sewing kit giveaway ends tonight!

I am having a give-away. A cute little sewing kit give-away at the end of this post.  And it goes like this:

Do you keep a sewing kit in your bag? When have you had to use it?

This little travel kit is made up of notions that came from this summer's auctions and estate sales...

I made it myself.

I will probably never make another one. I made it just because.

It's filled with all the things you need in a sewing emergency (or a shoe emergency). There  is a little place for scissors.

There is a tiny container of assorted buttons and a thimble.

There is a little box full of tiny spools of thread.

And a place for pins, needles and snaps.

And it all rolls up into a compact little kit to put in your purse or your desk.

 And I want one of you to have it.

Leave a comment before Friday September 28th at midnight and I will draw a name. I will send you this little custom sewing kit that I created with my own  hands...for your own hands.

Perhaps it will  bring with it the joy of past seamstresses, tucked away in time, tucked away in your handbag or desk.

are we having body issues?

I was wondering.
Are we women just sentenced to struggling with body image our whole lives? Must we be in bondage to matters of weight for a lifetime? Chained down by the desire to be something different than what we can realistically be? Good gravy, I do wonder.

I’ve spent the summer, once again , not feeling comfortable in my own skin. Trying to find that “sweet spot” between a size 2 (which I’ll never be) and somewhere on the other side of the scale (where I don’t want to be) seems to be a constant battle for me. No doubt it goes deeper than just my desire to look good…because as an intelligent reasonable women, I know that no matter what the size is, women can be beautiful and look amazing. Why this battle? Why can't I seem to find that balance that is appropriate for my age, my health and my lifestyle?

We were sitting around last weekend with friends (both male and female…while eating a blueberry crumble pie with light ice cream) discussing how our bodies have changed since high school/ childbirth/ surgeries/fill in the blank and recalling high school weights when we were our most fit.

And we all agreed that we could never be the size we were in high school and even look good. And yet, that’s where, if we were to honestly confess, we sort of wished we could be.

But it’s not realistic….exactly because of childbirth, surgeries/age/metabolism. And therein lies the struggle. On one side of my brain I imagine that I can be that fit and fabulous and on the other side of my brain ( the side that likes sitting around with friends eating blueberry crumble pie) I know that I really could do something to improve what I’ve got.  But wait...then I realize that there is a way to be fit, fabulous AND reasonable....I just have to get off my butt and do it! And that being fit and fabulous doesn't have a number attached to it! We have been so brainwashed into thinking that a certain number equals fabulous when that is not true at all! We are all fabulous for a thousand and one reasons...we can all be fit in a reasonable way that works for each of us individually!

So I wonder. How do you deal with the whole body image thing? And what are you doing about it?

because a sewing kit is a very important thing to have

I am having a give-away. A cute little sewing kit give-away at the end of this post.  And it goes like this:

Write a report, review some files, develop a database, fix a shoe.

Because when a lady is only partway through her day, and you have two more meetings to attend, you have GOT to get that shoe fixed.
And lucky for my co-worker, I happened to have a sewing kit in my bag. So, I stitched up her broken elastic just fine enough to hold until she can get it repaired properly. Her only request was that she could make it through the work day, and then make it through the grocery store on the way home!

Do you keep a sewing kit in your bag? When have you had to use it?

This little travel kit is made up of notions that came from this summer's auctions and estate sales...

I made it myself.

I will probably never make another one. I made it just because.

It's filled with all the things you need in a sewing emergency (or a shoe emergency). There  is a little place for scissors.

There is a tiny container of assorted buttons and a thimble.

There is a little box full of tiny spools of thread.

And a place for pins, needles and snaps.

And it all rolls up into a compact little kit to put in your purse or your desk.

 And I want one of you to have it.

Leave a comment before Friday September,28th at midnight and I will draw a name. I will send you this little custom sewing kit that I created with my own  hands...for your own hands.

Perhaps it will  bring with it the joy of past seamstresses, tucked away in time, tucked away in your handbag or desk.

Switching gears...

And before you know it, it’s time to change seasons!
I am pondering along the lines of a little knit wardrobe capsule using some of the new fabrics I’ve gotten.

This is one of my favorite things to do..to work out some separates using the fabrics I have. Sketching out the plan, laying out the fabrics, deciding what will work together, and work back to what's in my closet.

So here's the plan:

1. Lace knit peplum top and a black ponte peplum top

  just like the one at Urban Outfitters 

 Or this one:  Ann Taylor Power Peplum 

2.This knit jacket from royal blue ponte.

3. And a yellow knit pencil skirt.

4. A gray menswear suiting shift dress.

5. The Agostino Moto Jacket from Hot Patterns

6. Menswear suiting ankle trousers.

The next two items are outside this colorbox. But I feel like I've got to do them.

Given my new found Shift Love, I just may have to switch to a ponte for my next one! Maybe with a little color blocked action going on before we drift out of that trend. And the perfect pattern? Has to be Vogue 1313.

And I’m thinking camel and charcoal. What do you think?

