We never know where we will end up when we start along a path, do we?

Things evolve organically. Our family is changing, and we're taking a turn in a different direction. 

Patrick took a leave of absence from his PhD program in history to take a computer programing job. He would like to finish his dissertation one day, if he can do so while working full-time as a programmer. (A high five for my brilliant and hard-working husband who is both a humanities guy and a mathy, programming guy. How often do those two talents get put into one (darn cute) package? :) 

He will start work soon. We will get a regular paycheck, which is a huge stress relief for us. We were working way too hard to get Sew Liberated to make up for Patrick's grad school stipend which was about to run dry, and it just wasn't happening. It's a good source of supplemental income. It's not enough for a family of four with hefty medical bills. We're tired of money stress. We needed to do something about it.

You know, part of me cringes at the mention of money. I have - as many of you have, too - embraced a movement toward simpler living. Less stuff, less technology. Focusing on time instead of income, living slowly instead of doing everything. Perhaps part of me wishes that I could fully jump on board and simplify our lives to the point where Patrick didn't need to work outside the home. Many families are able to do this, and I am grateful for their ingenuity and gentle influence. I'm moving toward a self-acceptance that we are not one of those families. But thankfully, I know now that we will be ok. We have health insurance. We will have enough money to replace our roof (which is a "green roof" by the happenstance of thirty years rather than ecological standards.) We will be able to buy plane tickets to visit my grandfather who can't travel anymore. We've had many sighs of relief around here.

Of course, Patrick's job precipitates a huge shift for both of us. Since Finn's birth, we have been co-parenting full-time - he worked half the day, and I worked half the day, and we each took the boys when the other was working. Patrick will be leaving around 8:15 AM, and will return around 5:30 PM. I will be with the boys all day, with the exception of three mornings a week when Finn is at his nature school and Lachlan is cared for by my parents. During those three mornings, I will work on the blog and Sew Liberated. It will be an exercise in letting go of the unnecessary, streamlining my productivity, and learning how to delegate. My parents will be gone for four weeks right before Quilt Market in Houston this October, which I am attending this year. I have four new patterns in the pipeline. It will be an interesting Autumn.

What I am both very excited about and very nervous about is orchestrating each day solo, from breakfast to dinner, with Finn and Lachlan. Right now I'm trying to get myself organized, so I know what kinds of fun activities we can do together while at home. I know many can fly by the seat of their pants, but I need to have a flexible plan. I also need to figure out how to recharge. As a borderline introvert, I need head space to myself. I'm contemplating daily quiet time for my non-napper, and looking into a yoga class on Sunday mornings. 

This is where I am - getting everything in line for the next turn in life. I'm full of optimism that with it will come new lessons, less stress, and a soon-to-be-found groove.

Surplice Empire Waist Dress, maxi variation, from Sewing with Knits

I love the juxtaposition here of maxi dress and curled hair next to unmatched boy stuffing sticks in his pocket!

You should feel comfortable in your clothing. It should make you proud of the full range of movement of your body, and it should make you feel beautiful. 

You can sew your own clothes that fit. You can sew your own stylishly understated clothes that make you feel confident. You can sew them easily and quickly. Like, two naptimes quick. It's empowering to be able to sew with those oh-so-comfortable knits. And I can teach you how!

All that to say that my Craftsy course, Sewing with Knits: Five Wardrobe Essentials is available now! If you purchase the class through the links on my site, you get 50% off. That's six patterns (there's a bonus skirt pattern thrown in for fun) and six hours of instruction for twenty dollars. Each pattern has a ton of variations, so you can seriously remake your casual wardrobe for the price of a little more than a typical indie pattern.

Plus, I designed the class for YOU. Yep. I thought of no one but my loyal blog readers when writing the outline and designing patterns. You've had lots questions about knits, and I hope I have addressed them in this course. It's almost like hanging out with me for six hours. Except that I do all the talking, which is not something I would normally do! The great thing is that you can take this class whenever you want, and your access to it never expires. Also, the Craftsy platform is wonderfully interactive, and you can send me your questions or comments and I'll respond within a day. You can also "meet" and interact with your fellow students, as well as share pictures of your finished knitwear!

Conquer your fear of knits and make some seriously stylish, wonderfully wearable clothes! Can't wait to see you over at my course!

P.S. Everything at my shop is 15% off through the end of the week! Enter code AugustNews2012 at checkout. That includes patterns, kits, and supplies. (I have a bunch of supplies, including the best baby jersey knit with spandex that I recommend in Sewing with Knits, available now.) 

Patrick's doing some fancy things to this little blog - pardon the temporary disarray!

Be still your heart? My generous friends (and neighbors) at Spoonflower are giving away four yards of fabric (of your choice) and an Ashland Dress pattern! 

I recently made a top for myself out of Spoonflower's cotton silk (totally dreamy) substrate, printed on Holli Zollinger's Grey and White Diamond Linen. I think it took me weeks to decide which fabric of Holli's to print - I had a total sewing geek-out over all of them. This understated print worked perfectly, sewing up smoothly into an everyday-with-a-bling top, given the slight fancy pants sheen of the silk. 

I used a pared-down version of the Ashland Dress pattern, omitting the pockets and waist sash and shortening the hemline so that it hits at my hip. I'm loving it. I can already tell that I will wear it often - it's comfortable, it's grey, it is cool to wear in the summer and it will be great under a cardigan come autumn. 

I had a little virtual chit chat with Kim at Spoonflower, and I hope you'll pop on over to their blog to check it out and to leave a comment to win the Ashland Dress pattern and four yards of fabric! 

Do you hear me laughing through the computer screen? Good. Because this one is just so perfect. 

 And don't forget the peanut gallery!

A nice way to spend an otherwise slow afternoon. Humidity, cicadas buzzing in the trees, and the occasional "pop" of ball against bat, followed by laughter. 

P.S. Have you heard of Summer Camp Adventure Club? It's jam-packed with really engaging creative play ideas, book reviews, recipes, art prompts, and other family fun projects that are organized around a weekly theme. If you're looking for ways to maximize this last month of summer, you should sign up - August subscribers also get access to all of June and July's content! It's a great homeschooling resource that I'll be hanging on to!

 We felt crazy. As in, wow, who knew we would wake up on a morning like any other and fall asleep that night in a tent by the beach? 

Shaking off the incapacitated-by-small-folk feeling that often overcomes us and whispers in our ears to stay put on a typical weekend, we threw our camping things in the car and headed to the Outer Banks for two nights. Who knew so many good memories could be made in less than forty-eight hours?

Perhaps uncharacteristically, we opted for an all-bells-and-whistles-included KOA campground. It had a zero-entry pool, plenty of play structures, a gigantic bouncer, and mini golf, all next to the beach. Finn and Lachlan were delighted. The only challenge was finding a cool place to take a nap. We opted for a drive, finally finding the only? shade tree on the island and parking ourselves under it. The boys snoozed. We read our books while sipping iced coffee. It was almost like a date.

On the drive home, while looking for a restroom, we serendipitously drove past a refurbished, 1950's-era mini amusement park in Rocky Mount. One dollar train and carousel rides, a water park, and ice cream. With happy hearts, we hopped in the car for the last stretch home, excited to listen to Sparkle Stories. 

We should do crazy things like that more often.