Pray and sew

I have been praying a lot lately. Lots has gone on over the past few months within the family. It's good to be in prayer. Couture sewing is a perfect prayer time for me. It isn't hard, but takes meticulous skill and TIME. Perfect for prayer as once I "get it" then it's just doing it over and over, taking my time and enjoying the process. My mind is free to "be still and know that I am God".

Right now I am trying to perfect the hand finished button hole. I made my daughter a gorgeous wool skirt and thought . . . how can I stick this in the machine and make a button hole when I can learn something new, like how to do hand done button holes. Ah, easier said than done. I have done several and finally found the thread (after three different types) that does the best job and have done enough that I now have a feel for getting the stitches consistent. I need to buy the correct color and also see about getting beeswax, as I have watched a number of youtube videos and picked up ideas and hints. The next two pictures show the first button hole I made and the button that she picked out. They are a natural material instead of plastic. They are very nice.

This is the silk blouse. I sure love working with silk, although it is a bit scary as well. I love doing the tiny stitches to do the final sewing. I first sewed the ties all the way down the front of the shirt, then had to take out the last few inches. They needed to be free from the ends so I could do the button and button holes. I found perfect buttons, but will show that later.

She picked this linen and wanted a tiered skirt. I used the serger with the gathering foot, a little tricky, but I sure got lots of practice and my skill has improved. The second picture just shows the zipper in the back. I sure like getting it lined up perfectly.

This just shows the hem on the silk blouse. The first picture is the inside, then second the outside. The seam ripper is right where my stitching ends. I like doing it so it doesn't show.

So thank you, Dewey, for improving my skills as a seamstress. I enjoy the process, I am happy to give you something useful and made with love. And I really like it when YOU have a hand in the design process. Super cool!