Vigilance

'The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.'  

~Thomas Jefferson

While I don't often write about history, politics, economics, demographics, or current events, I am intensely interested in them.  There are much better-informed and more logically and eloquently-written sources for this type information and philosophy than I could be, so I won't try to fill a niche that's already being well-filled.  However, I will be writing about different policies that will affect us here at home and how we're planning to respond to them. 

As we see by the signs that a storm is coming and prepare accordingly, so we must keep an eye on our world, not so that we become frightened (after all, our trust is in the Lord and his loving sovereignty), but so that we can prepare.  Better to keep watch and prepare ahead of time when possible than to scramble and try to figure out what's happening when the winds blow, lightning strikes, and hail pummels you.

In light of our current president's economic views and his emulation of FDR (whose economic policies caused the depression of the 1930's to become great), our household is preparing for very hard times.  We're watching not only current policies, but demographic trends.  As we move through the next few decades, the Baby Boom will retire and, as is usual during that season of life, will spend less, which will lead to an almost permanent drop in the stock market as consumer markets are significantly reduced.  Life for our children and grandchildren will be very different from what we've know to this point.

So, what changes are we making in the day-to-day running of our household?

• We're cooking more from scratch.  (This includes the yogurt recipe previously posted, and making granola instead of purchasing boxed cereal - recipe coming soon! - baking more bread, making mayonnaise, and I've gotten our sprouts grower out again.) 
  
• We're working to get the garden to produce again.  (We started a compost bin this weekend - Arizona soil isn't so good and we'd rather use our own free scraps and yard waste than purchase compost.)
  
• We're sewing more of our own clothes (with fabric purchased at low prices on sale).  
  
• I'm going to study pattern-making to give us more flexibility in clothing design and save money on expensive patterns.  
  
• We've been using fountain pens for years, but we'll be purchasing more for the whole family (a bottle of ink can last for years and costs less than other pens which don't last as long).  
  
• We're cutting back where we can in order to purchase tools that will make our family more productive and less dependent on public policy (for example: a knitting machine, a clothes line, wood-working tools).
  
• We're learning new skills.  (The girls are learning to crochet; I'm re-learning to knit; I'm teaching the girls to sew; we hope to learn to embroider and draw and even paint; as well as the above-mentioned pattern-drafting, and Drew is teaching the boys wood-working skills.)
  
• We made many of our Christmas presents this year and will continue doing that for birthdays.
  
• Drew and I are going out for dessert for our date night, instead of eating dinner out.  We're also going to the movies less often.

We're not doing these things only for our family, but we hope that our preparation and work will put us into a position to minister to and help others.  Here's one example:

The new administration is planning to put into effect an energy policy called 'Cap and Trade'.  This will require local power companies to produce less electricity.  Our tax dollars will then be given to the electric companies so that they don't see a loss of revenue.  This will give us rolling blackouts and brownouts along with higher taxes.  We are working to save for solar power for our home.  When the rest of the neighborhood is sitting in the dark, we'll have light.  What an opportunity to invite our neighbors in, to share what we have, building relationships with them, and possibly having an opportunity to share the gospel.

The coming times will be challenging, but we hope to rise to the challenge in a joyful and faithful manner.

SDG!

Resources for Hand Work

Life's been crazy-busy lately, mostly with making Christmas presents and keeping up with school.

The girls and I found a couple of really cool websites that I thought I'd share.

We're learning how to knit. Well, actually Judith and Rebekah are already pretty good at it, but Melody and Eliza are learning and I'm re-learning (my Mémère Bert taught me to cast on, knit, and purl, but I'd forgotten how - it's been so long). This website has been so helpful!  It includes free video instruction for both English style and Continental style.  My mem taught me English style, and when I first tried Continental, I made a big mess.  But there was a scene in an indie movie we watched the other night (review coming soon) that included a woman knitting Continental style and it finally clicked.  I tried it again the next morning and took off.  It's faster than English, so I've been using it for my current, very basic, project with its Christmas deadline.

The other website is also a gem.  More videos, but this time about hand embroidery.  I love my embroidery machine and am using it lots, but there's something about hand embroidery that is just stunning and a lot of stitches just can't be recreated on a machine.  Sometimes you just need a break from the machinery, time to sit with a needle and thread.  I love technology, but there's there's room in the world for both hand and machine work.  Hand work is good for the soul; it slows you down, gives you time to contemplate, and requires a greater time investment - all antidotes to a hurried modern world.  I also think we must work purposely and intentionally to maintain those old skills.  If we lose them, they'll be gone for good.

Last night, Drew and I were chatting with the man who runs the local Viking Sewing Center.  After purchasing some machine embroidery supplies, I asked him if Joann's carried hand embroidery threads (I wasn't expecting beautiful silks, but was hoping for something besides run of the mill floss, and was pleased to find that they did carry some nicer pearl cotton and a tiny bit of very expensive silk - the silk stayed at the store, but I brought home some of the cotton).  He didn't quite understand the attraction of doing it by hand, but told me that he was working on his embroidery software to make it look more like hand work.  But then he shared how astonished he'd been when he was the recipient of a hand-embroidered gift.  He said of the giver, 'It took her three months to embroider it.  She must really care a lot.'  There is something about an investment of time and effort that speaks deeply to the heart.

