Tutorial Tuesday: Baby Headbands

Come one Come all to TUTORIAL TUESDAY! 

I had planed great and marvellous things for you today,,,, But then I got brain blocked. It seemed that my brain decided that it had put in enough time today and took a nap. I did however put a simple tutorial on how to make baby headbands today!! :) yay I over came my brain on break and made something all the same! (quite happy about it too!)

Now I've made quite a few headbands in my time, both for my baby as well as for myself. Today we will be attacking the knotted head band. 

What you'll need:

A warm beverage of your choice (I chose tea) 
Some left over t-shirt material
Scissors
Needle 
And what ever thread you like 

(now it is very possible to do this without sewing, but you'd need either iron on hemming tape or hot glue gun, I chose to use needle and thread because it's quite easy todo and you don't have to be perfect on this project)

First you need to cut your material into a long rectangle. I did 1 1/2 head circumferences of your babys head worth. Make sure it's about 3 inches wide, I made mine 4 inches wide because I wanted mine extra thick. What you will do next is.... sew the edges together. 

I did a simple blanket stitch really quickly up the edge. You can take your time, use hot glue gun, sewing machine, or hemming tape. I was in a sewing mood so I did the blanket stitch. After you run up the edge you need to turn it inside out. 

Once you have turned it inside out you can tie it together. Don't knot it, you just need to tie it once, and then tuck in the edges. As your tucking in the edges, you need to sew it into place (or glue). I used a simple "invisible" stitch to secure it. Because of the material I used, it is a little noticeable where I placed the stitched it. 

By the end of it, you should have something like this. I've used this pattern/technique for my headbands as well as my baby's. It looks amazing with stretchy lace ! You can use any type of stretchy materials. My favorite two are t-shirt and stretchy lace. I hope that you all will like this tutorial. Later on I hope to add more images of other headbands I have made using this technique. I don't know exactly how long this would have taken to make.... if I was super focused and working full speed. I was watching a tv show, I started at the beginning, and finished at the end of the episode. Of course I wasn't paying full attention to the headband making, stoping constantly. So ..... I'm guessing that if I was focused... then 15 minutes max! 

Hope you all liked this post.. 

Can't wait until next Tutorial Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday Everybody! 

Another Monday Another Week

So today being MONDAY I though that I might talk to you all about something new. ..something maybe other than gardening... who knows maybe about how the sun is bright? Or how chocolate is yummy? Or why I always lose my shoes when I run for a bus..... . But then I went to work, and we had this all school assembly. And guess what they talked about at all school assembly? Books? Exams? Nope... Why  they talked about Gardening of course? How could you not talk about gardening?? Right? (It's as if I've been living in a grey garden-less concrete world and the doors have only just recently opened up to revel the wondrous world of gardening)

So any way before I get too far away from what I was going to talk about... Our headmaster performed a little skit and gave a talk about "taking care of God's creation". He quoted from, Genesis 2:15 “ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” He made a really good insight into this passage. Many people might assume that work came after the fall, that we never were meant to work or do hard labor. This is misconception probably was taken from the passage where God says "Genesis 3:19

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”" I think this passage talks more about death than it does work.

 

But if you look at the previous passage, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden... to work it and take care of it.” We were designed to work and take care of God's creation. It is in our blood.

I find this absolutely amazing. I confess, I was one of those people who at one point in my life, thought that work came after the fall. But it didn't. We were designed to do things, to make things, to plant, tend, grow things. Now I'm not advocating that we must work ourselves to death, there is a time and a place for rest. Rest is great, I spent my whole weekend resting and recovering. I just enjoy how God has created us. I don't think I can add much more to that. God is amazing. Yep.. Pretty much sums it up.

I hope you all have enjoyed my gardening streak of posts and that they have been uplifting to you. I pray that as you read this you will be encouraged in your week.

Till next time. 

Blessings 

The Planning Stage

After my reflection yesterday, my husband and I started our planning stage of how we can maximise our very limit space. And the thing we defiantly agree on is growing upwards. ( no wonder why people have to learn about planting and gardening for years and years) ...

We researched some amazing ideas. Vertical gardening, hydroponics, lots of big words that I don't know what they mean. And we decided to do some WINDOW FARMING! Well a version of window farming. You say "window farming, what's that??" or "windows don't have soil!" . ... Well I'll tell you Allllll about it!

