Last days (this was written a week ago...)

Alo there, whoever you are, wherever you are...today's Saturday, at least on this side of the world. I have no pictures to share, a half finished purse, decisions to make, and a rumbling belly. Oh, but above else I have God in my heart. That pretty much outweighs everything else. I feel Him even now holding on to me, and I'm thankful. Have you ever met Him? Do you know what He's like? You should get to know Him, He'll change your heart.

This is my last week with the sewing class I've been taking this semester. On friday is our "graduation day" where we present our projects and get our certificates. Also, we'll get dressed up for the day and eat great food. It's bittersweet. 

We're in December...December...December...the year's almost over and it seems like it just started. If you haven't started yet, I suggest you do; start living the life you've always dreamed yourself having, the life you've worked for, the life that will make you feel like you're living and not just existing. The life God has in store for you, the one He wrote, the one that's beating in your heart. He put it there, He knows, just ask and He'll give it to you. He'll also give you the courage to live it.

Go for it, 

J

p.s I guess there was a picture after all..the one you just painted in your heart. 

On related news (to absolutely nothing)...

I had a masssiive caries that nearly took my whole tooth out! I kid you not!!! Even the doctor was apalled. I think he's still worried. Me? I just are three pieces of carrot cake and I feel like I could eat another..who knew getting your teeth fixed could work up such an appetite?! (Who's with me?). 

J

DIM (do it myself) Reversible Tote!!!

And it was totes (insert awkward face emoticon) fun to make! I found this tutorial on this woooonderful blogggg!!!! It's worth shouting for, I promise!!! The cool thing about this lady is that she offers a wonderful workshop for kids and teens, and has another series for adults..I of course used the kids' workshop, because that's how much of a beginner I am..and a wuss!!! But behold, the wonderful world of learning to sew!! My own reversible tote! :) 

Look at me, ain't I pretty!

Now, I know what you're thinking..seriously? she couldn't have taken a better picture? Well, let me tell you something people, I could've, but it's late and I was too excited to show it off!!! But, I will take better pictures of it, I promise!

Honestly, this is an easy, fun, wonderful project to take on if you're a beginner sewer, or a veteran that wants to learn something new or reinforce their skills! Anyways, I'm pretty pumped about this (cue fist pump in the air) and will look forward to making more!!! Stay tuned for more pictures (I did that with my television voice..thought you should know...(awkward face)). 

Mucho love,

J

Love/Hate

I've had a really good weekend so far. Up in the mountains, eating tostones, sewing and being with family...all good! :) Also, I've re-started reading The Starch Solution. So GOOD!!!! So informative, so eye opening and convincing. We're doing so much harm to our bodies and we're not even conscious of it.

Now, to the love/hate part...I love/hate you ModCloth. You know why..your vintage-y, flowy, perfect clothes and shoes and handbags..(sigh)...I'm done.

For my soon to be here niece!! :) Must buy! (link on picture)

May I?

I need this skirt.

Rings

Aloha, just popping up to share with you my most recent purchase. These looovely rings I bought from Forever 21...I don't know if you've heard of them, a small shop really...I'm in loove with these rings! They're exactly what I was looking for and then some! 

I've recently been thinking what this blog will be about. I still want to post my sewing experiments, those are always currently underway, but I also want to use this blog as something more. As of right now, I'm fixing it up a bit, trying to make it my own. I've linked my Pinterest page with one of the awesome icons I told you about. The Twitter one I'm still on the fence about. I've never really been a big Twitter fan, because I just can't seem to narrow my thoughts down to 140 characters or less..it's frustrating..I really think commas are necessary...Still, I will be giving it some thought, and should I decided, I'll link it using the icon. I'm sure you're mad with despair wondering which decision I'll make. Fear not, cyber friends, I'll make a decision soon ;)

Mucho love,

J

Social Media Icons: A GIFT

Don't you love getting free stuff? I know I do. Today I happened upon this lovely blog, where I got these lovely social media icons . I wanted to make sure I gave credit where credit's due, so this is my appreciation post :) Be sure to download these icons for your own blog! They give a nice pizzazz (do people still use that expression?) to your blog!


Mucho love,

J

What is this blog all aboot? (Canadian edition?)

This blog started out as a way for me to document my time during my first ever sewing class...Confession: I get soooo lazy sometimes...I haven't sewn anyyything in aboot two weeks and I have a project due on friday...argh! 

Today, I went to the dentist! My teeth are celebrating!!! :) Some of them..there are two who aren't that excited because December 4 looms ahead and those caries will be attacked! Commence countdown!

Right now, I'm reading a blog that I absolutely love. That's what I've been doing all day..while getting my hair done, and right now laying on my bed with a pair of red pants on :) who needs red lipstick!? 