SDG!

Pride & Prejudice Ball

We're taking Judith to We Make History's Pride & Prejudice Ball.  In honor of the occasion, Judith and I are making new Regency dresses to wear.

This is my fabric:

This is Judith's:

We'll start on her chemise and muslins while we wait for the fabric to arrive.

SDG!

Dress Details

I added a few close-ups of some of the dresses we have here. Click the 'My Photos' link in the sidebar.

SDG!

Officially Brain-Dead

I'm running on empty…empty of brain cells, that is.

I forgot to change the presser foot when I switched stitches and broke a needle.  I rarely break needles, but when I do, it's a doozy!  This one went in four or five different directions, one piece hitting my arm.  I was wearing glasses, so my eyes were protected.

So, I walked away from the sewing machine and spent a few minutes reading a chapter of Northanger Abbey to the kids.  Once they're finished cleaning the kitchen, I'll read another and only then will I consider sitting back at the sewing machine.

We're all coming down with colds, so we've started on oregano oil and grapefruit seed extract, per a friend's instructions.  Jona's also acting as my second brain.  Before I do anything, I run it by her to make sure it's not too foolhardy or complicated and will really get me the results I'm aiming for.

By God's grace and strength, I will make it.  Prayers are always appreciated.  I also have some help coming tomorrow: Jona and Karen, mother of the maid of honor.  Jona reminded me that, except for my dress, we're down to those piddly finishing details, much hand-work, and that I'm almost done.  And my dress will be pretty simple as I've already done so many.  That was encouraging!

SDG!

Adrenaline and Grace…

…that's what I'm running on right now, mostly grace!

For those of you who are wondering how the wedding sewing is going:

Eliza's flower girl dress - done (and beautiful!)

Melody's dress - done (looks so sweet on her, but needs Static-Guard)

Sussy's bridesmaid dress - done (lovely)

Bonnie's maid of honor dress - done (She danced around the room when she tried it on and didn't want to take it off so I could hem it.  That felt good!)

Jessica's bridesmaid dress - done (and it looks adorable)

Judith's dress - still need to hem the lining and the skirt and add a couple of bows

Rebekah's dress - still need to mark the hem, trim it, then hem the lining and the skirt

Christy's bridesmaid dress - appliquéing the Celtic braid along the top (yes, I'm insane!  Don't ever make a decision when you're dead tired to satin stitch instead of straight stitch), then need to fix the hole in the lining (from the part that got cut off because it got caught behind the appliqué - oops!), then install the zipper, sew the back skirt seam, whipstitch down the lining, mark the hem, then hem the lining and the skirt

Mandi's bridesmaid dress - install the zipper, whipstitch the lining, mark the hem, sew the hems, then complete the embroidery on the bottom of the skirt

my matron of honor dress - measure and cut the skirt, fold the pleats, attach it, the lining, and the zipper, whipstitch the lining, add the embellishment, mark and hem the lining and the skirt

I'm taking a break from Christy's appliqué to write this.  I'm googly-eyed from staring at that tiny satin stitch and so thankful for non-prescription reading glasses!  But I need to get back to it, soon; she's coming over tomorrow to mark the hem.

On an emotional note - as hard and exhausting as these last few weeks have been physically, the Lord is carrying me through.  I should be snapping my kids' heads off, angry at everyone, and weeping all over the place from pressure and tension, but I'm not.  A couple of times I've cried, but it's all physical.  I'm not emotionally weepy.  I have friends here and around the world who are praying for me and I so appreciate it.  The Lord is too good to me!

Well, back to the sewing machine.

SDG!

Progress

• All muslins are made.
• Only 3 more to fit: one of them being mine, which my mom will help me with tomorrow; one of them I'm trying to arrange a time to meet with the attendant; and the third is on its way to Dallas for Drew the Lesser's sister to try on, mark up, and mail back.
• Judith cut out and sewed her second muslin today - there were so many piddly adjustments to hers that I felt like we needed another just to be sure, and I'm glad we did as we discovered that she needs separate right and left back pieces because of her posture, which we're now working on. Cool thing: her sewing ability and her confidence are improving.
• All the lining fabrics have been pre-treated and pressed.
• Three patterns have received final alterations - I'll start cutting out these linings tomorrow.
• Still have to figure out where the pink embellishments will go on 5 of the dresses; although I had a good idea for Bonnie's which she's contemplating (can you say 'godets'?).
• Have to research and choose the embroidery pattern for Eliza's flower girl dress. I think it's time for a trip to Martha Pullen's website.
• Must purchase silk thread (for the silks) and cotton thread (for the rayon linings).
  

~~~~~
And, although the website isn't complete yet, it's up!

Little snag in the invitations, but Plan B seems to be working, and they should be ready to mail next week.

SDG!!!