One for the boy and one for the girl!

Spiritual -  In addition to giving us His gift of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, Jesus left us "His testament of love-the living, concrete testament of his admirable example of humility and charity in the washing of the Apostles' feet, and His oral testament in the proclamation of His 'new commandment.'  It is an urgent invitation to that fraternal charity which should be the fruit of union with Jesus, the fruit of our Eucharistic Communion.  He mentioned it in precise words at the Last Supper:  "a new commandment I give unto you: 'that you love one another' as I have love you, that you also love one another'."   In agreeable and disagreeable circumstances we must be available to our neighbor, humbling ourselves in service, "even were he most lowly and abject."  Divine Intimacy

Sewing - Remember Carter's knit sacques?  Now you can make your own placing your favorite hand embroidery designs on them.  Better yet, put your embroidery machine and all those stored embroidery designs to work.  A favorite pattern is Children's Corner Bunny's Knit Nightie and Accessories.  It is so easy.  In fact, it can be made almost totally by serger.  I have two samples in the shop, one for a boy and one for a girl.  This pattern is so quick and fun.  It has a darling cap, blanket, bib, and booties.  The knit I used and stock in the shop is Martha Pullen's 100% Cotton Knit and Cotton Rib Knit. It is so soft and washes beautifully, and comes in blue, pink, & white.  It is 60" wide and sells for $12/yard.   For the samples, I used Vintage Baby Stitchin' machine embroidery designs.  I like these because they are basically outline stitches that wash and wear well and are not dense - perfect for the infant layette.  This cd package sells for $20 and contains 15 multi-format 4x4 designs - perfect for baby sacques and daygowns.

Children's Corner - Bunny's Knit Nightie

 Vintage Baby Stitchin'

Mitzi Brignac

Spiritual -  On Holy Thursday, we celebrate the Last Supper of Christ with His beloved, intimate apostles - those that would soon betray Him, abandon Him, and deny Him, along with the rest of the world.  "The institution of the Eucharist appeared then as the answer of Jesus to the treachery of men, as the greatest gift of His infinite love in return for the blackest ingratitude...at the moment when human malice is about to sound the lowest depths of the abyss, he exhausts the resources of His love, and offers Himself to man, not only as the Redeemer, who will die for him on the Cross, but also as the food which will nourish him.  He will feed man with His own Flesh and Blood; moreover, death might claim Him in a few hours, but the Eucharist will perpetuate His real, living presence until the end of time."  Divine Intimacy         

Sewing -  Mitzi Brignac, a beginning student, loves sewing and it shows!  She is making lots of fun bonnets and dresses for an expectant great-niece.  Mitzi is doing so well that she is planning to make the Christening gown for the baptism.  She and Danielle, her niece/God-child, have selected the materials, lace, and embroidery design for a custom gown.  Mitzi is practicing sewing heirloom techniques on daygowns for the new baby and as gifts.  Mitzi also likes to work on sewing quilts and other sewing craft projects.  She is a hustler!
 
Mitzi is very serious as she concentrates on her heirloom techniques while making a precious pink daygown.
         

Here are bonnets Mitzi made in the "Three Bonnets from one Hand Towel Class."  She embellished her bonnets with decorative stitches that were on her machine.  The white bonnet she made from a baby pillowcase she bought at an antique shop.  Danielle is a lucky girl to have a God-mother like Mitzi.

Daddy Doesn't Want Frills on His Son's Christening Gown?

Spiritual - Before the day of our holy Baptism, we had only a human life.  Afterwards, we began to participate in the Divine life. We became incorporated in Christ as His members and received the Holy Spirit for the first time.  The Holy Spirit began to diffuse Christ's graces in us so that we could begin to live and walk in Christ.  This sacrament is the first; the other sacraments restore, root, invigorate and build up this divine life within us.  This gift, however, requires our cooperation.  "Every sin, fault, or voluntary negligence dishonors Christ and grieves the Holy Spirit who lives within us.  We cannot remain content to merely avoid sin; we must also strive to make Christ's life increase in us.  Without our cooperation, it is possible for this life to remain stationary in us for twenty, thirty, fifty years after our baptism, after hundreds of confessions and Holy communions.  We may be adult, or even aged in years, but children according to grace!"

Sewing - This is an interesting history of Christening gowns.

Simple & lovely.  This "boy" Christening gown was made using one of the patterns by Nancy Coburn from her series of books of baby & toddler's gowns, day dresses, and suits.  It was made using white Imperial batiste (blend, so won't need ironing), a simple sweet Swiss embroidery, entredeaux, and thread.  An intermediate beginner can make this gown.

