needle and thREAD

 I welcome you to needle and thREAD. What have you been sewing lately? Or are you embroidering? Pulling a needle with thread through lovely fabric to make life more beautiful somehow? Would you share with us just a single photo (or more) and a brief description of what you're up to? Will you tell us about what you're reading, also? Would you talk sewing and books with us? I'd love that so much.

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I've been trying to keep up with the Elsie Marley Kids Clothes Week Challenge this week. On Monday and Tuesday I made each of the little girls an Oliver + S Lazy Days Skirt (free pattern here). I didn't get any pictures before they insisted on wearing them today when we went visiting. So I snapped a few iPhone pictures as those skirts plunged into some bigtime fun.

(love that Anna Maria Horner ribbon:-)

(Heather Bailey fabric on both and I thought it was Riley Blake ribbon on Karoline but I can't find it on the site, so I don't remember where I got that ribbon.)

I did today's sewing with a friend at her house. I had a pressing, urgent alteration to attend to before Mary Beth dances this weekend. I have no idea how to sew or alter dance bodices. Together, Ginny and I brainstormed. I'm pretty sure Jonny had an idea or two, also.

Mary Beth was very amused by the two of us talking with our hands behind her and she snapped this one with her iPhone. She might think we're comical, but we came up with a really good idea.

And we put it into action. All good. (At least I think it is.)

I've been listening to Gretchen Rubin read The Happiness Project on my Kindle. It's perfect sewing listening. I very much enjoy hearing this author read her work. I feel like she's sitting in my sewing room telling me with great enthusiasm all the things she's been thinking lately. And I find myself smiling along with the smile in her voice. 

What are you up to this week?

Crafty Chloe

Crafty Chloe is a new book that catapulted to the top of my children's best-loved list. The story of a little girl whose talent is creating things, Crafty Chloe tells what happens when Chloe is invited to a birthday party, but can't buy the perfect gift. At first, she fakes a case of Chicken Pops. The pictures of her bemused father are darling. (He was modeled after Todd of Oliver + S fame). Then Chloe gets busy building and sewing. She's resourceful, creative, and downright inspiring.

When this book first arrived, I was busy. My three youngest girls squirreled away to read it to themselves. They came bolting upstairs as soon as they finished reading, yelling, "We have to go  Crafty Chloe Online!" They were eager to try the craft projects there.

It took me a few grocery trips to find a necessary Clementine box. Ours is cardboard. There are no wooden ones to be found. Then, despite the fact that we were at Home Depot three times a day every day last week, they were all out of "normal" paint stirrers.  They were chopping large, industrial ones. I kept holding off, thinking I wanted the shape and size of the smaller ones. Yesterday, between pediatrician and X-rays, I decided to go ahead and get the chopped ones. I  only picked up four. I couldn't bring myself to grab more than that.

I left the paint stirrers at home and headed with Nick to X-ray (he's fine). The kids took over and didn't follow the directions at all. We had blue paint left from the closet project. They even saved a stick for Nick to paint.  Sarah is devastated that this bed is not pink. Other than that, they're rather pleased with themselves. I think Chloe would applaud as well. (All pictures, Mary Beth's phone pix.)

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And Annabelle? She is charmed by her new bed:-) Annabelle was name for this book, by the way.

I'm dashing out the door this morning. Do you have favorite storybooks with craft themes? How about favorite crafts-with-kids books? Please let us know all about it.

For more about our Storybook Year, click here.

Family Recipes: Meat Sauce for Pasta

When my sister was getting married, she asked my Aunt Lisette for family recipes. Aunt Lisette happily complied by hand lettering all our family's pasta sauce recipes. And then she doodled a bit on the page;-). She's incredibly talented and the resulting painting was a work of art we all wanted to hang in our homes. And so it is that we all have the same painting, framed differently in each house. My dining room, admittedly, is the home to the simplest frame, but I love this more than any other art hung in the house. 

Here, for you, is the meat sauce recipe that my aunt drew on our heirloom paintings.  

Saute 1/2 cup finely chopped onions in 2 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Remove the onions when they become golden and just soft. Add 6-8 Italian sweet sausages, pork or beef ribs. (I often use a combination of meat) When the meat is thoroughly browned, return the onions to the pan. Add 2 large cans of imported Italian tomatoes that you mixed in the blender. It is optional to remove the seeds in a Mouli-Grinder (Gramma did this). Add seasonings: salt, pepper, 5-10 leaves of fresh chopped basil. You will need to add 1 cup of water. Simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours. Serve over fresh pasta or macaroni--Rigatoni, Ziti, or Spaghetti, Fettucine or Linguine, etc. Garnish with freshly grated Romano cheese (Locatelli is the best). 

In the Moment: This Day is Getting Away from Me

I find myself:

::noticing God's glory

I spent the whole day in the garden last Tuesday. The weather was perfect and I found that I actually enjoy pulling weeds. Who knew? Today, it's barely forty and I am not at all interested in getting out there. Hopefully, the weeds aren't either.

::listening to 

The washer washing and the dryer drying. Mondays are big catch-up days after busy weekends.

::clothing myself in 

Warm cashmere socks a la Elizabeth DeHority. It's so ridiculously cold after such a nice, mild winter.

::giving thanks for

a productive morning. Now, if I can just keep chugging on.

::talking with my children about these books

Since I'm going to share my own reading on Thursdays at needle and thREAD, I thought I'd share some reading from the children's choices.

Mary Beth is binge reading through the John Paul 2 High School fiction series and enjoying it. 

Stephen has begun Lord of the Rings, part of a course on Lewis and Tolkein.

