DIYourself Skirts & Dresses!

I've been paroosing the web for some fresh idea's for making skirts and dresses your way. Here is what I found...

Better Homes and Gardens  shows you how to make this super cute Circle skirt:

Sew a Straight Line gives an amazingly easy, I must make this skirt now, tutorial for a Domesticated Skirt!

Your Style Rocks (why, thank you!) has a free downloadable pattern for this fantastic dress:

Elle Apparel created an easy-peasy winter shirt-dress tutorial I can't wait to make!

Do you sew? Do you have a blog that has your sewing creations?

Don't be shy...share it with the rest of us!

I'm linking up with Stay at Home Daughter today, where others are sharing posts all about modesty! Will you join us?

Teresita's Sew Creative ~ Give-away!~CLOSED

I am so excited to introduce to you a fabulous company to shop from for modest clothing!

Teresita's Sew Creative offers a variety of modern, yet modest clothing for girls, ladies and (my favorite right now) maternity!

I was so thankful to receive my new denim A-line maternity skirt upon our arrival to West Virginia! Idaho winter was just about to begin when we left so I assumed West Virginia would be just as cold. When we got here, it felt like summer to me! My new skirt is perfect for transitioning seasons! The material is light enough to keep you comfortable and heavy enough to lay nicely. The perfect combination!

I must confess...when I received this skirt, I wore it for four days in a row! In fact, I probably wear my new skirt every other day I love it that much! (I'm wearing it today!)

 

I was delightfully surprised to see that Jennifer also sent me this beautiful Rose Floral Maternity Skirt!

 

As well as this super sweet multi-dot, tiered skirt for my daughter!

 

Jennifer sews amazingly and these skirts are of high quality craftsmanship!

Teresita's Sew Creative also offers affordable fabric by the yard, sewing supplies, classes, swimwear and more!

On top of creating lovely everyday clothing, Jennifer also offers custom sewing! (Is there nothing she can't do? :) )

 

Beautiful Custom Made Bridesmaid Dressess!

So Cute!

And now for the best part...the give-away!

Jennifer has graciously offer to give away a skirt of your choice to one of my dear readers!

To enter this give-away simply pop on over to Teresits's Sew Creative and browse her selection then return here with a comment as to which one you would choose!

For additional entries:

Like Teresita's Sew Creative on Facebook

Share this give-away on Facebook

Tweet about this give-away

Blog about this give-away

Be sure to leave a seperate comment for each entry!

This give-away is open to US residents only and a random winner will be chosen December 13th!

Best Wishes!

Wardrobe Wednesday~Fall & Joyfully Sewn Designs Give-away!~CLOSED

Welcome to Wardrobe Wednesday’s where for four weeks in each season, I will share with you what’s in my wardrobe!

Keep in mind that 90% of my clothing is purchased from thrifts stores and yard sales because I never pay full price. I’m in no way trying to “show off” what’s in my closet but instead encourage my readers to see that there are options when it comes to dressing modestly…

For our last Wardrobe Wednesday I like to highlight what my girls are wearing. Many people wonder if little girls are able to run and play while dressing modestly. My answer is undoubtedly!

For my girls, they always have on a pair of leggings no matter what the weather. During the summer months I cut their leggings to the knee and buy new for winter then repeat the process all over again the following summer! It can be tricky finding modest clothes for our girls but they are available! Thankfully there are wonderful companies out there like Joyfully Sewn Designs, who are like-minded when it comes to keeping the "little" in our girls!

Here I have my A-Girl wearing an adorable Girls Autumn Patchwork Peasant Skirt  with a long-sleeve tee I found at Wally World for $4!

When it comes to girls, skirts and play-time, coverage and comfort are important to me.

"Twirly" is important to A-Girl!

The quality and care that is sewn into this skirt surpasses any store-bought skirt I have seen recently!

Sarah from Joyfully Sewn Designs is graciously offering one of my blessed readers a $15 gift credit towards a purchase of any item!

I love the Girls Jumper & Peasant Blouse- Brown with Flowers and the Little Girls Peasant Blouse in Polka Dots!