Window farming is a way to farm in small spaces with exceedingly limited space. What happens is you use recycled 1.5 liter water bottles, some sponge, and dirt to grow your veggies. You have several bottles connected together, top to bottom together (with holes so water can be runed from the top to the bottom). With a bottle on the bottom to collect all the extra water. This way has been proven to grow lots of leafy greens. Each column can be as many bottles long as you want (or have space for!) and you can have as many columns as you want. We are starting our first column soon. . . We will be growing lettuce hopefully lots of it with red and green and extra yummy.

On a side note, we also have decided to grow a few other things, that can't be grown with the window farming system. We have decided to grow peppers and tomatos. Which I have planted today. I really hope I don't become a plant killer again.

And one last style of planing we have decided to do, to really maximise our space, is upside down hanging plants. I'm going to start my first one tomorrow, BASIL! It's going to be really exciting.

I've found thinking, growing, and just getting my hands dirty a real way to connect to God. Here I am just growing a little tomato here, lettuce there, basil up there, and He planned and organised the entire world! Forget just plants, He did it all! It's just amazing and wonderful. And because of His wonderfulness we get to do cool things like window farming!

I really hope to show you all what this will all look like when we are done!

Blessings

A Little Reflection

Since my last post I have been planning, thinking, pondering, wondering (maybe wandering a little while I wonder), debating and dreaming about my new future garden, I've been reflecting ;) as well. And I keep coming back to the Bible. And it's wonderful. 

I've only recently accepted the idea of a garden in our apartment. Before, I would always talk myself out of it. It was either "Oh I can't plant one now, My apartment is too small", "we don't have enough money for it", "we wouldn't have enough time", or the most dreaded thing I would tell myself "PLANT KILLER". Yes, I have killed a few plants in my time, between overwatering, under watering, and cats a few plants have met their demise. 

It's not that I haven't wanted to have a garden. I have wanted a garden for a long time. Especially one with herbs and veg.  But would always say it's not for me. Even after talking myself out of it, I would still want to grow a garden. But why would I have such a strong desire to grow, tend, care for plants? (This is where we turn to the Bible) I have been contemplating why my urge to have a garden was so strong if it wasn't ment for us to do. 

We can start off in the "beginning" (wink wink) 

Genesis 2:8"Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed." 

The first garden ever planted was the Garden of Eden! I know that we have been taught that since Sunday School. But think about it... Our creator was a gardener. He put thought into what to plant, where to plant, how many, and so far and so forth. (and if you want to get even deeper, He designeed each plant from "scratch" before He planted it).After that how could I ask myself "why do I feel the need to have a garden?" because if our creator was a gardener and He created us, why not have a urge to plant, tend, plan, and care? 

After reading that Bible verse, I decided to go and find out how many times the word "garden" showed up in the Bible. Now, some might consider me lazy by going to Biblegateway.com and typing it into the search engine... BUTTTTTTTTTT.... I like to think of it as using the resources that I have. After the quick check, I found that there are 62 times the word "garden" shows up in the NIV. I decided to also type in a few other words:Garden 62 timesvine 182 times
farm 22 times
field 284 timesvineyard 108Gardener 2 times

Gardener only showed up 2 times. But very strong imagery. 

John 15:1[ The Vine and the Branches ] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

We are always taught to follow God, be more like Christ. :) And I have found that my desire to garden is a reflection of my creator. 

I hope that this little reflection was helpful to all of you.
With Blessings

Mr. Fix it.

Today was a good day. Thanks to the storm we got to sleep in, enjoy time with our daughter and make a wonderful quiche. And just like most projects around the house we started a new project at around 7.ANDDDDDD We finally got it done! Mr. Fix it helped me get my front window open!!! We have been meaning to get that window to open since we moved into this apartment. The little old lady who lived here before us, must have been afraid of thefts, and had someone weld it shut. Which is such a pity, because there is usable balcony out there!!!

With my leather work gloves from Uni, a make shift welding hat, and a regular apron MR. Fix it went to work. He cut through the metal rods so we can open our window and actually go out side onto this makeshift balcony we have out there. WHICH gave me a good idea! Since we have a balcony now and have been wanting to start a garden outside (with tons of lettuce, tomato, carrots, and other yummy veg) why not go through and document it and show you all!

It can be very hard to have a garden in a city, with all the limited space and what not. But why not utilize the space we have. We have a balcony area... now that we can access it....all we have to do now is tidy it up a bit, design where and how to put the plants, and the POOF we will have a garden. Hopefully we won't kill all our plants.:)

So we will be updating you all through out our balcony garden journey! :)
Oh I can't wait to get started!

Blessings to you all
Talk to you soon.