Ginger Snaps Designs By Nancy Coburn.  Nancy has a series of these booklets which include the basic pattern and several variations of each gown.  SewHealing has several in the shop. 

The yoke has two sets of triple (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) pintucks that flank three machine embroidered cross-stitched crosses. The yoke is attached to the skirt with entredeaux.  The neck is finished with Swiss embroidery.

The band at the bottom of the gown is a simple repeat of the yoke.  There are two sets of the triple pintucks.  The machine embroidered cross-stitched crosses are placed evenly around the band between the sets of pintucks.

Triple pintucks and crosses are repeated on the lower sleeve. A sweet  Swiss embroidery embellishes the three-quarter length sleeve and the neck.  The sleeve is a set in sleeve and has no gathers at the shoulder.

Christening cap

Triple pintucks, crosses and Swiss embroidery are featured on the Christening cap.  

"Sit & Sew" Janice Savoy

Spiritual - During Lent, it is a good time to be reminded of the value of suffering.  If Jesus, the Teacher of truth, life, and our souls, commends suffering to us, it must be because it contains a great treasure.  Jesus, who willingly embraced suffering, offers it to us, and invites us to esteem and love it,  must have been obedient to it because of  a superior good that cannot be attained by any other means.  The sufferings of humanity is the direct outcome of original sin from the disobedience of our first parents and actual sins.  "Yet the Church chants: O happy fault!  Why?  ...because  the infinite love of God transforms everything and draws from the double evil of sin and suffering the great good of the redemption of the human race." As Christians we must not consider pain only as a disagreeable burden from which we naturally recoil, but must see in it much more - a means of redemption and sanctification.  Divine Intimacy

                                                                                Sewing -  Janice loves to sew, drive her convertible, and try new things - like flying lessons.  She also loves garage sales   She found a wonderful second hand Singer to keep at SewHealing for Tuesday nights for $25!  Sometimes she challenges me more than I  challenge her. She does not use only one pattern when she sews...she combines them or tries to copy pictures using several patterns from her stash. I'm biting my nails waiting to see what she'll bring each each week for us to work on. She is a hoot!  Janice has one thing in common with all of us...she loves her grandchildren and enjoys sewing for them.                                                                                  

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

Christmas Placemat Tutorial

 Spiritual -  Christmas time is the the most wonderful time of the year.  It is the time of the year that we celebrate the birth of our King - a King who came down from heaven to become one of us.  He came to live on this earth to show us how to live and love one another so that we would be able to live happily and with hearts full of charity, like His, forever and ever with Him.  Do we have to grow old and make many, many mistakes to finally "get it?"  That's how I  have learned just about everything.   Give us the grace, O Lord, this Christmas, to continually reflect on this truth and be thankful ... thankful enough to change.  We want to desperately.

Sewing -  We have a large round table that can seat 8+ people and placemats for this table need to be wedge-shaped so that they don't overlap when placed close enough to fit that many people.  I used a holiday polyester fabric on sale at JoAnn's and a thin layer of batting to pad them slightly.  Hope you enjoy this tutorial.

1.  You will need fabric of choice, light-weight batting, Steam-A-Seam 2, and thread to match.  I played around with different sizes and shapes of placemat patterns that would fit "my" table. I think I got 10 placemats out of 2 yards of 60" fabric.

2.  I ended up with a pattern that was wedge-shaped that was to have a finished size with these measurements:  top 15", bottom 18", sides 12".

I ended up with the pattern on the left for the fabric and for the batting.
Note that I cut the "top" of the placemat on the "fold"  of the fabric to save sewing time.  Cut only 1 batting piece for each placemat.  All seam allowances were 1/2"


  3.  Place right sides together and place a single layer of batting on top.  Pin well to eliminate any pleats or unwanted folds under the batting.   

Notice that the single layer of batting is 1/2" shorter on the sides and bottom, but is even with the top.  That is because the top of the fabric was cut on the fold and will not have a seam allowance.







4.  I serged the two sides using a 4-thread wide overlock seam with a stitch width of 2.  This process sewed and trimmed the sides.  I opened the placemats and pressed the side seams flat so that when I would turn the placemats right side out it would help me to get the "knife-edge" seam that I wanted. 

5.  I sewed the bottom seam with my sewing machine leaving about a 2" opening in the center of the bottom seam.  I think sewing with the sewing machine is easier when leaving an opening and will leave a more even edge that that opening after turning the placemat right side out.  Press  the seam allowance flat as shown on the left.  Place a piece of Steam-A-Seam 2 on the seam allowance and press.  Being careful, turn the placemat right sides out.  Check the opening to make sure the edge is straight with the entire bottom before pressing closed.  Press the entire placemat well, making sure it has a "knife-edge" on all sides.  Top-stitch 1/4" all around the placemat.  Enjoy!