In addition to this fabulous give-away, Sarah is offering my readers a 10% discount toward their first purchase at Joyfully Sewn Designs with the coupon code: MODESTY

If your thinking of Winter and Holiday pictures, look at these sweet skirts and dresses!

To enter this give-away please visit Joyfully Sewn Designs then return here leaving a comment as to what you would purchase with your credit!

For additional entries:

Blog about this give-away

Tweet about this give-away

Share this give-away on Facebook

Follow Sarah's blog

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!

This give-away is open to US residents only and a random winner will be chosen November 2, 2011.

***Update*** Because I suffer from "pregercitus" I accidentally choose a winner a day early...sorry!

Best Wishes!

Wardrobe Wednesday~Fall & New Creation Apparel Give-away!~CLOSED

Welcome to Wardrobe Wednesday's where for four weeks in each season, I will share with you what's in my wardrobe!

Keep in mind that 90% of my clothing is purchased from thrifts stores and yard sales because I never pay full price. I'm in no way trying to "show off" what's in my closet but instead encourage my readers to see that there are options when it comes to dressing modestly...

Here I have a turquoise sweater I purchased at Mourices, long-sleeve plum tee from the thrift store, brown belt from the thrift store, knee high boots my mother gave me for a Christmas gift and my new, lovely New Creation Women's Apperal Maternity Skirt!

I've been in love with this skirt for quite some time and I am so grateful that New Creation Women's Apparel gifted me this beautiful Mocha Ruffle Skirt.

I am so please with the quality and comfort of this beautiful skirt. It's very soft, comfortable and light-wieght which will transition well through the seasons.

Right now you can purchase one of these gems yourself in a variety of colors and length's.

Or...

You can enter to win a skirt of your choice from New Creation Women's Apparel!!!

***THIS GIVE-AWAY CLOSED***

(If I wasn't pregnant, I would do a cartwheel!)

To enter this give-away, please brouse through New Creation Women's Apparel, then return here leaving a comment as to which skirt you would choose if you were the winner!

I also adore the Floral Scherenschnitt and the French Country Blues skirts.

For additional entries:

"Like" New Creation Women's Apparel on Facebook

Share this give-away on your Facebook page

Tweet about this give-away

Share this give-away on your blog

Sign up for the New Creation Women's Apparel Newsletter

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!

This give-away is open to U.S. Residents only. A random winner will be chosen October 18, 2011

Best wishes!

pssst...I'm linking up for the challenge!

Wardrobe Wednesday~Summer #3

Happy Wednesday Friends!

Since Ive been talking about sewing this week, I wanted to share with you some of my own summer creations!

The first two skirts shown I drafted myself using the book  "Sew What Skirts."

I took an idea from the book but made it to fit my style. I'm not a fan of the A-line skirt because for me, I look and feel like a giant bell. This skirt is a little bit A-line with a little bit Pencil Skirt. The bottom trim is actually from a pillow case! (Remember to think outside the box when looking for deals, trims and fabrics!)

This next skirt was patterned for a bottom tier. I took that idea and replaced it with a ruffled hem where the tier should have been.

Believe it or not I just whipped this skirt up yesterday!

The West Ladies created a tiered skirt in their DVD "The Art of Sewing" that seemed very simple to make and believe me it was! If you don't count the two diaper changes, three peanut butter & jelly sandwiches I made, the one "owee" that needed kissing and the one "Mommy will you read this to me?" story, I completed this skirt in about an hour!

Be sure to stop by tomorrow! I have some super fun videos in store!

I. Love. Skirts. ~ Guest Post by Jennifer Ross

Skirts!

I love skirts!

Long and flowing, feminine and pretty.

I. Love. Skirts!

Skirts are an extension of womanhood.

They say: * I am distinctly female * I am a woman * I am content, excited even, to be a woman!

Skirts set you apart. And isn't that what we are supposed to do as children of God? Be separate... set apart?

"Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord" ~2 Corinthians 6:17

There are many ways to be holy for our Lord, or set apart. Wearing skirts is one of the many. It is just another tool in the arsenal of the virtuous woman.

