Showstoppers Tickets for Sale

India's show is just 11 days away!! Please come and support her and her performers as they raise funds for the Diabetic Youth Foundation.

The DYF has been very important our our family life and the lives of many, many diabetic families. They provide training, support, entertainment, encouragement and valuable information at their camps and other services. We LOVE the DYF!

India is 18!

Just 18 short years ago, a tiny baby was placed on my belly. She was so little, yet strong and curious. As soon as the doctor put her there, she put her little hands down and pushed up to look around the room. The doctor and nurses looked shocked and told me that newborns are not supposed to be able to do that yet. But she was born in the posterior position, so her little neck got really strong, really quickly! She also rolled over the very next day. She was so inquisitive! Ready to take on the world with no fear from that very day.

When India was a baby, Don was on staff at First Presbyterian church in Bellingham, WA. The church was right across the street from Western Washington University. The church had a HUGE university ministry called "The Inn" which met weekly and had a congregation of students MUCH larger than the general congregation of the church. The Inn was staffed with some of the most wonderful women I have ever met. And every time I would walk into the church, one of them would grab India out of my arms and I would not see her again until she was hungry or we needed to leave. India never had a fear or strangers or ever worried about her place in the world. She was just always happy and "OK". She knew she was loved and just loved everyone in return.

India has always been confident in who she is. She has not EVER been a "follower" in any way, except for being a follower of Jesus. She welcomes everyone with open arms and an open heart. She will defend you to the death and encourage you constantly. She is a dreamer and a gifted writer. She is an AMAZING singer and if you ever have the chance to hear her, you will be awed! And her acting ability is simply a gift. Often when she is acting, I forget it is her. I get so drawn in and become so emotional, that I have to stop myself and remember that she is not really homeless, or pregnant, or struggling to survive a concentration camp,...............or a floating princess. Yes, she has played SEVERAL princess roles over the years.

You can't really see it well, but she is wearing a tiara. She has several. She has taken the princess role to heart and wears her tiaras whenever she needs a lift. This was her outfit today. Frilly, sparkly, a fluffy crinoline under her dress, and all together fabulous. She is beautiful. She still is pretty pale but she has been ill quite a bit lately. She does not let that stop her though. I am so proud of my precious girl.

Last night, before we went out to Big A for burgers with Grandma, Grandpa, and Papa, Don gave India a very special present. Very special! He gave her his Seagull acoustic guitar. India LOVES this guitar. She has been in love with this guitar since she was about 8 years old. It has a lovely tone and a small neck, so her little fingers fit around it very nicely. India was in shock that her Daddy would giver her this much loved instrument.
She cried so hard she could barely talk. She will write such beautiful songs on this guitar. And she has the best guitar teacher there is, the giver of the gift.

After her Daddy gave her the guitar, we left for Big A, with it's homemade root beer and decadent burgers. She asked her Daddy what were the things he wanted to know when he turned 18. He did his best to impart all of his wisdom to her while we sat at that table outside the restaurant. It was so sweet.

Here is the Birthday Girl with Grandma, Grandpa, Ahnalin and me. Daddy was taking the picture.

Today was actually India's birthday, yet she had to leave after school for Chamber Choir retreat up in the mountains. So, I ordered a birthday cake for her to share with her friends. Hey, if you have to be stuck in a cabin in the mountains with 40 people you may or may not love, they might as well sing "Happy Birthday" to you, right?

India and her buddy Erin are doing their best to look completely dorky for this picture.

But seconds earlier my beautiful girl looked like this.

So, I kissed my girl goodbye, knowing that the next time I saw her, she would be an "adult". Notice I did not say "Mature Adult".......no....just adult!

 

This is how I have seen her a lot lately. She is working on "Showstoppers" here. Yes, LOTS of phone work. She is getting to hate the phone as much as I do. But, it is a means to an end, and there is much to be done to prepare for the show.

Here, India is directing her singers in a rehearsal of Showstoppers. She is really very good with her direction. Daddy is the accompanist, and India is directing......interesting dynamic, but it is working.

Sorry this is so blurry. I am not good at motion shots! And yes, they were in motion.

Daddy was helping to direct this song, "Seasons of Love" from "Rent" because India is one of the soloists on this ensemble piece. One of the female singers had not arrived yet at rehearsal. But OH! The kids are sounding sooooo good!