 

New Christmas Dinner Napkins Tutorial

Spiritual - "The Name of the Lord cometh from afar...I look from afar, and behold I see the power of God coming...   Go out to meet Him, and say, 'Tell us if You are He who shall rule...'"  Can you imagine the expectation of all who waited for their Savior to come the first time?  His coming was foretold by the prophets and the just longed to see their Messiah.  "The desire of old was sustained solely by hope, but it is now a confident desire, founded on the consoling reality of the Redemption already accomplished."    Each Advent our church (and each one of us) on a daily basis, commemorates this age-old expectation of the Redeemer.  This ritual is meant to arouse in us an "intimate, personal expectation of the renewed coming of Christ to our soul.  This coming is accomplished by grace; to the degree in which grace develops and matures in us, it becomes more copious, more penetrating, until it transforms the soul into an alter Christus"  Happy Advent to all!  Divine Intimacy

Sewing - Believe it or not, I cut these out "last" Christmas and never got to sew them. They are fun and easy to do, so I thought I'd do a tutorial for you.  I made mine semi-circular and really think they will do nicely as a dinner napkin.  I made 14.  You could easily adjust your pattern to make a full circle. 

Note:  It took one package of ric-rac to do three napkins.  These look really cute without trim and the time would be much shorter. Enjoy!  If you make some, please let me know!

1. To do 12-14, you will need 2 yards each of coordinating Christmas fabric, 5 packages of contrasting  ric-rak, one package of Steam-A-Seam2 double stick fusible tape, and matching thread.

 

2.  I made a quarter-round pattern that measured 10"  on each side and a 10" radius.  The pattern was placed on the fold so that I would get a semi-circle.  For each napkin, cut one of each of the two coordinating fabrics on the fold.

 

3.  Baste the ric-rac along the outer curved edge of one of the pieces of fabric.  Note that the sewing line will be  "slightly right" of the center of the ric-rac.

 

 4.  Place the coordinating pieces right sides together. Tug & pull until all sides & corners align well. Pin carefully.  Using your basting seam as a guide, sew a "needle width" to the left of the basting line all around the napkin.  Leave a three inch opening near one end on the straight side. Trim about half of the seam allowance all around the napkin EXCEPT the opening.  Leave the full seam allowance at the opening.  Press the napkin well before turning it right side out. 

5.  Turn the napkins right sides out.  Press extremely well, tugging on the ric-rac.  Make sure all edges are pressed to the seam edge.  Place a strip of the Steam-A-Seam2 in the opening on one of the seam allowances.  Press.  Peel the paper tape off.  Close the opening and press well.

 

 

6. Folding.  Make note that the "center fold" of the napkin is 1" off-center.

Fold left side to "off center" fold.

Turn napkin over.  Bring outside edges together.

Fold right side to meet left edge.

Turn napkin over & adjust if needed.

  

Many of you have asked for Audrie's muffin recipe she entered into the Yambilee Bake-Off.  Here it is!
Isn't she proud?  They are the best when they are still a little warm.  Enjoy!
 

SWEET POTATO SPICE CREAM MUFFINS

WITH BROWN SUGAR CRUMBLE TOPPING!

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Cup Cake Batter:

1 cup sweet potatoes (about 1 pound, boiled and mashed)

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

A pinch of finely ground mace

½ cup soften butter

½ cup sugar

        ½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:  ***Make ahead.

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

A pinch of finely ground mace

½   teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Crumb Topping:

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

½ cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1.      Filling:  combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, spices and vanilla in a small bowl and stir until blended and smooth.  Place mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape the mixture into a log about 12 inches long.  Wrap tightly.  Freeze for at least three hours.

2.     Preheat oven to 350*F.  Place paper liners in a muffin pan. 

3.     Make the spice crumb topping.  Using a fork, combine the flour, brown sugar, spice, and melted butter in a small bowl. 

4.     Make the batter.

a.      In a bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully blended.  Beat in mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla.

b.      In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and mace. 

c.      Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir gently with a whisk just until completely combined.

5.     Cut the frozen spice cheese filling into 12 one-inch pieces.  Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin liners.  Press one piece of the spice cheese filling into the center of each muffin.  Sprinkle each muffin with the crumble topping and gently press the topping into the muffin batter.

6.     Bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Cool the muffins in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before removing them to a rack.  Cool completely.  Refrigerate leftovers … if there are any!