Two Healthy Drinks

I have been known to occasionally make a warm "tea" of an evening.  I've written about it before here.  I used to call it "Creamy Turmeric Tea."  I find that it has another name: "Golden Milk."

More often lately, I've been making what my husband calls my "crazy juice."  It's a recipe called Good Girl Moonshine by Trim Healthy Mama here.

The main ingredients are vinegar and ginger.  These are excellent anti-inflammatory tonics for the body.

I shared the recipe with some friends who have painful medical conditions such as fibromyalgia.  They suggested I add turmeric and black pepper.  These are synergistic, which means the ingredients help each other work better.

The vinegar, ginger, and pepper give this drink lots of Zing!

Here's how I make my drink:

I get out a clean, dry spaghetti sauce jar.  This is the right size for my version of the recipe.

First, I add 1/8 teaspoon of stevia because that's the last thing I want to forget.


I put a few shakes of black pepper, about 1/8 teaspoon, onto a piece of paper. I roll the paper so it's "sort of" folded in half, then tap that into the jar.
I also add one capsule of turmeric and three capsules of powdered ginger.
I found that pouring vinegar into a 1.5 Tablespoon measure is really messy, but a certain shot glass measures 1.5 Tablespoons to the lower line.  I add the vinegar to the jar.
I add a little water, swirl around to stir, fill with ice, and add water almost to the top.
I drink it with a straw, stirring before each sip.

I make a jar in the morning to take with me to work, then I make another jar to sip during supper and beyond.

I highly recommend this drink.

I have yet to determine if it will help me lose weight.

A Little Sewing

Right after my last post, May 21, I finally finished a winter skirt just to get it off the table.

I finished the skirt on May 30 and took some pictures.

I used pattern McCall's 6654:

I made two layers, one skinnier than the other.  I used the long, slim version and made it based on my measurements.  I had to take it in about two inches.  I flared it out while cutting to make an outer layer.

I shortened the outer layer it with a hi-lo hem to enhance the layered effect. Here's how I cut the outer layer:

I attached the skirts to the elastic in opposite directions:

The inner layer is a very slick knit of man-made fibers.  The outer layer is a lightweight sweater knit.  Here's how it looks on the table:

Here's how it looks on me:

I put this away to save it for "winter" (in Florida, that's anything under 50 degrees Fahrenheit).

I have a big project waiting for me to work on it.  I will share when I'm done with it.

Back after a Slight Delay

All my sewing came to a halt when I had cataract surgery earlier this year.

Even before that, I got a little bit of sewing done.

For example, I stitched two lengths of fleece together to make a king-sized blanket.  This was done of necessity because all the blankets that we saw in the stores were just plain ugly.  I found five yards of this fleece at about the same price as an average blanket at W-M:

I also got caught up in pattern testing for an independent pattern company.

The fact that Stitch Upon a Time needed pattern testers for something my husband was needing - a T-shirt, specifically with long sleeves - was not lost on me.  I joined the pattern-testing world so hubby could have a couple new T-shirts.

The link to the men's Huntsman T-shirt pattern is here.

I sewed for him two long-sleeved shirts and one short-sleeved shirt.

Here is his second shirt, after we finessed the fit:

With inspiration - and scraps - from the top I made my friend, I cut one out for me, too.  Here is my friend's top:

Inspired by the cold weather at the time - mid-February - I cut out two long skirts using McCall's pattern 6654, a basic knit skirt with straight or flare options.  I cut a thinner, but denser, knit with a straight line.  I cut a more open knit as an overlay with a hi-low hem and a slight flare.

Right about this time, I had my first cataract surgery.  Here's a "before" picture. I'd had thick glasses for years:

After two months of not sewing - and, unfortunately, not exercising, also - I went from "can't see far" to "can't see near."  Because of the surgery, I can see colors more clearly now.  Cataracts had changed my perception of colors, and it was a shock to "rediscover" white and colors!

I have a small collection of "readers," which are those eyeglasses you see in drug stores and dollar stores.  I have ordered two pairs of prescription glasses which correct my vision to 20/20, something I'd not had for years.

So, I finally got back into sewing.  I finished my top to match my friend's top.  We went out today as "twins."  Here's my top:

The skirt is still in process.  It was going to be two skirts, but now I think I will make it as one.

Google has this year changed how pictures work, so I had to update the links to my photo albums for my Patterns for Sale page (above).

From One Year to the Next

I was surprised to see in my spreadsheet that I sewed 22 things in 2015.

I made another quick flutter sleeve knit top with Simplicity 5723.  Click here to see my previous version.

The main difference is that I lengthened the top with my French Curve Ruler:

I also made the Easy Cosmetics bag from So Sew Easy,  Click here for the free pattern. This was a gift for a coworker.  It really was easy to sew.

I've already gotten a start on projects in 2016!

I made this Box Bag from Stacy Sews for a friend.  Click here for the free pattern.

It really was quick and easy, but I think it would have looked boxier had I followed the instructions to apply the zipper to the short edges, not the long edges!