Just a cute picture of India and her boyfriend Kevin. He brought her yellow roses, chocolate, and a princess balloon today at school for her birthday. She was over the moon!

I am going to have to scan some baby pictures of my girl. I know I do not show pictures of her as often as I show Ahnalin.  India is so busy and I just don't get her time as much as I used to. But I am proud of my beautiful girl. I love her so very much.

Please pray for her health. I believe that God has HUGE plans for my lovely and talented girl. I pray that good health is part of those plans. Please pray with me that the next two weeks are productive and successful for her with Showstoppers.
Tickets are now available. If you are near Grass Valley, you can see her show on Saturday, October 10th at 7:00PM. Tickets at $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for seniors and students. All profits will go to benefit the Diabetic Youth Foundation.
If you are not nearby but would like to donate to the cause, you can email me at sivjegoose @ sivjegoose .com  (remove the spaces).

Thank you so much for your prayers for my girl.
India, I love you so much and am proud of the woman you have become.

India turned 18 today!

Bloomer Skirt on YOU CAN MAKE THIS!! (and other stuff!)

WOOHOO!! I am so excited!! Or should I say that I am SEW Excited!!

My first pattern, the Monkey Girl Bloomer Skirt, has finally been listed at Youcanmakethis.com !!!!
This has been a really love process but I have been learning so much about it all! I made a lot of mistakes and am still making them, but I have to say that the pattern is as close to perfect as I can make it.

When you purchase a pattern from Youcanmakethis.com, they keep it in your "library" so you can download and print whenever you need it. This is great in case you misplace things......not that that ever happens, right?

I am hoping to get some photographic help because my pictures appear rather washed out on the "YCMT" page. I am NOT a photographer. We all have our gifts and I so respect those people who are gifted in photography.

I have more patterns in the works. What to do next? What would you like to make? I am open to suggestions and want to design things that people want to sew.

This is now an official change of subject! We have green tomatoes coming out of our ears! Why are they not turning red anymore??? All I know is that I am LOVING "Fried Green Tomatoes"! I am probably not doing them the "real" way, but I like them my way.

Just in case you have tons of green tomatoes and want to try them the way I have been making them, this is what I have been doing.

Sivje's Fried Green Tomatoes

3-5 large, firm green tomatoes

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

olive oil

Chunky blue cheese dressing

Slice up the tomatoes, crosswise, about 1/4-1/2" thick. 

Pour about 1/4 cup olive oil in your fry pan and heat it up over a medium flame.

Dip in the beaten eggs. Then dredge in the breadcrumbs until well coated.

Tap off the excess bread crumbs.  Then transfer each coated tomato into the fry pan.

Fry until golden and then turn to fry the other side until golden. 

Gently remove from fry pan and place on a paper towel to catch excess oil.

Serve alone or with chunky blue cheese dressing.

Again,  this is not the traditional southern recipe. But then, I am not from the South, so I am doing it my way! So there! (sorry, bossy mood today!)

This summer, when we vacationed in Port Angeles, I visited a quilt store, Quilted Strait

where I was thrilled to find this darling "Olivia" fabric. Ahnalin loves the  books and television show about Olivia the pig, so I knew this would be a hit for her.

 As is often the case, I had not chosen an actual pattern for the outfit. And since I purchased the fabric at full price, I only bought a little bit. Add to that, the challenge of making an outfit that would fit over Ahnalin's huge cast, and one that could transition the seasons. Ahnalin wanted a peasant dress instead of just a blouse, so she ended up with two dresses instead of just one. Add tights and a turtleneck and the jumper can go through the winter.

This little peasant dress became an even bigger challenge because I really did not purchase enough fabric for a dress. I had only, vaguely thought about a simple bound sleeve blouse, which would not fit over her cast.  I ended up using an old nightgown pattern and having to piece the skirt. The dress is actually quite "a-lined" but she is pulling it behind her here.

The dress hem is even but she was laughing and wiggling while I was trying to take photos. And remember, I am NOT a photographer, so I have to do my best here.

But she is laughing and happy, so I am grateful!

Please be praying for my India. She turns 18 on Friday and will be leaving to spend the weekend at her school Chamber Choir retreat. She is really battling her diabetes stuff and having migraines as well. In addition, she is trying to do that last few weeks of work on her senior project. She is putting on a Broadway Style review called "Showstoppers". The show will be on October 10th, at 7:00PM at Twin Cities Church. Tickets will be $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for students and seniors. All profits will go to the "Diabetic Youth Foundation". Please pray that she starts to feel better and that she will get all done what needs to be done so that the show is a success.