Patrick is reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

And Katie has a series of her own going. After having literally memorized huge chunks fo the Little House books, she's reading the Anne Pellowski series. She's utterly captivated. She knows that she comes from Polish roots and the combination of Polish culture and Catholic references are truly endearing to her. 

::pondering prayerfully

Fly from bad companions as from the bite of a poisonous snake. If you keep good companions, I can assure you that you will one day rejoice with the blessed in Heaven; whereas if you keep with those who are bad, you will become bad yourself, and you will be in danger of losing your soul. ~St. John Bosco

   

::carefully cultivating rhythm

Last week, we had contractors here to build in shelves and drawers in closets. Life revolved around tearing out, spackling, and painting to get ready for "the closet guys." And then, it revolved around putting everything back and repurposing furniture previously used by little girls. This week, it's all about getting back to normal.

::creating by hand

I plan to join Elsie Marley this week for the Kids Clothes Week Challenge and spend at least an hour a day sewing for children. So far, um, yeah. I plan to do it.

::learning lessons in

Organization, humility, beginning again. My kids forgot to take out the trash last Wednesday night. Our neighbor was beyond annoyed. He called the Homeowner's Association and they came out. Really embarrassing. It's back to a rock-solid actual checklist and inspection of such things. There is an old adage I've known for 20 years or more: Don't expect what you don't inspect. True that. 

::encouraging learning 

I'm still having conferences with my kids, but we're making great progess. More checklists happening. I'd gotten away from lists and records, but I'm back now. I need them. A lot. (see above)

::begging prayers

for all the people who have joined our weekend prayer community. I carried your requests with me to Mass and I will keep a candle lit for you throughout the week.

:keeping house

Speaking of old adages, there is much to be said for "a place for everything and everything in its place." We are making great progress on having a place for everything. For instance, typical suburban houses aren't made for nine beds and they aren't made for linens for nine beds. Now that we've made maximum space of the closet in the little girls' room, I've moved Sarah's dresser into my bathroom and it's storing towels and sheets. I'm pretty sure I heard the hall linen closet sigh with relief. And so on and so on. Teeny, tiny, baby steps. 

::crafting in the kitchen 

I heard your request for meat sauce to go with the manicotti. Hoepfully, I'll get that one written up tomorrow. I went to the Famer's Market for the first time this season. Yay! Saturday morning fruits and veggies are the best. I'm looking forward to spending the whole growing season indulging in my standard lunch: a cup of Greek yogurt, a half teaspoon of raw honey, and whatever fruit is ripe and plentiful and local. (Psst, they already have strawberries:-) 

::loving the moments

One day last week, Nicky and Karoline and I went to visit the geese. Karoline has named them all since we go nearly every day. Usually, though, I take all the little girls. It was really fun to just have those two children along. The dynamic between them is special and I loved witnessing it. Nicky caught some good video with his iPod camera and he even managed a few good pictures of a bird of prey. And then I got a few pics, too;-).

::living the liturgy

I plan to begin to use 33 Days to Morning Glory with all my kids this week, in preparation for Marian Consecration on the Feast of the Visitation. More about this book later in the week, I think.

 

::planning for the week ahead

We didn't get to make that aforementioned bee trip. Maybe this week. We have 4 orthondontic appointments on Wednesday. That means we'll have four people moaning and groaning and drikning frozen smoothies Wedesday night. Mike and I are looking forward to a fancy grown-up lunch to celebrate my stepmom's birthday on Saturday morning. Sephen is being confirmed Saturday night. Mary Beth has her first performance with her new dance school on Sunday. And then, I think Sunday evening is just begging for a celebration cookout.

All pictures this week are from my iPhone. I'm having a wonderful time getting to know the camera.

Lord, Hear Our Prayer

The internet is a very powerful force for bringing the comfort and consolation and hope of the Lord to all of us. It can be an incredibily powerful medium for community. There is an unfathomable resource for prayer here. We have on the 'net the privilege of praying for people and of being witness to the miracles brought forth when fervent, faith-fulled people pray for one another.

Let's be that community of hope and faith.

But how about this idea? What if I pop in here every weekend, share Sunday's gospel and talk a wee bit about how we can live it and pray it in our homes? And then you tell me how we can pray for you that week? Deal?

Gospel, Luke 24:35-48

³⁵ Then they told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised him at the breaking of bread.

³⁶ They were still talking about all this when he himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you!'

³⁷ In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost.

³⁸ But he said, 'Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts stirring in your hearts?

³⁹ See by my hands and my feet that it is I myself. Touch me and see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have.'

⁴⁰ And as he said this he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹ Their joy was so great that they still could not believe it, as they were dumbfounded; so he said to them, 'Have you anything here to eat?'

⁴² And they offered him a piece of grilled fish,

⁴³ which he took and ate before their eyes.

⁴⁴ Then he told them, 'This is what I meant when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms, was destined to be fulfilled.'

⁴⁵ He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

⁴⁶ and he said to them, 'So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

⁴⁷ and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

⁴⁸ You are witnesses to this.

 

Think

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and everyday. Either he will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.

~St. Francis de Sales

Pray

Christ Jesus, please open my eyes. Help me to see you in my neighbors and my family. Help me to let you live in me and to be your ambassador of peace.

Act 

With whom  can you break bread this week? Invite someone to dinner--a priest, a neighbor, someone outside your usual company. Share a meal and share yourself. It doesn't have to be fussy or fancy; be at peace as your prepare and at peace as you share.

How can I pray for you this week? How can we pray for each other? And please keep us posted on updates to past prayer requests.