Good morning, my dear reader.

I hope this post finds you well. Though we are in a most unfortunate financial squeeze, we are all greatful, I am sure, of the little things in life, such as life itself, that are more important than our funds. To give an example, I point you toward the recent headlines of the "Almost" Christmas day terrorist attack. For lack of a better phrase, I say we "got lucky." We might, today, be still in mourning for the loss of so many people upon that plane, if it was not for our good fortune and God's grace. To make another example of a current catastrophe, examine, if you will, the overwhelming headline of yesterday's news. The nation of Haiti's recent suffering and extreme conditions due to the late earthquake that struck this impoverished people is a most blunt reminder of the perishable nature of the human body. I do not suggest rejoicing that it wasn't America that suffered this blow, as any day we might face a similar fate in California. However, to be thankful for one's avoidance of misfortune is no sin, and as we mourn for those unfortunate souls in Haiti, we can and should at the same instance recognize our luck at having all our family and friends known to be alive and well.

But I have preached too long! They oughtn't let me near a soapbox, as I might never get down off it.

I am in the process of sewing my own chemise, by hand. It has introduced me to the world of clothing creation, and I hope to follow up with a pair of drawers, and corset, crinoline, two petticoats, a bodice, and a skirt. These all being from the mid-Victorian era, my favorite of all the eras of dressing, and part of the reason for this "blog" I have set up. I intend to finish this chemise by hand, to have one garment done in such a way as to make me aware of the extant to which women worked to create their garb, and then do the rest of this ensemble on the "machine", to save time and sanity.

On this chemise I am dreading above all the hemming. 60 inches of hem, double cuffed and ironed into place. I shudder now at just the thought. Still, I do find the exercise of stitching to be calming, especially on the long runs where you needn't think too much and can let your mind wander. I drafted the chemise pattern based on instructions found online. But I messed up the back and will have to take out a long flat felled seam to right my error. Ah well, I am learning from this endeavor, more than I ever would have imagined!