Please email me if you are interested in purchasing tickets or donating to this cause. We need all the help we can get. And this is such an important cause.

One more thing.

I am getting closer and closer to that giveaway. So, if you have not done so already, and want me to send a test email to you, please leave a comment so I can see if your profile includes your email address.

I pray you have a beautiful day!

Sivje

Lovely Lace and a Little Bit of Pink

Over the years, I have been the very blessed recipient of many beautiful and needful sewing gifts. Occasionally, I have received lovely, old handmade laces. While I gratefully accept these precious pieces, I often wonder how someone could part with these treasures. I have never tried to make lace, and have tried, but failed miserably to crochet and knit. So I am in awe at the dedication required to make lace. It is beautiful. And it makes me so respect the women of these nearly lost arts. And I feel such a connection with these artists as I hold these lovelies, just as they held them during the many, many hours of labor.

After many moves, across the country and back again, I finally am going through the boxes, cataloging, organizing, cleaning, and restoring the many treasures I have been given. And I was just a bit terrified at the thought of cleaning these often delicate pieces. Some are small, some are shaped like collars, and some are several yards long.

Ever since seeing this dress in Sew Beautiful magazine, which was sewn by my friend Laurie,  I fell in love! I showed the dress to India and we started to plan for her own graduation dress. She will graduate high school in June, and she deserves a really beautiful dress! And so this lace will be a lovely enhancement to a beautiful dress for my gorgeous and talented daughter. Because I have so many patterns, and often design my own, I rarely purchase patterns. But this one, I ordered.

So, knowing that we are just 9 months from graduation, and those months will fly, I decided to put my fears away, and tackle the job of cleaning these laces.  I had read an awesome tutorial from another sewing friend of mine, Bunny,  and decided that I could do it! So......I did it! And it worked! I was able to get almost all of the spots out, except for two, and I never touched a drop of bleach! Amazing!

I love these. They are so perfect that I wondered if they were machine made. But as I inspected them, I found knots, in different places on each flower. And each flower or leaf is slightly different. But they are perfect. I can just see these on the skirt of the dress. Oh, so beautiful.

Thank you Laurie and Bunny for your wonderful inspiration. And I want to thank the talented artists who made these delicate pieces, and the kind people who gave them to me to appreciate. I wish I could remember who they are, but it has been many years since I received them.

Ok, now you get to see something rare. Well, I am not sure if this little toy sewing machine is rare or not. But, what I mean is the rarity of the purchase.  I am not a person who spends money on my self. I will purchase fabric and notions, but usually only to make clothing items for my children or clients, or for items to sell. I have a terrible fear of purchasing anything that could be construed as even remotely "frivolous". Money is almost always tight and I am extremely frugal.

Well, I love the color pink. And I have wanted a pink Singer Featherweight sewing machine ever since I saw one on another blog. Oh......I was GREEN with envy (another rarity for me). I am usually very content, and struggle with wanting things for myself when we have so many other places for money to be of use. But OH! I wanted that sewing machine!

So, I have been on the lookout for a pink machine. I do not need another machine. Really!

But since I have been selling my Bloomer Skirt pattern, I had some money in my Paypal account. Oh. Well.  You  do know that Ebay takes Paypal, right? Um.... So, I found this little pink TOY sewing machine. I HAD to have it! I was surprised even at myself! I mean, I am the kind of girl who has asked for wool socks and a new iron for birthdays and Christmas. I am practical! This little pink beauty is NOT practical. Not at all.

But it is MINE! I love it and am so happy I bought it. It makes me smile to see it.

So, I guess I had better get to work on the next pattern so I can make some more money, right? I may get that pink Featherweight yet!

Oh, and to reiterate yesterdays post, I am going to have another giveaway soon! And I want to make sure that I can reach the winner, when it is time. So, if you want me to test your email from your comments, just ask me to send you a test email.

I pray you have a beautiful weekend!

Ribbon Dancing at the Kindergarten Circus

Ahnalin's kindergarten put on a circus last night! It was adorable! (Mom and Chelle, you know how I am saying this, right? Heehee!)

