I didn't know I wanted a reversible skirt until I saw the pattern, but then I really wanted it! I used McCalls 5481 (c.1960). It's a very clever design because most skirts in late 50s/early 60s style require a crinoline or petticoat underneath for fullness. However, the ruffled side of the skirt provides enough volume [...]
Author: harpandsong2
I am an elementary school teacher who enjoys history, needle-craft, literature, and spending time with friends and family. I am working through the process of buying and renovating a house while also learning how to make it a home as a single.
Andor, Jesus, and Justice
My family has been enjoying Season 1 of Andor! (If you liked Rogue One, you should give Andor a try.) Following the story of Cassian Andor, it is set "long ago" while the empire slowly tightens their grip, slowly removes rights and liberties from peoples and planets, slowly becomes a totalitarian state. It is terrifying! [...]
Creating Value for Economic Good
I like to have a print magazine to flip through at the breakfast table. Recently, I've been enjoying the Common Good magazine. I was really interested in an article on 102 Ideas for a Flourishing Economy so I thought I would share some of my musings. One principle shared in the article was "real economic [...]
Eagle on the James
A couple months ago, I was on a walk with my family along the James River when we saw a bald eagle. I have seen many bald eagles in my life, but infrequently enough that it is always a little exciting to see one. Typically, someone points out where they are perched in a tall [...]
Out of Abundance
I've always been someone who keeps and saves. Someone who makes a good thing stretch as far as possible. Someone who stores up treasures for special occasions, for just the right project. I remember the first time I was able to let go of this tendency for a while. It was when I started to [...]
Sewing with Vintage Patterns: Two 1940’s Blouses
Vintage skirts are much easier to find than vintage blouses. Blouses have to be washed more frequently and are more prone to staining so fewer of them have lasted. I have several beautiful vintage skirts. I realized though that I don't wear them as often as I'd like because they need a certain style and [...]
Writer’s Conference: Community in Bluefield
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend HopeWords Writer's Conference in Bluefield, WV. It was the first weekend I've been away since I started my new job last summer. I typically have to work over the weekends checking emails and texts so this was a big deal! I was so thankful to my team [...]
Visualizing the Abstract
This is something I have wondered about for a while and I would love responses from you all! When you think of the months of the year (whether to try to remember when something happened, calculate how much time before a certain event, think about a date on the calendar, etc.), what do you see? [...]
Put Off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Tomorrow
Yesterday, I was really looking forward to a day free of obligations so I could write and do some gardening. I decided to do my weekly house cleaning quickly so it would be out of the way and I could better focus on writing. Then if the clouds broke, I would go into the garden [...]
The Bean Party
The pot on the stove was simmering and the hearty smell of lamb and potatoes wafted through the house. The bathrooms were clean. Books, papers, and craft projects had been corralled into the art room. At the risk of being too cliché, I almost felt like dancing with the broom while sweeping the front porch. [...]
Welcome To The Carriage House 