Tutorial Tuesday! Baby Dress How to...

After what seems like forever, to me, I have put together a TUTORIAL! (if you don't know, I have started a new job, so it's been an adjustment period, so my time has been a little tighter)

And what type of Tutorial do I have planned for all of you today!? Why an awesome one of course:). I'm going to be talking you through how to make a Baby / Toddler Dress out of an old T-shirt.

Materials Needed:
1 Old T-shirt of your choice
1 Sewing Machine (with the thread that matches the T-shirt)
1 Pair of Scissors
Some pins to hold things in place.

You might also like a cup of tea while you do this.

First things first, you need to pick out a t-shirt that you think will become a good dress.

Then you'll need to cut out two sections.

I cut the very bottom of the T-shirt for the bottom of the dress and the part around the neck.
I made sure to have over an inch on either side of the neckline for the straps. (also depending on the neck line, it might be a little low, so you might need to have a little extra bit to add to the neck line) .

You'll need to gather the base of the dress before you pin it to the top. After you gather the base of the dress, you'll need to take the top of the dress, turn it inside out and sew about 2 inches up both sides. There should be enough room for the arms in the arm holes.

Then you'll need to pin the top to the bottom. Make sure that both "outsides" are facing each other  when you pin them together so the seam will be facing the "inside". After you finish pinning it you can sew them together. I don't have a surger, so I did a regular stitch followed by a zig zag stitch. After you've done this You have a baby dress. (don't forget to take out all the pins)

Now I did a little extra on my dress so don't feel the need to do this to your baby dress.
I sewed some "t-shirt yarn" to make a pretty pattern.

You'll need to make small incisions about an inch apart from one another, I did three rows, but how many rows you do is up to you.

 You then just weave or stitch it through the holes you already created.

When you're done... You'll have something that looks like the dress above. I had to add a little paneling to the neck line because it was a little too low for my baby.
And the only other step you have now is ... to put it on a baby!

Doesn't she look cute in her new baby dress? And so good at posing.

I couldn't resist adding this picture in, She wasn't quite ready for the flash, but she was ready with a nice pose.

Hope you like this Baby Dress idea!
And for all those who craft :) Hope you try crafting something like this.
Blessings

Starting School

This week has been filled with meetings and prepping, organizing and chaotic messes, as well as two different modes: sitting still for a long time or running around like a headless chicken.
But I've almost made it through the week! Praise the Lord! And have enjoyed my time so far.
Because of my busy schedule this week, school stuff as well as after school stuff, I haven't really had time to do any crafty things. . . Well I've made power points, posters, handouts, and a bunch of other things. But today I've been given permission to go crazy with art! :) Well ... sort of. Today the person I share a classroom with told me that if I ever want to spruce up her signs and stuff like that to feel free!

So I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE!

And I designed (thanks to pickmonkey.com) a few posters for the classroom. I think the one I like the most is this one.

I also did another poster just for fun titled: Drama Llama.
 It's for a coworker who has this cute little llama in her class. I hope she will like it .

I know I could have done better with cutting the llama out, but I really like the colors. I'm going to be printing these out tomorrow and putting them up in the classroom!


I have a few things to look forward to on this blog. Coming up, I'm going to try out a couple of recipes, I have this Swedish Cook Book that was an engagement gift (now it's 2 years old) that I really should cook from. I also have the cook books my mom bought me, as wells a few others. Let's just say I have a lot of cookbooks that need to be used! So, I'm going to start working my way through them. Picking through the recipes that I don't like, and choosing recipes of food that I will actually eat. So there will be no duck recipes to try for me.

Another thing to look forward to is, that, I do have a tutorial coming out on Tuesday. The tutorial will be on how to make a baby dress out of a old t shirt. For all of you out there who like to sew, or want cheap baby clothes, this tutorial will be for you!!

Until the next time.

A New Outlook

Today has been one of the most emotionally, challenging, eye opening, fulfilling days I have had in a while. At work today we had the chance to participate in a team building exercise. Thinking about team building exercises that I have done in the past, I thought it would be a piece of cake. However, I was not expecting what my school had prepared us for. 

The school had keept it quite hush hush what the exact thing we would do was. Some people tried to get me to feel intimidated saying things that made me think we would be having to do something scary. Where others comforted me and said "Don't worry, they just have you making bags." As I got on the bus, I really had no idea what I was in for. I took comfort in thinking, "Bag making, I can do that!". I knew we were heading to Crossroads. I had been there before, years ago, volunteering with my church, and that work seemed easy enough. 