Skirts identify you to the world; A mother out with her children, all the girls are in dresses or skirts, says; "we are in this world, but not of this world." Skirts say, "I don't need to follow what the feminists said I should." I am proclaiming that I am different than men and pleased to be so.

Heart Check~ Yes, you know what comes next, the part where I say "Some of the Godliest women I know wear pants."

I have to be honest with you...I don't believe that pants are evil. Or even ungodly. And yes, some of my favorite fellow homemakers wear pants!

So what to do with all of this?

Try a skirt once a week, if you usually wear pants. Have fun twirling with your little girls! Delight in dancing with your husband or sons! Enjoy a barefoot walk across a freshly mowed lawn, feeling the summer breeze blow through a long, flowing skirt.

In essence, embrace womanhood and all it has to offer!

"Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord" in all you say and do!

Jennifer is the cherished wife of a very visionary man, and a home schooling mother to almost a dozen children.  Her deepest desire is to consistently love her husband and children, and to be a diligent and joyful keeper at home.   Her favorite pastime is to encourage fellow housewives in their highest calling of wife and mother.  When she's not creating Homemaking DVDs or hosting webinars, she can be found blogging at Renewing Housewives.

Wardrobe Wednesday~Summer #2

Welcome to Wardrobe Wednesday's where for four weeks in each season, I will share with you what's in my wardrobe!Keep in mind that 90% of my clothing is purchased from thrifts stores and yard sales because I never pay full price. I'm in no way trying to "show off" what's in my closet but instead encourge my readers to see that there are options when it comes to dressing modestly...

I think this is one of my favorite outfits. I love the print of the skirt and I love what I paid! $2 for the blouse and $3 for the skirt!

Every winter I buy legging's for my girls. When Summer rolls around, if  their leggings still fit but are a size to big  to pass down for the following winter, I cut the leggings to the knee. This helps them remain modest while running around and keeps the girls a little bit cooler during the summer heat!

DIY

Here are some lovely DIY's I found I think you'll enjoy!

Remember my Garden Inspiration post? At The House of Smiths, you can learn how to make your own, amazingly easy fabric flower! You can add these flowers to anything! Purses, headbands, cardigans, you name it!

Quinn at Reformation Acres gives very simple instructions on how to make a "Gathering" Apron. Perfect for fellow homesteaders!

You can learn how to to make a skirt from a t-shirt from Melissa at Sew Like Mom.

If you can find a men's business shirt, Dana Made It will teach you how to make a darling dress for a little girl.

Do you have your own DIY idea to share? Send me an email!

Have fun creating!

I Could Have~Guest Post by Julie Fink

A few weeks ago my friend Rose came by on a Friday morning to pick me up to go to a Girls Getaway that I had planned for our church ladies in Shipshewana, Indiana. She arrived a few minutes early, and since I wasn’t quite ready, I let her in and asked her to make herself comfortable while I finished up.

When I walked out of my room about fifteen minutes later, she was standing by our fireplace mantle looking at a photo album of a trip I took to a variety of places in Michigan with my husband last summer. The album was a gift designed by our daughter Sabrina and made through a company called Shutterfly.

On the cover of the album is a picture of my husband and me sitting on a bicycle built for two that we rode around the perimeter of Mackinaw Island on the day that we spent there.

“I don’t get it,” my friend Rose said, “Why couldn't you have worn pants or Capri’s to do this?”

“I could have,” I told her, “I could have worn whatever I wanted to wear. I just chose to wear my khaki skirt.”

“Oh,” she replied, “I just thought you wore it because you had to.”

I don’t do anything because I have to. Everything that I do is by choice. And for the past many years, I have chosen to wear skirts and dresses in just about everything I do.

What caused me to make this kind of decision? I made this decision after reading a little book entitled, “Your Clothes Say it for You” by Elisabeth Rice Handford. It’s a little book that I picked up at a tiny Baptist Book Store in Orlando, Florida. I didn't go to the store searching for a book like this, but the title caught my eye and so I decided to give it a read.

This little book reminded me of two very important things:

1. People notice what we wear.
2. People are affected by what we wear.

People notice what we wear. I have noticed that when I dress modestly and in a feminine way people are often encouraged or intrigued. Men are usually encouraged, women are often intrigued.