Later, I will make myself a smoothie for dinner. 

Tomorrow, God willing, I'm bound for school to add next semester's classes! Eek..back again, huh? 

In the future, only God know..good thing too :)

Mucho love,

J

Words

"It's a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet and what is sand." - Madelein L'Engle

May my Rock be Christ alone!! :)

"For it is not yet time for it to come true. The time is coming in a hurry, and it will come true. If you think it is slow in coming, wait for it. For it will happen for sure, and it will not wait." (Habbakuk 2:3)

Thumbs up for God's promises! <3 

Thoughts

Today is friday...you know what that means..sewing class!  It's been a long week for me, so I wasn't nearly as excited as I usually am. I actually left class earlier, at 11..we were supposed to stay there until 2 p.m., but, alas, my heart wasn't in it. I bought some pumpkin soup for my mom and I and I've been interneting (what?) since then; you know, the usual, Facebook, Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest, favorite blogs, etcetera ,etcetera..

I hope to get inspired today to get some work in and finish a few pieces. I wonder if that's how God feels sometimes with us..will we give Him room today to keep working on our pieces? on what He started on the cross?..I'm so very glad He's so patient.

No pics today either..I've really got to get my game on! 

Happy weekend!

Mucho love,

Jane

Gotitas del Saber: Math edition

Ok, this might sound so dumb, but I must confess...I'm attempting a baby dress and on the instructions it said to leave 3/8 " seam allowance, and I was like, what? So, I googled it, and came up with this trusty image..if you have no problems figuring out how much 3/8" is, I humbly curtsey! If you are like me, and a ruler can get the best of you, Ahoy there my challenged friends, you are not alone...

Sharing is caring!

Mucho love,

Jane

A little upcycle action

Hiya,

So, the DIM upcycled skirt is done!!! I'm so happy, proud, excited and pumped!!! Someone, tranquilize me!!! STAT. This whole "learning to sew" stage of my life has been pretty cool I must confess. There have been a couple of ups and downs, but the good things in life usually involve some sort of roller coaster, right?

As I'm writing this, I'm laying on my bed wondering what else God has in store for me. I question Him daily..isn't that sad? I actually doubt He'll make good on His promises..I mean, He is God after all..He can't contradict Himself..but I realize I have a lot of room to grow..but I must be willing to.

Anyways, here's the finished product!! :) I'll try to do a little photoshoot with the skirt!! But I was so excited to post this, that I couldn't wait till tomorrow!!! Oh! I got the idea to make this skirt from this lovely tutorial. I'm hoping to actually make a skirt like the one she makes, but I got inspired to do my own little version of it! I added an elastic at the waist too! :) You'll get the full gist of it when I upload a few pics of me wearing it!

Upcycled Black Knit Skirt

Ay!!! I almost forgot!! :) I don't know about you, but I love Barbies. When I was younger I was all about them!! I used to love changing their clothes and making a mess of their hair, and marrying them to the Kens! Ah! to be a kid! Anywho, I found this wonderful, splendid tutorial through, you guessed it, Pinterest. I made some Barbie skirt y'all! And I am full on loving them! You have got to check out her blog! It's soooo awesome!!!

Mucho love,

Jane

Little Inventions

Ahoy,

I'm writing this on my way to the mountains, where my family has a house that overlooks the beach and thousands of mountains, it seems. Why am i telling you this? Because the car is hitting 45 and I might mess up my grammar. I don't want to worry you. Not that you would be worried, just ashamed. 

Anyways, I've feeling adventerous and I've been Pinteresting like crazy. I found this tutorial on making an infinity scarf. I had an old dress I didn't want anymore and decided to give it a shot. However, I didn't have enough fabric to do it, so I settled for making a cowl scarf using a tutorial I found on Pinterest! It actually turned out pretty good! It was a DIM (do it myself)/ecofriendly/experiment :) 

I'll be posting a skirt DIM experiment that's currently underway. It's an upcycle of two old knit fabric shirts. 

Have a lovely weekend!

Mucho love,

Jane

Nada que ver...

Ok, this has absolutely nothing to do with what this blog is about. But, can we talk about how awesome the show "Arrow" is? Too good!!! 

A month later...

So, apparently I'm not the world's greatest blogger. I love writing, but when I get frustrated I pull back a bit, and I guess that is what I did for the last month. However, time is of the essence, and since I really do enjoy blogging and writing in this journal/diary#whatsthedifference, I will share with you, whoever's reading, a few pictures of what happened during this past month...drumroll, please...

If you're wondering about the hair, it's basically a triumph for me to have cut it that short! :) and, I'm lovin' it! But not like McDonald's, because that food kills...#foodforthought

Finally, a little bit of baking, a little bit o' sewing...