Let's just say I wasn't prepared for what they had planned for us. It was an eye opener. 
After a short message on what Crossroads was all about and how it was establish (Find out more about them here) we were led into a room that had no windows, and barely any thing in it. I did notice that there were these shanties in the corners of the room and barbed wire on the walls. 

We were then told that we would be experiencing a simulation on what it was like to live in the slums. (If you want some interesting statistics about slums in the world click here) Still thinking it was no big deal, making light of it, I got ready. We were put into groups or families and given a stack of paper that we were supposed to make paper bags out of. I might skip over all the details on how the simulation was and focus on the parts I thought was best. We only had one stack of free paper, if we needed more after that we would have to buy it. We had to make and sell as many paper bags as we could in the allotted time, but things would not be easy for us. The money we would make would be used for things like Food, Water, Rent (this is the first thing I found surprising, rent, this might make me sound uneducated, but it never occurred to me that people in the slums had to pay rent) Medicine, and other random fees that would be placed on us at any given time. 

The simulation started. It was intense. It seemed like people came out of nowhere and started yelling at us "Do you love your family?", "You're not good enough!", "If you don't do more your family will die!". They also made the room hot and had pipped in some loud noises and music into the room to make it difficult to concentrate. We had to work as a team to sell the bags. But the prices they would give us wouldn't always be the same every time. Sometimes they would just tare up the bags and say they would rubbish and we would have to start all over again. After the first round, my team didn't have enough money for rent, or water, or food. One of our team members had to barter their possessions inorder to not be kicked out of the slums to go live under the bridge (I'll talk about that area more). Then it was time again... to start all the crazy. We tried to make enough bags, there was pressure, things got tense, and once again we were short... This time I had to give some of my possessions up, as well as my team mates to get by. We were basically out of possessions by that time... and we were running out of paper to make bags, which means we needed more money to get more paper to make more bags, Let's say I was feeling a little hopeless. I thought there is no way we are going to make it through this simulation. 

By the final stage we as a small group, were trying to figure out ways to make ends meat. There was NO way making bags could keep us afloat. And that was the point of the simulation, to get us to a point of hopelessness, because then the rules changed a little. Now, we could also perform services to make a "quick" buck. We could "sell" our kidney (in the simulation, they simulate also the odds of infection and death), or "sell" what they called "hugs" some of the men would come over and ask for a "hug" in return for some money. These were really last resorts. One was risky operation and one was simulating prostitution. 

When the last round started, we were already behind. One of our team members decided to sell his kidney, which helped get us money, but there were complications* and he was no longer able to fold, thankfully he was still alive. He kinda just did this without really asking the group because he knew that it would get us more money. Then the men started walking around and asking a couple of our girl team mates for "hugs". And this part is where it really became real for me. One of the men asked my friend for a hug, I knew what the "hug" was supposed to represent, and I thought she did too, but she was more open to the hug than I thought she would be. I yanked her down by her belt and said we shouldn't do it and that it wasn't worth it. She said that we needed the money or we would die* (simulation death not real death). I got really upset about that. Even though it was a simulation, it became real to me right then and there. We got the money, we had enough from the kidney and the hugs to send her to school and have enough left over for food, rent, and water. I was so thankful it was over. 

But it stayed with me. It was over, but it's not over for them. Day in, day out, they live in the slums. They struggle day by day to get enough money to eat, drink, to stay alive. For me it was over, for them, ongoing. I was so blessed to be out of there, but they, ,, what hope do they have? To be so desperate that you are driven to prostitution, to selling organs, to doing anything that insures you're survival? 

As a new mom things can get a little more emotional for me a lot quicker than before. I thought, what if this was my real life, and that my team mate was my daughter and had to make that choice, what if even after our struggle of me trying to stop her, she still did it? And I started to cry.

I feel like I forget all too easily, maybe it is living in Hong Kong, or maybe it is our culture... but I feel we sometimes forget too easily. 

It was just a simulation, I get to leave that all behind, which I did, we had lunch, we had coffe afterwards... which cost more than what they make in a day. . . What can I do? 

Right now, there is only one thing I can do. Which is pray. Prayer is a powerful thing. Prayer is a wonderful thing. Right now I can pray. I know God uses prayer and He does incredible things, scary at times, but wonderful things all the same. 

So as I reach out to you, whoever you are reading this, I would like to reach out in prayer and ask that you pray with me. Pray for the people of this Earth. Just Pray. 

-Blessings

I Timothy 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.