All week long they had been working on the circus theme. On Monday, they brought home these darling elephant masks and Ahnalin was sooooo proud!
I think what was the coolest thing to me is that she was enjoying acting like a child. Those of you whose children have RAD and PTSD know what I mean. So often our children live their lives through the filters of brokenness, so the moments of pure childhood shine beautiful and rare. She ran around the house making elephant sounds, not caring how she looked or worried that anyone was judging her. It was so beautiful and pure.


She was so relaxed and cute I almost cried.


My little Monkey Girl wore her tutu from her ballet recital. See, it is just like a bridesmaids dress. You can wear them again!

Her cast was huge and bulky, but she could still twirl that ribbon. I had to keep her from running because she was so thrilled to be doing something somewhat physical. It got crazier from there!

There was a snake charmer!

And lions and tigers along with their tamers!

And here is the whole group of circus performers. What a darling and talented bunch!

And here is my girl with her beautiful teacher Ms. Mass. We LOVE Ms. Mass! She is even more beautiful under her clown make-up. She is a blessing to those precious children and we are so grateful that our girl has such a gifted and kind teacher.


Slight change of subject now..................

I will be hosting another giveaway in a few more days. And I have noticed that several times I have wanted to respond to those leaving comments, only to find that their blogger account does not list their email addresses.
So.....in preparation of the upcoming giveaway, if you would like me to test your email, please leave a comment and I will email you. If you do not receive an email from me, you need to go into your blogger account and list your email.

So.....stay tuned! Giveaway on the horizon!

Sivje

Ahnalin in New Dress and Owie Bow Wowie

When Ahnalin picked out her fabric for her very girly sling, she also requested a dress to match. She loves this dress pattern "Teatime Dress & Coat" by Indygo Junction for it's extreme "twirlability". And I liked her idea because the dress is easy to get in and out of, important when your daughter is sporting one the most ginormous arm casts in the country.


While I actually refrained from the use of rickrack on this dress, and could not do any machine embroidery, I did make some covered buttons using the little printed strawberries from the Strawberry Shortcake fabric. I love covered buttons!



Ahnalin was blessed with some nice gifts from her friends and one of those gifts was cozy stuffed dog named "Owie Bow Wowie" from my friend Melody. Ahnalin and "Owie" hit it off right away, as Owie has scars and a cast on, which made Ahnalin feel more comfortable. These special puppies are made to give to children in hospitals with major medical conditions. Ahnalin's surgery is minor compared to many of the children who receive these darling doggies. But this great organization is a blessing. If you are wanting to donate to a cause that truly blesses children, click on the link above and see how you can help.




I am so happy to see our girl really smiling again. We have a long way to go with her arm, but she is smiling and God is good. Thank you for the prayers, and please keep them coming.

I really do still sew....

I know I have been not posting much about sewing lately, and most of that has to do with my wonderful sewing machine STILL being in the shop! I am NOT happy with all the excuses I have been receiving every time I call the shop to find out if the machine is finished. It is now well past two months that I have been separated from my Janome Memory Craft 9700. True, I have been borrowing my mom's more basic Janome, but it just does not do all the things I need it to do...things that my MC does beautifully. Sigh...

But just to show you that "Goosegirl" truly does still sew, I am putting up pics of my most recent project. These cushion covers were for a custom client. Self welted with boxed edges and concealed zippers. Yippy skippy.

No Rick-Rack to be found anywhere near these cushions. But....they are for a paying client and I am thrilled to have the work. This kind of sewing, I can do with just a basic machine and the hours after the kids go to bed.

I also made 4 tablecloths this week for the MOPS table decorations, and a cape for another Kindergarten class. I forgot to take a pic of the cape. But really, this stuff is NOT thrilling and not challenging in any way.
Everything turned out nice, but I am dying to get back to fun sewing.





In the meantime, I am working on organizing my sewing area. I had it partially done a few months back, and then never really finished the job to my own satisfaction, so it went WAYYYYYY downhill from there.

I have loads of gorgeous fabrics that I am dying to cut into and sew up. I will be making lots of fun pretties out of these fabrics and will be stocking my Etsy shop soon.

Really, I do promise that very soon I will be posting some really fun new things. Really... I promise... or as Ahnalin says when she REALLLLLLLY wants you to be impressed, " I DOUBLE PROMISE!!"

Ok, heading to bed now since we have to be up stinkin' early because India needs to be at church at 5:30 AM for a rehearsal. YIKES! But she is an amazing actress and I am so proud of her.

More later......I DOUBLE PROMISE!!