Mucho love,

Jane

Pata de cabra y casando líneas con cuadros..again

Aloha! Weekly update...so, I apparently sucked at casando líneas y cuadros last week, so this week I practiced again, and they actually came out looking decent. El más trabajo que me da es casar cuadros; no sé si sea por el tipo de tela o porque de por sí es complicado. Lo voy a intentar con otro tipo de tela a ver. By far casar líneas es lo mejor que me ha quedado entre las dos. También, aprendí hacer un ruedo que se llama "pata de cabra" or "zig-zag" if you're not into goats (who comes up with this stuff?). Me encantó hacer ruedos! y eso era lo más que me tenía asustá, pero es de lo más práctico que uno puede aprender en costura. Bueno, yo creo que eso es todo por hoy. Thanks for tuning in! If you have any advice on how to "casar cuadros", let me know! :)

Mucho love,

Jane

A little bit of this, a little bit of that...

Welcome to another edition of "Un poquito de aquí y un poquito de allá", where I'll be making collages of my happenin's during the week leading up to my sewing class, which is on viernes!

My momma's pretty cool...she saw these postcards I received a while ago that were just to pretty to put away in a box, so she got this brillante idea de ponerlos en marcos! Los que tenía ya aquí no funcionaron (fail!) y cuando fui hoy a Kmart conseguí unos con el perfect size. The first one that I made (and the one pictured here) is from a very dear friend of mine who went to Paris about three years ago. While she was there she sent me the prettiest, most perfect post card ever. Plus, the fact that she even took the time to send me this, means the world to me. Now it has the perfect spot in my work room. 

Today, viernes (remember?), was my sewing class...zippers and lines and squares, oh my! It was awesome, plain and sencillo y me la pasé el resto de la noche terminando mi primer zipper (how do you say that in español? Cremallera?...). I'm loving my sewing class, and since practice makes perfect, I went on a little trip to our friendly Capri store where they sell loads of crafts stuff. I bought a few things I could practice with, without stretching the budget (I do love a good sale), and will attack them tomorrow, Dios mediante. 

Well, that's it for this edition of "Un poquito de aquí, un poquito de allá"

Mucho love,

Jane

Update post

Last week we started to learn to sew buttons and something called "hilvanar". It's basically holding two pieces of fabric together with a simple hand stitch that will be removed once the garment is stitched together properly with the machine. The buttons were by far my favorite part; it was difficult at first and I was tempted to get frustrated, pero seguí practicando y empezó a quedar muucho mejor, even mom was impressed with the progress. 

I've been turning one of the room's at my house into a workroom and that has been pretty fun and it's actually coming along! I got a pretty cool chalk board on sale and my dad put it up for me during the weekend. I already have the towel rod I had written about earlier and it is waiting patiently for my dad to put it up. Why don't I just do it, you ask? Because I know better than to try my hand at a drill; I'd freak out from the noise and end with no door and my dad would have a conniption (google that!). So, my handy woman skills are practically nonexistent, but hey! I can sew a pretty good button!! :)  

Bueno, that's it for now. I leave you with a collage of my week. Enjoy!

Mucho love,

Jane

P.S Oh! I also made my first stitches (pat on the back) with my sewing machine! Isn't faaancy!?!?

   

 

Ideas for my work room...

I've been slowly, but surely, transforming one of the rooms at my house into a work space for my sewing venture. I've been looking for ideas all over, you guessed it, Pinterest (pause for applause) and this one in particular caught my fancy.

The original idea comes from this lovely webpage, where they were used to hold towels. My idea is to use them to hold fabric!! Call me crazy but I think it could actually work! Pero me pregunto si la tela se dañaría al estar así expuesta? Aunque, cuando voy a las tiendas de telas, no están envueltas...oh well, things to ponder...

Mucho love,

Jane

Lovely to meet you

Studying, estudiando...falling in heart!

I can barely understand what this is talking "aboot". It's a whole new language I know nothing about and it's exciting and scary and wonderful all at the same time (I should probably get that straightened out). What is "couturiere", "pespunte", and "muescas" mean? I have no idea...yet; and it's in that little word that rests the beginnings of a brand new experience, the sewing experience. Stay tuned, this might get "couturiere"...

Mucho love,

Jane

¡Bienvenidos!, Welcome!, Benvenuto!, Aloha!

Este es mi blog, mi diario, my "let-it-all-out" space where I'll share my thoughts and experiences through the next six months while I take a course in basic sewing. I've wanted to learn to sew for the longest time and it finally came together, gracias a Dios. Como no puedo escoger un solo idioma en el que sienta me pueda expresar 100% mejor, I've decided to just be myself and let the words fall as they see fit. Estaré añadiendo fotos y videos para acompañar mis historias. I hope you like it and join me on this sewing experience. 

Mucho love,

Jane