Vogue 8827

So, we'll be adding  a couple of basics, a few bright colors, and a tiny bit of trend for the early fall.

I do love a good sewing plan. What will you be sewing?

ellen j goods

Okay, let me say first off that I am horrible at the whole social network thing. But JR and I decided it was time to put our little business on facebook. It's a work in progress... a brand new baby work in progress:

Now, I hate soliciting/begging/groveling for you to like us, but would you mind checking out our page? Search ellen j goods on Facebook   and giving us your thumbs up?  It's just another aspect of what I do that you may find interesting from time to time, and you just might get an idea here and there for some home decorating ideas using found items.

Part of the reason why we are having a facebook page is because we are doing  this show in a few weeks (and I guess that is part of the thing to do!):

Please come and visit me at The Purple Painted Lady Barn Sale & Junk Jubilee happening on Saturday, Sept. 22nd from 10 - 5pm.  60 artisans, classic rock band,demos, and food vendors.  Visit this Facebook Event link to RSVP and receive a FREE raffle ticket the day before the event!   https://www.facebook.com/events/345369648856894/

So, while I realized most of my readers are not from the area, I do appreciate your support by means of a visit to our page, ellen j goods.

and , oh, I can't wait to share some Fall Wardrobe ideas that are on my sewing pile!!!! So excited!

Thank you so much for your support and continuing to read my little blog. I appreciate every one of you and so enjoy your comments and emails about all of our creative endeavors! Keep reading, and stay tuned for a special little sewing related giveaway in the weeks ahead!

Have Sewing Machine, Will Travel.

I am a champion for hire.

(okay, you young kids…these are references to the early 60’s TV Western “Have Gun Will Travel” about the gentlemanly Paladin, a well-read, man-eating-tiger hunting, ever diplomatic but ready-to-pull-the-trigger-if-necessary, avenger of justice in the Wild West)

Well, JR and I have spent the last several days with an intestinal virus that really knocked us for a loop. Finally feeling a little on the mend, we visited with the kids yesterday for football watching and window treatment sewing. What should have taken me about an hour to complete took me about 4 hours…but then there were interruptions for over-all low energy, baby snuggling and teachable moments

The final result was acceptable…Katie approved. She bought a Pottery Barn duvet cover on ebay because she loved the print. We were able to use the solid back for lining. And there is enough left over to do a curtain for the half-bath. Bonus, bonus.

All in all, a job well done.

Home is the nicest word there is.

“Home is the nicest word there is.” (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
I am a nester. I love my home, and I have loved each home that I’ve lived in. There is a part, deep inside of me that I can’t even describe that connects to a place, drives my guts to make it personal, and is drawn to it each morning as I wake up and each day on my way home from work or travel.

What makes my home special is not just that it’s a 1920 Craftsman bungalow, or that it’s planted smack between two of the best neighbors anyone could dream up, or that it’s filled with junk and stuff and memories that make us happy. It's the investment in our daily dreams that make this home special. Our time and effort...the resources of mind and body are as much a part of this home as the original hexagon tile in the bathroom and the built in cubbies that still remain.


It is in gladness that we endeavor daily with hard work and time and effort. We feel a responsibility to maintain these 1500 square feet so that someday, another family may have the opportunity to make it their dream and desire. We are merely stewards of this little estate.

We could be practical. Especially at our ages. We could hire someone to paint for us. Or choose siding over cedar shakes. Or find a low-maintenance patio home.

But no. With every nail and every brush stroke and each fix and makeover, we are committed to not only making our house a home, but handing it down to another generation to preserve and love.

And while moth and rust will eventually destroy, and not one splinter or nail will go with us to heaven...to make a house a home is a blessing and a joy that we get to share together…right now.

What makes your house a home?

The Fabulous Butterick 5706. Version 2!

Butterick 5706 Again…

Okay, now I love this dress even more. And with shift dresses being one of the trends for Fall, I see plenty of possibilities.

Actually, I see plenty of possibilities even if the shift dress were not one of the trends for Fall!



In the future, the shift will be a significant part of my wardrobe, you can bet. There is a reason this is a classic silhouette, right?

With this version, I chose to do sleeveless, since I had a limited amount of fabric with which to work.

I made a few more modifications in fit from the first version, mainly the neckline/shoulder area.


I cut out a size 16, through the bodice and waist, and graded to a 14 through the hips and down. I think I got a much better fit this time around by cutting a smaller size and then doing my standard FBA.

But, this time around, my standard FBA wasn’t standard at all. And I will talk about how I manipulated that dart in another post.

Good gravy, I love this dress. The fabric is Kaffe Fassett, from the Spring 2009 Persian Vase Collection. I found it at Field’s Fabrics in Holland Michigan when I was there this summer. It’s still widely available on line, too. It has the most gorgeous colors and design, and I was careful to lay out my pattern to maximize the effect of the design in a most figure flattering way. 

I will wear this with a black jacket, with a pink cardigan, with boots and with heels. I will wear it and wear it and wear it as far into the season as I can...I think it would even be cute with tights and boots!