pretty blouse faq

Okey dokey! I've had a few questions about the Pretty Blouse pattern, so I hope you'll find this helpful (I'll add to this as new issues arise):

• Printing the pattern to scale. If you print directly from the current link on SMS, you will find that the 1-inch test box on page 3 prints at 1.25 inches. No bueno. I am working with SMS to provide a link that will download the pattern at the correct scale, no monkeying around required. If you're the impatient type (ahem), you'll need to monkey around with scaling options before you print the whole shebang. 
• The correct layout for the sleeve pattern pieces. On the pattern piece layout guide (page 2), it looks like there are only 2 sleeve pattern pieces. There are actually 3. I just forgot to change it.
• Fitting the pattern pieces together. You may have to fudge it a little. I tried to be very exact, but it is my first pattern, so it's been a (big) learning experience. 

Thank you so much(!) for all your sweet e-mails, comments, and pins. I was so so so so nervous about sending this pattern out into the blogosphere, and despite the scaling issue, all the good vibes have made me braver to try doing another pattern in the future!

Also, let's have a HUGE SHOUT OUT to my amazing, patient, brave, wonderful pattern testers, Jessica, Kara, Leisel, and {i love you all, but especially} my rad sis in-law Bev, whose sewing ninja skillz are, like, epic. No really.

Woah, is it Thursday already? Geesh. Happy sewing, everyone!

uplifting download: he'll go with you

Welcome, Life Made Lovely readers! It's so nice to have you here!

With all the comings + goings of summertime, I've been thinking a lot about busyness, schedules, 

and trying to spend more time doing stuff that, you know, matters.

Sometimes it is hard for me to choose. 

What I should do -- what I want to do -- what He wants me to do -- 

they don't always align. 

But I do know that I can have Him with me, no matter what.

{click here to download}

Whatever life is handing you right now -- you can have Him with you.

He can help you.

He knows you + He loves you.

Isn't that just the greatest?

I think it is!

Hope you enjoy the print -- I'll be back soon with some super vintage finds.

I hope your week is off to a beautiful start, my friends!

new shoes + other happinesses

:: 4-day weekend for my man! BBQing, farmer's marketing, and lake swimming in store, hot dog!

:: 3-bone shoes on clearance at Voldemart, eek!

:: 2 new baby boys to 2 of my high school besties, both born au naturel. welcome to the world, charlie and adam!

:: 1 exciting giveaway you should really check out! tons of amazing prizes, including a modern marigold bunting kit. entries (1 book = 1 entry) benefit heather's incredible joyful life library.

:: 4-3-2-1 liftoff! sorry, couldn't resist.

:: ps -- tons of new listings in the shop -- and a featured spot in a pretty treasury today!

vintage sheet bee quilt top -- done!

Last night I got out my Vintage Sheet Bee blocks that I've been meaning to put together for-ev-ah. And oh! talk about a happy way to spend an hour on a summer evening. Vintage sheets just make me so stinkin' happy.

I sewed two blocks together really crooked, and as I was ripping them apart I thought of an article I read in the Ensign a while back. The author was talking about how ripping out just one stitch here and there can destroy a piece of sewn work, even though you might not notice it at first. Then she talked about how skipping scriptures and prayer here and there can weaken us without us even noticing.

I was adjusting my stitch length as I was thinking about that, then realized another parallel there -- the shorter the stitches, the stronger the seam. Likewise, I know that when I pray and read my scriptures more often and more consistently, I feel stronger and happier.

Parallels aside, I'm super excited about this quilt. I think I'm going to turn + tie it, rather than quilting + binding. More out of laziness/impatience than anything else. I can't decide whether to put in batting or whether to just sew backing + top together for a lightweight summer throw. Anyone have experience with that?

Epic thanks to the ladies of the Vintage Sheet Quilting Bee for this one! You can find my tutorial for this quilt block at my old blog.

Happy Thursday -- it's almost the weekend! Yay!

new duds tee

Surely you know Candace, aka Ms. Sparkle Power? Well, a couple of weeks ago my luck was up + I won a giveaway she hosted from New Duds!

I picked the Shallow Tree shirt. The quality of this shirt is incredible -- both of the shirt itself (so soft! they use American Apparel tees) and of the screen printing, which machine-washed and dried perfectly. I've worn it twice in less than a week + I'm in love. Any of their shirts would make a super nice present for someone who likes a good tee. Thank you, Tessa and Torrey -- I'll be back!

tug hill bluegrass festival

Fried chicken and blueberries, perfect weather, and toe-tappin', banjo-beatin', yodelay-hee-hooin' good bluegrass.

Such a good day.

Happy Tuesday, fun friends!

while my husband pretended to be the taliban and got shot at with paintballs

So my rad sister in-law Amber called me up exactly 2 weeks ago and said something like this: "Hey! Our husbands will both be out of town next week. Let's go to Indiana!"

And I said something like this: "Okay!"

And our husbands (who are brothers) said something like this: "You're crazy!"

Crazy maybe, but we had a smackin' good time. Among our many exploits were:

:: playing in Grandma's barn ::

:: catching, terrorizing holding, and losing a frog  ::

:: popsicles after church (pants optional) ::

:: a grandma-endorsed water-spitting fight ::

:: the most extraordinary (cinnamon sugar-dipped caramel, ho.ley.mo.ley.) donuts on miss maren's birthday
(and her looking sideways to make sure no one's coming up from behind) ::

:: swimming with cousins at auntie sarah's house (another rad sister in-law) ::

:: cousin wyatt, showing us how it's done ::

:: maren loved her new swimmy too much to get it wet, obviously ::

:: fun dip, wall-e, and popcorn ::

:: sweet aqua doors at the super 8 in pennsylvania ::

:: home! and way too pooped for clothes ::

(Such) a good time was had by all.

Thank you Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Tyson, Aunt Amber, and all our cool cousins! *Loves!*