My wearing dresses and skirts has often given me special opportunities to share Christ with others in ways that I would not usually get to share. Just like my friend Rose was curious about why I wore a skirt to ride a bike, many other people are curious about why I wear skirts and dresses whenever they see me too. Their questions always give me an opportunity to share how I got saved, how much I love the Lord, and how important it is for those of us that are saved and love the Lord to live in a way that communicate who He is to the lost world around us.

When I wear my skirts and dresses I am sharing one of the most important truths in the Bible ~ and that is that God made them male and female. If you have ever spent any time reading through the Bible, you know how important this truth is to God and how vital it is to carrying out the good works (marriage, parenting, respect, leadership, provision) that God has called His creation to carry out.

But truth is not the only thing that is communicated by the skirts and dresses that I have chosen to wear ~ respect for myself and others is communicated too.

When I choose to dress modestly and in a feminine way I am sharing a message loud and clear that says, “I care about those that are around me. I care about the men that are looking my way. I care about their purity and I care about their devotion to the Lord and I care about the security of their wives.”

My choice of dress also communicates the respect that I have for myself. Every time I dress in a way that modestly covers my “sensual zones” I am reminded of my own value. I’m not just some cheap piece of something found and fondled on a clearance rack in some discount store. And I’m not something that is supposed to be sampled by people that are just walking by wondering whether they would want to buy me or not. I am a precious creation of God and my body is a special gift that He has given to me to share with someone very, very special ~ and that is my husband. Because of the respect that I have for myself and others, I have chosen to dress in a modest and feminine way.

I could have worn a pair of pants or Capri’s or shorts or anything else that I wanted to wear when I took that bike ride last summer. As a born again Christian woman, I have the freedom to wear whatever I want ,wherever I want, and how ever I want. That is what Christian liberty is all about. God doesn't judge me for what I wear daily because He doesn't even notice what I wear daily ~ when the Lord looks at me, all He sees is Jesus.

The reason that I dress modestly and femininely is because I know that people notice and people are affected by what I wear. And when the world looks at me, I don’t want them to see a woman that is wrapped up in being culturally comfortable or convenient, I want them to see that I am a woman that loves them and desires to communicate the truths that I have learned from my wonderful Saviour Jesus."

Mrs. Julie Fink is a kindred spirit of mine!

She is a  a wife to a good man who happens to be a busy and successful Pastor. The mother of two delightful grown-up daughters, mother in law to their husbands and grandma to Jeremy and Sabrina’s two precious little boys. She is a woman that loves her home and spending time with her family.

Julie is also a Pastor’s Wife to their church folks, a friendly face to herneighbors, a daughter to her father, a sister to my sisters, and a friend to many of you.

But best of all, she is a child of the King who is loved by our Lord.  She has been saved since the spring of 1984 and she has enjoyed every minute of growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

For more encouragement from Julie, please visit her at Journal for Women! She aso has some wonderful audio messages and Bible studies for women!

Wardrobe Wednesday~Summer #1

Welcome to Wardrobe Wednesday's where for four weeks in each season, I will share with you what's in my wardrobe! Keep in mind that 90% of my clothing is purchased from thrifts stores and yard sales because I never pay full price. I'm in no way trying to "show off" what's in my closet but instead encourge my readers to see that there are options when it comes to dressing modestly...

I love the print of this skirt and when I found it at the thrift store it was actually a size 16.  I'm a size 10-12 so I simply altered the skirt myself! When you're shopping for clothes at a thrift store or yard sale, keep in mind that you can still make the clothes fit your style and size! You can add any embellishment to your "new" clothes such as lace trim, buttons, a broach or  flower made from fabric! (A tutorial on that later this week!)

You may be wondering... "Why does she look so annoyed?"

Well, yesterdays "photo-shoot" did not goes as planned.

I had about two seconds to use this time in our busy schedule,  it was a bazillion degrees out-side and I'm standing next to a flower bed that has what seemed to me a very large amount of bees...I'm allergic to bees.

Also, my tri-pod was in my bedroom where my baby was sleeping so I used the next best thing. My five year old daughter! She did her utmost to help mommy out, even if the picture was crooked!