How to eat HUMBLE pie!!!!!!!!!!

It is HARD being a parent. How many times do you say to your child or think in your head - that task is too difficult - I don't want you to fail. It is going to be hard to get a job, it is going to be ......................


Well - I had to eat humble pie when she went searching for a job because she got the job after the first interview. She was 14 and the job was at McDonald's. Now she has been working there for 2 1/2 years. OK -so I was WRONG.

Then she got into modeling and I was cautious - you may not get calls. Well - she got calls - lots of calls (albeit at a junior agency) and she got ALL the jobs except one. OK - so I was WRONG again.

Hmmmm - where did I put that PARENTING manual because I am not doing great!!!!!!!!


Then she gets into sewing and I'm thinking - let's make something easy - PJ pants. And yes she ended up making some PJ pants from flannel, then fleece with STRIPES that she matched pretty well. WITHOUT me telling her that they needed to be matched. Then there was the shirt style dress from the knit fabric. Remember that panic with the buttonholes???

THE knit dress. I think it turned out AMAZING!!!!!   Yes - there were a few "quirks" with the construction and there is a tiny issue with the bottom of the placket, but OVERALL - she did an AMAZING job. 

So when on Saturday morning she announced that she wanted to make a TIE for Berke for his birthday on SUNDAY, I should have just shut my mouth and said nothing. I didn't go crazy, but I did say weakly - "a tie - are you CRAZY?"""""   And then when she said she wanted to make it from the same fabric as her still to be made prom dress - I paled and nearly passed out - we are talking RED SATIN.

Before class on Saturday, we trundled off to Fabricland to get enough satin to make the tie and the appropriate interfacings. I have NEVER made a tie before, BUT I had taken MANY of them apart. How hard can this be?????   I was having nightmares and it was the middle of the day.

When I got home from teaching, M was already down in the studio - hemming two pair of pants for Berke. Oh boy - I don't like sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!   No worries - just have to make sure she is trained to put stuff BACK. As I get older - I need to be more organized or I will never know where stuff is.

She had printed the instructions from the internet (oh great - next time when you need to print 20 pages of pictures - use your iPAD and follow along on screen!!!!)

Cutting out the tie after the lightweight interfacing is fused on

Even though she did all the work, I did have to cut one piece for her after MY DIRTY TEFLON sheet left a spot of glue right in the center of the tie. CRAP - I HATE WORKING WITH SATIN

For the most part - the instructions were pretty good. but there were a couple of spots that - well we modified them. M would be commenting - this is stupid. I would look at the instructions and then come up with a better idea!!!!   At one point, I got out a partially deconstructed tie so we could adapt her pattern to this construction method. I even got a "Hurrah for having a sewing mom!!!!!!"     How cool is that!!!!!!!!!

A deconstructed tie comes to the rescue

Hard at work on the pressing

More pressing

Ah - the last step - the hand sewing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More hand sewing

Looks nice from the back. Yes - she hid those hand stitches well, but the hand stitching still needs a bit of work - just a tad too long for my liking!  OK - so I am stickler for finishing!!!

And you know what - I DID NOT get a picture of the finished tie. I am not sure why. Perhaps because she was flying out of here so she could have a shower and get ready for the birthday boy.


Bottom line - I was IMPRESSED - the tie did look pretty awesome. Berke loved it, M was THRILLED with it. And I am eating my humble pie once again!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Next time - she wants to make something - I'll just shut up and buy the fabric!!!!!!!!!!!!  



I finally managed to get her Christmas present quilt DONE including the label. While I love the plush on the back, I HATE hand stitching into that stuff.   Oh - I get to write that in my "completed" book!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Christmas quilt - DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The healthiness around here - I am choking on healthy!!!!!!!!!!!!   M got up and made her breakfast as usual AND she made her lunch and carried that to school for the second day in a row. Caroline and M made dinner last night - rosemary chicken. But she loves it and we are all happy (except DH who grumbles that we are eating whole wheat pasta).


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!