  The pattern for the beret, shoes, and romper is in the magazine in size newborn, 3 and 6 months.  The fabric used for this ensemble is a crisp blue dot pique which is trimmed with pale blue piping.  The smocking design is very simple and quick to do.  After August, 2012, AS&E will no longer be published:(

Primrose Lane has a pattern very similar to the AS&E that can be used for this romper.  It is Michaela that has two views, one for girls and one for boys.  Of course, SewHealing has it!

What is felt? How is wool blend felt different from craft felt?

Spiritual -  "And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the Mother of Jesus was there.  And Jesus also was invited...to the marriage" (Gos: Jn 2,1-11).  For the first time, we see the Blessed Virgin in her maternal function as Mediatrix of all graces.  The Cana miracle, Jesus'  first was worked precisely because of her intercession which was so powerful that it made Jesus anticipate His hour.  "My hour is not yet come," the Savior had answered His Mother, and Mary was neither dismayed by this apparent refusal nor did she insist on her request.  Secure in the knowledge of her Son and full of loving confidence in him, she says to the servants, "Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye."  her humility, consideration for others, faith, and trustful abandonment win Jesus, and to show us the greatness of her power over His divine heart, he grants her wish; the miracle takes place.  Divine Intimacy

Sewing - SewHealing sells a variety of colors of  felt produced by a company called National NonWovens. WoolFelt comes in two blends, 20% wool/80% rayon ( 71 colors) or 35% wool/65% rayon (56 colors). Felt can be purchased in squares: 9" x12" or 12" x 18" and ranges from $.70 -  $1.80 a square.  Hair accessories, hand-made dolls, pin cushions, needle books, and baby booties are just a few projects that work so well using wool blend felt.

 







  
FYI,  Felt is a non-woven cloth."Non-woven fabrics are sheet or web structures bonded together by entangling fiber or filaments, mechanically, thermally or chemically.  They are not made by weaving or knitting and do not require converting the fibers to yarn."  Using wool and other blends of fibers, such as nylon or rayon, felt is made by the process of matting, or pressing fibers together often using heat and steam.  The exact origin of felting is not known.  In Turkey, the remains of felt have been found dating back at least to 6,5000 B.C.  A couple of legends from different cultures describing how the technique was developed include:
    a.  Saint Clement and Saint Christopher, fleeing from persecution, packed their sandals with wool to prevent blisters.  At the end of their journey, they noticed that the movement and sweat had turned the wool into felt socks.
    b.  Sheep, goats, camels and other animals herded together in Noah's Ark shed their fleece, trampling it
underfoot during the voyage.  Noah was surprised to find that the floor was carpeted in felt.

Why buy a wool blend rather than pure wool or acrylic (craft) felt?

1.  no "itch" factor and much softer than pure wool felt or acrylic felt
2.  less dense that pure wool felt, easier to work with
3.  wool blend holds up to wear and stress as pure wool does; will pill only if subjected to lots of stress
4.  nominal amount of elasticity and will not be pulled out of shape as easily as pure wool
5.  unlike 100% wool, rayon does not build up a static charge
6.  blends generally resist insect damage and retain the mildew resistant qualities of wool 
7.  generally, blends wash well and spots can be easily removed.
8.  acrylic felts are made of plastic and will not fade with normal usage
9.  acrylic felts will pill and fuzz A LOT, are stiffer, and have a "see-through" factor
10. seams are easily prone to tearing when using acrylic felt compared to stable seams of wool or wool blend